If you’re going to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we’ve got the perfect Lightning Lane strategy for you!

This park is kind of tricky since it’s home to some very popular rides and particularly long wait times. Many of the Lightning Lanes here are in high demand! So what should your strategy be? Let’s break it down.

Do you need Lightning Lanes for Hollywood Studios?

To start out, we’ve got to answer the main question here — do you actually need to purchase Lightning Lanes for Hollywood Studios? Well, if you don’t want to spend a decent portion of your day waiting in lines, you probably do.

Unlike Animal Kingdom or EPCOT, the wait times don’t typically drop significantly later in the day at this park. There are just too many popular rides and thrill rides, and not as much “filler” to spread out the crowds! Of course, you can still conquer the park without the use of Lightning Lanes (and I’ll be sharing tips on how to do that at the end of this post), but your day will likely be easier if you purchase one of the options.

The Only 3 Rules You Need to Know About Lightning Lanes in Disney World

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Lightning Lane Multi Pass could be a lifesaver if you’re spending the whole day in Hollywood Studios, and it’s a pretty common purchase — so much so that it often sells out in advance for particularly busy travel days. But even if you’re not going on a really busy day (a holiday weekend, Spring Break, summer, or holiday weeks for Thanksgiving and Christmas), it’s still probably a good idea to purchase Multi Pass for Hollywood Studios. We often see hour-plus wait times even on non-peak days.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a per-person, per-day purchase that gives you access to every Lightning Lane in the park (except one — more on that in a moment). You can purchase Multi Pass 7 days ahead of your trip if you’re staying on Disney property, and 3 days in advance of your visit if you’re staying off-site. To use Lightning Lanes with Multi Pass, you’ll need to reserve times to visit each attraction. You get to make three of those reservations before your visit, then book a new one in the park every time you use one.

The price for this service fluctuates depending on the projected crowds. For the least-crowded days, we’ve seen it as low as $22 per person, per day (pre-tax). On the more crowded days, it has gone as high as $39 per person, per day (pre-tax).

Tier One Lightning Lanes

Now, one thing that’s important to know about Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Hollywood Studios is that when you book before your visit, you’ll be limited a little by the tier system. The Lightning Lane Multi Pass options are split into either Tier 1 or Tier 2. When you book your initial three selections, you can choose only one from Tier 1 and then either book your other two or all three from Tier 2. After you scan into your first Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection of the day, the tier system disappears, and you can book your subsequent Lightning Lanes from either tier.

At this park, the Tier 1 options are as follows:

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets (opening summer 2026)
• Slinky Dog Dash

So which one should you book?

The most popular choice on the list historically has been Slinky Dog Dash. Of the group, this one typically has the longest line, and since the queue is entirely outdoors, it can be a brutal wait. It’s also the Lightning Lane of the group that books up the quickest, so if you can snag this one before your visit, you won’t risk it selling out.

Now, if you’re a thrill seeker or a Muppets fan, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets is going to be a great choice. This new version of the ride opens on May 26th, 2026, so if you’re visiting after that point, it’s likely going to sell out quickly (maybe even more so than Slinky Dog Dash) as people rush to ride it for the first time. Keep in mind that the coaster has inversions and a height requirement of 48 inches, so it may not be the right choice if you have small children.

Conversely, the best choice for families with small children is Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. This is the only ride of the bunch that doesn’t have a height requirement, so the whole family can ride. It doesn’t usually book up as quickly as the others, but it gets a reasonably long wait time, especially in the first half of the day.

Honestly, we’re probably not going to recommend that you book Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run as your initial Tier 1 selection. The Lightning Lanes for this ride are often available later into the day, and can be booked after you scan into your first Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection of the day. Plus, it has a very useful single rider queue, so if all else fails, you can ride that way. The main type of person who would choose this attraction is the dedicated Star Wars fans or groups of people who really want to ride together in the same cockpit.

Once you’ve scanned into your first Lightning Lane for the day and can book another, we recommend going through the Tier 1 list and booking whichever option was second-most interesting to your group.

Tier Two Lightning Lanes

The other Lightning Lane Multi Pass offerings fall into Tier 2, which include:

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• Toy Story Mania!
• The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror

One big thing you’ll notice about this list, as compared to other parks, is that there are a LOT of theater shows included. Of the eight Tier 2 attractions, four are shows and four are rides. We do not recommend booking the shows before the day of your visit, unless those are must-dos for you or they’re the only options left. If you have to choose one of the shows to book, The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure is the newest and therefore the most popular.

