Disney’s Hollywood Studios has issued a number of changes to their park hours in anticipation of Rise of the Resistance crowds. Since opening day, the park has been quietly opening around 6:30 AM despite officially listed opening times of 8:00 or 9:00 AM. To accommodate for crowds in the coming weeks, these opening hours have changed once again.
Starting tomorrow, December 12th, the official park opening time will be 7:00 AM. This 7:00 AM opening time will last through December 21st, but given how many changes have taken place in the last few days, it’s likely to be further extended.
Based off our experiences in covering the attraction opening and Boarding Group process, our recommendation has been to arrive no later than 6:00 AM. Guests have been able to pass through the turnstiles as early as 6:30 AM, with Boarding Groups available immediately upon entering. Loading for the attraction typically begins at 7:00 AM.
With these changes, we may see an increase in guests arriving even earlier at the park, so if you’re set on riding Rise of the Resistance, we cannot stress arriving early enough. With an 8:00 AM posted open time today, all Boarding Groups were snatched up by 7:50 AM. (Yes, ten minutes before the park even officially opened.)
Additional changes to the park hour schedule include the return of evening Extra Magic Hours. While these were originally scheduled to begin in January 2020, a few nights have been added in December:
We’ll keep you updated on the status of park hours, Boarding Groups, and more here on WDWNT.
What are the requirements to get on a Boarding Group? Does my entire party have to be there at 6am to get a Boarding Group? Or, can I get there, get a Boarding Group for everybody, and let others sleep in?
Every member of your party must have scanned into the park. Once you enter it’ll take 5 minutes to say you scanned into the park and it lets you book one on the app or you can see a cast member. Once you get one you can either wait in the park or leave altogether and come back when its time.
Everyone in your party must be present and have already entered the park by scanning your ticket. Only then can you be eligible to join a boarding party.
They have to be in the park and linked to your my dinsey expiceince account. Once the app register that everyone has been tapped in to the park (about a minute) you go on your app and register the boarding group.
Disney originally was telling folks they could join boarding groups together as long as all their tickets were linked in My Disney Experience. That apparently has turned out to be false as being the only requirement. You can only join a boarding group once you have scanned your ticket at the entrance of Hollywood Studios. You also can only join 1 boarding group per day. Up until 12/8 once people were scanned in to go into the attraction line it was possible to immediately join another boarding group subject to availability. Those changes were made so that more guests have the opportunity to experience Rise of the Resistance each day.
My family is going to be at Hollywood Studios tomorrow and Saturday. Does anyone know what time guests were allowed in today with an official opening time of 7AM? Just trying to determine how early we should be there in the morning.