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Magic Kingdom
56 reviews
Lake Buena Vista, FL
Category: Amusement Parks
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Epcot
124 reviewsOrlando, FL
Category: Amusement Parks
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
47 reviews for Disney's Hollywood Studios
A THEME PARK DEDICATED TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD
I love this park; it transports me back into the golden age of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s. The main entrance is Hollywood Boulevard with art deco buildings awash in pastel colors. At a distance, is the 120-foot-high Sorcerer Mickey Hat which serves as the park icon and a great backdrop for photographs.
Behind the sorcerer hat, is an exact replica of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The Great Movie Ride is located inside the theater and it is one of my favorite rides. You enter the ride through the front door of the theater and board large moving vehicles on a Hollywood soundstage. The vehicles take you through richly detailed movie sets of classic films, including Raider's of the Lost Ark, Casablanca, Mary Poppins, Alien, and The Wizard of Oz. There was no line so we just walked in and were instantly taken on a journey through the movies with our enthusiastic tour guide.
We made sure to visit the exhibit Walt Disney: One Man's Dream. I think this exhibit and biographical film should be required viewing for all visitors of Walt Disney World.
We made sure to visit The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at the end of Sunset Boulevard. We entered the dust covered lobby and quickly boarded a giant elevator thrill ride. The thrill here is the 13 story free-fall drop that plunges you up and down in a random pattern. This is probably my favorite ride in Walt Disney World. It is much better than the version in Disneyland's California Adventure.
We ended the day with a relaxing dinner at The Hollywood Brown Derby. Disney's Hollywood Studios is a great park that you can easily see in one day.
This is the least interesting of the four Disney parks in Orlando. There's lots of theming down the main street (Broadway, I think), but they are all shops - nothing interesting.
The restaurants are the best thing here because of theming: Prime Time Cafe and Sci Fi Diner especially stand out. I also recall that the Brown Derby, while expensive, had great food. The parade is very active but kind of boring after awhile. The High School Musical shows are constant - you can't get away from them.
The best things: the themed restaurants, Fantasmic (which is harder and harder to get into), and Pixar's Toy Story Mania, which is an AWEsome ride.
Used to be MGM studios, seems that they parted ways.. OK but most things did stay the same so that's a plus.
Con - High School Musical everywhere (gag)
Pro's - It has REAL rides for adults here! The Rock n Roller Coaster is GREAT, and if you like to feel like your guts end up in your mouth and you are going to choke on them, then Tower of Terror is for you!
OK so there are many many more Pro's-
Indiana Jones Stunt spectacular is awesome.
Lights Motor Action, also awesome.
Star Tours for the Star Wars nerd in you!
Studio Back lot tour is lots of fun.
And my favorite... the Pizza Planet I am a HUGE Toy Story fan and just adore being able to eat at the Pizza Planet, OK so the food isn't great but hey "I have been chosen"
The Hollywood Studios by far great for adults and kids, you will find the balance is great to keep everyone happy.
I could've sworn this place was called the Disney MGM Studios before. When did they change the name??
This place is definitely interesting, and like Christine A. said, it's strange when you're actually FROM LA and see bits and pieces of it Disneyfied and stuffed into Florida.
The rides are okay, and I have little patience for the shows, so I usually skip this place and head to the other parks unless they're open late (they were open til past midnight one of the nights I was there), because the crowds + mediocre overall theme park = not too happy me.
My first time here in Orlando, Disney and it was well worth the long trip.
It's humid and hot but as long as you take per cautions in the weather you are good to go! Food is everywhere. Trying to keep from dehydrating and keeping from getting hungry.
The one ride I really liked was the Rock and Roll Aerosmith coaster which was fast and had cool music playing while riding. Make your way to that.
My vote as well.
Well... being a California resident, going to this park was rather amusing. It was like walking around parts of Los Angeles in much smaller scale and exaggerated to fit a musical or Disney view of it. Cross Disney's California Adventure with Universal Studios and you get MGM, oh excuse me, Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The park was all right. Like a few have said--"underwhelming"--but you can still have fun and be entertained nonetheless.
MAGICAL!!!
I love Disney World, especially the theme parks located inside; Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and of course Magic Kingdom.
They're all:
1. Beautifully designed
2. Really, really, i mean REALLY the happiest places on earth --I think their biggest goal is to make each of you to feel like you're a good child that deserve real treats from santa or somewhat like that ;)--
3. Very clean for a theme park (yeah there were a little trash over here and there, but the cleaning services were everywhere, and they do decent work all the time)
4. Hiring the most FRIENDLY + HELPFUL + KNOWLEDGEABLE staffs!!
5. Giving you so much nicely scheduled + performed shows --shows are great for all ages, and if you are a Disney fanatic like me, you'll be infused by them--
6. Very smartly designed or managed for people with disabilities!
7. Always improving themselves by adding new shows, new attractions, new offers.. And they were all GREAT!!!
http://goflorida.about...
cons:
Some foods were very pricey when the taste wasn't really good. Some restaurants were pretty good in taste and atmosphere, but still they were pricey.
