Our 2026 Disney World Vacation, Day 2 - Hollywood Studios

Sunday was our first day in the parks, and we decided to go to Hollywood Studios to kick off the trip with a bang!  Hollywood Studios opened for early hours at 8 AM (you only have access to the early hours if you stay at a Disney property) so we got up at 6:15 AM and got ready, and we arrived at the bus stop just as our bus was pulling up.  We made it to the park by 7:30 AM and lined up to wait for them to open the gates. 

The last time we went, we had to reserve our lightning lanes at 7 AM sharp each morning, but this year, Disney allowed park goers to reserve lightning lanes before the trip, so that made things much easier and less stressful for us.  The last time we were there, Brian and I were literally on the bus on the way to the parks each day refreshing our apps over and over until 7 AM hit and we were scrambling to get what we wanted.  Thank you, Disney, for letting everyone schedule lightning lanes early this time so we didn’t have to worry about it!

When we arrived at the park, we had to wait a few minutes before they opened the gates, and unfortunately, Olivia’s glasses case set off the metal detector just like it did the last time we went.  We’d forgotten to get her to take it out and hold it in her hand so they wouldn’t flag her.  Forehead smack.  (When it happened the last time, one of the cast members told us to take the glasses case out and have her hold it in her hand with her arms out the next time she had to walk through the metal detectors and that they’d let her through without having to stop and go through extra security, so that’s what she did for the remainder of the trip.) 

So, she and I had to wait in another line to get searched and they had to use the wand on her.  (And spoiler alert, the next day, we got her to hold the glasses case in her hand to get in Epcot, but they still flagged her and made us go through extra security.  We noticed that they were being verrrrry strict and very thorough with security this year, and we realized that it was likely because of the war.  So after Epcot, we ditched the glasses case for the remainder of the trip.)

We already had lightning lanes booked later in the day for Slinky Dog Dash and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (the two most popular rides there) so we speed walked to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway as our first ride.  We only had to wait about 20 minutes, and we used that time to eat protein bars that we’d packed for breakfast, and of course, I took my vitamins.  We never waste time eating a big breakfast anywhere on park days because those first few hours in the parks are precious as we always have time to ride a lot of rides before it gets too busy.

Runaway Railway did not disappoint – it’s one of our favorite rides there! – and we all enjoyed it so much. 

Our plan was to speed walk to Toy Story Mania after that because typically the line is still pretty short at that time, but unfortunately, Slinky Dog Dash was down, so lots of people who were originally going to ride that first ended up getting in line for Toy Story Mania, making the wait time 55 minutes.  Yikes.  Thankfully, we only had to wait 45 minutes and the time passed quickly.  Disney pretty much always overinflates the wait times so they’re never as bad as they seem, and they do always knows how to keep you entertained while you wait! 

The ride holds two people together and Olivia wanted to ride with me, so the boys rode together.  In Toy Story Mania you get to aim at targets and get points, so there was a good bit of trash talk between Jacob and Olivia while we waited to ride… although, most of it came from Olivia.  Hahahaha.  She loves a good competition!  But after all her talk, our combined scores were lower than the boys’.  Haha. 

Brian – 140,700 points

Lindsay – 136,800 points

Jacob – 101,100 points

Olivia – 85,900 points

And that’s why I don’t talk trash... most of the time, anyway!  Hahahaha.

After we were done there, we walked over to Alien Swirling Saucers and got right on as that’s what Brian had booked with our third lightning lane.  That one spins around a bit, but thankfully, not as badly as the teacups, so it doesn’t bother me at all with all my dizziness.  Olivia wanted to ride with me again and the boys rode together.

We took a quick bathroom break after that and then we decided to get some snacks from Woody’s Lunchbox since it was 10 AM and our protein bars were already starting to wear off.  They have delicious “lunchbox tarts” there – basically fancy Pop Tarts – and Jacob remembered them from our last trip and wanted to get one.

The flavors of lunchbox tarts change, and this time they had raspberry, and they were soooo yummy.  Brian and I bought one to share, Jacob got one for himself, and our ice cream queen wanted a root beer float, hold the root beer.  So basically, yes, it was just a vanilla milkshake.  Hahahaha. 

The dining area at Woody’s Lunchbox was completely full, so we walked to the area between Toy Story Land and the Star Wars area as there’s a long walkway that’s not usually too crowded, and we were excited to see that Disney had installed some tables and seating over there… super convenient!  We were able to find a table and enjoy our snacks and rest our feet for a few minutes before hitting up the Star Wars area next.

