Right now, Hollywood Studios is undergoing some major changes.  This means lower crowds which is great for families with little ones!  These are my best and worst attractions for families with toddlers in 2016.

Welcome to Hollywood Studios!  Here, everyone is a star!

I am going to go through each ‘land’ at Hollywood Studios and identify the best attractions for families with little ones.  Attractions identified as best/worst are ones that could go either way based on you knowing your child.  I also identified some, dare I say it, WORST attractions for families with little ones.

 

Animation Courtyard

Best

Disney Junior Live on Stage:  This twenty-five minute show is a total absolute must-do for any family with little ones.  Guests sit on the floor (children must stay with their parents) and watch a puppet show that incorporates Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sophia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Captain Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  Since the guests sit on the floor and the stage is raised, it’s probably best not to sit in the very front row.  There are benches around the perimeter.  The characters, songs, and special effects are sure to capture eery little one’s attention.  FP+ is offered, but not a must-do.  I have walked right up at show time and had no problem getting in.  Also, the end time here coincides perfectly with the start time of the Little Mermaid show.  When this ends, just walk straight next door to Little Mermaid.  Another tip is to visit the Disney Junior characters before or after the show for some fun meet and greets!

 

 

Best/Worst

Voyage of the Little Mermaid:  This is a hit or miss with little ones.  You know your child better than anyone else.  My girls have each seen this twice and loved most of it.  The only part that scares them is with Ursella, but that is short lived.  This dark show is in a traditional auditorium and combines live acting with puppets.  It’s essential a condensed version of the movie and is very engaging by including most of the songs from the movie.  I recently had to make an emergency exit in it (with my newborn), which was very easy to do.  There are benches on the side of the theater (which was my first step with encountering a fussy baby) and then exiting was no problem at all.  I always wondered what it was like to exit with a disruptive child (8 weeks old), but it wasn’t anything to worry about.

Star Wars Launch Bay:  For me, this is also a hit or miss.  Some of the characters can be a bit intimidating.  If your child is a Star Wars fan, then they will love this!

 

Echo Lake

Best

For the First Time in Forever:  A Frozen Sing Along Celebration:  This twenty-five minute show, in a standard auditorium, is perfect for your little prince or princess.  It showcases a condensed version of the movie and focuses primarily on the songs of the movie.  This is the perfect length to engage a little one and the Frozen characters are sure to be a hit with your child!

Jedi Training:  This fifteen minute experience is perfect for older toddlers, preschools, and younger elementary aged children.  Multiple times a day, Jedis in training get to battle the likes of Darth Vader.  This an outdoor attraction and often gets canceled due to rain, but it’s definitely worthwhile to get your little Jedi signed up.  Sign up begins at park open and if you’re interested in doing this, I highly recommend that you sign up at the very start of your day at Hollywood Studios.

 

Best/Worst

Indiana Jones:  This is a fun show, but might be too much for some little ones.  For one, it’s loud.  It’s not scary loud, but there are some sound effects that might frighten some small children.  It’s also thirty minutes.  I try to keep the number of shows I bring my kids to at a minimum and this one rarely makes the cut.  It’s not bad by any means, but most little ones won’t sit through three shows in a day so this just doesn’t happen for us quite yet.

 

Star Tours:  I am a huge fan of this attraction, but this might be a little scary for some little ones.  The ride itself isn’t scary, I is simply a simulator ride.  My three year old will be tall enough on our next vacation and she’s (and we’re) planning on riding it.

 

 

 

Hollywood Boulevard

Best

Shops/Streetsmosphere:  Hollywood Boulevard is the ‘main street’ of Hollywood Studios.  The street is flanked with some pretty spectacular shops.  Pluto’s Palace is my favorite!  There is also a lot of entertainment on the street that is definitely worth stopping for.  Tell BETTY I say hi!!!

 

Best/Worst

The Great Movie Ride:  The Great Movie Ride celebrates MOVIES of course!  Guests are transported into various scenes from classic movies.  I classified it as best/worst because it really depends on your child.  The ride is approximately nineteen minutes, which isn’t terribly long.  As an adult, I realllly enjoy this ride.  As a mom, I’m not quite ready to tackle this with three toddlers/babies.  Some of the scenes are dark and loud.  Most children are not familiar with the movies that are featured on the ride.  Finally, it is pretty much impossible to exit this attraction.  I’m sure that if there was a medical emergency of some sort they could stop it and you could exit, but it would be really difficult.

