Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tips for Early Entry and Lighting Lanes

Intro

With this post I start a new adventure in Orlando. Here, I was going to do a Water Park, a Disney day and a few days at Universal, including Halloween Horror Nights and Epic Universe. 7 days of fun with my family, and the best way to start it was at Walt Disney World. I was gonna do a stay for the first time in the Pop Century Resort, in order to get the free water park option on the check-in date, and then have a park hop day the next day, before spending the rest of the week at Universal.

Let’s start with this amazing experience!

Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Disney’s Pop Century Resort is a value-category hotel at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It’s themed around 20th-century pop culture, celebrating fads, toys, music, and icons from the 1950s through the 1990s.

Each section of the resort highlights a different decade with oversized decorations—like giant yo-yos, Rubik’s Cubes, Play-Doh cans, and rollerblades—making it one of Disney’s most colorful and nostalgic resorts.

Pop Century features three pools (including the Hippy Dippy Pool in the 1960s section), a food court called Everything POP Dining, an arcade, and Skyliner gondola transportation that connects guests to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

It’s known for being budget-friendly while still offering fun theming, convenient Disney transportation, and early park entry benefits for resort guests.

We even got the Hey Disney device this time around. I do not remember seeing it at All-Star Resort.

The Pop Century room refurbishment started in late March 2025 and is expected to last until mid-February 2026. The hotel lobby is also undergoing a refurbishment that began in July 2025 and is scheduled to be completed by Fall 2025. While all resort amenities will remain open during the construction, guests may see or hear construction work during the day.

Early Entry + Disney Skyliner

You will see more about the Water Park Day we had in an upcoming blog, but the next day, we had a Park Hop Disney Day. We were hoping to start very early at 8:30 AM in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, since it was a priority for my family to go to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Only 30 minutes of Early Entry compared to the 1 hour at Universal is nothing, but at least it could be defining since we had a very long day ahead.

At 6:40 AM we were in line for the Disney Skyliner, which had no started to work. It usually starts 1 hour before early entry, so around 7:30 AM.

But we made the right decision to wake up early since the line started to get longer and longer. To be honest, you do not need to do this. You could just drive or Uber to the park.

And for a second I thought we should leave the line and just Uber, since there was a delay with the cable cars. They were not moving. A little bit after 7:30 am they started moving, and both the lines from Pop Century and Art of Animation started to move. Although, the ratio was clearly different. They loaded way more people from Art of Animation compared to Pop Century. Not sure what was happening there.

But we made it into the cable car, and in this beautiful early morning/sunrise, we went to Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company at Disney Skyliner at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, for a cold brew. Also, since it’s literally next to the Skyliner that goes to Hollywood Studios.

Getting into Hollywood Studios

We start the Disney Day with Hollywood Studios, because, like I said before, my family has a bigger inclination for Star Wars, and obviously me too haha. So, just like every Disney Resort guest, I was able to snatch the 3 Lighting Lane selections 7 days in advance, but the only one I was not able to get was Slinky Dog Dash. I never have luck with that dog lol, especially since we are park hopping around 2.30 PM.

We also had a reservation at Oga’s Cantina later on. But for now, since the only way to ride this attraction was going to be doing the regular line, we went straight to Toy Story Land.

It seemed half of the crowds were going to the left to Rise of the Resistance, and the other half were going with us to Slinky Dog Dash.

We made it to the line, but not only it started raining, but also the roller coaster was not working ugh. I was so upset. Thought for long to ditch the line and go to Rise, but if I did this, it was over. My family would not have been able to enjoy this ride for their first time, and I really wanted them to get on it. So we waited, technically wasting the Early Entry time, a precious time where the rest of the guests are still not allowed on the park, and you can do a couple of important rides really quick.

Right before 9:00 AM the line started moving, and we got on Slinky Dog Dash.

It was very fun as usual, especially with some rain falling on you haha. The wait was really worthy. Next we had to do the first Lighting Lane of the day.

Lighting Lanes

Lighting Lanes, not only the Multi Pass, but the Single Pass, were going to be decisive in a day like today. PRO TIP: Pick a very early easy Lighting Lane out of the 3 you can choose, so as soon as you scan it in the park, you are free to choose the next one, which can be in another park, as long as you have Park Hopping option.

That is exactly what we did. I had 2 Lighting Lanes for later this morning, but I got a 9:00 am one for Star Tours, and that’s exactly what we did. I was excited for my family to get on this ride, but also my nephew was chosen as the rogue spy for the Resistance lol. Always a banger if you are a fan of Star Wars.

