Hollywood Studios is the second-best park for getting Walt Disney World’s Genie+ service. Lightning Lane line-skipping entry is out there at 15 sights in DHS, and plenty of are headliners or common thrill rides. This information ranks all when it comes to time-saved and the way shortly they e-book up. (Up to date October 22, 2023.)
For our Late 2023 replace to those rankings, we need to begin with a fairly optimistic replace: Genie+ is simpler at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. For a very long time, Slinky Canine Sprint booked up inside seconds of seven am, different rides moved quick beginning at 9 am, and it may very well be troublesome to attain a worthwhile third Lightning Lane of the day–nevermind good 4th or fifth choice.
To make certain, Disney’s Hollywood Studios remains to be robust and requires savvy technique. On peak season days, the above dynamic nonetheless exists. Nonetheless, on reasonably busy days (6/10 to eight/10 on the Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar), it’s a lot simpler. Slinky Canine Sprint can final for hours, not seconds or minutes, and most different sights have availability by means of noon. As long as you select within the appropriate order, it’s now potential to attain Lightning Lane alternatives for nearly each high-priority attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With that replace out of the best way, let’s flip to what you must find out about Genie+ at DHS, and canopy the most effective order to make your trip reservations…
The purpose is to provide the instruments and information you must create your individual DHS itinerary with Genie+, quite than counting on our recently-updated 1-Day Disney’s Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes Plan. Or, you possibly can make the most of “a better of each worlds” strategy, consulting that pre-made plan and the rankings right here so that you perceive the why of it, and may modify the itinerary to account to your Advance Eating Reservations, most well-liked stage showtimes, Fantasmic Eating Packages or standby, whether or not you need to reduce strolling distances, and many others.
As indicated above, crowd ranges can closely influence how an precise day at DHS performs out. To a lesser extent, climate, trip closures, stage showtimes, and extra may also influence how issues play out. As such, a pattern itinerary can’t be replicated step-for-step with the very same Lightning Lane time slots, and many others. This equips you to place collectively your individual dynamic plan of assault for utilizing Genie+ in DHS.
After all, this assumes that you just need to ‘pay to play’ and can use the Genie+ paid FastPass possibility quite than merely doing standby traces. In Disney’s Hollywood Studios, that’s our suggestion. If you wish to know the premise for that suggestion, see My Day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Utilizing Genie+ with Peak Season Crowds. That illustrates simply how robust DHS might be even with robust technique–it’s a brutal park it doesn’t matter what your strategy.
Moreover, see our Information to Genie+ at Walt Disney World & Lightning Lane FAQ for the entire foundational need-to-know information about this alternative without cost FastPass+. This complete system is complicated and convoluted, so that you may need a query or two-dozen. That solutions the entire commonest ones we’ve been receiving from readers.
Alternatively, if you happen to’re fascinated with skipping Genie+ at DHS, that’s potential, too. Our 1-Day Disney’s Hollywood Studios Itinerary covers how one can accomplish the whole lot even if you happen to’re staying off-site and don’t need to spend something additional on Genie+ or Particular person Lightning Lanes.
In case you are staying on-site and don’t need to purchase or in any other case trouble with the Genie+ service, the one factor we extremely advocate is Early Entry at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (To not overwhelm you with planning sources, however having an thought of how a day at DHS is more likely to play out will show you how to tremendously!)
As one closing (we swear) be aware earlier than we delve into the rankings, we must always be aware that this gives trip priorities for Lightning Lanes by way of Genie+ and not Particular person Lightning Lane (ILL), which is pay-per-ride. The one ILL attraction is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Beforehand, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was additionally an Particular person Lightning Lane trip, however that’s now a everlasting a part of Genie+ at DHS.
We’re not eager on shopping for a la carte entrance of line entry, so we advocate doing this attraction both very first thing within the morning (if you happen to’re eligible for Early Entry) or in the direction of the top of the night time. On busy days, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is probably price paying for ILL entry–it’s the one trip at Walt Disney World we’d even contemplate paying for that, and even that relies upon upon crowd ranges and wait occasions.
Now, on with the present & trip rankings for Genie+ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios…
The Better of Genie+ at DHS
1. Slinky Canine Sprint – The plain selection to your #1 Genie+ Lightning Lane choice and never simply in DHS, however all of Walt Disney World. It was once far and away the most well-liked choose, however recently, it has gotten some competitors at EPCOT from Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Journey.
Whether or not you’re beginning at DHS or Park Hopping later, you’ll need to prioritize this early within the day, as this one books up quick–typically inside minutes of seven am. For Slinky Canine Sprint, we strongly advocate following our Pace Technique for Genie+ Alternatives.
2. Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith – Since getting back from its multi-month refurbishment earlier this 12 months, Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster (RnRC) has been the second hottest Genie+ Lightning Lane and has averaged the third highest wait time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (after Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Canine Sprint). That safely cements it because the #2 precedence, which is the best it’s ever been. Whilst you’ll undoubtedly need to snag it early if you happen to’re relying upon Genie+ to skip the traces, RnRC steadily has a brief wait the primary hour of day. The truth is, there have been occasions we’ve carried out it again to again with zero wait on the finish of Early Entry and begin of rope drop.
3. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – That is the secondary attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, but it surely nonetheless averages a high 5 wait time in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and is normally the second or third-fastest reserving Lightning Lane trip reservation by way of Genie+. It shouldn’t be too troublesome to safe this into the afternoon, so you have got a bit flexibility in reserving this strategically relying upon your most well-liked return time and private priorities.
4. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Earlier this 12 months, the “new trip odor” began sporting off Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. The common wait time has been dropping, and the attraction is usually not within the high 5 wait occasions at DHS. There may be some day-to-day fluctuation on this, however Runaway Railway is now sometimes the #4 or #5 precedence Lightning Lane. Its family-friendly and all ages (and heights) nature makes it extra interesting for lots of Genie+ friends, however you shouldn’t have a lot problem scoring this one even within the early afternoon most days.
5. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – It has been an up-and-down 12 months for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror’s rating. It shot up final spring, then plummeted in the direction of the top of summer season earlier than shortly rising once more within the winter. This dynamic was attributable to a prolonged “stealth” refurbishment that took every elevator shaft down, with a spot in between the downtimes. That meant that the attraction was successfully working at half-capacity for about 4 months on two completely different events.
Throughout these downtimes, Tower of Terror had the second highest wait time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios after solely Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. It even beat out Slinky Canine Sprint most dates! Suffice to say, when Tower of Terror has one elevator shaft down, it turned the #2 Genie+ Lightning Lane precedence. When working at full-capacity, its rating drops considerably.
We point out all of this for 2 causes. First, you may see references to Tower of Terror’s elevated Lightning Lane reputation or increased wait occasions elsewhere, otherwise you may’ve been monitoring that your self over the course of the final a number of months. In any case, it’s not a part of the equation. You’ll be able to as soon as once more safely save Tower of Terror to your fourth or fifth choice.
Second, if you happen to see Tower of Terror’s wait time spike on the day you go to–and it has the primary to 3rd highest-wait time within the park–you need to transfer it as much as the #2 precedence, as there’s likelihood one of many elevators is down (once more). Even post-refurbishment, downtime does occur!
5. Toy Story Mania – Each park has one attraction that “soaks up” Genie+ trip reservations, allocating a good portion of its capability to line-skipping. Toy Story Mania is certainly that for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Its standby wait time has spiked since Genie+ launched (making this use of the Lightning Lane), however there’s sometimes simple availability by way of Genie+ for Toy Story Mania all through the day.
6. Alien Swirling Saucers – Based mostly on common standby wait occasions alone, it is a sensible seventh choose. Subjectively, most individuals are most likely good to skip the Toy Story Land flat trip.
The Remainder of Genie+ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Star Excursions — The Adventures Proceed – This glorious Star Wars simulator can have decently lengthy waits on the busiest days of the 12 months, however most conventional days, we’ve discovered Genie+ to supply virtually no benefit right here. Get it if you happen to can, however don’t sweat standby.
Meet Olaf at Celeb Highlight – There are a couple of deceptively common meet & greets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This isn’t one in all them. Sadly, Olaf at Celeb Highlight is the one one that provides a Lightning Lane. (Accordingly, we advocate doing Purple Carpet Desires and the Monsters, Inc. meet & greet earlier within the day or later within the night.)
Stage Reveals – All the pieces else at Disney’s Hollywood Studios–Magnificence and the Beast: Stay on Stage, Disney Jr. Play & Dance, Frozen Sing-Alongside Celebration, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, MuppetVision 3D–is a present of some type, or not less than not a trip.
Whereas Genie+ gives precedence seating, which might quantity to a greater view, it’s sometimes not all that advantageous for reveals. For those who’re not going to Park Hop, you may think about using it for these reveals, however there’s not a great way to place Lightning Lane reservations for these into your itinerary throughout the center of the day. The chance value of not reserving one of many high 6 rides is just too excessive. The overwhelming majority of friends ought to merely do reveals by way of the standby traces.
In the end, you need to have the ability to knock out most sights by way of Genie+ utilizing Lightning Lanes on a good day in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The most important impediment could be your first choose, as Slinky Canine Sprint goes quick each single morning, particularly throughout peak season.
You’ll miss out completely on it if you happen to’re not up and able to make your first choice at 7 am. Apart from that, you shouldn’t have a lot of an issue scoring slots for the remaining high 5 picks (besides perhaps Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run), as long as you’re keen to remain all day and don’t thoughts reservations within the afternoon.
On a nasty day, you may not solely miss out on Slinky Canine Sprint, but in addition on one other headliner or two within the high 5. Plan accordingly primarily based on the crowds whenever you’ll be visiting, and in addition give your self as many different benefits as potential–like Early Entry, rope drop, or staying late when crowds are inclined to die down at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
No matter whenever you’re visiting, Genie+ will prevent the second-most time at DHS, behind solely Magic Kingdom, which earns that distinction due to its increased eligible attraction rely. That is what makes shopping for Genie+ our suggestion for most individuals and on most days of the 12 months at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Even when it requires a little bit of a splurge, reduce the price out of your Walt Disney World trip funds some other place.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
How would you rank your trip priorities utilizing Genie+ and Lightning Lanes in Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Shocked by any of the rankings in our high 5, or that Slinky Canine Sprint takes the #1 spot? Are you planning on shopping for Genie+ or skipping it? Do you agree or disagree with our rankings? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!