On the way into the Star Wars area, we stopped to take some pictures with our Disney PhotoPass, and of course, they added a little bit of magic into the photos.  ;o)  One of my favorite things about Disney!  Oh, and I also had to take an outfit picture, too!

After our picture, we kept walking through the Star Wars area, and just as we were coming around a corner, I saw The Mandalorian with Grogu in his pouch!!!!  We had heard that he walks around there occasionally, but he doesn’t have a set space in which to take photos and meet people, so you basically just have to be in the right place at the right time to see him.  That was the number one thing on my Disney trip bucket list this year, so I couldn’t believe my eyes that we were so lucky to see him without even trying!  The best part was that nobody else had spotted him, so we were able to get right to him without a huge mob of people.

He was just heading into the market in the Star Wars area, and he made a big show of “shopping” in the stores, so we followed him in there.  I went up behind him and was just about to tap his shoulder to ask for a picture when his handler warned me that you never sneak up on a Mandalorian.  ;o)  They never break character at Disney and I love it!

I waited until he turned around and then I asked for a picture, and he obliged.  The coolest thing was that whoever was in there wearing that costume was able to talk to you and HE HAD THE MANDALORIAN VOICE.  I don’t know how they do that, but I was just convinced that Pedro Pascal was really in there.  Hahahaha.  And also, it was nearly impossible not to think that Grogu (Baby Yoda) was real.  He turned his head and blinked, and the motions were so natural that he looked incredibly realistic.  The magic of Disney!  ;o)

 

After I got my picture taken with him, we left the shops to go elsewhere, and as we were walking, The Mandalorian started walking in a similar direction.  I ended up walking ahead of him so I could get a video of him walking towards us, and when he saw Olivia, he stopped and he gestured at her dress because it had little Baby Yodas all over it, and he said, “Traveler – ooh, well, look at that.”  Haha.  And then he kept walking.  I got the whole thing on video and it’s just so cool because you can hear his voice!!

Brian, Jacob, and Olivia wanted to ride Star Tours after that, but I skipped that one.  I rode that one the first time we went to Disney World in 2018, and it made me soooo claustrophobic and a little motion sick, so I haven’t ridden it since.  There’s hardly ever a long wait for it, so they wanted to knock that one out while we were in the area.

Since I wasn’t riding, I decided to go exploring on my own, and I knew just the place to go – Pixar Plaza!!  Several of the Pixar movie characters hang out there, and I wanted to get another picture with Sully since my last picture with him two years ago had turned out so good.  Sure enough, Sully was there, and there was hardly any line to see him, so I went and got in line by myself and took a few pictures with him.  Haha.  The Disney cast member even offered to take a video of me with him, so I have the whole encounter on video, too.  Just look at him… how could you not love him?!

There were a few other Pixar characters in the area, like Mrs. Incredible, Frozone, and Edna Mode, but I just decided to have a seat in the shade and rest my feet for a bit.  While I waited, Frozone crept up behind me, surprised me, and then high-fived me, and then Edna Mode came over to the window (she’s indoors) and waved at me.  There weren’t a lot of people in that area at the time, so they must have been bored.  Haha.

Brian and the kids made their way over to Pixar Plaza after their ride, and then we all got back in line to meet Sully again.  I love how the second set of pictures came out!  They turned out better than the first!

We had an 11:40 AM lunch reservation at 50s Primetime Café, so we walked straight over there after taking pictures, pausing for a quick second to take pictures of Bert and a penguin from Mary Poppins... we'd never seen them there before!!

We were seated within just a few minutes of arriving.  The restaurant is set to look like you’re in an old 1950s home, and the servers tell you the “rules” when you’re seated.  One of the main rules was “no elbows on the table” just like our moms used to tell us when we were little, and she proceeded to scold us throughout the meal whenever she saw elbows on the table.  It was all in good fun, of course, because again, they never break character at Disney!

We’d never been there before, and although I’d say it’s more of a dinner place, Brian had booked it for lunch because they had a Fantasmic Package that you could purchase that would guarantee spots in the best front middle section for the end-of-the-night show in Hollywood Studios. 

Since we got the package, each person was able to order an entrée, an alcoholic beverage (adults only, of course), and a dessert.  Needless to say, we all had a very big lunch, and it was delicious from start to finish! 

Brian and I started the meal with Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioneds and OMG, we both agreed that it might just be the best cocktail that we’ve ever had!!!!  Y’all know how obsessed I am right now with Manhattans, so for me to say that, you KNOW it was good.  I still haven’t decided if I like that or the Manhattan better, but I’ll definitely be incorporating some Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioneds into my cocktail consumption.  They are incredibly unique and I plan to share the recipe on the blog as soon as we try to make one at home! 