**http://disneyworld.dis...
I ate breakfast and brought my lunch from outside the park so i just have to spend for dinner and some snacks inside the park. I also brought bottled water (refilled again and again with tap waters that located everywhere in the park) so I think I saved a lot ;)
**note: I did the tap water refilling thing at Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and they were all fine. But Magic Kingdom's tap water tasted a little funny. I suggest this time you avoid the refilling thing :b
Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Disney World, so I promised myself there will be next visit(s)!
If the Magic Kingdom is geared to 5 year olds for their spirit of wonder, and EPCOT is pitched toward adults with our need to "know", then Hollywood Studios is definitely for the teenagers and their need for thrills and stardom.
Due to the extended park hours for resort guests, we were able to hit up Hollywood Studios one night and escape the lines while we did Muppets and the Star Wars ride. I have to say, the park without all of the people in it was FANTASTIC!
Two days later, we return to do the rest of the rides, such as the Aerosmith ride and the Tower of Terror. Heh, there is where you really need to plan things out, and utilize that "Fast Pass" option. As both of these rides are incredibly popular, and as both of these rides are right next to each other, I highly recommend that you get the "Fast Pass" for the ride with the longer line, and then hop into line for the other one. As it as, we ended up doing the Aerosmith ride and the Tower of Terror all within 15 minutes of each other (and between the two, Tower of Terror is definitely *WAY* better).
Bad thing about Hollywood Studios? Besides the teenagers running around, was the "High School Musical" parades that would run through the park every few hours, blocking access to cross from one side of the park to another.
Each of the parks also have a night time closing show with lights and fireworks. For Hollywood Studios, the show is held behind the Beauty and the Beast stage (by Aerosmith and Tower of Terror...I know, all the cool stuff is down that side!), and although they recommend that you arrive at least 45 minutes early - I would recommend getting there at least an hour to an hour and half earlier. My husband and I got there late, because we didn't know about the show until it was ready to begin, so we ended up on a grassy knoll in the "standing room only" section.
This show was BY FAR the *BEST* of the special closing shows of any of the parks! I can't describe it! The "story" is about Mickey and the power of imagination, which is lame unless you're 10, but the execution was insane! Huge 20 feet walls of mist shot up which became a screen for movie clips that were merged with the water canons, fireworks, and laser lights. Insane! Both my husband and I were completely mesmerized, and for the first time on our week long adult trip to Walt Disney World, he was enraptured like a little kid. AW!
Up until this closing show, Hollywood Studios would have scored a respectable and solid 4 star...but this show pushed it over into a solid 5. Fantastic!
Probably the best park at Disney World, all though you can probably make it through in half a day. Rockin Roller Coaster is probably the best ride at Disney World, and the Hollywood Tower of Terror is a lot of fun as well. The whole them of the park is interesting too, the layout is like walking around Hollywood.
I should get rid of a star because they changed from MGM. That's what I'll always end up calling it though so, eh. This is a great place for tours of the epic action kind and shows.
The Honey I Shrunk the Kids playset is awesome for kids but even older people can't admit that it's not really cool. I could be wrong but I do think that they also have a 4D Honey I shrunk the Kids show too. It's a 3D show with extra effects you can feel. Their 3D Muppets show is awesome, I just wish that for all these things they had better glasses. Now that they came out with the new movie theater 3D awesomeness for movies like UP, Monster and Aliens and Coroline I hope they implement THAT 3D into their shows. It'd be pretty awesome and "top of the line" in my opinion.
The Great Movie Ride usually has a big line, but it's not just a ride through the movies it's an adventure that you become a part of. Your tour guide even gets involved. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's neat. Star Tours is shitty if you get motion sickness, but then again so would be Tower of Terror (which is horrifyingly awesome and you should give it a few goes!).
The Little Mermaid show is really sweet and I would say the whole family can enjoy it. Some of the shows are gauged more towards younger kids, but if you like the Little Mermaid you're going to like the show. It's just kind of neat to see it live action. And the Ursula is true to character, literally. The Magic of Disney animation tour used to be AWESOME and you'd actually got to walk through the studios and see peoples crap and cels on the walls and where animators actually WORKED, but now it's a lot lamer, you don't see that stuff and you just basically get chatted at for a half hour. :/
The stunt show and backlot tours are really awesome and worth visiting, and ESPECIALLY in this park there's a lot of new attractions. In the past ten years I'd say they came up with a lot of new attractions. The last two really popular shows (if they still have them) I recommend are the Beauty and the Beast stage show (REALLY top notch) and the Indiana Jones stunt show.
ALSO GO EAT PIZZA AT THE PIZZA PLANET (TOY STORY THEMED OUT!!!)
It may not take you an entire day to go through MGM but it depends on how interested you are in what they have to offer. If you want to experience everything, it will take a whole day. Otherwise, hop back over to another park! (Hopper pass, highly recommended)
I wasn't sure if I would like this park. We went through the turnstiles and started contemplating our park map. Aerosmith's Rockin Roller Coaster was my main target. I wanted a Fast Pass.
A cast member saw us discussing our plans, walked over and asked if he could help us find something. I told him it was our first visit, he flashed back a big smile and pulled out a bunch of "1st Visit" pins. He then made us promise to get Fast Passes for the new Toy Story ride first.
