Hollywood Studios is in the midst of a MASSIVE transformation, but that’s going to change the face of the park… for the better in the minds of some.
New artwork on the walls!
Currently, there are two MAJOR construction projects happening at the park that was once known as the Disney-MGM Studios, with two more game-changing ride refurbishments scheduled for 2026. Perhaps that will make it more popular amongst these guests… though further change may actually make them think less of the park!
While the iconic Tower of Terror is set to remain, the rest of the park has been in a state of flux for a while now, and some visitors don’t like it.
Tower of Terror
We reached out to our readers to see what they liked about Hollywood Studios, and we were shocked to see so many people share that they did not like anything about the park.
Hollywood Studios
One reader said that Hollywood Studios “used to be the romanticized Golden Age of Hollywood vibe. It had the Backlot Tour and the Great Movie Ride. Nowadays, it’s down to Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land…”
The Great Movie Ride
Other readers shared that their favorite thing about the park is the exit, or that there are three other parks to visit. Another reader told us that they “ have genuinely never had a good time” at Hollywood Studios.
Toy Story Land
As mentioned, attractions that once gave Hollywood Studios that Hollywood Vibe have closed. One reader joked that their favorite things about the park are “The Great Movie Ride, the Backlot Tour, the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area, and the Osborne Family Lights at Christmas time.… What? …you say they’re all gone?”
Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Not only do Disney Adults feel that this park is not what it once was, but it is not a good park for children, as there is not much for kids to do. Parents on the AllEars team shared some of their frustrations with the park.
Sunset Blvd
For example, 2024 saw the closure of Muppet*Vision 3D… only for it to be announced that the Muppets would live on at the park as a part of a retheme of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. This announcement has been met with derision from some, who are upset that the kid-friendly Muppets characters will be “locked” on a ride that’s not universally accessible.
©Disney
One of our team members said that there is almost nothing for kids to do. There is no splash pad, nowhere to run around, and no playground. Due to height requirements, her child could only ride Runaway Railway and Toy Story Mania. He still isn’t tall enough for Alien Swirling Saucers.
Toy Story Land
One of the last more “kid-friendly” experiences closed in 2025 to make way for a Disney Villains stage show. While we, as adults, are excited about this new show, some kids might feel frightened. The good news is Lightning McQueen and all his friends will have a new home in the Magic Kingdom when two new ‘Cars’ attractions open in Frontierland, but it will be years until that expansion is built.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy is now closed
However, something NEW is on the way for kids. Currently, a massive refurbishment project is transforming the Animation Courtyard from the home of the Star Wars Launch Bay into a new version of The Magic of Disney Animation.
©Disney
The new areas will feature numerous kid-friendly additions, including theming based on the Emmy-winning Once Upon a Studio short that celebrated Disney’s 100th Anniversary. This will include “moving” portraits, as well as character meet & greets. There will also be sketch classes, where guests will be able to draw their own favorite Disney characters, similar to the original Animation Academy. This might be the most similar to the classic Studios park, and the Drawn to Wonderland playground, which will feature an oversized flower garden with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset, and a Tulgey Wood exploration area, all designed in the style of Disney Legend Mary Blair.
©Disney
Not only is Hollywood Studios not ideal for families with smaller children, but it can also be challenging for expectant mothers to find something to do. Expectant mothers can pretty much only ride Toy Story Mania and possibly Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, except it is jerky. Expectant mothers, along with families with little children, are mainly limited in entertainment offerings and atmosphere enjoyment.
Toy Story Mania
While the new Monsters, Inc. Land only has the door coaster confirmed as far as rides go, the area is going to include a show that should likely be kid-friendly. In addition, from the concept art, it seems like a playground may be included in this land, which would be great for younger kiddos.
©Disney || There looks like there is a slide on the left
Meanwhile, soon kids on the older side will be able to see two of the most popular Star Wars characters: The Mandalorian and Grogu. Beginning in May of 2026, the characters will be added to a new adventure on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, starring the two popular characters in conjunction with their new film.
New missions will be added to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu.
Change is a good thing, and Walt Disney himself even felt this way about Disneyland, but we can’t help but miss the way Hollywood Studios used to be. For more Disney news, stories, and tips, continue to follow along with Disney Food Blog!
These Three Maps Show What Hollywood Studios Will Look Like in 2026
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We visited HS in 2016 and didn’t enjoy it. This will be our 5th trip including the one is 16 and our first trip back to HS only because I want to see Toy Story land.
