In Defense of Hollywood Studios

I am fairly certain that no one can argue at this point that Disney's Hollywood Studios is a park in transition. As I write this post, Disney has officially closed the area of the park from the Streets of America on back to begin construction on Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land. Basically, a solid one-third of the park is now behind walls. This realization has led quite a few families to conclude that Hollywood Studios is not worth the price of all-day admission. Why waste so much money on a park you will be finished with by three o-clock, right? 

However, I am writing this post today to defend the park that just so happens to be my second favorite park at the Walt Disney World Resort behind the Magic Kingdom even with the recent mass closures. In my opinion, Hollywood Studios remains more of a full day park than both Epcot and Disney's Animal Kingdom, which means that I firmly believe that a trip to the Studios is a necessity for anyone travelling to Disney. Now, I understand that not everyone will agree with this assessment, but that's the glorious thing about opinions: everyone has different one and that's perfectly alright. 

Today, I present my defense of Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Primarily, if you skip Studios, you will be missing out on five must-do attractions, not only at the park, but at the entire resort. Toy Story Midway Mania is (as of this writing) my favorite attraction at WDW. It's so whimsical and so Disney that you simply cannot miss out on this experience. Also, Studios is home to two of the best thrill rides you will ever encounter: Rock n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Located majestically at the end Sunset Boulevard, these two attractions will excite just about anyone brave enough to embark on their respected journeys. A trip to Disney is simply not complete without a trip in a super-stretch limousine across town followed by an unexpected trip to the Twilight Zone. 

Furthermore, Star Tours is a timeless attraction that deserves to be enjoyed by folks of all ages. Plus, it's a exquisite appetizer to Star Wars Land coming in the next few years! Finally, the nighttime spectacular of Fantasmic! is a definite must-do whether you've been to Disney one hundred times or are going for the very first time. Mickey Mouse is the main character in a show as he battles the classic Disney villains; you just cannot beat that. From my judgement, these five attractions are worth the price of admission alone. Look at what you would be missing from your Disney experience if you removed Hollywood Studios from your itinerary! If I ended this post here, I would say that a solid case has already been made in defense of Studios, but I am not done yet.

Additionally, as you might expect, Hollywood Studios is still home to some of the best entertainment options at Disney World. The Beauty and the Beast stage show is superb and one of the best live shows Disney has to offer. Everyone loves the classic film, and to see the tale as old as time acted out right before our very eyes never ceases to give me chills. The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular remains a must-do for first time guests and Disney veterans alike. Indiana Jones plus stunts plus huge explosions plainly can't be beat. The new For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration has received near unanimous praise from across the board since its debut while the Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple next to Star Tours is fun for just about everyone. Plus, you have the aforementioned Fantasmic! that we have already classified as a must-do. As you can see, shows are plentiful at Hollywood Studios, and not only are they plentiful, but they're phenomenal.

Character experiences are also classic at Studios. Only at Studios can guests meet Buzz and Woody together in one place. Sorcerer Mickey can also be exclusively found here as well as some of the megastars from Disney Junior. You also have the brand new additions of Chewbacca and Kylo Ren from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to meet at Studios too, which is something I personally cannot wait for whatsoever. Classic Disney characters such as Daisy, Donald, Goofy, and Minnie also meet intermittently throughout the day in costumes you can't find anywhere else. 

Dining and shopping is also second to none at Hollywood Studios. Dining options of 50's Primetime Cafe, Sci-Fi Diner, and the Hollywood Brown Derby highlight the impeccable choices for food one has while at Studios. The park is also blessed with excellent quick-service options such as Fairfax Fare and the Backlot Express serving sublime food at a reasonable price. Shopping on Sunset Boulevard is one of my favorite things to do while at Studios because the options are so unique to the park. Shopping around Star Tours and Pixar Place is also fantastic.

Finally, Hollywood Studios currently occupies the essence of what made Walt Disney so innovative. Walt once said, "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." Studios is moving forward. You may not be able to see it now, but it most certainly is doing just that. There's a sense of excitement at Studios that the other parks do not have at the moment. Remember when the Magic Kingdom was preparing for the opening of New Fantasyland? Remember the palpable anticipation filling the air? That can now be experienced at Studios as we anticipate the arrivals of the two new lands. That is a rather exciting experience!

I think a defining characteristic of Disney's Hollywood Studios is uniqueness. The park has so much to offer that you just cannot find anywhere else. As you can tell from the attractions (I didn't even mention The Great Movie Ride and Muppet Vision 3D!), shows, character experiences, dining, and shopping, you would be doing your vacation a terrible disservice by skipping Studios. Certainly visit the other three parks too. Make it a priority to visit all of them during your trip because they all have something different to offer, and that's why I love these four parks. Today, though, I implore you to give Hollywood Studios a chance. Don't simply write it off as a park in transition. As you can see, it still has so much to offer.

-Cody Fleenor