We took his advice, headed over and grabbed four. He was right, the Fast Pass distribution was already up to 3 p.m. We couldn't get another Fast Pass for an hour, so we looked at the map again for our next destination. A sign caught my eye, it was Walt and Mickey Mouse. I realized that it was an attraction dedicated to Walt's life. I had to go in.
We walked through the entrance. A member of the Dream Team jumped out from behind the corner and introduced himself. We had won dream Fast Passes! For the rest of the day, we just had to tear off our little tabs and hand them to CM's when we wanted to join a Fast Pass line.
The Walt Disney attraction was one of my favorite experiences of the whole trip. Do not miss it if you visit Hollywood Studios!
We ate at the Sci Fi Diner for lunch, which is another must. We ate dinner at the 50's Prime Time Cafe and although we enjoyed it, I liked the Sci Fi Diner better.
My oldest daughter adored the Star Wars theme shop. My youngest adored the interactive Toy Story ride. Since we had won the Dream Fast Passes - we gave the four that we had obtained after entering the park to a family of four that had missed out. They thanked us repeatedly and it felt good to spread a little of the magic.
It began to pour so we made our way into the "Learn to Draw" attraction. We got to draw Eeyore and it was really cool! We hit the Little Mermaid show next. We were able to ride out the rest of the thunderstorms in there and Dad was able to catch some Zzz's. :P
The Tower of Terror is 10 times better than the one in California.
The Aerosmith Rockin Roller Coaster is incredible. I think we rode it 6 times before our trip was complete. It is simply the best roller coaster on earth. The whole family loved it.
Now that I'm back in California, I kick on my Aerosmith tunes and grin ear to ear from the memories.
Thank you Hollywood Studios!
I added an extra star for Matt, one of the hotel employees at Tower of Terror. He's not Everybody. He loves his job and makes every day a Disney day. Plus, he speak parsel tounge!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/22/2009
Easy park to get around, but I find myself satisfied after only a few hours. It's hard for me to… Read more »
Oh MGM. I love you.
There's this idea that Universal is the movie studio to go to. Maybe... if you want to be bored and cry in a corner.
MGM had rides. Like REAL rides. GOOD rides.
Tower of Terror? Weeeeee.
Rockin' Roller Coaster? The BEST roller coaster I have EVER been on (and I've been on a few and I have no fear.) Ha! I even tricked my mom into going on it once when she's asked about the display car outside "why is it on a track upside down" and I said "they just put that there to scare you"... well, that WAS the truth. I never said it DIDN'T go upside down. Poor mom.
And I've run into a lot of great staff at this park. And, honestly, I've spent entire days just lounging at the Catwalk Bar (when it's open. It's hard to find and is closed when there's a live show in the space next door but PM me and I'll give you the inside scoop.)
Oh, but it's not just the great rides... this park has the best shows. Seriously.. the Hunchback one is Broadway quality.
Oh, but don't waste your money eating at the Brown Derby (I'm not going to bother to review it separately). There's much better restaurants outside the park. (Although the 50's diner ain't bad, I have to say.)
Hollywood Studios IS my favorite park! Why? Because it has the coolest rides!
Aerosmith's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is my favorite ride in all of WDW. Waiting to board, you are left in a Recording Studio where Aerosmith is waiting for a Limo to take them to their next gig and then he notices you standing there and orders a Limo to get you to their Gig...FAST! An indoor roller coaster featuring a high-speed launch of 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds
Hollywood Studio's has doubled in size in the past 10 years and it is still growing! It is divided into 4 sections. It was originally named Disney-MGM Studios
HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD:
As you enter the park and walk down Hollywood Boulevard you will see the park icon, a gigantic Sorcerer Mickey Hat, originally built to mark WDW's 100 Years of Magic Celebration.
The Great Movie Ride: Inside a magnificent reproduction of the famous Mann's Chinese Theater, long tram cars take you on a slow, but interesting journey through some of the world's most famous movie scenes. Life like Audio & Animated electronic figures, take you back to scenes from the Wizard of Oz, Alien, Raiders of the Lost Ark and many more. Just about every genre is represented: musicals, gangster movies, westerns, romances. This is a must see attraction!
This is where you will find many good Restaurants like The Brown Derby, 50's Prime Time Cafe and Hollywood & Vine.
SUNSET BOULEVARD: This is where Rock n Roller Coaster is! Where, other than Boston, you can run red lights and stop signs and get away with it! Its dark, yet glitzy with lights, it's uphill and downhill thrills galore!
Home to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, is in the rundown Hollywood Tower Hotel. A facade of a once-glorious hotel which jolts you back in time. Board a phantom elevator, shoot up 13 stories and brace yourself for a thrilling plummet... but beware! The experience just got scarier. You rocket back up, only to plummet down yet again. You dare to ride once more, but wait! That's not what happened before. That's right, now the Tower is in control, so it's never the same fear twice!
Fantasmic..There are no bad seats here, to view Mickey fighting all the Disney villains with dancing waters, lights, music and fireworks. Pretty well a must see, once.
