Disney's Hollywood Studios...Full Day or Half Day?

Disney's Hollywood Studios has, in recent years, been touted as more or less a half day park. People say that there are not enough attractions to warrant spending a full day here. My take...I'm about 33/33/33. So what does that mean? 33% of the time, I believe it's a half day park, 33% of the time, I believe it's a full day park, and as for the last 33% of the time, well that goes to the fact that I believe it's a 3/4 day park. But how do we decide which it really is? Well, it depends on what you want to experience.

DHS is a full day park if: You really enjoy a lot of shows and want to experience the attractions mixed in.

For a person to think that DHS is a full day park, wanting to see all the shows is a MUST. There simply aren't enough attractions in this park to warrant full day status. Sure, Toy Story Midway Mania helps, but right now, it's definitely not enough to flesh out the park totally.

To enjoy DHS fully, you not only have to want to experience a majority of the shows and attractions, you also tend to need to have one sit down dining ressie, want to see Fantasmic, and more than likely be interested in seeing the parade. This person would also benefit from enjoying the Streetmosphere characters that line Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard. Of course, not all of these are necessary for you to enjoy the park full day, but for a person who is go, go, go all the time, these items are essential. If you're more of a relaxed visitor, who takes their time browsing at everything, you also have a better shot of spending the full day in the park.

DHS is a 3/4 day park if: You want to see some shows, with most attractions mixed in.

A person who would enjoy DHS for 3/4 of the day is someone who isn't as into shows as a full day park person would be. If they miss one show, it's not the end of the world.

They also might not be interested in every single show and attraction on property. They might avoid things like Rock n'Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror because they don't like thrill rides. They also might skip the action stunt shows because those don't appeal to them.

This type of person can afford to get up late or leave the park early because they don't necessarily need to see Fantasmic or they want to sleep in a day of their vacation.

These people can get away with having either a sit down meal or, if they prefer, can just eat counter service. They have the time to do either. It just depends on what they want and how many attractions and shows they actually want to see in the park.

DHS is a half day park if: You are not really there for the shows, but instead mostly there for the rides.

This person could care less if they see Beauty and the Beast or the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. For them, this park is all about the attractions, hands down. Of course, they might enjoy a show here or there, but it's definitely not a necessity to them.

This type of person can get away with coming to DHS after visiting another park for half the day or getting there early and leaving half way through. They get in and they get out, as they go off to do other attractions in other parks.



So where do I fall in the debate of what kind of park I think DHS is? Well, I'm not going to tell. :D

However, I will say, that no matter what, if a good chunk of people only think of DHS as a half day park...then something is wrong. No Disney park should be thought of as a half day or 3/4 day park...so obviously there is something missing. (For those that think the park is a full day park, I guess it just means they'll have more options to pick from!)

It also doesn't help that a good chunk of attractions on property are extremely dated and haven't been really updated since the park opened. Examples include MuppetVision 3:D...entertaining, but could probably use a tweak, The Great Movie Ride...the AAs looked awful the last time I rode and some of the movies, have never been seen by the kids of today (heck, I'm in my 20s and haven't seen some of those movies!), and the Backlot Tour...which has been updated, by being chopped in half and many believe nowhere near as interesting as it used to be. And don't get me started on the monstrosity that is Sounds Dangerous.

Obviously Disney is attempting to fix this problem. They just added Toy Story Midway Mania, which I believe is a good step in the right direction. And I also believe that love the idea or hate it, The American Idol Experience will draw in some crowds.

But Disney knows that it isn't really enough. This park is the one that needs the most TLC and they are finally getting it. With rumors about a family coaster going into Soundstage 1 and the Backlot Tour possibly going by the wayside, Disney is attempting to turn people's perspective of this park around. Of course, it's going to take some time, but I think they are well on their way and this is only the beginning.