Our Spring Break at Walt Disney World Part 2: Hollywood Studios, Pool Day, & Lightening Lane Passes

It's been a few weeks since we got back from Orlando, and I can't stop thinking about what an incredible trip it was. Sure, it was a bit of a whirlwind and definitely tiring, but the memories we made are absolutely priceless. It just warms my heart every time my son talks about his favorite ride, lights up at pictures of the Disney castle (proudly exclaiming, "I've been there!"), or when he measures everyone against his imaginary ride to see if they're tall enough to join in on the fun. 

There's so much I want to share about our week that I've decided to split it into a series of blog posts. This way, I can give you all the details without overwhelming you all at once. I'm really looking forward to sharing our experiences from Hollywood Studios, our chill pool days, and some insider tips on how to make the most of the Lightning Lane in the Disney parks.  

Hollywood Studios 

Hollywood Studios was the second Disney park we hit up, and we initially chose it in hopes of catching anything related to the Cars movies (my son's absolute favorite). Unfortunately, the "Cars" show had been closed to make way for the upcoming Cars Land at Magic Kingdom. Despite that, Hollywood Studios still had a lot to offer that my toddler enjoyed! We also brought my 1-year-old along, and she was able to join in on several rides and loved them (which isn't saying much since she's generally all smiles anyway). Overall, Hollywood Studios seemed to cater more to an older crowd compared to Magic Kingdom's toddler-friendly vibe. That said, it also felt less crowded, allowing us to do more, so it's a bit of a trade-off. I'm definitely happy we got to experience both parks. 

Our day at Hollywood Studios kicked off with us getting there at opening time. It was a breeze getting into the park since there's no tram or ferry ride from the parking lot like at Magic Kingdom. We managed to get to Toy Story Land just before it officially opened and only had to wait in line for about 10 minutes. Once inside, we beelined for Toy Story Mania and hopped on with zero wait time (though Slinky Dog Dash already had quite the queue from folks who got in early). 

Among the rides and attractions, we enjoyed, Toy Story Mania, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, and "For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration" were standouts that both my son and daughter loved. Since there weren't as many things (like the Castle) to see or parades in Hollywood Studios, we spent most of our day hopping from one ride to the next. 

A major win for the day was my parents managing to get both kids to nap in the double stroller we brought. While they watched our slumbering little ones, my husband and I snuck off for a couple of quick rides that the kids were too small for and which had longer lines. Pro tip: we hopped in the single rider lines and cut our wait times significantly. We were able to queue up together but ended up riding separately with other park guests. This strategy had us waiting only about 5 minutes for the Millennium Falcon ride and around 30 minutes for the Rise of the Resistance ride—which was a huge win considering the standby line was about 70 minutes. Rise of the Resistance turned out to be our favorite ride of the day. 

The only thing that didn't go as planned was getting that coveted family photo. My son was over photos after our full-on Disney week, so I had to make do with some adorable snaps with my baby girl instead. 

Lightening Lane – Was it Worth It? 

Lightning Lane is Disney's premium offering that lets you skip the regular standby lines for select attractions. Since we were visiting Disney during Spring Break, we decided to splurge on Lightning Lane passes for our days at Disney World and Hollywood Studios. The price varies, but it cost us about $25 per person, per day. For non-Disney Resort guests, you can buy the passes starting three days before your park visit. We set our alarm for 7 am EST to purchase them, and while securing a pass wasn't a problem, the time slots for the rides filled up super-fast. 

Once you've got your Lightning Lane pass, you can pick up to 3 experiences (rides or attractions) for the day. You're given specific times to show up and bypass the regular lines. After you've used your first experience, you can make more reservations as slots become available, all through the app on your phone. 

So, was it worth it? For us, absolutely, and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. With little ones who have the patience of, well, little ones, it made total sense to pay a bit more to avoid the lines. I think the longest we waited with a Lightning Lane pass was about 10 minutes, and we often skipped queues that were over an hour long. However, for some of the most popular rides, Lightning Lane passes were either unavailable or only offered times later in the day. That wasn't a big deal for us since we didn't have our hearts set on any specific rides, and our kids are young enough not to be too picky yet. 

If you're considering getting a Lightning Lane pass, I'd suggest linking all your party's tickets into one account. That's what we did when my parents joined us at Hollywood Studios, and it made scheduling our attractions easier, ensuring we all got the same times. 

Pool Day at Sheraton Vistana Villages & Hibachi Dinner 

In my previous post, I mentioned that we stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Villages during our Orlando getaway. With our little ones in tow and for the sake of our own sanity, we decided to alternate between park days and pool days. This rhythm allowed us to catch our breath and chill out (well, as much as one can with kids at a pool) and also helped us maintain a somewhat normal nap routine for the kids. I really believe this kind of schedule is the secret sauce for a Disney trip—it's just the breather you need when the park excitement starts to wear you and the kiddos down. 

After our laid-back pool days, we were all about a fun dinner outing, just to break away from the resort and create some standout memories. Along with our memorable meal at Disney Springs, we decided to hit up Benihana for a Hibachi night. It was a hit—our toddler was totally into the chef's theatrics, and seeing our little girl in a chef's hat had us all cracking up.  

To keep our trip recap breezy and easy to follow, I'll hit pause on the storytelling for now. Be on the lookout for part 3 of our Disney World Vacation recap. Until then, XXX McKenzie