Now, the two options that we most recommend to book along with your initial three selections are Toy Story Mania and Tower of Terror. Of the Tier 2 group, those have the longest wait times consistently. If you’re a family with smaller kids and the Tower of Terror isn’t a good choice, go for Alien Swirling Saucers instead (as long as your kids meet the height requirement of 32 inches).

Honestly, we’re not usually going to recommend using a Lightning Lane for Star Tours, since its wait time is often 10 minutes or less. If you’ve already used Lightning Lanes for the Tier 1 attractions and the other three rides on Tier 2, you can book some shows. Start with The Little Mermaid, then go for Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (it sometimes fills up). The important thing to know about booking shows is that the return window is usually shorter than the hour-long window you get for rides. And don’t forget that these theater shows have limited showtimes throughout the day, and some stop showing early in the evening.

Why You Might Need to Change Your Lightning Lane Strategy for Hollywood Studios

Lightning Lane Single Pass

If you don’t want to pay for Lightning Lane access to all the rides, or you’re mostly really interested in doing the park’s most popular attraction, the Lightning Lane Single Pass is for you. At Hollywood Studios, it’s a one-time paid access to the Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ONLY.

This attraction is typically touted as the best one in Hollywood Studios, and it often has the longest wait (though that isn’t necessarily always true). The access to this Lightning Lane typically costs between $22-$25 per person, per day (pre-tax). Like Multi Pass, you can book Single Pass 7 days in advance of your trip if you’re staying on property and 3 days in advance of your visit if you’re staying off-property. When purchasing, you’ll choose a return window to access the Lightning Lane.

This is a good purchase if you’re a Star Wars fan and prioritizing what Galaxy’s Edge has to offer. It’s also a good idea if this ride is on your must-do list and you’d prefer not to wait in a long line. It does offer a single rider queue most of the time, but that queue can skip a large portion of the attraction experience, so we don’t typically recommend it if it’s your first time riding.

Get the Full Guide to Single Pass Here!

Lightning Lane Premier Pass

Finally, the last option available for Lightning Lanes is the fanciest. Lightning Lane Premier Pass is a per-person, per-day offering with a hefty price tag that allows you access to EVERY Lightning Lane in the park without having to reserve any return times in the My Disney Experience app.

We’ve typically seen the price for this service cost between $289 and $349 per person, per day. That price only allows you to use Premier Pass in Hollywood Studios (not any other park on the same day). If you’re the kind of person who wants a smooth, luxury experience and you have the room in the budget, this might be right for you.

This can be particularly helpful at Hollywood Studios because the major Lightning Lanes book up SO fast throughout the day. Buying Premier Pass ensures that you can access each offering once per day, any time that works for you, and you don’t have to worry about them “booking up.”

Here’s the Full Guide to Premier Pass!

Tips for doing Hollywood Studios without Lightning Lanes

Now, if you’re not interested in purchasing Lightning Lanes or it’s simply not in the budget, don’t worry! We’ve got some tips to help you out and have a good day anyway.

First of all, consider the single rider lines. Hollywood Studios offers more of them than any other Disney World park — Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Rise of the Resistance typically all have them. They’re more effective at the two Star Wars attractions, but a bit of a toss-up at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. If you’re willing to split up your party to ride these offerings, you may be able to shave down some wait times.

Also, you may not like it, but staying for the FULL day is the key to getting the most done. Arrive at the park an hour before it opens and use Early Theme Park Entry if you have access to it by staying at a Disney Resort. Use that early morning time to knock out popular rides like Slinky Dog Dash, Rise of the Resistance, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, or Tower of Terror.

Then, in the middle of the day when the waits are highest, fill your schedule with the theater shows and “filler” attractions. Do some character meet-and-greets, hit up the Vacation Fun show or Walt Disney Presents, and enjoy a relaxing meal. After dinner, wait times will begin to drop again, and you may be able to get on some more of those popular rides.

Lightning Lanes can get kind of complicated in Hollywood Studios with so many popular, high-wait rides. Make sure you go into your park day with a plan to use the system as effectively as possible!

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Everything You Need to Know About Lightning Lanes in Disney World!

Which Lightning Lanes do you book in Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Let us know in the comments!