Hollywood Studios: Big Group (8+)

Who this is for: Extended family trips, friend groups, or any party of 8+ people trying to navigate Hollywood Studios together. You might be multiple families traveling together, a reunion, a bachelor/bachelorette party, or just a large household.

The core challenge: Hollywood Studios is the worst park for big groups. It's the smallest park by area, it has the most height requirements, and its headliner rides have the longest waits. Coordinating Lightning Lane for 8+ people is a logistical puzzle. Getting everyone into Oga's Cantina is nearly impossible. And the park's compact layout means when it's crowded, it's crowded, there's no quiet corner to regroup.

The solution is the same as every big group at Disney: Plan to split up. Stay together for meals, Fantasmic!, and a group photo. Split for rides. Meet at specific times and places. The groups that try to keep 10+ people together all day are the groups that ride three things and spend four hours arguing.

Before You Arrive

Big groups fail at Hollywood Studios because they skip this step. Someone says "we'll figure it out when we get there" and then 12 people stand in the hub arguing about which direction to walk while the rope drop window evaporates.

Designate a point person. Someone needs to be the decision maker. Not a dictator, the person who breaks ties and keeps things moving. The point person has the My Disney Experience app set up with everyone's tickets linked, knows the park layout, makes the call when the group can't decide, and everyone agrees in advance to follow their lead on logistics. This doesn't mean they pick every ride or restaurant. It means when the group is standing around debating, they say "We're going to Toy Story Land" and everyone goes to Toy Story Land.

Have the conversation before the trip. Get alignment on these questions before you're standing in 95 degree heat:

What are everyone's must dos? Each person gets 1 to 2 non negotiables. Write them down. Are we staying together or splitting up? (Hint: splitting is almost always better.) When and where do we meet up? Pick specific times and locations. Who's responsible for which kids? If multiple families, clarify this clearly. What's the budget? Lightning Lane, meals, souvenirs, Savi's Workshop, get on the same page before someone books a $200 lightsaber experience and someone else is on a tight budget. What time are we leaving? Agree on this before you're exhausted and arguing at 7 p.m.

Accept that you'll split up. Groups of 8+ that try to stay together all day at Hollywood Studios can't fit on rides together (most ride vehicles seat 4 to 6), move at the speed of the slowest person, spend more time regrouping than riding, make height requirement logistics a nightmare (half the group waiting while the other half rides), and burn rope drop standing in one line instead of three.

Groups that plan to split up: Thrill seekers hit Rise of the Resistance and Tower of Terror. Families with little kids do Toy Story Land. The Star Wars fans disappear into Galaxy's Edge. Everyone meets for dinner, actually happy.

The sweet spot: Stay together for key moments (meals, Fantasmic!, a group photo on Hollywood Boulevard), split up for rides and attractions.

Communication Plan

Group text thread: Essential. Create it before the trip. Use it for "We're at Toy Story Mania, 10 minute wait" and "Rise of the Resistance is down, we're heading to Tower of Terror instead" and "Meeting at Woody's Lunch Box at 12:15" and "Little kids group is done, heading to the hotel."

Share locations: Turn on location sharing in your phones. When someone says "where are you?" in a park with 50,000 people, a pin on a map is worth a thousand texts.

Designate meeting landmarks: Not "by the entrance" (which entrance?). Use specific spots. The big Slinky Dog Dash sign at the entrance to Toy Story Land. The stage in front of the Chinese Theater. The Millennium Falcon.

Getting There

Check park hours first: Go to disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars for your date. Early Entry for Disney resort guests begins 30 minutes before the official park opening time.

Hollywood Studios is simpler to reach than Magic Kingdom, you can drive directly to the parking lot and walk to the entrance. No ferries, no monorails, no secondary transportation. For a big group, this is a significant advantage.

If driving with multiple cars: Park near each other, arrive around the same time and you'll be directed to adjacent spots. Take photos of every car's row sign. Check current pricing. Preferred Parking puts you closer to the entrance, which matters more when your group's walking pace is set by the slowest member.

If you're at a Disney resort: Bus, groups of 8+ may get split across buses, this is fine, designate a meeting point at the park entrance and don't wait for the whole group to arrive before entering. Skyliner, gondolas hold a limited number of people, a large group may need multiple gondolas, strollers must be folded. Walking from BoardWalk area resorts is the best option for big groups, everyone walks together, no capacity limits.

Lightning Lane for Big Groups

This is where big group logistics get complicated. Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows you to book return times for your whole group, but finding a return window with 8+ available slots is harder than finding one for 2. Popular rides fill up fast and large party availability disappears first.

