Hi there, Lisa! Welcome to planDisney and thanks for stopping by with such great planning questions!
It sounds like your planning is off to a practically perfect start. Getting an early jump on the day at Animal Kingdom and hopping to Hollywood Studios is a fantastic strategy to have a magic-filled Disney day from dawn to Fantasmic. In fact, my bestie and I recently completed a four-park challenge where we began our day bright and early at Animal Kingdom and then hopped over to Hollywood Studios using the
bus service. I'm more than happy to share my experience to help you plan the BEST. DAY. EVER!
First, I think you will be happy to hear that there are no more time restrictions on park hopping. Woohoo! As an Annual Passholder, as long as you tap into the park where you have a
Theme Park Reservation that day, you are free to park-hop any time the pixie dust guides you to do so.
As far as the park-to-park bus times go, I was told by a Cast Member that the schedules can vary from day to day and per park. In my recent experience, the bus from Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park to Disney's Hollywood Studios began running around 10:00 a.m. EST, so in my experience, you will be good to go to arrive at Hollywood Studios by 11:30 a.m. On the day you plan to park-hop, I recommend asking a Cast Member or calling (407) WDW-RIDE or (407) 939-7433 for the day's park-to-park bus schedule.
Did you know that you can also get real-time information on transportation on the My Disney Experience app? Just log in, tap the three-line menu icon at the bottom of the screen, scroll down, and tap "Transportation & Parking." If there are any announcements about the day's transportation, they will pop up here. Then, filter in Animal Kingdom, and find the little information icon located over the park's bus stop. You can then tap "Get Directions," swap the "To" and "From" information, enter a location in Hollywood Studios, and get instructions on how to get there, including information on how often the busses are running.
If you find that you're running late from having too much fun on your wild adventure at Animal Kingdom, I recommend requesting a
Minnie Van via the Lyft app to give you a ride from Animal Kingdom to Hollywood Studios. Since you practically get door-to-door service (and arrive in polka dot style), I find that this is always worth every penny when park-hopping in a hurry. Happy hopping!
I hope this was helpful, Lisa, and I hope you have the most magical and memorable adventure at the Most Magical Place on Earth. Please stop by any time with any questions you may have. You've got a friend in me!
See ya real soon!
Mandy