1-Day Hollywood Studios Itinerary Using Lightning Lanes
Our 1-Day Hollywood Studios Itinerary using Lightning Lanes covers how the paid line-skipping services work in practice. This step-by-step Walt Disney World touring plan answers questions, illustrates the process, and offers time-saving strategy for making the best ride reservations.
This is a theoretical day at DHS due to unknowns, but that’s true of literally any itinerary. Wait times vary, attractions experience downtime, and there are unique wrinkles to any day in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Just like a normal touring plan, there’s a lot here that we can pull from past precedent, historical wait time data, and extensive experience with similar systems.
In particular, crowd levels have a big impact on what you can accomplish with Lightning Lanes at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. On slow to moderate days, using Lightning Lanes is straightforward and stress-free. On busier days, the number of ride reservations you can make drops dramatically, as there are more people in the park competing for line-skipping access to the most popular attractions.
More than any other park, the Lightning Lanes service “breaks” at DHS under the stress of heavy crowds. Be warned, this itinerary will work well in low-to-average months, but not so much around Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or other peak weeks. If you’re visiting during school breaks (aside from summer), you’ll want to use this plus Early Entry at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
When it comes to this itinerary, the most important thing to know is that there’s one big attraction per park that sells Lightning Lane access at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, that ride is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Normally, we don’t recommend paying extra to bypass the lines because there are other ways to beat the crowds at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
By and large, Lightning Lanes offer the better bang for your buck, and is the superior way to spend if you’re on a budget. That comes with an asterisk with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, as it’s the most popular ride in all of Walt Disney World and is prone to downtime. If it has an issue while you’re in line–or throughout the day of your visit, the standby line will back up, slow to a crawl, or stop completely.
This is intended to supplement our Guide to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World. A lot of you have had questions, and we’ve tried to answer most of the common ones there. However, many are about specific scenarios and that FAQ would be as long as a Tolstoy novel if we addressed each one there.
With that said, some of you may want to ignore our advice and purchase Lightning Lanes. Depending on crowds, this actually can be a “challenge” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which is home to the most popular Lightning Lanes attraction (Slinky Dog Dash) and the most popular Individual Lightning Lane attraction (Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance) in all of Walt Disney World.
Both of these often book up within seconds of 7 am, which presents a practical problem—how do you book both? There is no good way for one person to accomplish both beyond trying to do things quickly and hoping for the best. Ideally, you’ll want to have two adults awake at 7 am, with one booking Slinky Dog Dash and the other booking Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This is the only dynamic duo of rides where this presents a problem–if you’re booking any other combination, it’s no issue.
Anyway, on with our 1-Day Disney’s Hollywood Studios Itinerary with Lightning Lanes (note that this assumes an 8:30 am opening time for DHS; if the park opens at 9 am during your visit, simply adjust these times by 30 minutes)…
7:00:00 am – Book Slinky Dog Dash with a Lightning Lane return window of 3:10 pm to 4:10 pm.
In a perfect world, you’ll get a much earlier return time for Slinky Dog Dash, but it doesn’t always work that way–even if you’re refreshing right at 7 am on the dot. For this attraction, we strongly recommend following our Speed Strategy for Lightning Lane Selections.
~7:35 am – Race to Rise of the Resistance during Early Entry “bonus time” at DHS.
~8 am – Beat the crowd to Slinky Dog Dash.
8:30 am – Rope drop Toy Story Mania via standby line.
8:50 am – Do Alien Swirling Saucers via standby line.
9:00 am – Blast off to Batuu, enjoying free time in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge before the crowds and midday heat arrive. It’s an excellent time to Meet the Mandalorian & Grogu if you want a chance to encounter theme without a mob of people. (This is not a character meet & greet but is the most popular character encounter at Walt Disney World, so it’s ideal to be there for their first set of the day. See the above link for tips & tricks!)
Although it’s early, consider playing Batuu Bounty Hunters via the MagicBand+ for a little bit. Alternatively, you can browse the shops or even potentially do Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run via standby or the Single Rider line if you anticipate wanting to do that more than once–or just want to knock it out early!
10 am – Do Star Tours: the Adventures Continue via standby line.
