With four new attractions within the last 10 years and more on the horizon, Disney’s Hollywood Studios boasts some of the most high-tech rides at Walt Disney World and navigating it all can be a bit of a beast. The earlier you get to the park, the better shape you’ll be in to soak in all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

For non-resort guests, official park opening is typically at 9am, meaning Early Entry Rope Drop begins at 8:30am for guests staying at a Disney Resort and other participating Good Neighbor Hotels. During peak times of year, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will occasionally open at 8:30am for regular operating hours, so be sure to check the MyDisneyExperience app for the most up-to-date information.

In this addition to my Rope Drop Series, I will cover the logistics of traveling to and entering Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Early Entry Rope Drop, along with strategies to help you make the most of these early morning hours, and how to spend all that glorious free time you’ll have left. (Unsure what Early Entry Rope Drop is? Check out my post, “Why You Should Rope Drop at Disney World” for background information.)

Getting to the Park

There are multiple options for traveling to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, depending on what resort you are staying at. For guests at Disney’s POP Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, or Disney’s Riviera Resort, you will take Disney’s Skyliner to Hollywood Studios. The travel time can vary, with a transfer required at the Caribbean Beach Hub for guests staying at POP Century, Art of Animation, and Riveria. Fly time averages about 15 minutes from POP/AOA/Riveria (including the transfer stop), and about 5 minutes from Caribbean Beach. Early in the morning, you may see a long line of people headed to the Skyliner – don’t fret. It does move quickly, and you’ll be on your way soon.

For guests staying in the EPCOT Resort Area at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, or the Swan & Dolphin Resorts have the option to ride Disney’s Friendship Boats to Hollywood Studios, or walk on the path that follows the same waterway. Both options will take about 15 minutes, with a slightly shorter walk from the Boardwalk Inn.

All other resorts will utilize the Disney Bus service. During very busy times of the year, transportation will often begin running earlier than the 60-minute mark, and it’s important to factor travel time into your morning. If you are driving, parking also opens 60 minutes before early entry begins (occasionally earlier during peak seasons).

So, what time are you waking up? For those of you lucky enough to be staying in the EPCOT resort area by Crescent Lake, you can practically sleep in for this Rope Drop morning. If you are hopping on a Disney Bus or flying on Disney’s Skyliner, you’ll want to be up and out around 7:15am to catch that early bus. It’s okay. It’s not nearly as early as your Animal Kingdom rope drop morning, and it’s nothing a Joffrey’s can’t fix!

Security and Park Entry

Security typically opens 45 minutes or more before early entry begins. This allows any lines forming outside the park to be let into the space between security and the turnstiles/MagicBand readers. This is where you will gather with everyone else who got up and out early to hit the parks. Yes, while the main point of Rope Drop is to avoid long lines in the park, you are still waiting a good 30 minutes outside of the gates if you want to be at the front of the crowd. The theme park logic in this is that you are not waiting during the park’s operating hours, at least for the first few rides of the day.

Cast members will usually start allowing guests into the park about 10-15 minutes before early entry starts, to alleviate the crowds gathering from the later busses, and to allow guests to walk up to the lands that are participating in early entry to wait.  If you are a non-resort guest and arrive early for official park opening, cast members will direct to you to a separate queue/corral area to wait.

After you tap your band, phone, or keycard and fingerprint for park entry, you’ll be directed towards cast members who have handheld readers to scan your ticket again. This is to ensure that you are indeed a Disney resort guest. If you are traveling with others, be sure that everyone included on your resort reservation is together for this step, so one person can be scanned, let the cast member know how many people are on the reservation, and they will simply count heads and let your group in. You’ll be corralled again to wait near attractions that will open with Early Entry, generally outside of the queue area or slightly outside of the land. Cast members and signage will direct you where to go.

Old Hollywood, Andy’s Backyard, or A Galaxy Far, Far Away…?

Okay, you’re in! Which way are you going?! Disney’s Hollywood Studios has nine ride attractions, and they are all extremely popular with frequent high wait times throughout the day. For this reason, you really can’t go wrong with choosing any major attraction to hit first thing in the morning, but I would recommend four top contenders: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, Tower or Terror, or Rock’N’Roller Coaster. Why not Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (MMRR) you ask? I adore this ride and think the storyline and technology is a perfect example of Disney Imagineering, but that wonderful tech means that sometimes it takes a little bit to get up and running first thing in the morning. I have frequently found that MMRR is not always open during Early Entry, sometimes not opening until 15-30 minutes into regular park opening. While this is certainly not a major flaw, it is definitely something you should consider when planning out your Early Entry Rope Drop morning.