MICKEY AVENUE ANIMATION COURTYARD:
Toy Story Mania, an interactive 4-D ride and game all in one, where you grab 3-D glasses and battle for fun, using spring action virtual darts! Cool! Everybody is a Kid in WDW!
Studio Backlot Tour Shuttles take you behind the scenes of a real, working studio and through Catastrophe Canyon for a special effects tour, recreating some intense natural disasters. Plan to possibly get wet! ;+}
Voyage of The Little Mermaid: This show is guaranteed to satisfy mermaid-lovers, young and old. A combination of movie clips, live performers, puppets and dancing fish, bring together an entertaining show!
BACKLOT:
Lights, Motors, Action! Stunt Show. You walk into the open-air theater and find your seat on metal, stadium-style bleachers that overlook a village-themed set. . Engines rev, tires screech and adrenaline kicks into overdrive as a series of highly orchestrated stunts, specially designed cars, motorcycles and jet skis and amazing feats give you a behind-the-scenes look at how action stunts are created for the movies
Star Tours - the ultimate Star Wars thrill ride. May the Force be with you! Designed by teams from both Disney and George Lucas, your 40-seat flight simulator takes you on a turbulent trip through outer space, with an absent-minded droid in the cockpit.
There is much more to Hollywood Studio's than what I reviewed. Go see for yourself!
Not our favorite park, but still very worthwhile to visit. We went on New Year's Eve and it was a madhouse. But we still got to see quite a few things. Get there early and use a touring plan - or at least have a plan - if you're going on a holiday.
Our boys really liked the Indiana Jones show, the backlot tour, and the Toy Story ride. If you have easily frightened children, the backlot tour may be a bit much. Our 4 year old was fine with it - but we prepared him and let him know that Catasrophe Canyon was pretend.
Our 9 year old is still too afraid to ride the Tower of Terror but our 8 year old wanted to do it (again) and he was pretty scared (again). No way would I take our very brave 4 year old on the Tower of Terror even though he meets the height requirement - and he did everything else in the park. It's not the drop itself that's so scary - it's the anticipation.
Our boys liked Voyage of the Little Mermaid even though it's "girly" it's still entertaining and everyone loved Fantasmic! Definately worth seeing.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/17/2008
Rocken Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror were great. And Fantasmic! was very cool to see.
The… Read more »
Either I'm Dyslexic or have been living under a rock, but I thought this place was called MGM Studios?
Besides the point though, I love this park! I came here roughly 4-5 years ago, so there are only certain things I remember. The Aerosmith Rock 'N Roller Coaster is an indoor coaster with loops, it seriously doesn't get any better than that.
The Tower of Terror is fun too, but when I went they focused more on the presentation of the show rather than the ride, whereas at California Adventures, it's all about the ride - so I prefer the one in CA.
Their Indiana Jones show is pretty lame. The actual ride at Disneyland is way better. On the other hand though, Fantasmic! really makes up for it. The stadium seating is incredibly amazing, the "arena" is HUGE. And the show is "fantas"-tic.
I was, well, underwhelmed.
The rides sucked. There were to much ani-matronics (you know human mannequins with moving mouths). It really was a disappointment.
The tower of terror was cool though, but not worth the price of admission.
I went to Universal Studios 3 years ago and it was much much much better.
My recommendation is to go here if you have young kids. If you don't, then go to Universal for a much better experience!
Probably the smallest Disney park with the least to do. Of course the two coolest rides and worth the trip to the park are Tower or Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster. If you enjoy shows this is a good place for you, there are a variety of them. My toddler LOVED the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show and the Honey I shrunk the Kids play area.
Some of the rides, like Star Tours, feel old and outdated. Still, if you are a Indiana Jones or Stars Wars buff you'll love getting close to sets and characters. What is nice about a smaller park is that you don't feel overwhelmed but can take your time and explore. I've also noticed that the characters are a little more accessible for the kiddies.
This was the last park we visited of the four we had the opportunity to see on our trip. And to be fair, we had the least amount of time in this park than any of the others. We came here after dinner at Boma and drinks in the Victoria Bar, so that should explain why. This park deserves a much closer look on a future visit.
As we arrived, we just barely made it on the last ride of the day for the Studio Backlot Tour. Like the Universal Studios Tour of a similar name, this ride through the filming area was on a much, much smaller scale. We were told that we would not get to see some of what is normally on the tour (some stunt and fire segments) because they are not done after sundown. Makes sense, but you miss a lot. Interesting museum at the end with much Hollywood and film industry stuff to read about and see, but we pretty much had to skip all of this.
My friend rode Tower of Terror (not my thing at all) and was mixed on whether this, or the same ride at California Adventure, is the better one. She didn't find this one significantly better; just different.
Fantasmic on the other hand I could not even categorize as the same show Disneyland does. This show has an entire area just for the show. When we reached the end of the long pathway we arrived at an enormous amphitheater built around an elaborate stage surrounded by water. This show had everything; fire, water (incredible fountain sequences), princesses of course, boats, boats and more boats, stunts, and song and dance. And if that wasn't enough, throw in some fireworks too. The animated movies shown on screens of dancing water will hypnotize you just watching them. You must see it!