Book at 7 a.m. sharp. The point person should have the app open and ready. Large party sizes need to book the moment the window opens. Priority 1: Slinky Dog Dash, hardest to get for big groups, longest standby wait for a ride most of the group can do. Priority 2: Toy Story Mania or Millennium Falcon. Accept that you may need to split Lightning Lane bookings. Book 4 people for the 10:00 a.m. window and 4 people for the 10:30 a.m. window. Not ideal, but better than no Lightning Lane.

Rise of the Resistance (Single Pass): Each person books individually. Coordinate so everyone books at 7 a.m. for the same approximate time window. Accept that not everyone will get the same return time. Lightning Lane pricing varies by date. Check the My Disney Experience app for current prices.

Rider Swap for Big Groups

Rider Swap is essential when your big group includes kids who don't meet height requirements.

How it works for big groups: The whole party approaches the ride entrance. Tell the Cast Member you want Rider Swap and how many riders vs. non riders. Group A (riders) goes through the line and rides. When Group A returns, Group B (other adults + up to 2 guests) rides via the Rider Swap pass, essentially a Lightning Lane entry. Non riding kids never wait in the big line.

Big group advantage: With multiple adults, you can rotate Rider Swap efficiently. Parent A rides with the older kids, then Parent B rides, then Aunt C rides, all on the same Rider Swap cycle while Uncle D watches the little ones.

Best Rider Swap rides: Rise of the Resistance, the notoriously long standby line makes Rider Swap incredibly valuable here. Tower of Terror, multiple adults can cycle through on one Rider Swap. Slinky Dog Dash, if some kids meet 38" and some don't.

Rope Drop

If you're staying at a Disney resort (Early Entry): Split at the gates.

Sub Group A (thrill seekers): Rise of the Resistance. This is the single most important Early Entry target at Hollywood Studios.
Sub Group B (families/everyone else): Slinky Dog Dash (if everyone meets 38") or Toy Story Mania (no height requirement).
Sub Group C (if you have a third faction): Tower of Terror. Shorter Early Entry lines than Rise, and it's on the opposite side of the park, efficient.

Meet at Toy Story Land, 30 minutes after general public opening. Regroup and plan Phase 2 together.

If you're staying off property (no Early Entry): Split immediately. You have no Early Entry advantage, resort guests have been riding for 30 minutes. Standing together as a group of 10 in one line wastes your most valuable hour.

Thrill seekers go to Rise of the Resistance, then Tower of Terror. Family group (parents + kids under 38") goes to Toy Story Mania, then Alien Swirling Saucers. Middle ground (teens, tweens, adults who don't need Rise first) goes to Slinky Dog Dash, then Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.

Meet up point: Toy Story Land entrance, 90 minutes after park opening. Everyone's done 2 to 3 rides. Regroup, assess, decide next moves together.

What Everyone Can Do Together

Build the group moments around these, no height requirements, no splitting needed.

Toy Story Mania, 3D shooting gallery, seats groups of 2 per vehicle but the line moves fast, your group can ride in sequence and compare scores. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, trackless dark ride, vehicles seat multiple people, your group may split across 2 to 3 cars but you ride at the same time. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, live show, huge stadium, your group can sit together easily, arrive early for seats together. Fantasmic!, nighttime show, massive amphitheater, arrive well before showtime if you want your whole group seated together, worth it. Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, stage show, Sunset Boulevard, easy to watch as a group.

Morning (Park Open to 11:00 a.m.)

Phase 1, split for rides (first 90 minutes): Pre assign sub groups the night before. Everyone knows where they're going at park open. Thrill seekers do Rise of the Resistance then Tower of Terror. Star Wars fans do Millennium Falcon then Galaxy's Edge exploring. Families with little kids do Toy Story Mania then Alien Swirling Saucers then Runaway Railway. The "I'll do anything" group does Slinky Dog Dash then Star Tours.

Phase 2, regroup (around 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.): Meet at a designated spot. Share stories. Do one thing together, Toy Story Mania if not everyone's done it, or Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.

Midday (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

Option A, group lunch + hotel break: Get a table service reservation for the full group. This is your group bonding time, not the rides. Sci Fi Dine In Theater, fun for all ages, each car seats 2 to 4 people, your group will be split across multiple cars but in the same room, book the biggest reservation you can, you may need to split into two reservation times. 50's Prime Time Cafe, the "mom" scolding bit plays well for big groups who play along, can be loud (which works in your favor with a big party). Hollywood Brown Derby, the nice option, better for an adult heavy group. After lunch: hotel break if possible. Even an hour of pool time resets everyone for the evening.