Strategy One: Join the Resistance

Many guests are going to use this early time to head to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. With wait times as high as 120+ minutes during the day, this is a great use of your Early Entry time. The queue itself is filled with Star Wars props and is highly immersive, as you meander through the cave hallways of the Resistance main base. The attraction itself lasts about 17 minutes, inclusive of the “pre-show” with Rey and BB-8, which means that you are using most, if not all, of your 30 minutes of Early Entry on this attraction. It is still absolutely worth it, especially if you are a Star Wars fan like me!

After doing your part to aid the Resistance, zip over to Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Take a few minutes to slow down in this queue, as you get to explore the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. While I do enjoy this ride when traveling with a group, I have always sat in the Engineer seat, which currently does not have an interactive “job” on this attraction like the Pilots and Gunners. That will all change next year, when the ride is reimagined to include new locations in the Star Wars Universe, as well as appearances by the Mandalorian and Grogu. Just yesterday (April 19, 2025) Disney Imagineering announced at 2025 Star Wars Celebration in Japan that those now lucky enough to sit in the Engineer seats will choose the location of your adventure, and – best of all – interact with Grogu! I am so excited for this refurbishment, set to open in May 2026 at the same time The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters.

Galaxy’s Edge is home to a couple of delightful breakfast snacks, so treat yourself after you successfully ride two of the most popular attractions in all of Walt Disney World! Ronto Roasters, home to the wildly popular Ronto Wrap, serves breakfast from 9am – 11am, and Kat Saka’s Kettle starts selling the Cold Brew Black Caf (spiked and non!) at 9am as well.

Strategy Two: Play Time in Andy’s Backyard

Maybe you have an Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance, or couldn’t snag a Lightning Lane on MultiPass for Slinky Dog Dash before 8pm. Heading to Toy Story Land at the back of the park is a great use of this early entry time. Consistently one of the highest wait times of all the attractions on property, Slinky Dog Dash is a family-friendly roller coaster that is sure to make you squeal, “wee!” This really is a delightful ride, but with a long, hot, fully outdoor queue, it is a bit of a logistical hurdle in any successful Hollywood Studios day. Heading here early in the morning will save you a ton of wait time later in your day, and with two other attractions in this land you can accomplish a lot with minimal dashing around.

After you ride Andy’s new and improved Slinky Dog Dash track, head right across the walkway to Toy Story Mania – a fun, interactive game play ride that everyone can enjoy. This has long been one of my favorite attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and my competitive spirit comes out as I vie for the top spot on the leaderboard. (My highest personal ranking is a Best in Vehicle Score from 2024; there’s certainly room for improvement.)

By this point in the morning the park is likely now open to non-resort guests. You can check the MyDisneyExperience app to see what wait times are like in other areas of the park, or you can more than likely hop on the last ride in this land, Alien Swirling Saucers. This ride typically does not get a high wait throughout the day (unless you are there during peak weeks like Easter, Christmas, etc.), so you may want to see if you can hit another headliner attraction or two before the park crowd levels are in full swing. If you’re ready for a snack, Woody’s Lunch Box serves a tasty Breakfast Bowl with brisket gravy, scrambled eggs, and green onions atop tater tots until 10:30am, as well as the Lunch Box Tart throughout the day.

Strategy Three: Head Down Sunset Boulevard

My personal favorite choice and frankly always my go-to: take a right down Sunset Blvd. and head to either Rock’N’Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith or Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror. Both are solid choices, though in my opinion, Tower of Terror is the best attraction to ride first thing in the morning. Beyond the obvious wake up jolt of repeated “free fall” drops (No time for a coffee? No problem!), the ambiance of this ride is as creepy in the morning as it is at night. The mist in the queue area sometimes blends with an early morning fog, and the attraction building looks both inviting and menacing at the same time. I have also had some of the best cast member interactions early in the morning at this ride, with the roleplay by the bell hops on another level.

One of my favorite things about heading down Sunset Blvd. in the morning is the proximity of both these two “E-Ticket” attractions. After your morning wake up call at Tower of Terror, you can head over to Rock’N’Roller Coaster, and hop in a super stretch limo to make it to (one last!) Aerosmith concert. Though I do love this ride and it was the first inverted coaster I ever rode, I am quite excited for the upcoming retheming of this coaster into Muppets Mayhem. I think that Steven Tyler & Co. met the requirements for “Disney retirement” long ago, and this reimaging is long overdue.

Perhaps the best part of heading down Sunset for your rope drop morning is… the Joffrey’s cart located at the exit to Tower of Terror! I know! Two super popular attractions and a Joffrey’s cart? Dream come true! Depending on how busy this area of the park seems in the morning, you might think of getting yourself a tasty iced latte after Tower of Terror, and bringing it over to the queue for Rock’N’Roller Coaster. If you’re anything like me, this beverage will be gone in 15 minutes or less which should be just enough time for the walk over to G-Force Records, and the very short wait that will probably have built up by now. (Or, simply continue on and double back to this cart after Rock’N’.) At this point in the morning, the tail end of Rope Drop guests are entering the park and with wait times climbing at Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash, many “late” Early Entry Rope Drop guests will head down Sunset Blvd. as well.