Let’s face it, Disney don’t want Hollywood Studios to appeal to kids and young families! That’s what Magic Kingdom is for.
I agree – my visit to HS in 2023 was underwhelming apart from Star Wars. Ah well!
I loathe all the “new” at Hollywood Studios. I know that things inevitably change but I wish they would change them in keeping with the theme of the park. This is also the worst park as far as no shade. Toy Story Land alone is brutal in the hotter months and I still do not understand having no covered queue for Slinky Dog.
And as a final nail in the coffin for me, this is the worst park for food. With the exception of the Brown Derby Lounge/Restaurant, the food is trash. If you want a sit down dinner that’s reasonably priced (by Disney standards) take the skyliner to Caribbean Beach Resort and eat at Sebastian’s. Highly underrated restaurant.
We skip HS a lot on our trips and there are a myriad of reasons for that even aside from what I already wrote.
We love Galaxy’s Edge, and some of Toy Story land is fun (there needs to be more seating and shade, and the table service restaurant menu needs a lot of improvement). But we miss the attractions we’ve lost, and the salute to the golden age of Hollywood is all but gone. And it’s not just ‘nostalgic old people’ who miss it. My college age (and younger) family members miss the attractions and the theming as well. I find that it’s the younger people who dislike changes like these the most. They resent that the WDW that they grew up with is disappearing, and that they got so little time with it, and that they won’t be able to share so much of their experience with their kids. They are the most upset over the choices to tear down rather than truly expand, and their interest in Disney trips as a family tradition is less than older generations as a result. They don’t want to go to Universal or other places because they prefer them, it’s just that they don’t care about going to Disney as much as we do, because Disney’s lack of respect for guest nostalgia and loyalty is far more palpable to them. They just don’t care which place we go, which used to be DIsney’s ace in the hole.
I love Hollywood Studios. There are lots of good restaurants to eat at.
You can’t please 100% of people 100% of the time. That’s what makes the world unique. We all see things with different perspectives and those may change as we go through the different phases of our lives. My advice, stay away from the park(s) that you don’t enjoy for awhile. Then try it again in the future. You may just find that your perspective has changed and it’s a lot of fun. If not, you’ve still got four other parks to visit!
The biggest mistake was getting rid of the OSBORNE LIGHTS on NY street. Always packed with visitors it would come to life at night with music and dancing lights. Guests and Cast Members would spontaneously break out in the electric slide / Cuban shuffle to songs like FELIZ NAVIDAD. It was probably one of the most FEEL-GOOD attractions in Hollywood Studios. And it did not force you to buy a Multi-Pass / LL. Getting rid of this was a big mistake… B I G M I S T A K E ! ! !
My dislike of Hollywood Studios begins with the parking lot and continues from there. He old Hollywood vibes is gone. We’ve only been back after Star Was opened because we were meeting friends there.
I feel like it has the least visual interest of the WDW parks. We roasted last year in a 2 hour line for Slinky dog and that is when half our party tapped out. I never liked the flow of the park. Still love Tower and Rock n Roll. I miss Great Movie and my little ones really enjoyed Disney JR Live back in the day.
Having worked at Disney Hollywood Studios for years, during its former incarnation, I can understand some of the disappointment from families. Even as Disney MGM Studios, there were always complaints about the lack of kid friendly attractions. Yes,there was the Little Mermaid Show, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground ( which was usually too hot on many days), Beauty and the Beast, The Muppet Show and later Toy Story Midway Mania, and if they were interested, Backlot Tour and The Great Movie Ride. We always heard that guests with kids would do those and want to leave after 2-3 hours. The past always looks better through rose colored glasses. Today, they still have Muppets( for now), and have changed Great Movie Ride to be more kid friendly, aadded an entire section of the park aimed at children, and have plans to add more potential kid friendly attractions.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has always been geared toward adults, and to be honest, that’s part of why it was my favorite park. Times change and Walt always said he wanted to change with them. Enjoy Disney’s Hollywood Studios for what it offers. Just because a park has a Disney name, does not mean that it has to be a differently themed copy of The Magic Kingdom. This park provides a much needed adult and teen alternative. Love it for what it is.
I miss the Citizens of Hollywood. That was always enjoyable.
