Hollywood Studios Wait Times & Strategy

Walt Disney World · Florida · typical hours 9 AM–9 PM

The one-minute version: be at the gate 30–45 minutes before opening and ride Rise of the Resistance first. Waits peak from late morning to mid-afternoon — do shows and meals then. The final hour is often as quiet as rope drop. The headline evening show is Fantasmic!, typically around 8:30 PM — ride headliners while the crowds watch it and waits drop 30–50%.

Usually worth it: This is the park where paying is most defensible.

See today's live waits free Ready-made touring plans

Hollywood Studios wait times by hour

Queues here follow a predictable daily shape. Lines are shortest in the first hour and the last, and peak 1 PM–3 PM — that is the window to spend on shows, meals or indoor attractions rather than headliners.

9a11a1p3p5p7p

Typical shape of a Hollywood Studios day, shown as each hour's share of that day's own peak wait. Actual minutes vary by season and day of week — check today's live waits.

See the hour-by-hour numbers
HourTypical wait level
9 AM35% of the day's peak
10 AM55% of the day's peak
11 AM80% of the day's peak
12 PM95% of the day's peak
1 PM100% of the day's peak
2 PM100% of the day's peak
3 PM95% of the day's peak
4 PM88% of the day's peak
5 PM80% of the day's peak
6 PM70% of the day's peak
7 PM55% of the day's peak
8 PM40% of the day's peak
Shortest lines: 9 AM–10 AM and 8 PM–9 PM. Longest: 1 PM–3 PM.

What to ride first at Hollywood Studios: rope drop order

Be at the gate 30–45 minutes before opening and ride in this order. Rise and Slinky Dog are the two worst standby lines on Disney property; whichever you skip at opening will cost you an hour later.

  1. Rise of the Resistance
  2. Slinky Dog Dash
  3. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  4. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
  5. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

The first hour is the cheapest capacity of the day — no pass, no fee, and typically the shortest waits you will see.

Best and worst months to visit Hollywood Studios

Red = busiest, green = quietest, grey = moderate.

Busiest: March, April, June, July and December

Expect the year's longest waits during spring break, summer, and the Christmas fortnight.

Quietest: January, February and September

The best value for short lines is late January, early February and September weekdays.

Is Lightning Lane Multi Pass worth it at Hollywood Studios?

Usually worth it

This is the park where paying is most defensible. Hollywood Studios has the worst ride-to-guest ratio at Walt Disney World, and Lightning Lane Multi Pass reliably saves a family two to three hours on any moderate or busy day. If you buy it for exactly one day of your trip, buy it for this one.

Price: roughly $15–$45 per person/day · top headliners sold separately. Prices change often and by date — treat this as a range, not a quote.

Maben Parks shows every wait live with a "vs typical" marker, and your magical fairy will run the numbers for your party and date — including telling you to keep your money when the answer is no.

Check today's waits before you buy

Typical waits by ride at Hollywood Studios

AttractionTypical midday wait
Slinky Dog Dash90 min
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance85 min
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster70 min
Tower of Terror55 min
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run45 min
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway45 min
Toy Story Mania!40 min
Star Tours20 min
Alien Swirling Saucers25 min

Typical midday standby waits on a moderate day. See today's live waits →

Beat the lines without paying at Hollywood Studios

Local knowledge: Slinky Dog Dash is the Multi Pass booking to fight for at 7 AM — it is the hardest return time to get and the least pleasant line to stand in.

Planning ahead? The free Hollywood Studios crowd calendar scores every day for the next four months, 1 to 10 — no sign-up.

How the wait moves through the day at Hollywood Studios

Median posted wait across the rides we track, on moderate days — the crowd level most visitors get. The shaded band is the middle half of readings at that hour.

010203040OpenFantasmic!Close 5 min at 9a12a — typically 0 min (middle half 0–0, 111 readings)1a — typically 0 min (middle half 0–0, 65 readings)2a — typically 0 min (middle half 0–0, 60 readings)3a — typically 0 min (middle half 0–0, 60 readings)4a — typically 0 min (middle half 0–0, 60 readings)5a — typically 0 min (middle half 0–0, 60 readings)6a — typically 0 min (middle half 0–0, 60 readings)7a — typically 0 min (middle half 0–0, 60 readings)8a — typically 0 min (middle half 0–10, 125 readings)9a — typically 5 min (middle half 0–20, 250 readings)10a — typically 5 min (middle half 0–30, 262 readings)11a — typically 5 min (middle half 0–35, 327 readings)12p — typically 5 min (middle half 0–35, 279 readings)1p — typically 5 min (middle half 0–35, 280 readings)2p — typically 5 min (middle half 0–30, 261 readings)3p — typically 5 min (middle half 0–25, 260 readings)4p — typically 5 min (middle half 0–25, 242 readings)5p — typically 5 min (middle half 0–30, 242 readings)6p — typically 5 min (middle half 0–30, 218 readings)7p — typically 5 min (middle half 0–30, 224 readings)8p — typically 0 min (middle half 0–15, 225 readings)9p — typically 0 min (middle half 0–0, 82 readings)10p — typically 0 min (middle half 0–5, 104 readings)11p — typically 0 min (middle half 0–5, 123 readings)12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p11p min
Posted standby minutes, from our own recorded snapshots. Posted waits are what the park displays — not necessarily how long you stand there. Download CSV · Save PNG · Share