And for those of you who have ridden the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Magic Kingdom, the Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned tastes how that ride smells.  I know that sounds really weird, but here me out – Disney always pipes in delicious and very unique scents into many of their rides and into the parks in general, and the scent that they pipe into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is SO GOOD and it’s very unique and very distinct, and Brian and I both 100% agreed that those cocktails tasted how that ride smells.  Olivia always talks about the Pirates of the Caribbean scent and how good it is, so I even let her smell my cocktail and she agreed that it smells just like the ride, too.  Haha.

For the meal, I ordered Mom’s Old-Fashioned Pot Roast which was slow-cooked and served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and carrots, celery and onions and it was SO GOOD.  It tasted just like my Momma’s and my Mama Cass’s!!  As I’ve said a million times – Disney knows how to do food!!!!

Brian opted for Grandpa Jean’s Chicken Pot Pie, which was a traditional pastry crust filled with chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, corn, and peas, and he said it was delicious. 

The kids both got chicken strips and mac and cheese, and Olivia loved the mac and cheese so much that she asked our server for seconds.  Haha.  And our server did, indeed, bring out more without charging us.  Disney is so great about accommodating pretty much any request, even when they have fixed menus.

I was stuffed after my entrée, but we still had to pick desserts.  Brian opted for Dad’s Favorite Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layered Cake, Jacob got a Key Lime Bar, Olivia wanted an old-fashioned chocolate milkshake (for anyone keep track, that was already her second milkshake of the day – haha), and I ended up getting the Neapolitan Bar.  I normally would have chosen the Traditional Warm Apple Crisp, but I was so full that I knew I wouldn’t eat much of it, and Olivia was torn between the Neapolitan Bar and the shake, so I figured she could eat some of mine.

The Neapolitan Bar was good, but it wasn’t the best thing I’d ever had.  It was two layers of mousse, vanilla, and strawberry layered over a chocolate cake brownie, served with strawberry sauce and whipped cream, so it sounded good in theory, but it was just okay.  I was too stuffed to each much of it anyway, so I had no regrets.  And I was happy that Olivia was able to have the best of both worlds for her dessert! 

After lunch, we were right near the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and it was just about to start, so we decided to go watch that since we all loved it so much the last time.  It was crazy windy all day Sunday and it sprinkled off and on a few times, so they did have to alter the show and leave out a couple of parts, though.  Like the iconic scene with the big ball – they didn’t do that part at all.  It was a little bit of a bummer, but it’s definitely better to be safe than sorry!  They recently had an accident where the ball came off the track and bounced out towards the audience, so we were wondering if they were still omitting that part of the show for safety reasons.  Who knows.

After the show, we walked to Toy Story Mania again because we had a lightning lane for it.  It rained a tiny bit on the way over there, but it wasn’t bad.  That said, it was very chilly on and off all day Sunday with the cloud cover and the wind.  On the way over there, we stopped to take pictures in front of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

On the second round of Toy Story Mania, Brian and I sat together, and Jacob and Olivia sat together, and Brian and I smoked the kids even though my blaster wasn’t working properly.  Scores for the second round were as follows:

Brian – 157,200

Me – 129,200

Jacob – 128,600

Olivia – 106,900

When we were exiting the ride, I was super concerned that Olivia was going to forget her bag, because that was the ride that she accidentally left her bag on when we went two years ago.  Since I wasn’t sitting with her, I wasn’t able to check to make sure she had it, so I rushed to her side of the cart to make sure she had her bag, and in all my haste, I accidentally left my bag in the cart.  Forehead smack!  Thankfully, one of the Disney Cast Members noticed and she told Brian to grab it.  Whew. 

After we were done there, we took a quick bathroom break and then we headed over to the Star Wars area again.  We saw a cool picture taking spot that we’d never seen before and we had to stop because you got to hold light sabers and then they added a little bit of magic to them by making them look like they lit up.

We had a reservation at Oga’s Cantina at 2:30 PM, so we headed there next and it was the perfect time for a little refreshment since we were right between lunch and dinner.  Oga’s Cantina is reservations only and they give you a 45-minute maximum, so we kept it quick in there.  I ordered Jet Juice which is Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur, Stirrings, Pomegranate Liqueur, White Grape Juice, and Lemon Juice.  Brian got The Outer Rim which is Patron Silver Tequila, Stirrings Pomegranate Liqueur, Lime Juice, and pure cane sugar with exotic fruit puree.  My drink was good, but it wasn’t my favorite, but I wanted to try something different that I wouldn’t normally try, so I have no regrets!  I think it would have been excellent without the chile liqueur.  That was the part I didn’t love. 

