Top 10 Attractions for Disney’s Hollywood Studios

OK, we’ve already given you our verdict on the best rides and attractions for each of the Magic Kingdom and Epcot at Walt Disney World, and both Universal Orlando parks, namely Universal Studios and [Islands of Adventure](https://www.debbiesvillas.co.uk/about-us/our-blog/2024/05/1617/top-10-attractions-for-islands-of-adventure.

Now it’s time to turn our attention to the fabled Top 10 for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, another action-packed source of excitement, with a terrific mixture of rides and shows.

Opened in May 1, 1989 (just ahead of Universal’s first park, and quite a bone of contention at the time!), there were just SIX out-and-out attractions to start with, albeit several were of a blockbuster nature, including the famous Backstage Studio Tour and the epic Great Movie Ride.

More attractions were quickly added, too, including the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and fab Star Tours simulator ride, while the park expanded in 1994 with the Sunset Boulevard section, then again in 2005 for the Lights! Motors! Action! stunt show, in 2018 for Toy Story Land and finally in 2019 for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Today, the park has fully 25 original attractions, from thrills rides and elaborate character meet-and-greets to full-scale stage shows and evening spectaculars. There is a LOT to try and pack into any one-day visit, hence you need our guide to the attractions that should most demand your attention, so here’s our Top 10:

10. Slinky Dog Dash:

Disney tends not to go in for simple rides like coasters but, when they do, they make them super-fun and packed with unusual detail. Such is the case with this Toy Story Land highlight, a fast-launch experience in the company of Woody, Buzz and the Gang aboard a stylised version of the Slinky Dog toy.

9. Muppet*Vision 3D:

Those eternally fun and entertaining muppets are in their element in this specially-created theatre show that features some clever animatronic tricks and characters, as well as the headline 3-D film and special effects. The queue area alone is packed with classic gags, and the 15-minute presentation is a riot of Jim Henson’s brilliantly imaginative creation. Statler and Waldorf are arguably the stars of the show, though.

8. Rock ’n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith:

Get set for the combination of rock ‘n roll and indoor roller-coaster as visitors enter the world of G-Force Records and encounter rock legends Aerosmith and their unique transport – a Super-Stretch Limo that goes from 0 to 57mph in 2.8 seconds and then proceeds to whizz through a series of Los Angeles icons on the way to a “concert.” It also features three inversions and is due to re-open on July 29 after a five-month refurbishment.

7. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run:

Star Wars fans simply have to make a beeline for this ride as it features a full-size version of the iconic spaceship piloted by Han Solo, and the interior detail is just stunning. Visitors also get to pilot it (or be engineers or gunners) on a daring mission to help The Resistance against the First Order, and it soon becomes a simulated battle for survival. Look out also for a superb selfie opportunity at a mock-up of the Dejarik Table featured in Star Wars: A New Hope.

6. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway:

The 2020 replacement for the former Great Movie Ride, this super-fun ride in the company of Mickey, Minnie and Goofy is a wonderful family-friendly drive with the madcap trio that quickly hurtles off the “tracks” into a wacky world of misadventures. The pre-show is hilarious, the main theme song is insidiously catchy, and the end result is a dark ride of truly goofy proportions!

5. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular:

Fans of the Raiders of the Lost Ark film will be in their element watching this superb stunt show as it features three memorable scenes from the 1981 movie that introduced Indiana Jones to the world. With a 25-minute performance up to five times a day, the Spectacular also features audience volunteers in amusing set-pieces and delivers a truly Epic production, with motorbike stunts, explosions, fist fights and a LOT more.

4. Star Tours: The Adventures Continue:

This simulator ride for “space tourists” set new standards when it opened in 1989, and it has subsequently been updated several times to add new adventures with each additional Star Wars film. It is another fabulously immersive dive into the Galaxy Far, Far Away, providing multiple possibilities in every ride on the StarSpeeder 1000. In essence there are four main scenes per flight, with 26 scenarios chosen at random that add up to 1,500 different ride combinations!

3. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror:

There is no mistaking this massive edifice at one end of the park. The 199ft Hollywood Tower Hotel is the home of one of the most ingenious – and fun – rides in the whole of Walt’s World. Because it is not just the headline 13-storey drop that really makes the experience, but the pre-show, theming, drama and unexpected moments beforehand. It is such a jaw-dropping (not to mention elevator-dropping) and surprising ride, that it definitely merits being in the Top 10, even if you have serious misgivings. Just give it a try!

2. Fantasmic!:

When Disney puts together an evening show, you know it’s going to be spectacular, and that is certainly the case with the park’s big nightly extravaganza. Billed as “an extravagant, open-air night-time musical,” it is WAY more than that. The 30-minute performance includes water fountains, pyrotechnics, lasers, music, large-scale animatronics, mist-screen projections, searchlights and decorated boats, with a riot of Disney characters and a hit parade of classic songs. It is all built around Mickey and his dreams, which are interrupted by a slew of villains before Our Hero saves the day in a welter of special effects.

1. Rise of the Resistance:

The park’s creative team absolutely blew the doors off when it came to the showpiece ride for the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge section. From the scene-setting queue area and pre-show to the big finale, this is an exercise in dazzling imagination and ride technology, and there are multiple moments that will make you feel like an extra in the films, the immersive nature of the attraction is THAT good. The realistic feeling of being inside a Star Destroyer is just one of those moments and it makes for the park’s signature moment.

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