We visited Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World on August 29, with a little preview the night before, to enjoy everything that there is to see and do at this showbiz-inspired theme park.


This is a theme park in the middle of a major makeoever, with forthcoming new attractions including Toy Story Land (opening in 2018) and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (opening in 2019), but any fears that there might not be enough to do were completely unfounded.

Firstly, why the extra visit the night before? Well, Disney has timed the two nighttime spectaculars so that it is almost impossible to see them both on the same night, therefore we stopped by to catch the newest addition first.

We arrived in plenty of time, so enjoyed a few drinks in the very trendy Tune-In Lounge before sampling some of the park's biggest attractions, but we'll talk about those later.

Before the main event, Disney Movie Magic is a new projection show celebrating some of Disney's best live-action films, including Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, Tron: Legacy, Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy. We didn't have particularly high expectations for this, having not known much about it before, but were so impressed that it raised expectactions for what was to follow even further.


Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular is an epic show featuring projection, fireworks, smoke, lasers, music, fire, fog and searchlights. It feels like Disney has thrown everything at it. What makes this so impressive, is that if you get a good place to stand, you are right the middle of the show. From our position, center on to the Chinese Theatre and in the middle of the central hub, we had a perfect view of all the projections, with fireworks going off all around us, laser beams passing overhead and a booming sound system.


After that, it was back to the hotel for a good night's sleep before heading back to the park for a full day of entertainment.

Our first ride of the day was Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, one of Disney's most thrilling rides, accelerating from 0 to 57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds onto the Los Angeles freeway at night. There are three inversions, the first of which packs 4.5 G, making it the only ride at Walt Disney World that sends riders upside down. The attention to detail is excellent, from the superb entrance area with a gigantic electic guitar and the pre-ride recording studio to the limousine garage station and the special soundtrack throughout the ride. We also like that the ride is different to the version at Disneyland Paris.

Located just next door on Sunset Boulevard we then made use of a FastPass+ slot for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the other genuine thrill ride at the park. It is Disney's original and best Hollywood Tower Hotel attraction (the California version has now been taken over by the Guardians of the Galaxy) and we pray that Disney never change it. As the second tallest attraction at Walt Disney World, it looms over the park, concealing a 130ft drop. Everything is perfect about the setup to the ride, from the moment you step through the front gate, past overgrown gardens and through the hotel doors into the grand abandoned lobby, an eerie introduction in the library and the into the boiler room. On to the ride, and part of the series of events that leads you to rapidly ascend and decend the lift shaft, the extra Fifth Dimension scene - pure genuis.

Those waiting to travel to the far reaches of the galaxy fear not, as while you wait Star Tours - The Adventures Continue never fails to impress. We also had a FastPass+ slot for this, and once inside the spaceport terminal and after our first encouter with C-3PO and R2-D2, we were ready for our pre-flight briefing and into the Starspeeder 1000. Since the upgrades in 2011, the 3D motion simulator attraction features randomized ride sequences with 96 possible experiences, making it highly re-rideable.

It was now time to make use of our final pre-reserved FastPass+ slot, which we saved for Toy Story Midway Mania! which frequently draws the longest queues in the park. It is the solo attraction in Pixar Place and is a brilliant interactive 4D ride, taking you into Andy's toy box and through a series of classic carnival games along with all the main characters from the popular films.

After such an action packed morning, we were ready to stop for lunch and had a reservation at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, the most popular place to eat in the park. This is no ordinary place to grab a bite to eat, it's an experience. Seated in a booth resembling a 1950s convertible car, we sat down to enjoy some classic movie clips and comedy shorts on the big screen under the 'stars'. The menu is packed with all-American cuisine, including the delicious house-smoked St. Louis-style pork ribs and some awesome thick creamy milkshakes.

With the rides out of the way, we had the whole afternoon to enjoy the huge array of shows and entertainment on offer at the park. First up, we headed over to Muppet*Vision 3D, a hilarious film where the action isn't restricted to the screen! Animatronics, lights, projection, smoke, bubbles and a live performer all make this so much fun.

Next, at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! we got great seats for one of the best stunt shows we've ever seen - it's a close race with WaterWorld at Universal Studios Hollywood. The live performance is packed with huge sets, impressive set pieces and loaded with special effects.

Completely different, the Broadway-style musical Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage is a whistle-stop run through the most iconic scenes from the film, including all the biggest songs. It has solid staging and beautiful costumes, with an energetic cast of dancers and live vocals from the two leads.

Over in Animation Courtyard, we were mesmerized by Voyage of The Little Mermaid with its huge glow-in-the-dark puppetry, lasers, music, projection, live actors and water effects. It is very successful at recreating the best scenes from the film and includes the most memorable songs.

We needed a quick pit stop, as a marathon of Star Wars entertaiment was to follow! We started off with Star Wars Launch Bay, a fascinating walkthrough attraction with various props, models and costumes used in the movies as well as an interesting film. It was then time for the daytime shows - Star Wars: A Galaxy Far Far Away, performed on the center stage in the middle of the park and featuring all the famous characters, March of the First Order, a dramatic march through the park by 14 Storm Troopers and Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple, where youngsters train in the ways of the Force and put their skills to the test against the Dark Side. That's a LOT of Star Wars!

We rounded off the day with Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream, an exhibition about Walt Disney's life and work featuring rare artifacts and a film narrated by Julie Andrews. This was a wonderful way to wrap up before taking our seats for the park's signature nighttime spectacular, Fantasmic!

Unlike most such shows, this one is performed in a purpose built seated arena, the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, and runs for a full half an hour. We picked up an extra FastPass+ during the day so had a great choice of seats, but it's so well designed that there aren't many bad viewing options. Mickey Mouse is the star of this show, taking center stage to battle against evil forces (all the greatest Disney villians feature) surrounded by dancing water fountains, projections, lasers, fireworks and other special effects. It's all set to music and even features Steamboat Willie. We loved it!



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