While we were leaving, I noticed that Darth effing Vader was meeting a greeting next to it, probably since the renovation of Animation Courtyard where he used to be. We got some pictures with him since there was no line this early in the day. It was amazing.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Continuing with Star Wars, the big priority today was Galaxy’s Edge. My family was amazed by the whole land, since it was their first time seeing it in person. But we had the reservation at 10:00 AM at Oga’s Cantina, so we headed there as soon as they opened.

DJ Rex was throwing some bangers. I chose what I always get, the Fuzzy Tauntaun, which sadly is not as strong as it used to be, both with the alcohol, and the tingling foam. It is still good tho.

While going to Rise of the Resistance, we saw The Mandalorian, this time without Grogu, roaming the streets of Batuu. It’s not all the time that I get to see him.

I do not know why, but his appearances are always so quick. They would have to fix this before his movie comes out next year.

After Rise of the Resistance, I had to get another coffee, and nothing better than a Black Caf from Kat Saka’s Kettle. That creaminess is undefeated. Then we quickly did Millennium Falcon, which had a shorter line.

More of Hollywood Studios

Not everything was Galaxy’s Edge for my family’s first time in Hollywood Studios. We had Lighting Lines scheduled for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and Tower of Terror, so went that way to the Hollywood area of the park.

The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is being changed to a new attraction, officially named Rock and Roller Coaster starring the Muppets, which will open in the summer of 2026. The existing Aerosmith version will close in early 2026 for the transformation into the Muppets-themed ride, which will feature new Muppet characters, updated theming, and animatronics. So this was probably the last time we see the rock band attached to it.

One of my most anticipated rides of the day was Tower of Terror, so we went there and we were a little early for the Lighting Lane. We waited by the Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company next to its exit, until 5 minutes before the proper time.

After a very light ride on this attraction, we started walking back to Galaxy’s Edge, and for the first time I saw Pixar Place opened. I actually do not remember it from any of my previous visits.

Back to Galaxy’s Edge

Yes, we were back to the defining land of this trip to Hollywood Studios. The Single Pass Lighting Lane was coming up for Rise of the Resistance. But first, we passed by one of the Entertainment options of this area by the First Order Cargo. Kylo Ren himself showed up.

It was amazing seeing him in action, but after the last 3 Lightning Lanes, with one of them, I was able to snatch a LL for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, so we did it quickly. All the upcoming ones were either on Epcot or later in Magic Kingdom. Hondo Ohnaka welcomed us to this adventure. And we were by ourselves in the Millennium Falcon.

The time for the Single Pass had started, but we still wanted to check all the stores in this land, before heading out. I had never checked Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities this much, and I think it is a really cool store full of a lot of Easter Eggs, not only from Star Wars, but other properties of Disney and LucasFilm.

You could spend hours checking every corner of this place.

Dok-Ondar himself was taking care of his store. One of the many animatronics of this land.

And now, on the way to Rise of the Resistance, we walked again by Creature Stall where I saw a Loth–cat just sleeping in its crib. So cute.

The time came for the first of two (the maximum) Single Pass Lighting Lanes of the day. Rise of the Resistance. This time we did the whole thing (In Single Rider you skip the 2 pre-shows and go directly to the mission, which is not good haha).

And just like that we finished what we wanted to do in Hollywood Studios. Stay tuned, because there are 2 more parks we are going to visit in this Disney Day. For now, I will leave you with some details about this trip.

On the way to Orlando

I started this trip to Florida, actually landing in Miami. I had an event this night, and after checking in in a cheap hotel by the airport, I just left and came back to sleep until it was time for my train to Orlando.

The next morning, I got on the Brightline, WHICH I MISSED, so I had to wait like an hour for a new one. My Uber from the hotel came like 20 minutes late, and by the time he arrived I already knew I would miss it. Supposedly this is not like in Europe or New York, they close the doors 10 minutes before the time, like are you kidding me.

Universal and Disney Stores at MCO

Anyway, I went to Orlando and rested a bit on the Brightline train. I actually like that ride. It takes 4 hours tho. The train arrives to what is basically the airport, where you can see all these Universal and Disney Stores in the different terminals.

The new one of Universal at Terminal C I can consider the last attraction before heading to the plane. It is amazing with this huge screen showing the Hogwarts Castle from the Harry Potter movies.

And well, the store itself is 2 floors so a lot to see in case you missed something from the parks.

The Disney store is also big and full of merchandise. I did not get to explore it tho. But in the next blog you will see more of my trip to Walt Disney World, continuing with Epcot, and its Food and Wine Festival.