Hollywood Studios Cool Kids’ Summer Touring Plan for Families with Small Children (3-9)

Cool Kids’ Summer kicked off this week in Disney World and there is so much to see and do! Especially for families with children ages 3 to 9! We checked out all of the summer fun in each park and will be publishing Touring Plans for each one. We’re looking at Hollywood Studios today.

This post details a Custom Touring Plan for Hollywood Studios containing: 

• Attractions rated the highest by children ages 3 to 9
• Cool Kids’ Summer characters and snacks
• Fun shows with great a/c to beat the heat
• Early Entry rope drop plans
• Highly rated dining options

Plan Summary

The newly opened Animation Courtyard is the center of Cool Kids’ Summer fun. There is always something happening in the center of the courtyard! Pluto, Chip & Dale, Stitch, and lots of other friends stop by to play. They don’t do traditional meet and greets where guests line up for pictures and autographs, but there are still opportunities for great interactions. Pluto heads out to his corner first thing in the morning and dances with guests during Early Entry. Chip and Dale are out often and play silly games with smaller guests.

Baby Care is brand new at the back of the courtyard. Head over if you need a cool, quiet place to feed your little ones, buy some sunscreen, grab ice, change diapers, or just rest with your kiddos out of the heat. They have cartoons playing and there are coloring pages and crayons, too.

The Early Entry Bird Gets the Slinky Dog

Most kids wake up before the chickens when they’re home, so hopefully they keep the same schedule on vacation. This will make crushing Early Entry rope drop easy! We added tips to this Custom Touring Plan to help with timing.

Meeting Mickey Mouse is consistently the highest rated experience in any park for ages 3 to 9 years. Most of the queue is in the shade or inside and you’ll get to see Minnie Mouse in her Hollywood glam, too!

Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! is every Hot Dog Dancer’s time to shine! The whole show is high energy and has characters in new outfits. The a/c is new and powerful, the dancing is nonstop, and the bubble shower at the end is a delight. If your kids love this show on Disney+, they’re going to vibe here! Plan for a water and snack break after this fun workout!

So the bad news is your kids probably love Alien Swirling Saucers, which means you’re going to have to ride. The great news is, the new snack stand, Popcorn & Snacks is like 15 steps from the exit of the Saucers. They serve Pizza Planet Pepperoni Spring Rolls for $9.49, and a Jack & Coke for $16.50. It’s all about balance, right? Don’t forget to ask for a few cups of (free) ice water while you’re there to refill water bottles and ice down your cooling cloths.

Disney Villains is located just beyond Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. This energetic show might be a good alternative to child swap if one of the adults in your party wants to take advantage of the Single Rider Line next door. The FØØD truck by Swedish Chef is at the exit to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster so have the solo adult grab a Wocka Wocking Nacho bag or two. The cheese (queso blanco) is just splendid!

The queue for Toy Story Mania is entirely shaded or inside and is full of fun props that will make you feel nostalgic and super old. This is also an excellent way to remind your children that you were raised on video games as you crush it with the high score in your car.

Remember, with a Custom Touring Plan you can add or delete steps, set your walking and waiting time, and optimize as you go!

Best Breakfast & Lunch Options

If you’re in Toy Story Land when your team gets hungry, Woody’s Lunch Box is always a hit. We suggest ordering about 45 minutes before the hangry sets in because this location is so popular and the Mobile Order window pushes out quickly. You can always order in person if needed, but the line typically moves slowly.

Ronto Roasters is a short walk from Toy Story Land and it is also the single fastest Mobile Order in any park. Seriously. Don’t hit that “I’m Here, Prepare My Order” button until you’re steps away from the location!

How does this plan look to you? What would you add or change? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!