The crowd was fantasmic as well. There must've been 500,000 people in this amphitheater! I joke, but seriously; it's ginormous, take my word. And while this show was off the hook fabulous, and I would never have missed it ; getting out of there was a fantasmic traffic jam. Two ways in equals two ways out; and this many people cramming to get there all at once had me thinking fire and safety hazard. If you're claustrophobic, be prepared for this - wait until everyone leaves before you, then go. Other than that, this was my favorite show from this trip to Disney World, with Lion King a very close second. I'd definitely go see this again; with a little better planning on my part. WOW!
That was pretty much all we had time for, sadly. Would love to revisit here. I love the streets that are all replicas of their famous namesakes. Disney does the replica thing so well; all of the buildings and details could take hours to explore. While this park is pretty small compared to the others, there was much to see and do here, no mistaking. Would love to have been able to dine at the little Brown Derby restaurant, or one of the other cute places. We never got near Rock 'n' Roller Coaster but I hear that's a real blast too. My travelogue says I'll be back here again for sure. I can't wait!
Ehh, I hate to give anything Disney- affiliated, anything less than four stars.
We arrived on friday, the first day of Star Wars weekend, which was okay. I mean, i'm not a ginormous fan like others but whatever. So this meant that it was busier than I would imagine it normally is.
We got there right at opening and ran to the new ride, Toy Story Mania, which was AWESOME by the way. But once we got off the ride, the line was already an hour and a half long! So I recommend getting to the park about 45 mins before the park opens so that you can be one of the first ones on the ride. We also rode the Rockin Rollercoaster, the great movie ride, the tower of terror, and the behind the scenes tour. We didn't bother riding Star Tours or watching Muppet 3D vision, seeing as that we have done both hundreds of times here in cali.
This park got very crowded quickly, and there is not much walking room like EPCOT has. We were done seeing everything we wanted to see by 1130am, so we ended up leaving and relaxing at our hotel, but we had to be back for dinner reservations at 5pm at Hollywood and Vine. We didn't stay for fantasmic, so we gave our priority seating away.
I would probably suggest coming to visit this park during the middle of the week, but if you had to come on the weekend, make sure that there isn't an event going on...
OHH it was also gay day here which made it even more busy!
Hollywood Studios (MGM) has the worst layout of all the parks. It just doesn't flow.
So you need a plan. Look at your map.
You can either start to the right, going through the the HOLLYWOOD BLVD section to the SUNSET BLVD section or your can start to the left and hit the BACK LOT section.
I recommend you start to the right.
The following are the highlights from the different sections.
SUNSET BLVD
Tower of Terror
Aerosmith
ANIMATION COURTYARD
Back lot tour
HOLLYWOOD BLVD
The movie ride
BACK LOT
Stunt Show
Muppets 3D
Star Wars
Indiana Jones
Moving in this general direction will keep you from walking back and forth needlessly, and will get you on the main rides. There is definitely more to do than the above mentioned, but the above mentioned is what you are going to have to FAST PASS and you are going find yourself planning your schedule around them.
We spent one day here. It was chosen very carefully so we could enjoy the one of the Star Wars Weekends. We got to see Donald dressed as a Stromtrooper and Goofy as Darth Vader. They had some of the actors and directors/technical people there to meet the fans. (pictures to come shortly.)
The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was a fun ride, but I won't go on it again, because my ears were getting banged up because of the u-bar. We didn't make it on Toy Story Mania because of the demand. We got our fast passes about 10AM for return at 7PM. We ended up giving them to other guests (I figured that we could experience it at DL). I missed seeing Fanstamic but it was more important to me to spend the last night with the family before they left to go back home.
I am not a big fan of the MGM. It has a couple cool rides but I don't care for the shows...but I don't like Universals either..it is not my thing.
My favorite rides are Tower and Rock N Roller Coaster.
Personally, Hollywood Studios is my favorite of the four parks at Walt Disney World. I love everything about it. First, it has all my favorite rides: Star Tours, Tower of Terror, the Rock N' Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania, and the Great Movie Ride. Second, the best evening show, Fantasmic, is there. Third, there is so much to see because every movie-themed area is so detailed. You could just walk around all day trying to see everything. For instance, you can walk around the streets of New York and see all of the hidden set pieces and then walk around the Ewok village outside Star Tours. I also recommend that anyone who is interested in the history of the Disney company should make sure to see the new Walt Disney exhibit. I was amazed looking at all of the exhibits from the Disney vaults. Hollywood Studios is truly amazing.
I also have to mention that we went to Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Weekends. I am a big Star Wars fans and had so much fun with all of the special Star Wars events they had planned. They also really used all of their Disney planning for the signings as well. The lines at the signings moved like a well oiled machine.
This place is like a mini-Universal Studios. I mean a very, very mini version. We waited in line forever just to get on the ride for the MGM studio tour. Before you knew it, it was over. ah well...
The Rockin Roller Coaster is a blast! Nothing like screaming to the sounds of Aerosmith in the background. My favorite part is the take off. Odd, but when you go on it, you'll know what I mean. We went on it twice. Long lines, or else we would have done it again and again.