 

Mickey Avenue

Best/Worst

Walt Disney:  One Man’s Dream:  This is a walk through exhibit showcasing the man behind the magic.  Little ones might enjoy some of the items here, but I wouldn’t visit this thinking that they will be engaged.  Instead, I like taking my little ones here to escape the heat or rain.  It’s also a nice place to take overstimulated children for a break or if they need a place to get out of the stroller for a bit.

 

Muppet Courtyard

Best

Muppet Vision 3D:  This is a 3D  movie starring, you guessed it, the Muppets!  It’s about 15-17 minutes in length, and although fastpass+ is offered, there is rarely a wait (other than waiting for the next show to start).  This movie hasn’t changed in years, but it’s still a lof of fun.  My girls saw it for the first time without even knowing who the Muppets were and they love it.  Currently, Disney Junior has Muppets shorts on tv which is definitely giving little ones more exposure to them.  Also, this theater is very easy to do an emergency exit if your little one gets scared.  It’s not a scary show, but it can get a little loud.

 

 

Pixar Place

Best

Toy Story Midway Mania:  This is a must do attraction for the whole family!  In this interactive attraction, guests sit in a double sided vehicle that rotates frequently throughout the ride.  As the ride progresses, guests visit one carnival type game after the next using devices (like laser shooters) on their vehicle.  This is similar to Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom, however this is in 3D.  It’s super fun and even if your child is too young to participate in the games throughout the ride, they are sure to enjoy the ride itself.  For moms who babywear, I do want to note that depending on the cast members working, you might not be able to wear your baby on this attraction.  This attraction frequently has long wait times and this is DEFINITELY one that I would fastpass in advance.

 

Sunset Boulevard

Best

Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage:  This is a twenty-five minute Broadway style stage show of Beauty and the Beast.  In addition to seeing this show dozens of times, I’ve seen the actual Broadway show in New York.  The Hollywood Studios version is as close as you can get without being on Broadway.  It’s a pretty high caliber show and the singing and dancing will definitely keep little ones engaged.  There are some things to take into consideration here.  They do offer fastpass+, but that’s up to you to determine if it’s worth it or not.  Some recommend to arrive early to secure a good seat, but I’m the type to get here maybe ten minutes before show time.  A downside here is that this is more of an amphitheater, meaning that there is no air conditioning.  I would either plan to catch an early or later performance.  The plus side of the theater set up is that it’s easy to exit if you have a cranky child.  (that’s kind of a theme I have now that I’m a mom)

 

Worst

Fantasmic:  This truly pains me to place Fantasmic  in the worst category.  I love this show!  For those that don’t know, Fantasmic is a nighttime spectacular that takes place in an amphitheater and combines a live stage show, water graphics, and fireworks.  Despite the fact that this is a fantastic show, as a mom of little ones, I definitely do not recommend it.  There are two main reasons why I do not take my little ones to this attraction.  First is the time commitment.  In order to view this show without a fastpass or dinner package, it is best to arrive OVER AN HOUR prior to the show.  With a fastpass, it is best to arrive 30-60 minutes prior to the show.  With a Fantasmic dinner package, it it best to arrive 20-30 minutes prior to start time.  I can tell you right now that I do not have the time to arrive to a show that early and sit through a twenty-five minute show with little ones at the end of the day.  That’s just me though.  Second is the nature of the show.  There are several elements of this show that might be scary to little ones.  I definitely recommend having your child watch a Youtube video of the show to gauge if they are scared or not.

 

Rock n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith: This is an indoor high-speed roller coaster complete with loops and corkscrews.  Riders must be at least 48 inches tall to ride.  Even if your child meets the height requirement, I would not let them ride this.  For me, age 8 would be the youngest I would consider letting my kids ride this.

 

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror:  From the moment guests enter the queue, the theming is superb.  Tower of Terror is a thrill ride full of multiple, and unpredictable, drops.  The minimum height for this is 40 inches, which my three year old exceeds.  In my opinion, this is more doable for older preschoolers but I wouldn’t risk it.  Plus, it’s fun to save some rides for when they’re a little older.