Hey everybody! It’s time for another roundup of What’s New in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Think of this week’s edition as a virtual Christmas card mailed to you directly from Walt Disney World! We’ll get you caught up with all the latest happenings at Hollywood Studios including Rise of the Resistance crowds and a sleigh-full of new MERCH!
So without further Batuu ado, let’s get rolling!
Hollywood Studios Crowd Update
When we arrived at Hollywood Studios, we noticed lots of sandwich board signs stating that Boarding Groups for Rise of the Resistance were already full for the day. (The signs were throughout the park as well, including Hollywood Boulevard and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!)
Rise of the Resistance is crazy popular — and it has been experiencing some operational delays since its grand opening last week — which means demand is definitely larger than supply when it comes to this attraction. The Boarding Groups system allows guests to virtually reserve their spot in line. But remember, ya gotta get to Studios EARLY to grab your spot and beat the sandwich boards.
Next, we headed over to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge so see what all the Yub Nub hub-bub was about. There were quite a few “Early Risers” on planet already, patiently waiting in front of the entrance to Rise of the Resistance for their Boarding Group numbers to be called.
The numbers of ride hopefuls are starting to get a little overwhelming!
We ducked over to the Black Spire Outpost real quick and noticed Kat Suka’s Kettle was now offering Hot Chocolate for $3.79! Hot cocoa and popcorn sounds like an unusual combination, but hey, it’s the outer rim… .
Heading out of Galaxy’s Edge we ventured over to the Hollywood Tower Hotel. For folks who were bummed about not getting the chance to ride Rise of the Resistance yesterday, there was a special surprise to help soften the blow — a super-secret Character Palooza took place!
Disney characters who appear in Hollywood Studios’ nighttime spectacular, Fantasmic! are known to sometimes secretly greet with guests by the main entrance in a little-known event called Character Palooza.
We were told by a Cast Member the Character Palooza yesterday was comprised of Disney characters who were “earning their ears” — which is Disney-speak for training! We saw Tigger, and Smee, along with Goofy…
…and Donald in their classic attire!
But wait… it only gets better! Holy smokes! We weren’t expecting to run into Rafiki at Hollywood Studios! He usually only meets at Animal Kingdom and maaaybe the Magic Kingdom on rare occasions!
But here’s an EVEN RARER BIRD! It’s a Penguin Waiter from Mary Poppins!!!! AHHHHH!
Why, have you ever seen something so beautiful in your whole LIFE? Rise of the Resistance-who? We’re all about this little guy and his adorable bow tie! YAAAS Penguin Waiter! You just made our millennium!
Hollywood Studios Merchandise Update
Celebrity 5 & 10
As you’re probably well aware, 2019 is almost history, so it’s time to roll out all that shiny new 2020 merch! While we’ve seen A LOT of it flooding into the parks lately, today was the first time we spied this new Disney World Passholder Phone Case for $69.99!
Get more details about the Disney World AP Phone Case here!
Legends of Hollywood
And 2020 can’t come soon enough for us to start sporting the new 2020 Alex and Ani Bracelet we discovered at Legends of Hollywood for $44.99!
Read more HERE about the new 2020 Alex and Ani Bracelet!
Launch Bay
Fans of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian can now choose from two unique designs of phone cases including this one for $29.99, which reminds us of a vintage Sci-Fi novel book jacket!
There was also this The Mandalorian Phone Case for $29.99 — complete with baby pink bumper!
Click here to find out more about the new Mandalorian Phone Cases!
Tatooine Traders
We had to resist the urge to buy all the new Rise of the Resistance merch we spotted yesterday, including this new Rise of the Resistance Pin for $9.99.
As well as this Rise of the Resistance Pin, also $9.99.
We also saw two new Rise of the Resistance MagicBands. We love this steely blue Rise of the Resistance MagicBand for $34.99…
…and an AP Rise of the Resistance MagicBand for $34.99 in a medium gray!
Check out all of the new Rise of the Resistant merch we spotted here!
It wasn’t just Rise of the Resistance merch we spotted for Star Wars fans — check out all this sweet, new 30th Anniversary Star Tours swag! We saw this Star Tours Pin for $17.99!
And this awesome Star Tours Shirt for $29.99!
Read more about the 30th-anniversary Star Tours merch HERE!
It’s a Wonderful Shoppe
You might remember from a while back some Disneyland ornaments we ran into (click here if you need your memory jogged!). Well today we spotted this adorable Double-sided Cinderella Castle Ornament for $29.99! On the front, it’s all business as usual for the Magic Kingdom’s iconic castle…
…while it’s a party on the back, showcasing what looks like the Dream Suite? Okay, so maybe we’ll never get to spend the night in Cinderella Castle, but this ornament might be the next best thing!
We also saw this 3D Mickey and Minnie Ornament for $19.99! We love the old-timey look of Mickey and Minnie! It kinda reminds us of the Retro Minnie Kitchen Collection we spotted yesterday in the Animal Kingdom!
And as you turn the ornament, you can see how dimensional it is! Such a cool effect!
Mickey’s of Hollywood
At Mickey’s of Hollywood, we spotted a new twist on an old favorite! Check out the style of these new Reverse Spirit Jerseys! We’re calling ’em “reverse” because the large lettering that’s been traditionally on the back is now on the front! The material also feels slightly different — more sweatshirt-y — to us than regular spirit jerseys! We discovered this Mickey “Reverse” Spirit Jersey for $54.99.
And this Grey “Reverse” Spirit Jersey for $54.99 had glittery, metallic lettering running down its sleeves!
And last we scouted this Rainbow “Reverse” Spirit Jersey for $54.99, which is TOTALLY becoming our new go-to sweatshirt for cool evenings at the parks — or just lazing around the house! 😉
Click here to find out more about these new Spirit Jersey styles!
Well, friends, that’s all for this week’s edition of What’s New in Hollywood Studios — until next time! We’ll be back with more food, entertainment, and merchandise news before you can finish that fruit cake your Great Aunt sent you !
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Are you heading to Disney World for the holidays? Tell us about your vacation game plan in the comments below — and how EARLY you’re planning on getting up for Rise of the Resistance!
Dawn Bennett says
Heading there this week and am interested in the time you entered the park to find these signs and the ride boarding groups full. When do you recommend going? We planned on being there at least an hour before opening. Thank you!
Heather Little says
What time did you arrive to HS and saw the sandwich boards?
DFB Sarah says
Dawn, folks are still lining up before park opening, as you’re planning. We were there a little later in the morning.