The Tower of Terror was a disappointment for me. It looked so scary on TV... and it really didn't do anything for me. Too bad.
I went here when i was 13...ive drank alot since then and my memory aint what it used to be...
However one of the defining moments of my life occurred when i rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Ive been very secretive about my obsession with the Twilight Zone for most of my life. I would sell my body for the 28 DVD Definitive Collection. Or i could just save the 2-hundo ... we'll see.
Even at such a young age i had this obsession with the TZ. I dont know why...i relish in the irony, the Orwellian undertones and the general social commentary on a society that was just embarking on the path of the military industrial complex that would come to change our lives.
But back to the ride. It kicked major cajones. Every memorable TZ moment shot out at you in hologram form....the kicker being the black and white Rod Serling projection that was A-MAZING-ly most rad.
By the time the free fall drop hit, i was already incoherent from all the nostalgia and dont really remember that.
But that could be the memory loss talking...
I really love going to Hollywood Studios. I have probably been countless times, and have lived in the area seemingly forever, but have still yet to tire of this park. Recently changing it's name from MGM Studios, Hollywood Studios does not have as many rides as the Magic Kingdom, but the ones they do have are great. The two main ones are Aerosmith's Rockin' Rollercoaster, which is a cool indoor coaster to some great tunes, and Tower of Terror, which has added countless more drops to put your stomach in your throat.
This place has a studio lot feel, which has always seemed really cool to me. The Muppet Show has been around forever, but it is still so entertaining and up to date. The Star Tours ride is a definite must-see as well, for a warp speed jump to nostalgia. Stay around at night to watch Phantasmic, a great lights show with killer music.
Disney's Hollywood Studios is like Universal Studios, er, but with less to do. And with Disney-theming, of course.
On a random street, we found a hilarious hot dog vendor who prepped an amazing Chicago-style hot dog, one that was as tasty as he was funny. It was pricey, but worth it. After lunch, we noticed cast members randomly engaging tourists in conversation. A member in a gangster getup (complete with fedora) started talking to my mom questions in a thick American gangster accent: my mom, appropriately nonplussed, laughed when she realized what was going on, and we went on our way.
Disney's Hollywood Studios is clearly movie-themed. I was here when it was called MGM Studios, and at the time, knew about every title represented, including "Honey I Shrunk the Kids". If I returned, I'd be lost, as I don't have (or make?) the time to watch films. If you're not like me, and like movies, be sure to visit!
Tower of Terror - my absolute favorite ride. The new Toy STory ride is rather fun too. We had to wait 3x one day for the ride. It broke down 30 mins into the queue and they didn't give out fast passes. The second time, it broke down again and managment finally gave out fast passes. We finally got to ride it the 3rd attempt. It's ratherf fun. You shoot at objects to garnish points.
THe back lot tour is different from when it used to be called DIsney MGM Studios. The art studio is not active here anymore & you used to be able to see artists working on their latest animated production. Now they hire artists who live internationally and the studios are primarily in Hollywood or elsewhere.
I really like their Mickey cookies and cream ice cream sandwiches, sold at all the parks. Prices haven't increased in years, $2.50. Disneyland keeps them rockhard, but the ones in Florida tend to melt faster and are softer.
I'd rather come to the Disney Studios park over Animal Kingdom anyday.
As of yet I've refrained from writing about the different amusement parks, but I have to say that I just couldn't resist writing one for Hollywood studios. This place has a lot of memories for me personally, and it's probably the Disney park I have been to the most.
A few of the other Yelpers have pointed out that Hollywood is basically just like a mini version of Universal. And for the most part I would agree. Except for one crucial thing, they don't get rid of their most popular rides (I'm looking at you King Kong!)
My favorite ride here happens to be one of the oldest and is called The Great Movie Ride. It's not too terribly exciting, but it is a trip down memory lane and takes you through the different historical movies and genres. There are gangster movies, musical movies, and even sci fi and adventure movies like Indiana Jones and Alien to go through. It's a fairly long ride, but it is seriously one of my most favorite Disney attractions ever.
So if you visit Hollywood studios, and are visiting Tower of Terror, or the RockNRollercoaster, pleas spare a few minutes for the Great Movie Ride. It really is awesome and if they ever get rid of it I will totally cry.
Really fun park - my favorite of the Disney World parks.
When entering the park, I immediately liked it: I felt like I was walking on Sunset Blvd in LA, only I had landed a few decades before I was even born! They definitely captures the LA vibe. I also loved the many entertainers in the street, several just walking around and doing a really great job at improv with the park guests.
A few highlights of our visit:
Phantasmic: get there early. And I mean EARLY. We got in almost an hour and half before the show started and managed to get very good seats, right in the middle, where you really get the most out of the show. 20 minutes before the show started, the whole huge amphitheater was totally packed. It was worth the wait. My tip: get there early (1 hour to 1.5 hours before) and bring food with you, so you can eat dinner and pass some time.
The new Toy Story ride: huge lines. As soon as you get to the park grab a fast pass: we got ours at 9.30 and it was for 3.30pm. By 3pm the fast passes are usually sold out, but if you are willing to wait in line for an hour you might get the chance to go on the ride a second time. And you should, it's fun. It's the newest ride in the park, hence the lines.
