Underrated Things at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
We are talking all about the underrated, the overlooked, the hidden gems of Disney’s Hollywood Studios! These are things that don’t get as much hype as the big ticket rides or shows but we think are definitely worth checking out when you’re visiting this park!
The handprints in front of the theatre are so much fun to look at!
Gertie the Dinosaur
This is the big green brontosaurus you spot as you’re walking toward (park area) and it’s actually an ice cream shop. This shop serves soft serve which is kind of unique to the rest of the park because the ice cream you find is usually scooped and here you can get vanilla, chocolate or swirl soft serve and it just hits the spot!
The Celebrity Handprints
The theatre that houses Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a replica of Grauman's Chinese Theatre which is in Hollywood and home to all of the celebrity handprints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Well, in Hollywood Studios they have the celebrity handprints as well! And these aren’t replicas, the celebrities actually re-did their prints for Disney!
Vacation Fun Shorts
This is near the Chinese Theatre and opened around the same time as Runaway Railway to kind of support that opening. It’s a cute theatre and there’s AC and it’s a short compilation of Mickey shorts that all have to do with vacations! They are so cute and it’s such a nice break in the middle of your day!
Muppet Vision 3D
This might not actually be underrated because those who love it love it but it’s not as popular as it should be! Everything in this queue and pre-show holding room is so good, so detailed and so funny! And the actual show itself is incredible, it’s one of the last things that Jim Henson worked on before his passing which just makes it a little bit more special.
This is such an underrated attraction, especially if you’ve got a kiddo who love Cars!
Woody’s Lunchbox Breakfast Bowls
This restaurant isn’t super underrated necessarily as a good quick service restaurant in this park but the breakfast bowls in particular are absolutely amazing. We have had them multiple times and they’ve never let us down!
Sunset Ranch Market
We didn’t know that this whole area was called this but it refers to the area on Sunset Boulevard where you can find Catalina Eddies, Fairfax Fare, Hollywood Scoops, Rosie’s All American Diner and Anaheim Produce, which are all dining options! This spot can feel a little chaotic but there are tons of food options, lots of seating and the vibes are so good sitting on Sunset Boulevard, you just can’t beat it.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
This is hidden way back near Rock N Roller Coaster and this is honestly a hidden gem, especially if you’ve got kiddos who are really into Cars! Lightning McQueen comes out and looks so real and they utilize this theatre space to make it look like you’re really racing. It’s a cool one to check out!
The Walkway Between Hollywood Studios and EPCOT
This walkway is up past the busses and it runs along the water way between the parks. It’s a super nice walk and honestly isn’t that long, maybe between 15-30 minutes depending on how leisurely you’re walking.
You might almost miss this lounge but it’s worth checking out!
Tune In Lounge
This is the lounge connected to Prime Time Cafe which is 1950’s themed to match the restaurant and it’s super easy to miss but it’s so worth it to go in there!
One Man’s Dream
This is a walk through exhibit that shows tons of history of both Walt Disney’s life, the film studio and the company as a whole. There are so many cool things to look at, including models, photos and more and at the end there’s a movie you can watch. They do sometimes swap it out with another exhibit or meet and greet depending on what’s going on with the rest of the company and promotions etc but they always tend to bring this back. It’s one of the things that we think people might want to skip but it’s one of the things we think you should definitely NOT skip!
PizzeRizzo
This is one of those places that’s so fun and the pizza is kind of so bad it’s good? Like it’s not good but it’s actually kind of amazing. The theming is so good here, it’s a New York/Jersey inspired kind of restaurant and if you head upstairs there’s a wedding banquet room which is not for a real wedding but themed as if a wedding is happening…it’s exactly as awesome as it sounds! You can also sit outside on the patio upstairs and people watch which is so fun.
From The Citizens of Disneyville
We love this whole area but PizzeRizzo and Muppets 3D are both faves!
We asked our followers over on Instagram, @disneyvillepodcast, what some of their underrated and hidden gems of Hollywood Studios were and we got some AWESOME responses!
Batuu at night when the park is closing so there’s no crowds, my husband and I say it’s our happy place.
Tower of Terror Joffrey’s is my favorite place to get iced coffee.
Family bathroom near Lightning McQueens Racing Academy, it’s always clean and never busy!
Beer flight, pretzel and charcuterie at Baseline Taphouse while people watching.
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, I watch it every time!
Mango Colada at Anaheim Produce, perfect way to cool down on a summer day!
Pin trading at Hollywood Studios is ELITE! Always good trades!
Muppets by far!
Meeting Max and Goofy on Grand Ave, guaranteed low wait and such a cool meet and greet!
Lightning McQueens Racing Academy, cute show, seating and air conditioning.
Surly Sarlacc cocktail from Ronto Roasters, best drink in all of Disney World!
The improv actors, people should take more time to watch.
Finding nods to when it was Disney MGM.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram to participate in polls, questions and more fun things that may show up in a future podcast episode and/or blog post!
Did you know that the amazing travel agents over at our partner agency People Mover Travel can help you plan your next Disney vacation completely free? That’s right, planning services are totally complimentary! Visit the People Mover Travel website for more information!