Hollywood Studios is a fun park! With the immersive sections for Toy Story and Star Wars, it’s magical in its own special way. I’m going to be honest with you though. Even before we had Skippy, we always treated Hollywood Studios as a half-day park (scandalous, I know). With Skippy now? Our last trip taught us that we don’t actually want to go back to the park with Skippy until they’re much older. Hear us out! There are several reasons behind this. Height requirements, limited shade, and no real opportunities to just run around? Every child is different, but we feel like Hollywood Studios is a much for big kids and Disney adult, but maybe not so much for toddlers.
Height Requirements
Did you know that there are only two rides in all of Hollywood Studios with no height requirements? That’s right. Toddlers (at least the shorter ones) can only ride Micky & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Toy Story Mania!.
Granted, Skippy was only a little over a year old when we took them last. They’re on the shorter side though. We think it’s likely that they’ll still be a little under the next threshold of 32″ inches to tackle the Alien Swirling Saucers. Can quite a bit after that for the next height threshold. Only once they reach 38″ can they ride Slinky Dog Dash and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
So few rides in Hollywood Studios with toddlers? The shows also come with some serious considerations.
Sensory Notes & Wait Times
Many of the “all-ages” shows in Hollywood Studios can still be intense for littles. Fantasmic! has fire and loud noises, which could be upsetting for some toddlers. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular has similar maybe issues.
Even for those shows that are less intense, like The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, come with issue of wait times. Skippy LOVES “Under the Sea” and we tried to queue up for an early afternoon performance of the relatively new show. We were there 15 minutes before showtime and were told the next performance was at capacity. We were told we could get in line for the next one. More waiting for Skippy, who had already been stuck in their stroller with VERY little else to do? We had to pass.
Shade & Layout in Hollywood Studios
Disney World has very recently taken note about this, by finding shade it still a bit of a challenge in both Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land. It’s a little bit of “concrete jungle” type of situation. In the dead of summer in Florida, this is rough. Unlike some of the other parks we can feel a little more natural to take a mid-day break at the Baby Care Center, the one in Hollywood Studios is all the way back at the entrance. It’s unlikely you’d want to prioritize giving your toddler (and yourself) a break there.
Plus, unlike Magic Kingdom that has Casey Junior’s splash pad and in-queue activities like at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Hollywood Studios does not have a dedicated play area for littles to run around in. Later this summer, this is meant to change with a brand-new Alice in Wonderland themed play area as part of the new, “The Magic of Disney Animation.” At present though, littles have few options.
Conclusion
If you only have two or three park days, and you’re prioritizing your toddler, we’d suggest skipping Hollywood Studios in favor of Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom. Even with very few rides at the moment, as of late May 2026, Animal Kingdom will have the opportunity for littles to see Bluey at the Conservation Station.
For our next trip in Feb. 2027 (ugh, so far away!), we’re actually going to just do Magic Kingdom and EPCOT for park days. Controversial? Maybe and we’ll certainly update you on that adventure!
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