Welcome to Day Three of The Walt Disney World Trip That Never Was. Today it is Labor Day! As it is a national holiday the crowds in all the parks will be busier than usual. Because of this I avoided Magic Kingdom, as this is always the busiest park on national holidays. So today we would have been heading to Hollywood Studios!
Itinerary Planning during a National Holiday
Hollywood Studios might seem like an odd choice to visit on a national holiday because since the opening of Galaxy’s Edge this park has had bigger crowds. I think after Magic Kingdom there is a good chance that Hollywood Studios may be the second busiest park on a national holiday. So it seem like not a good choice that I picked this park for today! Itinerary planning can throw up some curve balls when there are national holidays or special events happening, so I will talk you through my planning process and why I picked this to be our Hollywood Studios day.
EPCOT has a lot of renovations happening at the moment for a massive transformation of the front of the park. Due to this there is a lot of construction walls up and a variety of things are currently closed. All of this means there is less to do in EPCOT at the present time. That then means everything else in the park will be busier. Also the International Food and Wine Festival is currently on. It is a great festival at EPCOT and a definite must do! But due to this many people local to Orlando may choose to spend their Labor Day sampling all the delicious foods from the different stalls from around the world (which is a great idea!). But this may mean EPCOT could be quite busy.
We had already visited Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom was a no no from drawing the biggest Labor Day crowds. So I was left with Hollywood Studios as our Labor Day pick. In hindsight I think our Animal Kingdom day and Hollywood Studios day would have been better if they were swapped. Animal Kingdom is such a big park that the crowds are more easily dispersed throughout it, whereas Hollywood Studios is a smaller park so it can feel more crowded just because there are less areas for people to spread out to.
Any time you visit during a national holiday the parks will be busier so it is a good idea to have that in mind and just enjoy as much as you can in whichever park you choose to be in. You are in the Most Magical Place on Earth so a good time can always be had!
Hollywood Studios
Two of my all-time favourite Disney rides are in Hollywood Studios so I am always so excited to get to ride them! Heading straight to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror is how I start each Hollywood Studios day. Because we would still be at the start of our trip, and still jet lagged, we would utilise the early wake up time to rope drop the park again!
Getting to the park ready for opening time is a great idea during a national holiday as many people will take the chance to have a lie in. This means that the crowds will likely be lower first thing in the morning and then get busier from lunchtime onwards. Try to do as many of the rides you want to do in the first few hours before the crowds, and queues, get larger.
TOP TIP!
Most people will head straight to Galaxy’s Edge or Toy Story Land when the park opens. If you go in the opposite direction and head to Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster they often are walk on first thing in the morning. Which means you can ride them multiple times. The best way to start a day!
This visit would have been my first time visiting Galaxy’s Edge. I cannot wait to finally get to experience it! It looks so incredible and immersive! So much development has taken place at Hollywood Studios in the past few years with the opening of Toy Story Land, Galaxy’s Edge and Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway. I love that whenever you go there is always something new to experience! I think this is one of the greatest aspects to a Disney World trip – it is always evolving so there is always new things to see and experience. Which also means there is always another reason for booking a future trip!
TOP TIP!
You can get join the virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in the My Disney Experience app at two different times during the day. Try at 10am or 2pm to try to get your boarding passes to ride this new and spectacular ride!
Fairfax Fare
For lunch we had planned to grab a quick service meal at Fairfax Fare. Hollywood Studio is well talked about as being the Disney park with the least amount of food options. Luckily if you do a bit of research beforehand there are some great options available.
We have previously eaten at Fairfax Fare and were really impressed, as this isn’t a restaurant that gets talked about that much. Their rice bowls are very flavourful and filling. I had my eye on the Southwest Bowl for this trip – it sounds so good!
TOP TIP!
Make sure you book any table service dining reservations you want when they open up to you at the 60 day mark before your trip to ensure you get the reservations you want. This used to be 180 days before the start of your trip but is now reduced to 60 days due to the operational changes Disney have brought in due to Covid-19.
50’s Prime Time Cafe
I am a big fan of the 50’s style and décor so I love the theming of this restaurant! I also love the interactive experience with the servers! It is a really unique experience to dine somewhere totally immersive to the theme! The idea is that you are eating at Mom’s Kitchen and the servers are part of your extended family. Be prepared to receive some sass if your table manners aren’t up to par! If you aren’t keen on interacting then let your server know as they are seating you. But it is such a part of the fun of dining here that I highly recommend getting into the spirit of it and having a great laugh!
If you love home-style American cooking, think of the classics like meatloaf and pot pie, then 50’s Prime Time Café is for you! And don’t forget to try their famous shakes (including a vegan option!) and the chocolate peanut butter cake!
I don’t think we would have gotten everything done that we wanted to in one day so because of this I planned a second Hollywood Studios day for later in the trip! In an upcoming blog I will discuss Galaxy’s Edge and the new food options on offer, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and taking a break to enjoy some spectacular looking cocktails in Oga’s Cantina!
In tomorrows blog it is finally Magic Kingdom day!! I will be writing about an epic three restaurants in one day challenge and just why Magic Kingdom is my favourite park!
Be sure to know everything there is to know about dining at Hollywood Studios as well as all six Walt Disney World Parks, Disney Resorts and Disney Springs in the Most Magical Dining Guides.
Dining Guide and Planner For Walt Disney World UK Edition US Edition
Vegan Dining Guide and Planner For Walt Disney World UK Edition US Edition
Be sure to visit the Guides and Planners page to see the full range of Most Magical Guides!