How Should You Approach Hollywood Studios in 2026?

Okay, let’s check the scorecard.

Muppets Courtyard? Closed forever. Animation Courtyard? Closed forever.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is still up and running, though, right?

Wait, I’m just being handed a note, and…oh. Yeah, okay. That’s gonna change some stuff.

So, how should you approach Disney’s Hollywood Studios in early 2026?

I’ll give you a hint. Everything is different, and you should plan accordingly. Let’s discuss…

The Changes at Hand

Obviously, you won’t be visiting Muppets Courtyard ever again.

The planters in place prevent guests from exploring Monstropolis, which should arrive in 2027.

Similarly, Animation Courtyard has closed. This one comes with an asterisk, though.

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure remains up and running during this reboot.

So, you can visit the attraction even as construction crews work on the neighboring area.

Then, we have Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which will soon re-theme to The Muppets.

The Aerosmith version of this attraction permanently closes on March 2^nd.

However, the ride itself won’t be down for long, as The Muppets should arrive this summer.

Still, I’m planning this itinerary based on the fact that you’re unable to ride R ‘n’ R.

If you’re visiting during the next three weeks, it’s an absolute no-brainer to take one last spin on the ride.

I’ll warn you that the wait times have hovered around an hour lately, even though we’re in Disney’s slow season.

You should expect those lines to increase in size as March 2^nd approaches.

As proof, DINOSAUR’s wait time more than doubled during its final week in operation.

Please keep this in mind if you plan to enjoy the musical stylings of Aerosmith one last time.

Also, you shouldn’t count on Single Rider now, as it’s not saving guests much time lately.

In fact, a friend suggested that they waited longer in Single Rider than if they’d stood in the regular line.

That was a runDisney weekend, though, which can cause odd crowd behaviors anyway.

What Should You Do?

The good news about Hollywood Studios is that demand has recently fallen.

For the first five years after Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened, this park was wild.

As many as seven attractions could require average waits of an hour or longer. Seven!

Lately, those numbers have been closer to three or four, except for the holiday season.

Therefore, your park visit should be much more manageable than in 2022-2024.

Even so, you should expect large crowds at the park’s hot spots, and you should know what those are.

Galaxy’s Edge has maintained its popularity since its inception, and that won’t change now.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will add a new mission starring The Mandalorian and Grogu.

That fact alone should cause another attendance surge here. Please plan accordingly.

Last May, this ride averaged a wait of roughly 50 minutes, while it was at 60 last week.

When the new version opens, I’d expect waits of 90 minutes or more through the summer.

Whether Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance rises in commensurate fashion is up for debate.

My instinct is that the movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu, will reinvigorate the Star Wars brand.

As such, I expect larger crowds here starting Memorial Day Week, when the film opens.

Actually, people may start swarming the place even sooner, especially if Disney does anything special.

Any promotional tie-ins, such as character greetings, could cause a stampede at Galaxy’s Edge.

Let’s just operate under the assumption that visits here will work the same through April.

In May, all bets are off as Star Wars fever may (or may not) grow contagious.

The New Hollywood Studios Plan

From the meta perspective, a Hollywood Studios itinerary hasn’t changed much lately.

I realize that sounds like blasphemy, but please answer these two questions honestly.

1) Did you always watch Muppet*Vision 3D during a park visit? 2) When did you last visit Star Wars Launch Bay?

I strongly suspect I know the answer to both. So, unless you’re a parent who loved the Disney Jr. show, it’s true.

A Hollywood Studios itinerary currently works just as it did on January 1^st, 2025.

That statement will change on March 2^nd when Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster reboots.

Then, it may require another update when The Mandalorian & Grogu debuts, but we already covered that.

So, my question becomes: How often do you ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith?

For my family, it’s a divisive ride, as I think it’s fun, while my wife actively despises it.

She gets a headache whenever she rides, although I suspect it’ll suddenly dissipate when The Muppets arrive.

That’s how fandom works. She won’t grit her teeth at the start of RnR for Aerosmith.

She will totally do it if there’s a chance of hearing Rainbow Connection at some point, though.

Muppets fans know the deal there, while Aerosmith fans are already feeling the loss.

Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. We just want to ride a roller coaster.

Well, Slinky Dog Dash will still be available, although I’m guessing its wait times will increase.

That’s okay, though! Hollywood Studios guests already need to make choices here anyway.

There aren’t enough hours in the park day to ride everything. So, it’s already a game of either/or.

What Should You Prioritize?

Therein lies the game at Hollywood Studios. Which attractions should you target?

Again, that list hasn’t changed. Here are my suggestions as the park’s must-do attractions:

• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Toy Story Mania!
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

When you have time for Alien Swirling Saucers and Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, you should do them, too.

Realistically, they’ll be easier to fit into your schedule than several of the must-dos.

Also, I’m not including Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster here since you only have two weeks left.

However, if you are visiting Hollywood Studios in February, it’s THE must-do at the park.

You’ll lose it next month, and you don’t want to live a life of regret.

Similarly, when the version with The Muppets debuts, it’ll be a top priority as well.

Since we’re focusing on early 2026, that’s not really a factor in your decision-making, though.

So, even though Hollywood Studios is in flux, it’s still weirdly business as usual right now.

 

All the popular rides remain excellent and worth the effort. Then, we have RnR.

While fans will certainly miss the original version, this inconvenience will be temporary.

 

Even better, The Walt Disney Studios, the replacement for Animation Courtyard, arrives this summer.

Any early 2026 aggravation will vanish during the second half of the year.

 

For the time being, there’s still so much to do that you’ll barely notice the construction.

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