You may not be wild about waiting in three consecutive standby lines for popular rides, but that’s bound to happen at DHS given the top-heavy nature of the lineup. In fact, you will almost certainly have more Lightning Lane reservations in late afternoon than in the morning or early afternoon. That’s just how it tends to work out, so plan accordingly and knock out “easier” attractions via standby early on.
10:20 am – Marvel at MuppetVision 3D in all of its distinctly patriotic brilliance.
10:30 am – While waiting for MuppetVision (but without taking your attention away from its profound pre-show), book Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run with a Lightning Lane return window of 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
Note: 10:30 am is chosen because it’s 120 minutes after park opening (assuming DHS opens at 8:30 am), which is consistent with How the 120 Minute Rule Works at Walt Disney World. This rule governs when you can make your next ride reservation, and is incredibly important to understand.
11 am – Free time or a buffer in case crowds are worse during your visit. If you’ve already accomplished all or most of this, consider rewarding yourself with one of the best snacks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
11:45 am – Arrive at least 15 minutes early to catch the second showing of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Take notes to improve your sick parkour moves.
12:30 pm – Book Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith with a Lightning Lane return window of 4:05 pm to 5:05 pm.
Note: Lightning Lane return times for every attraction except Slinky Dog Dash get refilled or “roll over” throughout the day, so if you only see late evening return times when first opening up My Disney Experience to book another Lightning Lane, give it a few minutes–you should see earlier times.
12:40 pm – Browse Walt Disney Presents for evidence to confirm suspicions of grave-rolling.
1 pm – Lunch, free time and/or buffer (we recommend an ADR at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant)
2 pm – Double back to Pixar Place to meet the Monsters and other Pixar Pals.
2:30 pm – Meet Minnie & Mickey at Red Carpet Dreams or Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight, whichever character appeals to you more. Potentially both if the lines are short.
2:30 pm – Book the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Lightning Lane with a return time of 4:20 pm to 5:20 pm.
3:10 pm – Do Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run via Lightning Lane.
3:40 pm – Do Slinky Dog Dash via Lightning Lane.
4:00 pm – Do Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith via Lightning Lane. Arrive 5 minutes early, taking advantage of grace period.
4:20 pm – Do the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror via Lightning Lane.
4:45 pm – Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy via standby line.
5:10 pm – Race on over to the Trolley Car Cafe Starbucks for some coffee…and against your better judgment, a Carrot Cake Cookie. Lightning McQueen would say you’ve earned it–time to ka-chow down!
5:25 pm – Do Frozen Sing-Along Celebration via standby line.
6 pm or so – Dinner at another one of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ excellent themed restaurants.
7 pm – Free time to do repeat favorite headliner attractions via the standby line. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and even Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance all usually have moderate actual wait times–regardless of what the posted wait time is–after 7 pm.
Second Showing of Fantasmic – On some nights, there are two showings of Fantasmic. If that’s the case during your visit, see the later one and do rides until ~15 minutes before showtime. If there are multiple showings, you do not need to arrive super early for good seats. If there’s only one performance of Fantasmic, catch that one and arrive at least 30 minutes early. See our Viewing Guide to Fantasmic at Walt Disney World for further advice on the best seats, etc.
Once again, this was a theoretical day with Lightning Lanes at Disney’s Hollywood Studios based on assumptions about capacity allocation and demand. Some or all of these assumptions could be off and not reflect what you actually experience depending upon your travel dates. Again, the same could be said of any itinerary. If you’re diligent, this is probably ~75% accurate, and at the very least, should illustrate how a day could look using Genie+ for those who never used paper FastPass or MaxPass.
To be sure, this is an efficient day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but not an overzealous one. The biggest challenge will be the backloaded return times, and filling out your late morning and midday with stage shows and table service meals–or whatever else you want to kill time before your Lightning Lane return times roll around.
Ultimately, the point here is not to “sell” you on buying Lightning Lanes, but rather, to illustrate how Genie+ could prove advantageous for days you opt to purchase the add-on, put some doomsday assumptions to rest, and start making lemonade out of lemons.