Playhouse Disney: 3 words: shoot me now. If you can at all avoid it, do. It may be just me, but I can't stand most of those shows anyways. Winnie the Pooh is the only one my toddler likes, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is borderline. The rest... read my 3 words again.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Just go. Totally worth it.
The Beauty and The Beast: ditto. Keep in mind that there are several shows every day, but the line starts early. It's worth it tough, it was the best show we went to IMO.
There's lots more, but these were my favorites. I also liked the Honey I shrunk the Kids playground but it was way too crowded and it was impossible to keep track of the kids.
It may be the smallest of the parks, but it's packed with cool stuff.
There's really only two reasons to come to MGM. Actually, one and a half. The first is the Rock N Roller Coaster. It's a cheesy Aerosmith themed coaster, but it's pretty fun. Too bad they slowed it down once they officially opened the ride about 8 years ago.
I was at Disney when Aerosmith was in town to open up the new ride. Before it was "officially" open, however, they were letting park guests ride it. This was awesome because most people didn't know about the ride, and those of us that knew about it didn't think it was open yet. The line was relatively short for the first couple days we were there. I'd say about 30 minutes. The coaster was smooth and quite fast. Then, Aerosmith threw a concert, and the next day, viola. The line was huge and the coaster's speed had been dialed down. Bummer.
Anyway, the other half-reason to go here is to see how freaking lame the Tower of Boredom, er, Terror, is. Why do people like this ride? The whole point of a free fall ride is that you can see everything around you and, thus, have a much better indication of how fast/far you are falling. In the ToT, you can't see anything. It's pitch black. I'd have just as much fun going to the Sears Tower in Chicago and riding the elevator to the top floor and then back down again. This ride is stupid.
MGM is a buzzkill.The Great Movie ride is just pathetic (the tour guides need acting lessons), and many of the movie sets are just so plasticky and robot-ish. Aerosmith's rollercoaster gave me a headache with the blaring music. The gift store when you first enter in has way overpriced and bad picks of movie memorabilia. It is boring to wait in line for the Tower of Terror and then just have it bob up and down like a yo yo. Woo.
Reporting back to ya,
the Grinch
Formerly called "MGM" ...its one of my favorite theme parks..Mostly I love it because of the amazing shows that happen here..One of my favorite is the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST musical..Its fabulous and heartwarming..Bell was my favorite Disney character as a kid, so watching this show definitely brings back some great memories. I even got my nick name from her "Bell".
Also, the Tower of Terror is a favorite.. it still scares after the 20th time!
An overview of my favorite things to visit here..
The BackLot Tour (Make sure you get express passes!)
-Its a tour of the 'behind the scenes" aspect where things are filmed etc.
the one in California is better because its real and they actually do film there..
Indiana Jones
-A super fun invigorating stunt show..I see it every time, even though I always know whats going to happen..Make sure you show up at least 10-20 mins prior to get good seats
Rock N Roller Coaster
-Not for the faint of heart..its an inside rollercoaster with an Aerosmith Theme..its fast and loopy..
Lastly
The 50's Theme Cafe
Its always fun to come in here..like you've stepped foot into your mothers house in the 50's era. Home style food and no nonsense ..the ladies that work here will make you stand up and sing if you place your elbows on the table!
All in all a great theme park for the entire family..a little bit for everyone!
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OK, out of all of Disney parks, this one can easily be skipped. I would not suggest going to this park for an entire day (unless you have little kids, they would probably love it).
Get a park hopper or a year pass, and go to this park for 1/2 a day (or less).
The attractions that are worth seeing here, are some of Disney's best! So, it should not be missed either!
It is worth seeing this place for the following attractions:
Rock N' Roller Coaster
Tower of Terror
Star Tours (exact copy of one at Disneyland)
Muppet Vision 3-D
If you are there during Xmas time, you MUST see the Osborne lights! I know, I know....Xmas lights...how can that be exciting!? Just wait and see! This is something that shouldn't be missed! You will be absolutely amazed.
If you eat here, I recommend the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, you get to eat in little cars like it is a drive-in
This park used to suck. Like hard. But now they have the Tower of Terror and the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. RnR is seriously the best Disney attraction ever built. I swear you will love it!! So WORTH IT! But do FastPass because the line is ridiculous.
If you're going to eat at MGM, eat at Sci-Fi Dine-in. The sandwiches are great. Most Disney food blows. This is good, though. And they have fun mixed drinks that light up.
I would recommend only doing this park if you're first timers or if you have the park hopper option and want to do a couple of other parks.
Christmas brings The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights which, for the love of cake, should not be missed.
Disney-MGM Studios is probably my least favorite of Disney Parks. It's not bad, it just annoyingly reminds me of Universal Studios (which is a literal crap factory). I came here during the Holiday season AND the Disneyland 50th Anniversary, so there was a lot more to see. The shows are pretty decent. Drew Carey's show is a little annoying. You spend most of your time in the dark listening to his voice (had he a wife, we would know how she'd feel).
Fantasmic! falls short of the Disneyland version. They use different movie references and songs that don't flow as dramatically. It's also less impressive because you're in a stadium, rather than at the Rivers of America.
