Disney World 1-Day Itinerary: Hollywood Studios & Epcot

This was our first time at Disney World. We gave ourselves one full day and split it between Hollywood Studios in the morning and Epcot in the afternoon. We originally estimated about 15,000 steps. After 12 hours in the parks, we logged 25,599.

We visited in January. It was 54 degrees and we were not prepared for that. Here is everything we did, what was worth it, and what we would skip.

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Morning: Hollywood Studios

We arrived at Hollywood Studios at 8:30 AM and hit the rides in this order.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Our first stop. We joined the standby line with a 35-minute posted wait, but the ride went down for maintenance shortly after. We ended up waiting about 50 minutes before it started moving again. Once it did, it was completely worth the extra time.

Rise of the Resistance is unlike anything else in the parks. You are placed directly into the Star Wars storyline with movement in all directions: up, down, left, right. It is immersive, theatrical, and genuinely felt like an experience rather than just a ride. Start here if you can.

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

We used a Lightning Lane for this one and had basically no wait. It is a 3D simulation ride, fun and quick, but not something we would wait more than 15 to 20 minutes for in standby.

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway

The standby wait was sitting at 80 minutes. We paid $22 per person for the Lightning Lane and walked straight on. Worth every dollar.

The ride uses a trackless system that zips you through bright, colorful scenes with great music. Visually it is one of the most impressive rides in the park. Our only complaint: it felt too short. By the time we were getting into it, it was over. Still a must-ride.

Snack note: We grabbed a Mickey Pretzel at a cart nearby. It was very dry on its own. Buy the cheese sauce. Do not skip the cheese sauce.

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Getting to Epcot: The Disney Skyliner

To get from Hollywood Studios to Epcot for lunch, we took the Disney Skyliner, the gondola system that connects several parks and resorts. We loved it. You just board and float over the property, including Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort below. You can crack the windows open for a breeze. It beats taking a bus by a lot.

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Afternoon: Epcot

Epcot is massive and we spent the afternoon walking the World Showcase, meeting up with a friend, and eating our way through several countries.

The Food

Japan Pavilion: Sushi Donut ($19) We tried the sushi donut. For a theme park, it was surprisingly decent. Very cute presentation. We went in with high expectations on the sushi front and were not disappointed.

Italy Pavilion: Pizza We grabbed a giant slice of pizza, noticeably bigger than a Costco slice. It tasted good and did not feel overpriced for what it was.

Club Cool: Free International Sodas This is a must-stop. Club Cool lets you sample free international sodas from the Coca-Cola family. We tried the Beverly from Italy, which tasted like bubblegum mixed with tonic water. Actually better and less watery than the Beverly we had tried at a Coke experience in Las Vegas. We also tried a sour plum drink from China, which was more interesting than expected.

Canada Pavilion: Maple Popcorn If you remember one food recommendation from this post, make it this one. The maple popcorn in the Canada Pavilion was so good that we left talking about how to recreate it at home. Do not skip it.

The Rides

Mission: SPACE (Green Side, Less Intense) We chose the less intense side. It was fun and mildly dizzying, but sitting down in the AC after hours of walking in the afternoon heat was exactly what we needed. A good middle-of-the-day ride.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind We asked to wait for the front row specifically. It added a little extra time but was completely worth it.

This is a 10 out of 10 ride. It is our favorite of the entire day by a wide margin. The coaster spins you around while the Earth and Moon rotate around you in the background. Incredibly smooth, visually stunning, and the music timing is spot on. If you ride one thing at Epcot, make it this one.

Journey Into Imagination with Figment A cute, low-key ride featuring an upside-down house and the character Figment. A nice break from the longer lines.

Living with the Land A calm boat ride through Disney's actual working greenhouses where they grow real produce for use across the parks, including dragon fruit and various vegetables. More interesting than expected. Worth seeing if you like the behind-the-scenes aspect of how the parks operate.

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Evening: Back to Hollywood Studios

After wrapping up at Epcot, we headed back to Hollywood Studios one more time for a single ride.

Tower of Terror It was scary in the best way. The drop is unpredictable and the theming inside the queue is excellent. It was the right way to end the day.

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Final Notes

We covered two parks in 12 hours. Here is what made it work:

• Lightning Lanes: We used them selectively. Runaway Railway ($22/person) was the most worthwhile purchase of the day. Star Tours we got included. Use Lightning Lanes for rides with waits over an hour or rides you cannot miss.
• The Skyliner: Take it between parks if you can. Much better than the shuttle buses.
• Start early: Being at Hollywood Studios at 8:30 AM meant we hit the most popular rides before the wait times climbed.

We finished the day with 25,599 steps, completely exhausted, and went back to the hotel for instant Shin Ramen before immediately going to sleep.