If you’re still not quite satisfied with how Lightning Lanes work in practice, see My Day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Using Genie+ (if you’re visiting during a busier season, don’t expect to accomplish that much–here’s a look at my day using Lightning Lanes with peak crowds). If you’d rather simply know which selections are objectively the best (in terms of time saved and how quickly they book up), see our Disney’s Hollywood Studios Genie+ Priorities & Ride Ranks.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Was this 1-Day Disney’s Hollywood Studios Itinerary w/ Lightning Lanes helpful to illustrate how paid FastPass works at Walt Disney World? Have any questions we didn’t answer with the above? Still confused by how Lightning Lanes work? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
@Tom. Thanks for all of the replies. One final question. Do you think it’s possible Disney could let you pick your return time so it does not penalize non rope droppers?
This would obviously help those that don’t go to the parks first thing in the mo ring but it would also help if you want to park hop and buy genie+ for your second park and not your first. For eg., I might want to go to AK in the morning and don’t feel need for genie + there but want to go to MK in the afternoon and have some rides reserved for when I hop.
“Do you think it’s possible Disney could let you pick your return time so it does not penalize non rope droppers?”
That’s something I’ve heard is being “considered” as a future feature, but will not be present at launch.
My guess is that the launch version is relatively barebones, and things will be added over time in response to guest feedback, utilization rates, and however Disney wants to manage crowds.
Tom,
I agree with your response that many “will keep visiting Walt Disney World and will pay for Genie+ despite their complaints.” During our visits over the past three decades, we’ve noticed crowds steady increasing, despite the increased prices and reduced perks. But there will be some that make their next visit and discover that 6:45am daily wake-up calls and staying glued all day continually to their cell phone really does drown out the magic. I’ve seen people checking their phones while they were ON a ride, probably in hopes of securing their next Fast Pass. This system will multiply that problem exponentially. The pursuit of happiness just became more elusive at Disney World. Quite disappointed.
Sorry, my post below was for Mammy, not Tom.
I actually think this, and your other posts, are excellent and give a true “both Sides” approach for us to consider on all things Disney.
Haha, I figured that.
I didn’t think that part of his comment merited response. Claiming people who can afford a multi-thousand dollar vacation package are the “unwashed masses” but those who spend another $15 per day on top of that are “elites” just doesn’t pass the smell test. Fans should direct whatever anger they have over this at management, not other guests who make different vacation or budgetary decisions than them. You don’t know how much someone else saved, splurged, or worked to make their trip happen.
From what WDW has stated, I was under the impression that you could only have one Genie+ selection at a time. Here’s the quote from WDW (taken from your other post, Tom):
“You can make one selection at a time, throughout the day — from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.”
Not sure how else to interpret “one selection at a time.” Do you think it might mean “one selection for a given time”?
I think that’s simply incomplete information. There’s still a lot Disney hasn’t officially released for fear of creating additional confusion (although I’m not sure added fear, uncertainty, and doubt is the better mix).
It would be a colossal oversight to *not* use the 120 minute rule. For example, someone entering DHS at 9 am might not have the option for a Slinky Dog Dash return time until 5 or 6 pm. By the time they redeem that, there might be nothing available.
No way will the system lock guests out of ride reservations for the entire day. That’s exactly why the 90/120 rules existed for MaxPass and legacy FastPass.
Why would you think it was OK to attack other Disney customers because they decided to budget their trip appropriately so they could afford to skip the lines? I absolutely hate standing in lines and would be happy to spend a little more so I can enjoy just strolling around the park rather than stuck in multiple hour plus lines. I also bought a Christmas After Hours ticket….would you have people yelling at us because we decided to attend that event?
I support everyone’s right to do what is right for them…….
I’m still trying to understand this and I don’t think it will work due to the main difference in MaxPass vs this system is the number of rides per park.
In my previous example at Epcot, Remy and GoG are both non Genie+ options so it really leaves just soarin, test track, frozen and spaceship earth. If I wake up at 7 and buy Genie+ and book test track at park opening at 11am, I cannot book another one until I ride. But I think chances are high that everything else will be gone by the time I finish riding my first ride so my genie+ purchase only got me one ride. Is this possible?
You should be able to book another Genie+ reservation at 9 am–not 11 am (the 120 minute rule).
Nevertheless, what you describe is a definite concern at both Epcot and Animal Kingdom, which is why I’d be least inclined to purchase Genie+ at either of those parks. I think many families that are budget-conscious but still want a good experience will be able to buy only one day of Genie+ at Magic Kingdom and DHS, and then use savvy strategy for the rest.
