The 10 Best Rides At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Ranked – SlashFilm

Look, I won’t mince words: I love the Disney theme park experience. Every year, my family and I head to one of the magical kingdoms and dutifully churn out 25,000 steps daily, zipping from ride to ride at the house Walt built. I love the food, the atmosphere, and how excited my girls get when spotting Disney princesses throughout the park.

Now, my preference is Disneyland in California, due to its numerous attractions and dizzying entertainment collection. However, I always take advantage of every opportunity to visit Disney World in Florida, specifically Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While featuring only a fraction of Disneyland’s rides (other rides can be found in neighboring parks), this colorful tourist trap still packs enough goods to warrant a day-long visit.

Which rides should you focus on during your stay? I’m glad you asked, because I’ve devised a list of the top 10 rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, ranked from worst to best. To be fair, I won’t speak ill of any ride, as lmost all of them have strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, all that matters is that they provide thrilling family entertainment. Read on to see which rides made the cut!

The fact that Frozen Sing-Along Celebration is listed among the best rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios should tell you something. That’s not a condemnation of the nearly 30-minute experience itself. Actually, Frozen’s simplicity remains its greatest strength. Even an audience-fueled rendition of “Let It Go” pales in comparison to, say, the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disney Land.  

Still, parents traveling with younger children will likely enjoy kicking their heels up for a spell while two energetic hosts speed run through Disney’s animated hit “Frozen,” offering funny takes on the material, silly banter, and a handful of pun-infused quips cringy enough to make every dad in the auditorium stand up and cheer. Additionally, special guests like Anna and Elsa occasionally appear. Even so, the show’s crux is the catchy songs from the popular film, displayed here in their original form with subtitles to help the two or three people in the audience who haven’t seen “Frozen” stretch their vocal cords with the mob.

It’s all innocent fun and an excellent way to shelter from the heat or cold during summer and winter. At the very least, it should wet your appetite for “Frozen 3.”

Located in Toy Story Land, which SlashFilm’s own Peter Sciretta visited in 2019, Alien Swirling Saucers gets its namesake from the batch of green, wide-eyed squishy aliens that accompany Woody and Buzz on their adventures in the “Toy Story” film series. Those of you who have experienced Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree in Cars Land at Disney’s California Adventure will enjoy this extra-terrestrial ride, as it more or less takes a similar approach. Rather than tow trucks, however, Alien Swirling Saucers plops guests into the bed of a flying saucer that gets tossed around by an alien.

The aliens, you see, are obsessed with the almighty claw lingering overhead and circle the large device in a figure-eight pattern that whips guests around in a playful manner. Everyone but the most squeamish of guests can board this ride, which offers the thrills of Magic Kingdom’s Mad Tea Party without upsetting your stomach.

Regarding rides at Toy Story Land, Alien Swirling Saucers is the least exciting, but youngsters will get a kick out of it.   

Staying in the same area, Slinky Dog Dash is another simple romp designed mainly for young children. Reaching speeds of 40 miles per hour, this top-notch roller coaster is very similar in design to Universal Studios’ Flight of the Hippogriff in the Harry Potter section. There are no loops or crazy drops. Instead, the coaster, designed to look like a Slinky Dog toy set, features an array of tiny hills, twists, and turns crazy enough to keep the kids happy without upsetting the bellies of older folks. It’s also a relatively short experience, at around two minutes.

That said, the queue can get pretty crowded on busier days, with wait times exceeding 79 minutes. Considering the nature of the ride, Slinky Dog Dash isn’t worth a lengthy wait. I’d rather spend my time at Toy Story Mania or the Tower of Terror. Then again, you may not have a choice, as options in the park are limited. 

It’s a given that a “Star Wars”-themed park would need to feature the iconic Millennium Falcon. Han Solo’s hunk of junk remains a staple of the beloved franchise and one of the coolest spaceships ever designed for the big screen. Enter Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, a ride that places guests in the Falcon’s cockpit on a wild adventure to steal cargo from the First Order. Much like Epcot’s Mission: SPACE, Smugglers Run is an interactive video game for six crew members. The first two passengers handle navigation and must work together to steer the ship. In the second row sits two gunners, who fire lasers and missiles, while the final two crew members must keep the ship from falling apart.