The kids got water and Olivia saw that they had popping pearls, so she asked our server if she could just have a cup of those even though they’re only used as a topping on other drinks.  Of course, they obliged.  Because it’s Disney World and they’ll grant pretty much any request.  ;o)

When we finished there and exited the bar, it was raining a bit.  The rain was hard enough that we didn’t want to be out in it, so we looked at the radar, saw that it was going to be stopping very soon, and we took shelter in the bathroom.  Sure enough, the rain stopped less than five minutes later, and we were on our way to Slinky Dog Dash!  We had a lightning lane for it, so we didn’t have to wait in the devastatingly long line, and this year, I’m so excited to say that I was able to ride it for the first time since 2022!!!!  Since my vertigo is gone and my dizziness is (mostly) under control thanks to my upper cervical chiropractor, I just decided to throw caution to the wind and I’m so glad I did because it was a blast!

Olivia always gets soooo nervous about that ride for some reason (probably because you can see the whole thing and hear all the people screaming the whole time), but every single time she always LOVES it.  Sure enough, she was nervous before we boarded, but she immediately wanted to go again the second that we finished.  Haha.

We had a few short minutes to kill before our lightning lane for the new Little Mermaid show, so we ducked inside the Walt Disney Presents building.  They always have various old costumes and other things on display there, and Brian had seen that the dress that Rose wears when she boards the Titanic in the 1997 movie was on display there.  That is one of my favorite movies of all-time, so it was on my list of things to do!  They also had a dress that Ursula wore in the live action Little Mermaid movie as well as part of King Triton’s costume.  So cool!

Our lightning lane for The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure was at 3:50 PM, so we headed there next, and we only had a wait a few minutes before being seated.  This was the first time we were able to see this show since it’s relatively new, and it didn’t disappoint!  We loved it so much!!  Disney always has the most unique shows!  It was great!  And yes, I teared up when she started singing Part of Your World.

The show lasted about 20 minutes, and then we walked over to Disney Villians: Unfairly Ever After.  We had never seen that one either, and we ended up timing it perfectly as it started at 4:30 PM, so we barely had to wait to be seated.  We got to see Cruella Deville, Captain Hook, and Maleficent, and we all enjoyed that one, too… it wasn’t my favorite of the shows, but it was definitely worth seeing!  The set, alone, was worth seeing!

That show also lasted about 20 minutes and then we stopped by the photo spot to get some pictures.

Brian and the kids had a lightning lane for The Millennium Falcon ride after that, so I sat and waited for them outside the ride.  The kids got to be the drivers of the ride, so Brian said that was extra fun!  This was my view while I waited... and don't let that view fool you... it was PACKED on this trip, but somehow, there weren't a lot of people near the Millennium Falcon while I waited.

When they got out, we swung by another photo spot, and it was another one that we hadn’t been to in the past.  This one was really unique because there was a camera all the way on the other side of that area, so it zoomed way out and took a picture of us across the whole park.  I circled us in the picture because otherwise it would be impossible to know where we are.  Haha.  The coolest part is that it created a video for us where the camera zooms in on us and then zooms way out.

Brian and Jacob went to ride Rise of the Resistance with their lightning lanes next, and Olivia and I decided to go in a few souvenir shops while we waited.  She hasn’t liked that ride since she rode it the first time four years ago, so I stayed with her even though I would have ridden that one.  There’s one part that scares her (no spoilers!), so she avoids that one even though I think she would like it now that she’s a bit older and she knows what to expect.

She and I also stopped and took some photos of just the two of us, and then we met up with the boys at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater for our 6:20 PM dinner reservation.  

We’ve always liked that restaurant, but this year, it didn’t seem to be quite as good as usual, and the service was painfully slow, which is so rare for Disney.  Brian got a burger, I had the grilled chicken citrus salad, and we both opted for water since we’d had cocktails at lunch and at Oga’s Cantina.

After we were done there, the kids told us that they weren’t all that impressed with the food there this year either, so we all agreed that next time we go, we’ll probably try to have 50’s Primetime Café for dinner and just grab something quick for lunch.

Brian, Jacob, and Olivia wanted to squeeze in one more round of Star Tours since the line was short, so I sat on a bench and waited for them.  By that point, it was getting dark and it was misting rain again + it was still windy, so it was coooold.  Thank goodness we’d all brought hoodies and/or sweaters because we had to use them most of the day.

