September 12, 2012 Binary Vacation Review - Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney Hollywood Studios is next up on the list of parks we visited and I will review. To start off with the conclusion first, now that I know what Hollywood Studios is, I would have never taken the sub-4 year old there. It's not designed for little kids at all. There are attractions for little ones, but not enough to take up a full day and not worth the time.

This is a park for the 8+ yr olds that are 48 inches to enjoy it to the fullest. We stayed in the park for 6 hours and that was only because of the Fast Pass to the Toy Story ride. Let the reviews begin...

Toy Story Mania
We got to Hollywood Studios right when it opened, 9am, and headed right to the Toy Story attraction. We got there about 9:10am and the wait was already 75 minutes. The Fast Pass was at 2:30pm, insane. So we got the Fast Pass and tried to make the rest of the day for this ride. 2:30 came and we got in and on the ride pretty quickly considering the standard wait was still over an hour. IT WAS WORTH IT! This is by far the best attraction I have ever experienced. It's a 4D game/ride. The 3D effects were out of this world and the interactions to the game to the physical effects you get in the car are wild. Bumps, blown air, water, you are the game. Until you experience it that's about all I can say about it.
Rating: A+++

Rock N Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
If you like speed. If you aren't afraid of the dark. If you love roller coasters then this is a ride you must go on. This is like Space Mountain on steroids. Fast, in the dark, and wild. The best part is the initial 0-60mph acceleration in 4 seconds. Awesome.
Rating: A+


Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage
This is a 25 minute, Broadway musical style production of Beauty and the Beast. The theater was packed for this, we got there too close to the start time and had to sit in the back. The show was still impressive. If you like theater, musicals, live productions then you will love this. I won't give this a rating because I am not a live theater fan so my score will be biased.

Disney Junior - Live on Stage
If you have a small child then you have seen the Disney shows. This is a small theater, you sit on the carpeted floor and watch a live action with puppets performance of your favorite Disney Junior shows. The story is built in a way that they loop in all the shows: Mickey's Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Handy Manny and Jack and the Neverland Pirates. The show is interactive, they drop confetti and bubbles, the kids get into it.
Rating: A

MuppetVision 3D
With the Muppets you would think they couldn't go wrong. They did. This attraction/show was very disappointing. The video they play in the lobby while you wait to get into the show is funnier than the 3D show. Without ruining it for you the show is primarily gags to show off the 3D effects. *Yawn* It wasn't until I left that I saw there was a live Muppet Penguin orchestra on the stage. It seemed rushed, not funny, and the 3D effects were poor compared to the others.
Rating: C

Studio Backlot Tour
This attraction takes you through a special effects demonstration, a costume warehouse, old vehicles from famous movies and the big finale a live demonstration of a disaster. This was a very cool attraction. If you love movies, history, and explosions then go do this one.
Rating: A

Overall had I known more about Hollywood Studios prior to planning a day there, we would not have gone. It's not built for a sub-4 yr old. There are parts that are, but not enough to fill a day without spending a majority of it waiting in lines.

End of Line.

Posted in: Reviews,Travel