In theory, it sounds like a blast. Unfortunately, Smugglers Run is only partially successful. While it is fantastic to sit in the Falcon’s driver’s seat, the other crew members don’t have much to do other than press the occasional flashing button, and if your pilots suck at steering, it makes for a very bumpy experience. Compounding manners is how the ride packs different groups into each ride. Unless you have six in your party, two (maybe three) separate groups must coexist for the four-minute ride, making for a slightly awkward experience. Mainly if younger kids are at the helm.

Smugglers Run, as noted in Slashfilm’s review, is a fun bit of escapism, but personally, I think it could have been so much more.

Call me old-fashioned, but something is appealing about watching actors on a stage perform death-defying stunts live. Universal Studios has the age-old but gorgeously realized “Waterworld” stunt show, but Disney’s Hollywood Studios features the man, the myth, the legend, Indiana Jones. Boasting colorful sets, terrific stunt work, and clever audience interaction, this entertaining experience follows the famed archaeologist through three set pieces ripped straight from “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

The opening action features Indy’s tour through a Peruvian temple where he evades terrifying obstacles — including a massive boulder — while searching for a majestic Golden Idol. Later, we switch gears to a fun fight sequence in Nepal, where Indy and Marion evade hostile locals. Finally, the show recreates the iconic Flying Wing sequence from Steven Spielberg’s classic film, during which Indy battles a towering Nazi soldier whilst evading enemy fire. The show uniquely breaks up the action with smaller vignettes designed to resemble a film production. A director sets each scene and prepares the audience for the future thrills.

Ultimately, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular delivers the goods and offers a nice reprieve from standing in line for hours. If you love Indiana Jones, you’ll enjoy this.  

A newer attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railroad is more impressive for its use of modern-day technology than for its exuberant, often lackluster ride design. Undeniably nostalgic, bouncy, and charming, this zany adventure — the first to star Mickey Mouse, if you can believe that — transports guests to the early world of Disney and follows early iterations of classic characters through colorful animated sequences. Housed inside a replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the ride blends live action with traditional animation and takes full advantage of its wild concept. Guests do the Conga with Daisy Duck, fly over waterfalls, and enjoy a scene evening picnic with Mickey and Minnie.

It’s all lovely to look at, and the trackless design ensures smooth sailing. However, the disjointed storyline and nonstop antics are a far cry from the thrills found in Rise of the Resistance. The Runaway Railroad line queue is far more interesting than the ride itself as guests wander through a museum adorned with old movie posters and cheeky props packed with fun factoids. Plus, it features an original song.

Impressive in its design, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is worth a look but is far from Disney’s best effort. 

Disney Hollywood’s version of Space Mountain, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, is an indoor launched roller coaster that propels guests on an exhilarating journey to the tune of Aerosmith’s greatest hits. Storywise, the ride follows groupies as they hitch a ride with Steven Tyler and the gang en route to a concert. The dark environment mimics a Los Angeles freeway with neon-lit road signs and palm trees zipping by at an increasingly alarming rate. This sucker reaches speeds of 60 miles per hour! It’s not the most original concept, but Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster gets the job done and leaves riders breathless, if not a little gassed.

Apparently, a similar version of this ride existed in Disneyland Paris, but it has since been repurposed to Avengers Assemble: Flight Force. Honestly, as much as I dig Aerosmith, I’d welcome a modern superhero spin that ups the ante and takes advantage of the latest technology.    

Call me old-fashioned, but I absolutely adore Star Tours. Sure, it smells like an auto store and contains enough bumps to induce a headache or queasy stomach. Still, this age-old ride offers the second-best “Star Wars” adventure.

Uniquely, like George Lucas’ classic saga, the ride has undergone numerous changes over the years. Specific characteristics remain: guests board a transport vessel and participate in a galaxy-sized quest against the bad guys. As special effects improved, the ride ditched the models and added a slew of new adventures that integrate characters and settings from the older trilogy, the prequels, and Disney’s newer trilogy. Riders never know which journey they will undergo, making each experience unique. According to Google, Star Tours has over 1,500 possible experiences, with more added as recently as this year, giving guests more than enough reason to hop aboard the ride repeatedly.