Hmmm…. for me, I love ToT, Midway Mania & Star Tours for rides and Brown Derby & 50’s Prime Time for food. I’m a Star Wars fan, but am disappointed in Galaxies Edge – can’t explain it, but it somehow feels like a nothing sandwich. “First Time in Forever” is fun occasionally but I’ll admit almost ½ the draw is getting inside some A/C. As others have said, there’s not enough shade. So, in my family, HS is a ½ day affair usually timed with lunch or dinner to hit one of our 2 fav restaurants. I like Tap House, but again, trying to not roast to death on their patio makes it less fun.
Went to Hollywood studios as a Disney Adult with my wife and no kids. Had a GREAT TIME. We ate breakfast with the characters, had mimosas. Walked around. Saw the Indiana Jones experience. Well, basically anywhere with my wife in Disney is a great time. Could it be updated? Sure. Still made the most of it.
I’ve gone since it opened and for me, it’s good for what it is. It’s a boutique park, not really designed for a full day. I usually try to rope drop it because with only about 9 rides, the standby lines get ridiculously long. It’s brutal in the heat. There are a lot of benches on Sunset Blvd but nobody uses them when it’s hot because they’re all in the sun.
But the rides they do have are really good. Rise, Tower, RNR are three of my favorites. I love eating at 50s and Mama Melrose’s, breakfast at Woody’s is good (if you can find a seat!). And Muppet Vision is so good and has the original voices.
I miss the Animation Studio tour, the Osborne Lights and Great Movie Ride, but still have fun here.
I do miss the Backlot Tour and The Great Movie Ride! However, I love Star Wars even more! I do like the fact that there are more things geared toward “older children” and adults. If you want a splash pad or something along those lines for your littles to do, go back to the hotel! I don’t want to sit on a wet seat on an attraction!
Personally, my family and I are DVC owners for the sole reason to go to these parks to drink. Hollywood Studios has come a long way in that regard and is now one of our FAVORITE parks to visit, only behind Epcot. The amount of fun cocktails and different places to have a drink has increased big time and only made the park better! We don’t go for rides, parades, characters or anything like that, we go to eat and drink (with free transportation back to the resort)
Bar crawls around WDW are tons of fun; It’s why we visit!!
I’m in agreement, this Park just doesn’t do it for me. It’s easy to give it a miss unless I’m with a group that insists on going.
My husband and I (74 & 72) have been coming to WDW since 1974 on our honeymoon when it was just Magic Kingdom and have seen much growth and change. We do miss the Backlot Tour. Our 2 sons were part of the show with the water and torpedos and loved every minute. Love Rise and Smugglers Cove and who can’t love Slinky and Toy Story Mania. Always rope drop to Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster and we are looking forward to the new Muppets. We will definitely miss Mama Melrose’s though. Can’t leave without a frozen margarita and Mickey pretzel at Sunset Blvd. or beer and pretzel at Baseline Tap. And always look forward to Fantasmic. We love DHS, but the one thing that can’t be replaced and we miss so much is the Osborne Lights. So magical and so very Disney. Why did they stop them??????
We only spent half a day on our last trip and couldn’t get out of there fast enough. If we’d have been allowed to rope drop before 2pm, we would have been gone long before. We rope dropped Rise of the Resistance, then went to Runaway Railway, had a lightning lane at 9am for Smugglers Run, and were hoping to do Tower of Terror before it got busy. We are not Star Wars fans, or Toy Story fans, but we hadn’t been there since Star wars land opened, so we wanted to try the new rides. Rise of the Resistance gave me motion sickness, as did Run away Railway. Tower of Terror was down the whole day. We got breakfast just for something to do until our lightning lane for Smugglers, and just as we got there, it went down. Alien Swirling Saucers was painful in 2019….you get whipped around and my elbows and hips kept getting knocked into the side of the ride vehicle, so we didn’t want to do that again, and I can’t do coasters, so Slinky was out. We did Toy Story Midway Mania, and the frozen musical, and then had nothing left to do until our ADR for 50s Prime time. We went early and asked if we could get in before our ADR time.
It’s just not a good park unless you are a thrill ride fan, or really into Star Wars or Toy Story. The only good thing about it if you don’t fit into those categories is the restaurants. 50s Prime Time is great, and Sci-Fi dine in can be fun, but that’s about it. I think next time we go, we’ll make an Evening ADR for 50s Prime Time and park hop over there just for dinner and skip the rest.
I prefer to not have to deal with kids because parents don’t “parent” anymore. The parks can’t cater to kids every where. Thank goodness! Adults pay for the trip so we should be able to enjoy ourselves.