What's closed at Hollywood Studios

Detected automatically from the live feed — each of these reported closed all day, every day, for at least three operating days. Observed through September 8, 2026.

AttractionClosed sinceDuration
Vacation Fun - An Original Animated Short with Mickey & MinnieAugust 27, 202613 operating days

Recently back

AttractionWas closed fromDuration
Slinky Dog DashAugust 31, 20263 operating days

Generated from wait-feed observations, not an operator announcement: a long closure usually means refurbishment, but we report what the feed shows rather than guessing why. Always check the operator's own page before travelling for one specific ride.

What counts as a normal wait at Hollywood Studios

Every wait we have recorded here, grouped by how busy the day turned out to be. The bold figure is the middle half of what we saw — a quarter of the time it was shorter, a quarter of the time longer. Read it against today’s crowd level to know whether the number on the sign is good or bad.

RideLightlevel 1Mildlevel 2Moderatelevel 3Busylevel 4Packedlevel 5
Slinky Dog Dash—50–6055 typical45–6555 typical70–9080 typical70–9580 typical
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets25–4035 typical35–5045 typical40–5545 typical45–6555 typical45–6555 typical
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance20–3525 typical25–4040 typical25–4540 typical40–5045 typical45–6050 typical
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway15–3020 typical30–4035 typical25–4535 typical35–4540 typical35–5045 typical
Toy Story Mania!10–2520 typical20–3530 typical25–4035 typical30–4540 typical35–5045 typical
The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror13–2513 typical15–3025 typical15–3525 typical25–4030 typical25–5040 typical
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run10–1515 typical15–2015 typical15–3020 typical15–3525 typical20–4030 typical
Meet Disney Stars at Red Carpet Dreams20–3025 typical20–3525 typical20–3525 typical25–4030 typical25–3535 typical
Alien Swirling Saucers5–155 typical10–2015 typical10–2515 typical15–3020 typical20–3025 typical
Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight5–1510 typical10–1515 typical10–2015 typical10–2015 typical15–2520 typical
Meet Edna Mode at the Edna Mode Experience15–1515 typical0–150 typical0–1515 typical0–150 typical0–150 typical
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue5–55 typical5–55 typical5–55 typical5–55 typical5–55 typical
Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical
The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical
Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular!0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical
Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Single Rider0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical0–00 typical

Minutes of posted standby wait, from our own recorded snapshots — up to 5 days per figure. Cells stay blank until a ride has enough observations at that crowd level to be worth printing. Posted waits are what the park displays, which is not always what you queue.

Hollywood Studios FAQ

What time should I arrive at Hollywood Studios?

Aim to be at the gate 30–45 minutes before the posted opening time of 9 AM. The first hour consistently has the day's shortest waits, and arriving even 45 minutes late typically costs you two headliners.

When are wait times shortest at Hollywood Studios?

9 AM–10 AM and 8 PM–9 PM — the opening hour and the final hour of the operating day. Waits peak 1 PM–3 PM, so plan meals, shows and indoor attractions for that window.

What should I ride first at Hollywood Studios?

Rise of the Resistance, then Slinky Dog Dash and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Rise and Slinky Dog are the two worst standby lines on Disney property; whichever you skip at opening will cost you an hour later.

What is the best month to visit Hollywood Studios?

January, February and September — late January, early February and September weekdays. Avoid March, April, June, July and December, when spring break, summer, and the Christmas fortnight.

Is Lightning Lane Multi Pass worth it at Hollywood Studios?

This is the park where paying is most defensible. Hollywood Studios has the worst ride-to-guest ratio at Walt Disney World, and Lightning Lane Multi Pass reliably saves a family two to three hours on any moderate or busy day. If you buy it for exactly one day of your trip, buy it for this one.

Other parks at Walt Disney World

Planning more than one day? These share the resort — and usually the crowd calendar.

Magic Kingdom wait times →EPCOT wait times →Animal Kingdom wait times →

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