Seriously thinking of Skipping Hollywood Studios this trip!!!

[Davey Jones II]

We only get to WDW every 2-3 years, so skipping an entire park is out of the question. We always have park hoppers and will do a couple of half-days there. We will probably spend less time there than usual (and more time in AK, for obvious reasons), but we never skip TSMM, TOT, RnR or Fantasmic! I also liked the GMR and will miss it. Is the Animation Building permanently or temporarily closed? One Man's Dream is still open, right?

 

[JerseyJanice]

We skipped DHS last October despite having park hoppers and staying at the Swan. We were there during the week of Hurricane Matthew and ran into a lot of rain. Had the weather been more like normal, we likely would have made it there.

 

[GoBlue21]

So we leave for Disney in Oct, and I was just notified of yet another closure for Hollywood Studios. This seems like such a waste of a park ticket now with all the closures going on while they transition the park.

Looks like we will have 2 attractions open (Toy Story Mania and Star Tours. I cant count TOT or RockNRoller Coaster cause theyre too scary for us) and then the rest is all Meet and Greets and shows (Beauty and the Beast and Frozen sing a long, as we have already seen Fantasmic, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and The Indiana Jones Stunt show)

Bummer. We dont have Park Hopper tickets this trip so am I wrong for wanting to skip this park completely and just going to Epcot instead??? What are your thoughts???

We are skipping DHS. So, you're not alone if you don't go. We are doing one full day in each of the other parks, and I believe that the ambience of DHS will be underwhelming while it undergoes all of the construction. The rides that are presently there will not be going away, so I don't see any reason to worry about "missing" them. I think that with the addition of the new lands in the next few years, DHS will become a full-day park, whereas now I think it is more of a 2/3-days park.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

We are skipping DHS in October. Probably won't be back until February 2019.

 

[TwinkleKS]

I hope the majority of people skip it so that we can ride Toy Story Mania multiple times.

We went for a half day (maybe a little over that) a couple of weeks ago. We will miss the Great Movie Ride on our next trip - it's always a nice break to go and sit for a bit on a longer ride. I still think it is worth a half of a day though.

 

[dreiwhit]

OP,

Understand completely. On our next trip in 2018, I would gladly skip DHS, but its my daughter's favorite park, so we're going. It won't be a full day, though, since there isn't enough that we like to see and ride to fill up a full day.

We don't do ToT or RnRC.

 

[Kimi313]

We too will be down in October and since we are on limited time we decided not to bother with HS but I am looking forward to the opening of Toy Story Land next year!

 

[RustManFan]

I probably will skip as well although my son hasn't been in 17 years and may want to go whether little is one or not. Personally I feel Disney should have closed DHS altogether so they could concentrate on construction. Of offered a special "during construction" ticket that was 50% (or more) off and good only at DHS.

We don't do RnRC or ToT either.....

Last I looked the Star Wars fireworks weren't scheduled during out visit

 

[bladiator]

I would totally skip it if I were in the OPs shoes. I am going on a trip soon where I am taking family members that have never been to HS, so we're going to spend a day there doing all the shows (otherwise, I would just go in, do TSMM, Star Tours, ToT, and then leave again with park hoppers).

 

[Kindermouse]

I posted basically the same message to the October trip board. I feel the same-actually it wasn't until they announced the closing of the GMR that I realized how little HS has to offer us. We are also not show people-I thought I was the only one before reading this thread actually-so when I counted what we wanted to do in HS I started feeling like a waste to use a days admission on it since we will also not have park hoppers. It just does feel like it has enough to offer us to take up a day of our trip.

I would like to see SWAGS though.....

 

[fractalpotato]

We only get to WDW every 2-3 years, so skipping an entire park is out of the question. We always have park hoppers and will do a couple of half-days there. We will probably spend less time there than usual (and more time in AK, for obvious reasons), but we never skip TSMM, TOT, RnR or Fantasmic! I also liked the GMR and will miss it. Is the Animation Building permanently or temporarily closed? One Man's Dream is still open, right?

I'm just curious, if you're only able to go every few years, are Park Hoppers not worth it for you? Or do you think you just wouldn't use them? I always get them, but sometimes I've wondered if I'm really getting my money's worth considering I go almost annually.

One Man's Dream is still open, but the Florida Project part (which was my favorite) has been scrapped to become a Guardians M&G (argh! they weren't happy taking my beloved ToT from DCA?) and the film is now a Pixar commercial.

Matt

 

[lugnut33]

I'm still upset they closed the Animation Academy.

