You’re Hungry at Hollywood Studios. What’s Good?
A few years ago, people dismissed Disney’s Hollywood Studios as a quarter-day park.
Since the arrival of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the tide has turned.
Now, you’ll spend most if not all your day at the park, and that leads to an unavoidable question.
You’re hungry at Hollywood Studios. What’s good?
The Inexpensive Options
You should try a few snacks during your visit. I will highlight several while emphasizing that none of them will fill your belly.
You’re picking these for the experience and as quick bites rather than a full meal.
The most obvious options reside at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which will get a full section later in the article.
You should try the Green Milk and Blue Milk for sure. While it’s not currently open, Kat Saka’s Kettle is delicious, too.
Near Toy Story Land, you can also find Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums, the pride of Disney California Adventure. They’re spectacular.
Since Hollywood Studios meshes amusement parks with classic movie style, the funnel cakes here are decadent. You’ll find them at Epic Eats.
Also, while the park has phased out many of its classic snacks recently, you can still snag a Carrot Cake Cookie here.
If you can only pick one cookie, Jack-Jack wins. History’s behind the Carrot Cake Cookie, though. They’re at The Trolley Car Café.
Finally, Woody’s Lunch Box serves Pop Tarts by another name. Also, there’s a flavor of the day. You should head here literally every time you visit.
The Most Popular Places
A few places at Hollywood Studios attract crowds more than the rest. You may think that’s good or bad, depending on your current mental state.
So, this section works as advice about the people’s choice options and a kind of trigger warning when you’re not willing to fight the crowd.
ABC Commissary, Backlot Express, and Fairfax Fare qualify as the most popular places. Fairfax Fare hasn’t returned during the pandemic, though.
So, we’ll focus on the other two for now. ABC Commissary enhanced its menu a few years ago, switching to more international cuisine.
In fact, the only burger on the menu these days is plant-based. Disney has committed toward healthier entrees at its restaurants.
ABC Commissary demonstrates that fact more than anywhere else. The days of chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers are over.
Instead, Park Carnitas Tacos and a Curry Rice Bowl with Tofu will please your palate.
Backlot Express hasn’t converted yet. It’s still the go-to place for nuggets and burgers. I have a review of it coming up in a couple of weeks.
What I’ll say is that the Cuban Sandwich here is unexpectedly good. Still, this place won’t wow you with its menu. It’s comfort food only.
I’ll mention another category of popular restaurant, too. The Hollywood Brown Derby pays tribute to the original Brown Derby.
The haute cuisine here has left guests begging for more for many years now.
Alas, Disney classifies Brown Derby as Signature Dining, meaning it’s one of the priciest meals at Walt Disney World.
However, you can eat an authentic Cobb Salad here for only $18, which isn’t bad at all.
The $49 Angus Filet Mignon and $46 Seafood Cioppino may exceed your food budget, though.
The Character Meal
Two of the most recognizable restaurants at Hollywood Studios combine dinner and a show. Another offers a character meal.
So, you can add a bit of entertainment to your dining experience if so inclined.
The character meal resides at Hollywood & Vine. At Breakfast, your children will adore Play ‘n’ Dine with their favorite Disney Junior characters.
At lunch and dinner, Minnie Mouse throws a costume party with Mickey, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, and Goofy.
You’ll receive a choice of one adult entrée and dessert at these meals. They’re All-You-Care-to-Enjoy family style, though.
In other words, it’s really a limited menu buffet, guaranteeing you a big meal plus some socially distant character interactions.
The Entertaining Meals
Fans of WandaVision should try 50’s Prime Time Café, where the dining experience will transport you back in time.
This family meal will involve your cousins, aunts, and uncles, all of whom will serve you food. You must act on your best behavior, though.
Otherwise, your server cousin will chastise you about your boorish behavior and subject you to ridicule from everyone else in the family.
In certain situations, you’re somehow related to everyone in the dining room area, which means strangers at other tables will laugh at you.
I know this doesn’t sound like fun to some, but it’s often hysterical, especially when you’re watching strangers get taunted.
As for the food, it’s heavy dishes like pot roast and lasagna, the kind like Donna Reed always made. You’ll eat well here.
Also, black and white shows air on the televisions. I’d gently suggest to Disney that they work the first two episodes of WandaVision into the rotation.
The final restaurant qualifies as my favorite…and I mean anywhere. Sci-Fi Dine-In’s seating resides in pitch darkness save for the illumination of a screen.
The conceit involves classic drive-in theaters, only you’re indoors. So, one wall is a giant screen, and the “tables” are convertible cars.
Well, they’re themed that way. They’re not real cars, but you won’t care. You’ll watch classic (BAD!) sci-fi movie trailers and cartoons while you eat.
The food’s nothing special, but the experience is inimitable.
Best on Batuu
I’ve separated the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge restaurants into their own category.
When you dine here, you should be honest about why you’re doing it. The cuisine here won’t dazzle your tastebuds.
What these eateries will do is maintain the immersion at Black Spire Outpost.
You’ll feel like you’re on the edge of Wild Space. It’s the Wild West of outer space, a place where anything can happen.
Your food options here will possess quirky names that hide their underlying nature.
The best example is Ronto Roasters, which is also the most popular place. This place sells wraps that include proteins like sausage and porl.
However, the theming requires the menu to refer to them as Ronto, an animal native to Batuu.
Disney would prefer guests to visit Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, the larger dining space.
This restaurant serves catch-all cuisine for off-planet tourists. It too serves pot roast, but the name disguises the intent. It’s “Batuuan Beef” instead.
The chicken dish here goes by the name of Tip Yip instead. The menus at Black Spire Outpost confused guests so much that they generally list the real name now.
The other popular place where you can eat in Galaxy’s Edge is into shareables.
Oga’s Cantina is a hard reservation to snag, but you’ll love a visit here. It’s straight out of the cantina scene from Star Wars. The bites are light, though.
Finally, I should mention a place that’s about to come back in vogue. Disney constructed BaseLine Tap House as a holding area near Star Wars Land.
The idea centered on a waiting area for guests before they enter Batuu. That didn’t happen due to lackluster early crowds and the pandemic.
However, I expect BaseLine traffic to increase soon. You’ll love the California beers and shareables.