OR, skip WDW altogether and use my UOR annual pass discount at Loew’s Royal Pacific, where I’ll get an Unlimited Express Pass at check-in and ride Universal’s attractions with no waiting. I’ll also have plenty of time for a swim and a poolside cocktail before dinner at a City Walk restaurant or Mythos, (where I won’t have to make a reservation months in advance). After dinner I can watch the projection show at Hogwarts and wait in a fairly short line for Hagrid (not included in the Pass). After I check out the next morning, my Express Pass is still valid until the parks close, so I can go back to anything I missed the first day, including the Velocicoaster, for which I’ll take advantage of early admission for resort guests. Who needs Disney?
There are definitely a lot of people who will do exactly that.
The biggest indirect beneficiary of Genie+ will be Loews/Universal, which should see a healthy bump in demand!
@David
Based on the Disney video that I saw which explains how Genie+ will work, they will only show the next available time slot for each Genie+ ride. You would not be able to plan ahead and select a time later in the day that would better suit you. Instead, you’ll need to keep up with the Genie app and track available times.
@Adam
I don’t think Disney is going to release arrival times for the Genie+ rides in increments of 1 to 3 hrs. This would drastically increase the chance for people to repeatedly book the same ride throughout the day rather than giving everyone a chance to ride it, even if they have to wait longer for an available time. I think it will be more like FP and the first available time would continue to get pushed as slots are filled.
@Mammy
Can you elaborate on how you plan to show “disdain” for guests who choose to use the Lightning Lane or ‘skip the line’ like you describe it? I don’t like the idea of Disney charging for this feature, but your last paragraph was quite ignorant and I’m sure you won’t last long in the park if you’re being obnoxious and rude to other guests and cast members. You can show your disdain by not going and staying at home, which is what I may decide to do.
@Tom. So Tom, this new system really penalizes people that don’t go to the parks in the morning? HS, Epcot and AK have so few headliners that my fear is the at they will all “sell out” early because there are so few to choose from and anyone entering the parks after noon each day will not buy Genie+ because you would only get maybe one or 2 rides. Especially when you take the top 2 out of each of these parks. Take Epcot for eg., if Rwmy and GoG are not in a genie+, the only rides to book will be soarin, test track frozen and spaceship earth. Those 4 will all likely be sold out very early b theses no other choices.
Genie+ should effectively work out to have a one attraction “penalty” for each 2 hours you sleep in (park arrival is less relevant). You can see that play out above with the 7:01 am and 9:01 am entries. Of course, you’d also be “penalized” by not arriving at rope drop and doing attractions while lines are low.
I don’t think it’ll really matter with individual Lightning Lane attraction purchases, because I do not anticipate those selling out quickly (and since you can choose your return time). I could be underestimating the market for that, though.
I’ve always found you to be a straight shooter. This feels a bit salesy, but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt as you have experienced (and liked) MaxPass. However, I am still surprised how easily you are giving Disney a “pass” for doing this. I don’t doubt that it was an inevitability, but that still doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.
I think the stress point in this system is the fact that you have to (or at least feel like you have to) get up at 7am each day and go through some at least mildly stressful transactions. That’s worse that doing it once 60 days before your trip. In order to utilize your paid Genie+ effectively, you need to be setting alarms and watching your phone all the time. Those are 2 reasons, beyond the cost, that make this feel less than ideal.
The LL purchase options for the top 2 rides also just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I’m happy to teach my kids lessons about the value of money, but I don’t want to have to do that while on vacation. We most definitely will not pay $10/person+ just to ride a ride … not when we’ve already paid the price of admission and maybe the cost of Genie+. It all just starts to feel very icky.
From my perspective, the “judgment” will come in the form of reduced attendance (doubtful), sales of Genie+ (eh) or individual Lightning Lane attractions (likely), and/or reduced on-site occupancy (probable).
In other posts, I’ve addressed the long-term erosion of fan goodwill and the disappearing on-site advantage, among other things.
In general, people need to vote with their wallets if they don’t like things like this. Ranting online but paying up anyway accomplishes absolutely nothing. To the contrary, it becomes easier for Disney to ignore future fan outrage because they know none of it really matters.
