After keeping very busy lately with my other life of healthcare writing (and covering my 4th convention in the past few months!), I was happy to jump back into travel writing with a quick trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This time I dropped in to cover the ceremony that named the 2009 Walt Disney World Ambassador team for an upcoming Orlando Attractions Magazine article. Being in that particular park reminded me just how much fun I always have there.
Walt Disney World includes 4 themeparks (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot), 2 water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach), the Downtown Disney & Boardwalk entertainment areas, 18 on-site resorts, and more. But my absolute favorite of all their properties is easily their Studios themepark. It features what I believe is the greatest ride from any park in any city anywhere – the Tower of Terror!
The Tower of Terror - best ride ever!
Frankly, this is one scary, thrilling, sense-overloading ride. And I love it. The first time I rode, I was surprised to discover that each car comes out of its elevator shaft for a short tour of several ghostly areas before heading back into an elevator for the giant multi-story drop. And shoot back up. And drop. And… you get the idea. It’s crazy and exhilarating and just a lot of fun.
From the creepy bellhop at the front of the queue that likes to greet guests with, “Welcome to your doom,” through the Twilight Zone backstory by none other than Rod Serling himself, and the final lose-your-stomach pay-off, this runaway elevator experience more than lives up to its reputation.
To keep the thrills going, I’d suggest heading right across the road to the Aerosmith Rock ‘n Roller Coaster.
A fast ride with fast music -- and lots of thrills.
This dark, indoor coaster shoots riders up, down, and upside down to a loud soundtrack from one of my all-time favorite bands. But the best part is definitely the take-your-breath-away quick slam start. Be sure to hold onto your hat for this entire ride!
Overall, this park feels more compact, easier to navigate, and not as overwhelming as some of the other parks, with plenty to do for any age. And it’s all themed around the movies!
Kissing Donald Duck.
Some of my favorites include the brand new Toy Story Mania ride (which I wrote about recently for Orlando Attractions Magazine), the Muppet Vision 3-D show, the Indiana Jones stunt show, the extreme stunt show, the Beauty and the Beast show, the various street performers who entertain around the park, the easy access to an abundance of beloved Disney characters, and the brilliantly produced (if a little scary) Fantasmic fireworks show – complete with lasers, animated movie scenes projected onto water screens, and even a fight between Sorcerer Mickey and a giant fire-breathing dragon.
If there’s time, other fun attractions include the Star Tours ride, the Little Mermaid show, the Great Movie Ride, the behind the scenes Backlot Tour, and the afternoon Block Party Bash parade.
One of the best parts of the Hollywood Studios, though, is that there are lots of shady areas where you can sit and gather strength with a Mickey ice cream bar before soldiering on. One more ride on the Tower of Terror, anyone?
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