Monday 9 November 2015

Attractions at Hollywood Studios

Here are my thoughts on the attractions I visited in Hollywood Studios. Unfortunately the number of attractions in Hollywood Studios seems to be constantly decreasing.

Hollywood Boulevard

Great Movie Ride - This ride got an update earlier this year, but I think it was only the pre-show and post-show films that were updated - the animatronics are the same as always. Most of the scenes are from movies I've never seen, so it's not really a must-see attraction for me. I rode at about 9:30 and waited about 10 minutes; by the time I got off the ride at around 10 the posted wait time was up to 35 minutes.

Echo Lake

Star Tours - Like I said in my Disneyland blog entry, I really like the fact that this ride is now different every time - which was particularly good since I ended up riding about 5 times between Disneyland and Disney World. I think I ended up seeing all of the possible segments, although I seemed to get Hoth and Naboo more than anything else. I never got to be the rebel spy though. The wait times here were really unpredictable. The first time I rode it I waited less than five minutes (in the evening on an otherwise crowded day). The second time we had FastPasses but were running late; I was expecting it to be fine to ride standby instead but the posted wait time was 50 minutes - luckily they let us in the FastPass line even though it was 20 minutes after the end of our window.

Streets of America

MuppetVision 3D - This 4D show has been around for a while and it's starting to get a bit dated. Parts of it are still quite funny and I'm glad to have a Muppets attraction in the park but I think it could be updated. I was able to walk straight into the pre-show.

Pixar Place

Toy Story Midway Mania - This 3D shooting game is fun, although I'm not great at it (I always win a beaver). I don't think it's worth the huge waits in the standby line though. The queue is quite well themed, but you can get a good feel for it in the FastPass line. I rode twice, both times with FastPass Plus. The wait in the FastPass line can get quite long as well - we waited 20 minutes in the FastPass line when the posted standby was 60 minutes.

Mickey Avenue

Walt Disney: One Man's Dream - This is made up of a museum-like walkthrough exhibit followed by a film. There is lots of information about Walt Disney's life but my favourite parts are the models of various Disney parks. The guide map lists the duration as 15 minutes but that's just the film - allow extra time to look at the exhibits. If you don't finish looking at the exhibits before the next film starts you can go back to the exhibits afterwards - just exit the film the way you came in.

Sunset Boulevard

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - This is one of the most intense coasters in Disney World (it's the only one that goes upside down) but it's still within my comfort zone as it's relatively smooth. It's entirely inside, and although it isn't as dark as Space Mountain, you can't really see what's about to happen which adds an extra element of fun to it. I also like the on-ride audio (by Aerosmith) and the fast launch. I rode this at rope drop and again during morning EMH, both times with a short wait (10-15 minutes). In evening EMH the posted wait time was 40 minutes so I decided to try Single Rider but I ended up waiting the full 40 minutes anyway.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - I've always loved this ride and it's even better now that the ride sequence is randomised. It might be my imagination, but I feel like the randomised version has more, shorter drops rather than a few longer drops, which I think makes it more fun. I also like the fifth dimension sequence and even the queue, which is amazingly detailed, although I could do without having to watch the video in the library every time. I had a FastPass Plus but I didn't need it - at 9:15 I was able to walk straight through to the library preshow (which is where the standby and FastPass lines merge). The lines do get very long later on in the day though.


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