What will happen once the walls come down? As you probably know, Saturday, June 30 is the opening of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The new area is about 12 acres in size. There are two new rides, and the entrance to a family favorite is being moved inside the new land. What should you expect if you plan to go on Saturday? I’ll be there at some point, what should I expect? This is totally uncharted territory, since there has never been an expansion like this at the park. Take everything here as an educated guess.
Parking
Parking isn’t fun right now at Disney’s Hollywood Studios anyway, so on Saturday I’m thinking that it will be organized chaos. Disney is very good when it comes to parking, but the number of people who will want to be there on opening day will increase the demand. There is a good chance that the lot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will reach capacity and that cars will be directed to park elsewhere, most likely Epcot. If you’re staying on property you might want to use Disney transportation instead of driving to the park. If you do plan on driving, give yourself extra time because you might be instructed to park elsewhere. I’ve been told that Cast Members won’t be parking at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so if that is true that will free up some spots.
Bag Check and Entrance
The park will be much busier than normal, so be prepared. Have your bag ready, off your body, and open. If you’re not using a MagicBand, have your ticket out when you’re about to go through the entrance. If everyone is prepared, that few seconds per person will add up and make a big difference.
Other Rides and Attractions
I suspect that there will be long lines for everything all day long. I won’t be surprised if there is a line to get into Muppet*Vision 3D. Use FastPass+. Grab whatever selections are available. If you don’t already have a Toy Story Land selection, there is little chance that you’ll get something in Tier One.
Toy Story Land
Again, remember this is speculation on my part. Last year, when Pandora – The World of Avatar opened, there had been Passholder Previews, so many people (myself included) didn’t feel the need to head to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to see what was going on. There haven’t been Passholder Previews for Toy Story Land, we’re getting special times in September instead, so I’m sure I’m not the only one who will be there to see the new land. I’ve been in it a few times during construction, and I can’t wait to see how everything has turned out.
When Pandora opened, eventually the land reached capacity. They ended up turning away anyone who did not have FastPass+. If you did, you could show up about five minutes before your time and gain admittance. I don’t know if that will be the case this year or not. I know that Disney learns from the past, and I am sure that they have a plan.
Many people plan to arrive early on Saturday so that they will be able to see Toy Story Land immediately and get in line for one of the new rides. The park will open at 8:00. I’ve already heard of people who plan to arrive around 3:00 that morning. I won’t be among them.
The Next Few Days
Don’t expect all the hoopla to die down by the middle of the week. It’s going to be crazy for a while, especially since the 4th of July is coming up. A couple of days after Pandora opened I went to the park to just look around. I was able to get into the land with no problem, but it was wall to wall people. I struck up a conversation with a Cast Member outside of Windtraders. There was a two hour wait to get inside the store! I think things will be like that at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at least through the summer.
Extra Magic Hours
If you’re staying on property, take advantage of Extra Magic Hours for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Starting on July 1 Disney is offering them daily for a few weeks. That will be your best chance to be able to visit the land and have a shot at riding something that you don’t have FastPass+ for. Slinky Dog Dash is already the more popular of the two new rides.
Cast Members
One final note, please be nice to the Cast Members. If you’re frustrated, just think how they feel! Disney does a good job of preparing them and giving them vital information, but there will be things that they don’t know and situations that no one expected to happen. A smile and a “thank you” every now and then could make a (Walt Disney) World of difference to them. Put yourself in their shoes, and be nice.