Phew! That was fun! What now?

You can certainly continue riding rides via standby and perhaps utilize Lightning Lane MultiPass to supplement your Rope Drop accomplishments, now that you’ve knocked out a couple of major attractions. (I do like to double this strategy with MultiPass to avoid waiting in long lines later in the day, and to be able to enjoy the rest of the park at leisure.) Rides like Star Tours: The Adventure Continues and Alien Swirling Saucers should both have low-ish wait times through late morning and now is a good time to hop in those standby queues. But, while this park does have the highest concentration of thrill rides of any Walt Disney World theme park, it also has some fantastic entertainment, character meet and greets, and interactive play areas to round out your day.

Live Action Entertainment

By late morning, I am looking at the show times for Beauty and the Beat Live on Stage or The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular to rest my feet and take in a performance. Both of these shows have been running for over 20 years, and they embody the original vibe of the park when it opened as MGM Studios. Though the Indiana Jones show has evolved a little over the years, it is still fundamentally the same show that premiered on August 25, 1989 (almost an opening day attraction for this park!).

Another fun (and air conditioned!) show is For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-A-Long Celebration, which I saw for the first time this past March – honestly, I was surprised at how entertaining this show was, beyond the obvious fun of belting out “Let It Go” as loud as possible in public. The narrators are hilarious and include jokes about today’s pop music, making it accessible for everyone. And there’s more exciting shows on the way, with Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After and The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure both opening on May 27, 2025.

Meet Your Favorite Characters!

This park also has a ton of character meet and greets, some of which can have very long lines later in the day. In Toy Story Land, you can meet Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jesse (check the MyDisneyExperince app for set times!) and if you are a Pixar fan in general, head over to Pixar Place near the walkway into Toy Story Land. Here you’ll be able to get a big hug from Sulley, flex with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, talk fashion with Edna Mode, cool off with Frozone, and share a happy moment with Joy. These characters also have set times listed in the MDE app, and this is a fun way to meet a bunch of characters in one area.

Use The Force

If you are Star Wars fan, there is no better way to immerse yourself in the story than to spend an hour (or more!) exploring Batuu in Galaxy’s Edge. On this distant planet in the Outer Rim, you can catch the Mandalorian wandering around the marketplace, usually with Grogu by his side. Watch for the Storm Troopers patrolling with Kylo Ren, as he attempts to coerce you to the Dark Side. Keep your secrets close, find Rey and Chewbacca, and join the Resistance! There are so many ways to live your Star Wars story in this land.

You can also use the DataPad on the Play Disney Parks app, and interact with various droids, panel switches, and doorways throughout the land. You’ll have missions to complete, puzzles to solve, and characters to interact with. When you’re ready for a break, grab a drink inside Oga’s Cantina and be watchful of First Order officers out to capture Resistance Fighters.

Luxuriate

There are so many exciting things to do at this park, but when you want to shift gears and relax a bit more without heading back to your resort, you can:

• Unwind at the Brown Derby Lounge to enjoy a light bite and a cocktail. This outdoor lounge is ideal for people-watching, and the food and drinks are potentially the best within this park.
• Watch Walt Disney Presents, which includes a small walkthrough of the history of the Walt Disney Company.
• Visit Potatoland! One of the more ridiculous Disney references, Potatoland is a fictional land featured in a Mickey Mouse short, and you can visit a fun (weird?) photo op with a potato on a pedestal/stool with a “Potatoland” backdrop in the waiting area for Vacation Fun. After your potato-op, enjoy the Vacation Fun shorts for a brief respite of air conditioning.
• Check out Baseline Tap House for a refreshing beer or cider, and a shareable bite. This location gets quite busy, but if you are lucky enough to grab a table it is another chill spot for relaxing and people watching.  
• Seriously, see the shows!!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is one of my favorite parks to Rope Drop, because it is honestly one of my least favorite parks to be in midday. With so many popular attractions at this park, it does get quite busy almost every day, and I personally find that the layout of the park creates a few more “bottleneck” points than others. Getting up and out early is a great strategy to supplement Lightning Lanes, and accomplish those popular rides with efficiency so you can relax and enjoy “a Hollywood that never was, and always will be.” (Michael Eisner, May 1, 1989 dedication of Disney’s MGM Studios).

Ready to join the Resistance? Looking to check into the Hollywood Tower Hotel? Let’s map out your next Magical Quest today!