Trying to make sense of Hollywood Studios’ FastPass tier system or simply looking for the park’s best rides? We’ve got you covered.
We built this guide to give you all the info you need to schedule the perfect Hollywood Studios rides for your trip. Below, you’ll find a complete breakdown of the FastPass+ tier system, followed by a ranking of the Fastpass selections from absolutely necessary to not necessary at all.
Hollywood Studios has come a long way over the years. It’s safe to say that, these days, it’s absolutely chock full of Disney World “must-do’s”.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS FASTPASS+ TIERS
Walt Disney World assigned Fastpass+ experiences to certain tiers based on their popularity last year (2018). Not only does this regulate the number of guests on the busiest rides, but also it also encourages use at less popular attractions.
The good news is that there are plenty of attractions at Hollywood Studios that are easy to book fastpasses for or that have low wait times. So don’t stress too much over any one ride.
Hollywood Studios’ Fastpass+ tier system works like this: Guests select one attraction from Tier 1 and two attractions from Tier 2. Or, you have the option to select three Tier 2 attractions.
Guests can no longer stack their day with the best rides at each park, but not to worry! We have the full explanation of the tiers and how to make them work for you at on your next trip to Hollywood Studios:
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS TIER 1 FASTPASS+ RIDES
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania
- Alien Swirling Saucers
As you can see, Tier 1 is full of the top experiences and rides at Hollywood Studios. Guests are able to select one of these attractions in their Fastpass+ plans for the day.
Whether you are booking online, on the app or at a kiosk, the system will keep track of what you’ve selected. The Tier 1 section will no longer appear once you’ve chosen from that group.
If you’re not happy with your initial selection, you can choose to “modify” that Fastpass and exchange it for another Tier 1 or wait until you’ve used all three Fastpasses for the day to try booking another Tier 1 ride. Read more on how you can do this under Booking Fastpass+, “Additional Fastpass“.
BONUS: We’re speculating that Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, both located in the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge section of the park, will be slated for Tier 1 once they open fastpasses up for these rides.
For the time being, riders can use the Single Rider lane at these attractions for shorter wait times. On Rise of the Resistance, put your name in a virtual line, go enjoy the park, and come back when it’s your turn to board.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS TIER 2 FASTPASS+ RIDES
- Fantasmic!
- Star Tours – the Adventures Continue
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- Disney Junior Dance Party!
- Muppet Vision 3D
Compiled of the secondary attractions at Hollywood Studios, Tier 2 experiences are much easier to book. Guests can select three of these attractions in their Fastpass plans for the day.
Concerned you may end up with all Tier 2 experiences and no Tier 1 experiences? The best way to secure Tier 1 rides is to look as far out as possible and continue checking regularly till you find your desired experience.
If you are unable to find the rides you want, the best way to avoid the longest waits are to arrive before the park opens and head to that experience first, or jump in line when the fireworks are starting.
Guests staying on Disney property should also look for Extra Magic Hours at Hollywood Studios during their stay – this is an exclusive opportunity for you to get on rides when other park guests are not allowed to.
RANKING THE BEST HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS RIDES FOR FASTPASS+
Below, we’ve listed every Fastpass+ experience available in Hollywood Studios, starting with the “must-dos” and ending with the ones you don’t need to worry about getting Fastpasses for.
#1 MILLENNIUM FALCON: SMUGGLER’S RUN (TIER 1)
It’s finally here, there moment we’ve all been waiting for – Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run has fastpasses available! This is easily the most popular ride in the park, second only to Rise of the Resistance (more on that below).
The ride is perfectly tailored to Star Wars fans, allowing you to board and pilot Han Solo’s famous “hunk of junk”. The queue and the waiting areas are extremely well designed with perfect replicas of the Falcon’s interior.
Riders will be assigned roles for the flight mission: Pilot, Engineer or Gunner, and placed in a group of 6. Once your flight takes off, you’ll be coached on what buttons and knobs to push to keep the aircraft flying and operable in order to retrieve barrels of supplies for the Rebel Force. No flight is ever the same.
#2 MICKEY & MINNIE’S RUNAWAY RAILWAY (TIER 1)
Easily ranked at number two is the newest ride in Hollywood Studios: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. It’s a cute adventure taking you inside the new Mickey and Minnie animation. You begin your journey on a peaceful tour of the park, when all of a sudden your train bursts to pieces and each individual car takes it’s own path through the ride.
The ride is based on the new Mickey Mouse television series with old-school art style featuring Mickey and friends. It’s themed after several of the episodes in the show where Mickey saves the gang from a looming tornado, takes an underwater dive and skirts through back alleyways.
#3 SLINKY DOG DASH (TIER 1)
Slinky is another top ride at Hollywood Studios. It’s located in the new Toy Story Land at the back of the park and is a must-do at Disney. You can get the full ride experience details for Slinky Dog Dash on our previous post about the ride’s intensity.