When they were done with their ride, we took a bathroom break and then walked across the park to get seats for Fantasmic.  Brian had gotten that special lunch package that gave us access to the best seats in the house, so we didn’t have to show up super early and we ended up being right in the center section with excellent seats.

The show was incredible, as always, but they did have to pause one time in the middle of it.  We’re not sure why, but we were wondering if it had something to do with the wind since they use tons of pyrotechnics.  Thankfully, they only paused for about five minutes, and then the rest of the show went off without a hitch.  Fantasmic is also a water show, and the wind kept blowing the water all over us, so we were all freezing by the time the show was done.

When it was over, Brian split off from us for his Tower of Terror lightning lane since none of us will ride it with him, and the kids and I went to a gift shop to grab a sweatshirt that I’d seen.

After that, we had just a few minutes to get over to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway again for one last lightning lane of the night.  They stopped allowing people to get in line for rides at 9:30 PM that night, so we were cutting it close, especially since we wanted Brian to ride with us.  The kids and I stood outside the theater while we waited for Brian, and I talked to the Disney cast member about Brian trying to make it back over here to ride with us.  Brian had told us just to board the ride without him if he didn’t make it by 9:30 PM, but the Disney cast member was so kind, and he told us that he’d leave the ride open for us until Brian got there. 

While we waited for him, the kids and I looked at all the handprints in the sidewalks, and I told the kids all about Grauman’s Chinese Theater in LA.  Brian and I visited back in 2007, and it was so neat to be able to see it!  The Disney cast member also told us some fun facts about the theater while we waited.

Brian ended up making it by 9:30 PM, we went straight in the building and cut the line thanks to that lightning lane, and we rode our last ride for the day.  We left the park at 10 PM and we were back at the hotel by 10:20 PM.  Thankfully, the buses were running constantly, so we didn’t have to wait long for one. 

When we got back to our room, the kids both showered, and Brian and I went ahead and refilled backpacks and prepped for the next day, and then we were all in bed by 11 PM.  It was an exhausting, but oh-so-fun day!!!!

Our next day was spent at Epcot… I’m working hard to recap it as quickly as I can, but in the meantime, I’ll be here with my regular content!

And just in case you want to see our entire Hollywood Studios day summarized, here it is…

 

Summary:

Hours spent in park – 14.5 (7:30 AM – 10:00 PM)

Rides/Attractions – 11

Shows watched – 4

Characters met – 5

Autographs obtained – 0

Disney Photo Pass pictures and videos taken – 70

16,433 – Steps taken

7.49 – Miles walked

Weather – Party cloudy/light rain on and off, high of 77 degrees, low of 66 degrees

 

Schedule:

Wake at 6:15 AM

Walk to bus stop at 7:00 AM

Bus at 7:15 AM

Arrive 7:30 AM

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (everyone)

Toy Story Mania (everyone)

LL – Alien Swirling Saucers (everyone)

Snacks at Woody’s Lunch Box (everyone)

PhotoPass Pictures in Star Wars area (everyone)

Met Mandalorian and Grogu (everyone)

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (Brian, Jacob, Olivia)

Met Sully from Monster’s Inc. (Lindsay)

Met Frozone from The Incredibles (Lindsay)

Met Sully (Brian, Lindsay, Jacob, Olivia)

Reservation – 50’s Primetime Café for lunch (everyone) 11:40 AM

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (everyone)

PhotoPass Pictures in front of The Chinese Theatre (everyone)

LL – Toy Story Mania (everyone)

 PhotoPass Pictures in Star Wars area (everyone)

Reservation – Oga’s Cantina for cocktails (everyone) 2:30 PM

LL – Slinky Dog Dash (everyone)

Walt Disney Presents to see Ursula’s and King Triton’s Outfits (everyone)

Walt Disney Presents to see the Titanic Dress (everyone)

LL – The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure (everyone)

Disney Villians: Unfairly Ever After (everyone)

PhotoPass Pictures at Disney Villains (everyone)

LL – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Brian, Jacob, Olivia)

PhotoPass Pictures in Star Wars area (everyone)

LL – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Brian and Jacob, Olivia didn’t want to ride)

Shopping (Lindsay, Olivia)

PhotoPass Pictures on Hollywood Boulevard (Lindsay, Olivia)

Reservation – Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater for dinner (everyone) 6:20 PM

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (Brian, Jacob, Olivia)

Show – Fantasmic (everyone)

LL – Tower of Terror (Brian)

Shopping (Lindsay, Jacob, Olivia)

LL – Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (everyone)

Left park at 10 PM (everyone)