@Adam. Complete opposite of what you said. First, if it’s raining you cannot change your AK day because you need a park pass.
Second, getting up EVERY day at 7am vs getting up once to book all your rides in advance is awful.
Couldn’t disagree with you more.
Made it to 10:10 a.m. & quit reading… This is gross.
Do you know if you have to buy the genie+ lightening plus to be able to buy the individual ride lightening plus?
Despite your label of this being a theoretical day, 12:50 is prescient. Thanks for the walk-thru. 🙂
@Josh B
Couldn’t agree with you more. As someone who has visited Disney World annually (or more) for the past 25 years, the idea of beginning every day of my vacation at 6:45 am, entering the virtual rat race at 7am, and micro managing the family’s itinerary while constantly being glued to my cell phone, sounds like an awful definition of a vacation. The fun would get lost in a sea of stress. So disappointed in Disney.
maybe I misread how the genie+ works, but I thought you could only have one lightning lane reservation at a time, then can book the next when the time slot comes up…. In your scenario how many lighting lane reservations are you holding before a time slot has come up?
You can only have one of the individual Lightning Lane reservations at a time. To my knowledge, no such statements have been made about Genie+, but what I’ve heard is that the 120 minute or tap in rule (whichever is earlier) will apply.
Tom, usually your level headed approach to reporting is refreshing. I have appreciated your concise opinion on the past. Here is where I have to disagree with you in a clear advertisement for adding Genie + to my Annual Pass. Just mentioning that in your article smells of bias. So far Disney fans are outraged at this move by Disney with the exception of the minority of “haves” that welcome a more elite Disney where they can bypass the line and steer clear of the unwashed masses.
I do see the clear business model for this move as they are looking as always to increase stock holder equity. As a consumer it is just another way to take money out of my pocket for something I normally received as a perk.
Ever since the pandemic I have clearly analyzed several moves Disney has made to recover revenue and they have been slated at reducing the quality of the customer experience under the guise of pandemic conditions. It is my hope that Disney park goers actually become more vocal In the parks and express their disdain directly at those skipping the line. When those skipping the line find it extreme uncomfortable to do so then Disney will see that this was a bad idea.
Paid FastPass was coming regardless of the pandemic. The writing has been on the wall for years. In general, I don’t put much stock in the “using the pandemic as an excuse” line of reasoning about anything. It’s not something that most normal consumers really “buy” at the end of day–it’s a non-factor.
The response to Genie+ has been overwhelmingly negative, but many of those same people will keep visiting Walt Disney World–and will pay for Genie+ despite all of their complaints. I may not like the system now costing money instead of being free, but at least I’m being honest about my intentions.
Thank you for doing this. Somehow I completely forgot about paper fast passes and Genie+ is starting to take shape in my mind now when I liken is to that somewhat.
I’ve steered clear of remarks regarding the announcement because I want to form my own opinion instead of reading what I’m assuming is 90+% negativity and having that seep into my view of something that still carries a lot of unknowns. I’m of the mindset that it is what it is so, while I’m nervous for our December trip, I’m thinking about going the Genie+ route. I don’t think I’ll be purchasing any individual lightening lanes but $15 for a day of Genie+ isn’t a hardship for me. Am I thrilled about another ‘free’ perk now moving to paid, absolutely not, but I am an adult traveling with 2 other adults and I only have to pay for myself. I’ve been anticipating this for a while so it’s not a super shock which also helps. If I was traveling with a large family and had to find a way to pay for everyone I’m sure I wouldn’t be understanding.
Hi Tom,
Thought you signing up for Lightning Lane add-on to your AP was what I would do. The question is when and how much and whether I would be willing to get an AP without it.
My guess is the Genie+ add-on will cost $149 to $199. It was $125 for MaxPass, so expect the year to cost more than that.
@ Jack. Would be very useful to know whether or not Genie+ will allow you you to select the available times like FP+ and not just give you the next free one.
If you cannot choose the time slot I will be forever on the WDW dodgy wi-fi waiting until a suitable time slot appears. Not my idea of a stress free holiday.
Fingers crossed that the choice of time slots on Genie+ will behave in the same way as FP+