The Spectacle of Lights is by far the greatest experience at Disney-MGM (and possibly Disney World). In all my life, I've never seen so many Christmas lights on display. Supposedly, the wealthy Osborne family put up decorations in their residential home that became too massive for the neighborhood. They took the displays and moved them to Disney-MGM. A whole city block is illuminated by moving displays and Christmas trees. Lights are strewn on all the buildings and even in the alleys. They top it all off with music and fake snow. It's really one of the most moving things I've ever seen (as corny as that sounds). Be there when they turn them on.
"It's alright" is my overwhelming feeling when I think of Disney's Hollywood Studios, which is sad considering movies are my thang. The park contains two of the resort's best rides, namely Tower of Terror and Rockin Roller Coaster. Still, the park seems to lack the heart possessed by the others, especially the Magic Kingdom and Epcot..
everything about this park was excellent. the layout, the landscaping, the architecture, and the rides. I enjoyed the great movie ride as well as rockn rollercoaster and the TOT. This tower of terror is much better than the one at DCA in california.
With the exception of the Tower of Terror and Rock-N-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, this theme park is purely for entertainment with mostly (interactive) shows and tours. The Tower of Terror is an enjoyable ride though short-lived, going up a tower and stopping at several floors to learn the tale of a particular ghost family (stories can vary), and then dropping 13-stories in several intervals. The Aerosmith rollercoaster brought me back to the Space Mountain days (located at Magic Kingdom), in a dark indoor building but with a modern twist with loops and corkscrews by flying down the L.A. highways. I would recommend getting to the theme park 20-30 minutes before the park opens, and going on these two rides first (or a couple times each) as the lines can get long later on in the day, sometimes averaging 60-90 minutes. As a friendly reminder, after you swipe your park ticket to go through the ticket booth, you will have to wait at the main quarters shopping district. Disney does this so there is not an unfair advantage and mad dash to go on the rides. They wait until the majority of initial visitors get inside, then they give a speech and rile everyone up. Soon after, they let everyone into the park to go their own way to whichever ride/show they want.
My two favorite rides/shows were the Toy Story Mania (lines can also get very long here so you may want to come here first) and the Lights, Motors, Action!™ Stunt Show. The whole experience at Toy Story was very enjoyable from the waiting room lines, to the actual ride. The waiting room takes you back to your favorite games/toys, Chutes & Ladders, linking monkeys, Candyland, a singing Potato Head, Log Homes, Scrabble, and more. Everything is very intricately detailed. When you get near the front, you will grab your 3-D glasses, then after a few more minutes you will get into a cute little vehicle with a cannon that has a string you pull to fire. During the ride, you will stop at several screens to shoot different themes, from popping balloons, to shooting rings on animals, to shooting targets and more. This ride was the best ride I have been on in a loooong time. My other favorite (as many other guys may also enjoy as well as anyone interested in car-action scenes) was the Lights, Motors, Action!™ Stunt Show. 2 or 3 shows will occur a day so plan accordingly to get there early to get a good seat in the bleachers. You will sit and watch as the staff will take you the behind-the-scenes of how car-action stunt scenes are filmed. Get ready for some crazy car drifting at fast speeds, cars flying in the air, to explosions and fire, and to some entertaining secrets that make those action moments happen. I can go on and on about each of the rides, but you will have to go for yourself to experience.
If you are looking for a quiet place to eat and indoor (with air conditioned), I would recommend the ABC Commissary that many visitors don't seem to go through since it is located on a quiet street with just 2 restaurants located on it. You will be treated to some interesting names (from ABC tv shows) to foods such as hamburgers, cuban sandwiches, chicken curry over rice, and more. Meals averaged about $7 with a large soda (which is surprising large) only costing another $2-3. The Cuban sandwich was very delicious with all expected ingredients (ham, roasted pork?, swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard) and a plentiful side of fried plaintain chips or fruit. All ingredients were fresh and went so well together. For the first time, I can actually say I was quite impressed with a theme park's food and was not at all disappointed for the price I paid.
One addition, Hollywood Studios also has a FastPass to the popular rides/shows. This will consist of you swiping your theme park ticket at the ride to get a ticket that will allow you to skip the lines at a later (allotted) time. Try going to the most popular ride that you anticipate long lines (I would probably grab one for Toy Story Mania), and grab a FastPass ticket as these are only offered from the morning until around lunchtime. After that, you will have to suffer standing in the long lines.
And last but not least, if you can make the evening show, Fantasmic!, definitely make the effort to check it out. They mention that the gates open 90 minutes prior to showtime, but you could probably go 45 minutes - 60 minutes prior to the show and still get a great seat, meaning the two center sections of the horseshoe (U-shaped) seating arena. If you come any later, you risk the chance of having to sit on the 2-3 outer sections of seating which will give you an angled view. The show will treat you to the traditional Fantasia but with a new modern twist, with lights and water-mist spectacles. You just might also spot some of your favorite Disney characters here on the 2-story boat near the end!
In all, I had a great time at Hollywood Studios and would definitely recommend making a visit to this theme park if time permits.