Option B, stay in the park, split by interest: Little kids group does Disney Junior Play and Dance!, character meets, re rides in Toy Story Land. Thrill group does any headliners they missed, Galaxy's Edge, Star Tours. The tired people do Indiana Jones show (shaded, sit down) or BaseLine Tap House (drinks, AC).

Evening (4:00 p.m. to Close)

Regroup for the evening. This is when big groups have the most fun together. Explore Galaxy's Edge as a group (the environment rewards a slow walk through). Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (your group fills 1 to 2 full cockpits, ride together). Dinner (Woody's Lunch Box for quick service or a second table service reservation). Fantasmic!, arrive well before showtime for group seating, designate one person to save seats while others get food/drinks, Fantasmic! is the best big group moment at Hollywood Studios.

Galaxy's Edge for Big Groups

Galaxy's Edge is surprisingly good for big groups because so much of the experience isn't rides, it's environment.

Oga's Cantina: The problem. It's small. Reservations are hard to get for parties of 2, let alone 8. You will almost certainly need to split into multiple reservation times, or send sub groups in shifts. Walk up availability is possible but unpredictable.

Savi's Workshop: Expensive and limited to one builder + one guest per session. If multiple people want to build lightsabers, book separate sessions. Not practical for the whole group to attend.

What works for the whole group: Walking through Batuu together, getting blue and green milk from the Milk Stand, browsing the shops, interacting with characters. Galaxy's Edge at night is spectacular as a group experience, the lighting, the sounds, the atmosphere. Designate a "Galaxy's Edge hour" for the whole group after dinner.

Dining for 8+ People

Disney table service restaurants cap online reservations at a certain party size. For groups larger than that, call Disney Dining at (407) 939 3463 to book large party reservations, split into two reservations at the same restaurant staggered apart, or use quick service restaurants where you don't need a reservation at all.

Quick service (no reservation, flexible): Docking Bay 7, large indoor seating area, your group can grab food at their own pace and congregate at tables. Woody's Lunch Box, outdoor seating only, finding 8+ seats together is hard, better for sub groups. Backlot Express, large indoor seating area, usually less crowded, good fallback for big groups.

Budget conversation: With 8+ people, costs add up fast. Before the trip, decide: Are you splitting meals or separate checks? Is everyone doing Lightning Lane, or just the thrill seekers? Savi's Workshop is expensive per person, who's doing it and who's skipping? Are adults pooling money for a group Oga's Cantina visit? Getting this settled before the trip prevents awkward conversations in 95 degree heat.

When the Plan Breaks

"Half the group wants to leave and half wants to stay." Let them split. The hotel break group leaves. The stay group keeps going. This is not a failure, it's the smart play. Forcing tired people to stay or energized people to leave makes everyone miserable.

"We can't get a restaurant reservation for our group size." Go quick service. Docking Bay 7 or Backlot Express have enough indoor seating for a big group to eat together without a reservation. It's not as fun as Sci Fi Dine In, but it works.

"The sub groups lost track of each other." Group text. Location sharing. Designated meeting times. If all else fails, the Chinese Theater (Runaway Railway building) at the end of Hollywood Boulevard is visible from most of the park and makes a reliable rally point.

"One person is ruining the vibe." It happens in big groups. Let them split off with someone who can absorb the mood. Don't let one frustrated person drag down the whole group's day. "Hey, why don't you and [person] go grab a drink at BaseLine Tap House and we'll text you when we're heading to Fantasmic!" solves a lot of problems.

"Rise of the Resistance went down and half our Lightning Lane passes are wasted." Check the app, Disney often extends return windows or issues replacements for ride closures. Ask a Cast Member. If you're in the standby line when it goes down, stay put unless told otherwise.

End of Night

If you drove: Walk to your cars. Hollywood Studios' lot is the simplest exit of any park, no trams, no ferries. If you're leaving after Fantasmic!, designate a meeting spot in the parking lot (the row sign where the first car is parked) and walk out together or in sub groups.

If you're at a Disney resort: Bus, groups may get split across buses, pick a meeting spot at your resort (lobby, pool) rather than waiting for everyone at the bus stop. Skyliner, gondolas hold a limited number of people, larger groups will need multiple gondolas. Walking from BoardWalk area is the best option, everyone walks together, no capacity issues.