It appeals to all ages with the most ease and comfort you’ve ever felt on a steel roller coaster. Therefore, the line can reach over a 1.5 hours long and most of the standby line is in the hot sun.
If you can find a fastpass for this one, get it! Otherwise, you could find yourself waiting for over an hour midday with the masses. If you don’t get one of the coveted fastpasses, we suggest you rope drop it, go at night or get in line during the fireworks.
#4 ROCK ‘N’ ROLLER COASTER (TIER 1)
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a classic Hollywood Studios ride starring the musicians and songs from the band Aerosmith. Taking place in the back alleys of Hollywood, a super-stretch limo takes you on a speedy ride from the recording studio to the concert back stage.
Fastpasses are essential for this ride as wait times often rival Slinky Dog. Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster is appealing to an older audience (we recommend 10+) and the line has nothing fun to offer guests who are waiting.
This is a ride that can be a bit intimidating. If you’re unsure of whether or not this is too scary for your group, take a look at our quick guide to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster’s “scary” factor.
#5 THE TWILIGHT ZONE TOWER OF TERROR (TIER 1)
Tower of Terror is another Disney classic with variations found in Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. It’s also one of the most thrilling experiences at Hollywood Studios featuring multiple back-to-back drops.
This is one of our absolute favorites and almost always requires a fastpass if you want to avoid waiting for 45 minutes or more. On slower days, a 15 minute wait is a lucky find.
Wondering how scary this one is, as well? We’ve listed all the information you need to know to determine how scary The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is for you or other guests in your party.
#6 TOY STORY MANIA (TIER 1)
Toy Story Mania is the very first Toy Story themed ride in Hollywood Studios and is a great experience for the whole family. This fun ride is actually more like a game.
It takes you and your favorite deputy through multiple trials featuring characters from the movie. The trials include shooting items like plates or balloons, and tossing things like rings around rocket ships for points.
Wait times can reach up to an hour long on average, so you’ll want to consider this as one of your top fastpasses for the day, especially for children who prefer “fun” over “scary” when it comes to rides.
#7 ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS (TIER 1)
Alien Swirling Saucers is another new favorite in Toy Story Land, so wait times can get long for this one, but not as long as Toy Story Mania or Slinky Dog Dash.
This ride appeals to mainly smaller children and families as it’s styled similarly to the spinning teacups with a few variations. Buzz Lightyear also stands guard at the front making an excellent photo op.
Wait times on average will be 30 minutes or less, so get a fastpass if it’s a busy day or if you prefer not to wait in an outdoor line. However, it would always be our last choice for a Tier 1 ride.
#8 FANTASMIC! (TIER 2)
Fantasmic! is our favorite night time show presented by Hollywood Studios. It features Mickey and friends as Mickey explores his imagination using lights, music, water tricks and fire.
A fastpass will get you and your party seated first in the middle section while people in standby come in after to fill space around you before the show starts.
You’re never guaranteed a spot at Fantasmic! if you wait in standby, so get a fastpass if it’s important to you to see this once-a-night show. We suggest waiting till you’ve used your first three fastpasses for the day before booking this one as you can usually find them any time in the day.
#9 STAR TOURS – THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES (TIER 2)
Star Tours is the OG Star Wars ride located closer to the center of Hollywood Studios, near the Jedi Training stage and Indiana Jones. Wait times are at an all-time low since the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the back of the park.
The lowest wait time we’ve seen is 10 minutes, but Star Tours tends to average somewhere around 25 minutes.
The ride features a 3D excursion through space piloted by C3PO and R2D2. Your ship is transporting a rebel spy and it’s your duty to get him or her safely to the rebellion basecamp, all the while dodging enemy ships and traveling through mysterious planets.
#10 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOREVER – FROZEN SING-ALONG CELEBRATION (TIER 2)
This stage show is made especially for all the fans of Frozen’s movie soundtrack and will appeal especially to younger audiences. It has multiple performances throughout the day so waiting in line is usually less than 30 minutes between shows.
However, if your daughter dresses as Elsa or Anna for Hollywood Studios, you’ll likely want a fastpass. The fastpass will get you optimal seating toward the front where she’ll be able to see the characters up close. But the majority will agree there is no bad seat in the house.
The sing-along celebration goes through every single song in the first Frozen movie, giving guests the opportunity to sing at the top of their lungs with Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and the Royal Historians.
#11 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST LIVE ON STAGE (TIER 2)
Similar to the First Time in Forever, Beauty and the Beast is a beautiful stage show. But this one is located outside and is a musical theatre performance, instead of a sing-along.
There are also multiple show times throughout the day making wait times fairly short for standby, but again the fastpass will get you the best seating at the front of the stage.
Be sure to look at show times though, as there are only five shows each day. The broadway-style music, voices and dancing of this show are truly incredible and a great experience for Beauty and the Beast fans.
#12 INDIANA JONES EPIC STUNT SPECTACULAR! (TIER 2)
Anyone nostalgic for Raiders of the Lost Ark will enjoy this rendition of Indy and Marion performing epic stunts. Actors dodge explosions and leap from buildings as the audience gets a peek into how each of these movie stunts were choreographed.
