Though Disneyland is having a pretty low-key launch for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge thanks to the reservation system put in place for this new land, many are expecting the complete opposite at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this August, which will not have a reservation system, and could see record-breaking crowds for the opening of this new land. However, the park is preparing for this launch in some very…interesting ways, including an overhaul of the FastPass+ system at this park and the construction of an extended, extended queue to get into this land.
1. FastPass+ tiers are changing…but in a very weird way
Image: Disney
It has already been announced that when the only opening day ride in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, debuts on August 29th, it will not offer FastPass+ reservation times. However, in an effort to direct guests to basically anywhere else in the park, it looks like Disney is overhauling the FastPass+ tier system, but in a very strange way.
Beginning on August 29, both the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will be added to the Disney’s Hollywood Studios Tier 1 FastPass+ selections. And while that might not initially sound all that noteworthy, these attractions are joining every single attraction in Toy Story Land, including Toy Story Mania, Slinky Dog Dash and (somewhat inexplicably) Alien Swirling Saucers in this category. This leaves Star Tours as the only Tier 2 ride at this park, which means that getting a FastPass+ reservation for the only other Star Wars attraction at the park just got a whole lot more difficult, as guests will likely be looking to make FastPass+ reservations for rides while they are visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Image: Disney
And though this will likely free up FastPass+ reservations for Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Alien Swirling Saucers in Tier 1 (we’d bet almost everyone will either use their Tier 1 selection for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Slinky Dog Dash, or Toy Story Mania), under this new system Tier 1 is very crowded, which could lead to long standby lines at less popular tier 1 choices that guests can’t make FastPass+ reservations for.
This seems like a really weird move for this park, considering standby lines are already going to be overtaxed thanks to the increased crowd levels showing up for the opening weeks of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. And this isn’t the only way this park is preparing for a massive onslaught of guests.
2. Turning Grand Avenue into a queue
Guests who experienced Pandora: The World of Avatar during its opening weeks will likely recall when Disney had to use the bridge to this land from Discovery Island as a holding area for guests waiting to get into the popular land when it was at capacity. And while this bridge was a natural area for guests to wait just outside the edge of Pandora, Disney’s Hollywood Studios doesn’t have a super easy structure like this that is out of the way enough for a massive queue to sit without disrupting other areas of the park. However, Disney has been working on a solution to this issue over the past few months, widening the paved areas of this land, and making it suitable as a holding pen for guests who are waiting to get into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
We know that Disney’s Hollywood Studios will not have a ticketed return-time system for this upcoming land (though maybe they should) but due to capacity issues they will need to use a system similar to the one Universal used when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley opened, where guests can queue up, and then be let into the land in batches as other guests exit. And right now, it looks like that entire queue is going to take up the majority of the Grand Avenue Area.
3. New sign for Animation Courtyard coming
Image: Disney
Though most of the changes coming to the park have to do with the imminent opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, another weird change coming is the addition of a new sign in front of the animation courtyard, showcasing the characters that are now a big part of the park. This sign was unveiled during the 30th anniversary celebration of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and though we don’t know exactly when this new sign will debut, it seems likely that we’ll see it sometime this summer.