 

[ELSA711]

I think each family and touring style is different. Each and every year DHS was a 3/4 of a day only. Show up at 11am and stay until the end of Fantasmic! Yes, we still love it each and every time
Over the past 2 visits, it's become a full 2 day park for my family. My older kids have grown and now love TOT and RNR. We see BnB and Indy every visit, now they added Pixar Music, we must see next time!!
My kids love the Star Wars add ons and now they are older all the little shops. We feel like even though they took a handful of things away we are just growing into the park as family if that makes sense

 

[Tonyz]

I go every other trip. Skipped in 2013, went in 2014 (did Toy Story Mania and left), skipped in 2015, went in 2016, skipping this year.

 

[BigGoof81]

Hey all, new here.
We're going in October and as of now plan on going.
But the closing of GMR has us pretty bummed.
There's still enough for us to do, being that we like the shows for our little daughter.
We have Magic Passes and no Park Hopper, so it stinks because this would be the ideal day to hop.
Just can't justify the extra $240 for us to add park hopper just for a half day.

 

[smallworldnh]

We won't be skipping because RNR and TOT are our favorites, plus there's Star Tours, Muppet 3D, Toy Story. We also really enjoy walking around and soaking up the atmosphere! However, i think it's going to be a half day visit and then off to the hotel for a swim and a rest and then ending the day at Disney Springs. I'm so disappointed to be missing a final ride on TGMR.

 

[BigGoof81]

We won't be skipping because RNR and TOT are our favorites, plus there's Star Tours, Muppet 3D, Toy Story. We also really enjoy walking around and soaking up the atmosphere! However, i think it's going to be a half day visit and then off to the hotel for a swim and a rest and then ending the day at Disney Springs. I'm so disappointed to be missing a final ride on TGMR.

Same here in regards to TGMR.
My brother and his family are actually going to be there this week during their trip.
I'm having him FaceTime me while he's on it lol.
I've been on it countless times, and yes, I can see it on YouTube.
But seeing it Live one more time will give me some peace haha.
Corny, I know.

 

[avic77]

Without park hoppers i agree you should skip it! Unless you want to use it as a rest day and just spend a few hours for the shows and meet and greets.
I have skipped DHS the last 3 trips and I was torn about it this trip. It seems like with every announcement something else is taken out but nothing is opening yet. It will be awesome when Star Wars: The Galaxy Edge and Toy Story Land open but until then its a 1/3 day park.
My kids have voted to keep it on the "to do" list this trip (since we skipped it the last 3), I have hoppers so I am fine with that. We will hop over late in the day around 5pm and do RnR, TOT, SW, and see the fireworks. Without the hoppers I would skip it completely.

 

[BigGoof81]

I think each family and touring style is different. Each and every year DHS was a 3/4 of a day only. Show up at 11am and stay until the end of Fantasmic! Yes, we still love it each and every time
Over the past 2 visits, it's become a full 2 day park for my family. My older kids have grown and now love TOT and RNR. We see BnB and Indy every visit, now they added Pixar Music, we must see next time!!
My kids love the Star Wars add ons and now they are older all the little shops. We feel like even though they took a handful of things away we are just growing into the park as family if that makes sense

This is most likely going to be our plan....to get there later in the day.
The morning might be some daddy down time on Oak Trail golf course, and wife is going to spend a few hours at the pool.
We have a lunch reservation at Hollywood and Vine, so we'll start there.
Makes the most sense.
We are going to be at the parks for 5 days so a little early morning R 'n' R could help, being that DHS is our 4th day.
Get refreshed for our final day at MK.

 

[Klayfish]

I always get them, but sometimes I've wondered if I'm really getting my money's worth considering I go almost annually.

I think it definitely depends on your touring style. We're lucky enough to have APs, and we couldn't do without park hoppers. OK, not literally, but we wouldn't want to do without it. We don't hop daily, but enough that we'd be bummed if we couldn't. Some days we'll do a park in the morning/early afternoon, go back to the rental house, and come back to another park for just two hours for the night shows.

I hope the majority of people skip it so that we can ride Toy Story Mania multiple times.

You'd be amazed how easy TSMM is to get on now. At park open, it's easy. FP+ aren't really that hard to get. And, the last 30 minutes the park is open, the ride is a ghost town. We were just there for the first few weeks of July. Park close was at 9:30 every night. We had a few nights there where we didn't see shows and just closed the park out on rides. From 9pm on, it was literally a walk up. You walk up the steps, right back down to the carts and the CMs are just standing there waiting for guests to arrive. Almost surreal how quiet it is in there.