Of All The Disney Theme Parks, This One Is Rated As The Worst
Disney Parks, magical places where it seems like anything can happen, have earned a worldwide reputation for their imaginative qualities. As saccharine sweet as that fifth bite of circus cotton candy, the big mouse himself woos all who visit him. Yet, not all Disney Parks are considered equal — especially to visitors who find Hollywood Studios the most disappointing of all.
The Daily Mail examined the Disney Parks Yelp scores and discovered that Hollywood ranks the lowest out of all of them (except for Shanghai Disneyland, which did not have a presence on Yelp at the time). Per the outlet, EPCOT scored the highest in the U.S. with a 4.2, immediately followed by Animal Kingdom with a 4.1. The parks with the highest rankings overall were Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, each with a 4.5. For comparison, Hollywood only had a 3.7 on Yelp. Even the actual Hollywood Sign had a higher Yelp score with a 4.2.
So, how did the sparkle of Hollywood get so dull? The location of Galaxy's Edge, Toy Story Land, and all the rest can't be all that bad. Can it? From personal experience at international Disney Parks and both domestic locations, Hollywood is still pretty incredible.
Disney's Hollywood Studios has a lot of flash but not a lot of rides
At Walt Disney World, Hollywood Studios is all about the pizzazz. "Star Wars" fans will find the Millennium Falcon and Oga's Cantina there, but ride lovers will struggle to fill a day. That's because, of the 36 listed attractions in the park, only nine are actual rides rather than shows, movies, or character interactions. This lack of rides has frustrated some Yelp users. Based on firsthand knowledge, the wait times are always outrageous, even with so few options — unless you want to ride Star Tours all day.
"Some of the rides were fun (Rock n Rollercoaster, Slinky Dog Dash, Millennium Falcon) and some attractions were great (Beauty and the Beast, Fantasmic!) but many of them were slower rides and more kid-friendly," one individual wrote on Yelp. Many others cited the lack of rides, making it almost a necessity to purchase Genie+ from Disney World, which allows users to get fast passes (lightning lane) for certain options.
Several other Yelpers noted that waiting hours for rides at Hollywood Studios is not uncommon. Coming from a Disney World Annual Passholder, those wait times are no joke. Even Queue Times lists that rides like Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash have averaged over an hour wait each over their lifetimes. To be fair, though, those wait times can rival the ones listed on Queue Times for the largest theme park in the Midwest, too.
The park can feel overcrowded
Overcrowding at Disney Parks is probably not a shocker, especially if you've ever meandered through Hollywood Studios in the middle of summer. Not only is that slog painfully hot, but it's also like trying to close an open sardine can. For whatever reason, the layout at Hollywood Studios, especially in Toy Story Land and Galaxy's Edge, makes the park feel much smaller. Perhaps that's why so many visitors complain about its crowd issues.
One Yelper explained that Galaxy's Edge, the "Star Wars" themed land, felt "like a dungeon." While another said they were able to get on just a few rides during the whole day. "In my opinion, Disney's Hollywood Studio wasn't too great and not as appealing as Epcot. It's definitely smaller in size. I don't think I had too much fun at Hollywood Studio and it was so crowded and lines were long which didn't make the experience too great." When you're ready to escape the crowds, consider this hidden gem island on Florida's east coast.
Even if you're used to the less-than-glam hordes at Hollywood, as a frequent park visitor, it can be maddening. When weeding through the lunchtime crowd winding the wrong way down a path, trying to escape the heat, you won't be surprised that Hollywood gets so much hate on Yelp. If you seek a more unique theme park experience, check out America's oldest amusement park on your next family adventure.