Also, the queue remains one of the better experiences in the park. Surprises and easter eggs linger behind every corner, notably a droid named G2-4T (voiced by Patrick Warburton), who scolds and demeans guests while surveying luggage. Star Tours has an impressive history that is worth checking out on YouTube. Overall, this remains one of the most thrilling experiences at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, perfectly capturing the magic of “Star Wars.”

Personally, I wish Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run had followed suit. 

Toy Story Mania is less of a ride and more of a giant, interactive video game that utilizes popular characters from Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise to great effect. Adorned with 3D glasses, guests board a 4-seater tram car armed with blasters. The ride passes several large screens jam-packed with colorful 4K animation featuring arcade-style games. Using a pull string on the back of their blasters, guests must shoot and destroy an assortment of objects to collect points, all the while guided by Woody, Buzz, and the gang. Whoever scores the most points in the tram wins. Simple.

However, to get a high score, players must hit specific targets to open up games within the game that provide additional points. For example, in “Rex and Trixie’s Dino Darts,” shooting lava balloons near the top of a volcano causes an avalanche of additional balloons capable of increasing scores twofold, provided players hit them all. 

All told, the nearly 10-minute long ride features five different games, namely Green Army Men Shoot Camp, Buzz Lightyear’s Flying Tossers, Hammy & Eggs, and Woody’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Shootin’ Gallery. Toy Story Mania may not be a ride in the truest sense of the word, but the interactive experience should satisfy gamers young and old who will likely enjoy finding new ways to ascend the daily leaderboard. 

Opened in 1994, Tower of Terror takes guests on a creepy journey through a “Twilight Zone-themed Hollywood Hotel where a group of hotel patrons unexpectedly passed away during a violent storm. This attraction has so much to admire, mainly how it towers over the park, sticking out like some long-lost relic of the 1930s. Inside, the lavish, albeit purposefully rundown, decor sets the stage for a Rod Sterling-narrated presentation detailing the events that transpired so long ago. Guests then travel to the boiler room of the exotic hotel, where they are seated inside an elevator alongside over a dozen other passengers. Then, the fun really begins.

The elevator ascends slowly, pausing briefly for another presentation before propelling its passengers skyward. Another beat, and then the vehicle drops, reaching 39 miles per hour. “Tower of Terror” continues the stomach-churning shenanigans for another minute, launching guests to the very top of its massive structure before dropping them into darkness. Be sure not to eat too much junk food before boarding unless you have a cast iron stomach.

A variation of this ride, called Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout, can be found at Disneyland’s California Adventure, amplifying the insanity to extreme heights.  

Conversely, the popular attraction paved the way for a 1997 feature film starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst that follows the ride’s storyline, sans the “Twilight Zone” angle, and it may lead to another feature film starring Scarlett Johansson.

Easily the most impressive ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance utilizes every piece of technology you can imagine to transport guests to George Lucas’ magical galaxy far, far away, even more impressively than Star Tours. 

Broken up into three sections, Resistance begins as a simulator akin to Star Tours, as guests are transported to outer space and, following a brief skirmish, promptly dumped onto a First Order Star Destroyer featuring legions of Storm Troopers, full-sized Tie Fighters, and a massive docking bay. In the second part, guests board droid-operated prisoner transport vehicles that move through the giant ship, past AT-ATs and enormous laser canons, evading Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). In the final segment, the prisoner transport enters an escape pod that promptly drops viewers onto the planet Pacara. It’s awe-inspiring and quite thrilling.

Disney pulled out all the stops with this one, combining practical effects with CGI to create an astonishing experience. Most impressive are the battle damage effects that simulate laser blasts. At one point, Kylo Ren cuts through an elevator with his lightsaber and leaves a hole. This effect is accomplished using light trickery and rotating panels. I still don’t understand, but that makes it even cooler.

Overall, Resistance is a technological marvel and an absolute blast from start to finish. You’ll want to experience the adventure again and again!