This stunt show is performed five times a day and usually doesn’t have long waits for standby. We don’t recommend using a fastpass here unless you want to guarantee an up-close-and-personal view of the actors.
The fastpass could, however, get you closer to the front and in view of the cast members who select volunteers from the audience. If you are chosen as a volunteer, you’ll get the opportunity to be part of the stunt show as a costumed extra.
#13 VOYAGE OF THE LITTLE MERMAID (TIER 2)
Voyage of the Little Mermaid is toward the end of our list, not because of it’s quality, but because you really don’t need a fastpass here. The show is performed 23 times a day, therefore the wait ends up being less than 25 minutes no matter when you go.
This show is totally worth seeing as it incorporates puppets and glowing lights with live actors and superb singing. When we went, the actress playing Ariel did such a great impression of the original Little Mermaid, Jodi Benson.
Definitely see this show, but don’t waste a fastpass here.
#14 DISNEY JUNIOR DANCE PARTY (TIER 2)
Since Disney Junior Dance Party is created specifically for preschoolers and young children, we wouldn’t recommend this fastpass unless you have children that fit the demographic.
Kids get the chance to meet with their favorite Disney Junior pals like Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, and Mickey on the dance floor. The party can get packed, but with 8 show times during the day, you’re sure to get in without a problem.
We’d suggest using your fastpass for any of the Toy Story Land rides or Fantasmic! for the enjoyment of young children before booking Disney Junior Dance Party.
#15 MUPPET VISION 3D (TIER 2)
Muppet Vision 3D is a great way for you to take a load off during a long, hot day in a cool, spacious theatre with classic entertainment. It’s located at the back of the park near the entrance to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Wait times are usually close to 5-10 minutes every single day due to the fact that the theatre is so large and there aren’t a whole lot of people coming here.
In classic muppet style, all the characters perform a little musical created specifically for Hollywood Studios. The short film is cute once, but not necessarily worth it in place of one of the more notorious rides or stage shows.
HONORABLE MENTION: STAR WARS: RISE OF THE RESISTANCE
Once this ride are put on the Fastpass list, it will quickly overtake the rest. As mentioned before, Rise of the Resistance does offer a virtual queue allowing you to leave Galaxy’s Edge until it’s your turn to ride.
We highly recommend trying it during your trip as the technology of this ride will impress even the most casual of Star Wars fans. These experiences are truly fascinating, made with the most cutting-edge technology, and worth doing at least once.
Wait times are almost always an hour or multiple hours long for Rise of the Resistance, but thankfully the line queue is located indoors.
BOOKING FASTPASS+
As most of you know, Walt Disney World has done away with paper fastpasses booked at the ride’s entrance – as a matter of fact, Disneyland is also leaving this old system behind in 2020.
If you’re unfamiliar with booking Fastpass+ on the web, we’ve compiled a little guide to help you along.
ONLINE
Once you have your tickets or annual passes to Walt Disney World, your My Disney Experience account allows you to begin booking Fastpasses 30 days in advance, or 60 days in advance if you are staying at a Disney resort.
To book online, be sure you’ve connected all members of your party to your account. You can do this by sending email invites for them to accept. From there, you can select the day, the park, the time and the ride. It’s fairly easy to navigate, but the site can get buggy on occasion.
ON THE APP
You can use the website to book Fastpasses or you can download the My Disney Experience app to reserve them. We recommend downloading the app for your trip, as it’s a useful tool for seeing daily wait times and booking experiences in real time while you’re in the park.
Whether you choose to use the website or the app, finding the Fastpasses you want can be difficult. We suggest you continue refreshing the feed and checking at multiple times throughout the day since Disney will release new Fastpasses for popular attractions at random.
AT THE KIOSK
Walt Disney World does not have Fastpass kiosks in front of each ride as they did in the past. Now, there kiosk hubs in designated locations throughout each park for guests to use.
Hollywood Studios has three Fastpass Kiosks. Two stations are located toward the front of the park – one in a brick enclosure between Rock ‘n’ Rollercoast and Tower of Terror, and another at the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Sunset Blvd.
The third location is at Pixar Place, in Toy Story Land near the Toy Story Mania ride.
ADDITIONAL FASTPASSES
As a rule, Disney only allows you to book three Fastpass+ experiences at one park each day. However, if you have used all three Fastpasses for the day, you can book a fourth one. Once you’ve used that one, you can book a fifth one – and so on and so forth until the park is closed.
If you’re looking to be in one particular park for a full day, we recommend you book your first three Fastpasses before 5pm and check the app for additional Fastpasses while you eat dinner to continue the fun into the night.
LOOKING FOR MORE HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS TIPS?
We recommend starting with our big list of 30 Hollywood Studios Tips & Secrets from Disney World Pros. It covers everything from rides and entertainment to favorite restaurants in Hollywood Studios.
