Hi Christy,
I did exactly what you are talking about one day last summer. We visited Walt Disney World with some adult friends and our teenager. We were going to spend one day at
Disney's Hollywood Studios, and we wanted to make the most of it. Let me tell you how we structured our day.
The first plan I am going to give you is what we did with our friends, which was a plan to maximize the number of attractions that we were able to take in. By following this plan, we did feel like we got to experience everything that we wanted to at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I will offer an alternative plan at the end of the answer!
Before you do anything else, be sure that you have purchased theme park tickets for your traveling party and that you make theme park reservations for the day that you are going to visit. It sounds like you will only be visiting Walt Disney World for one day. If this is correct, when you purchase your tickets, you will select a date and a theme park, and your
theme park reservation will already be made for you.
In order to maximize your time at Disney's Hollywood Studios, especially at a busier time of year like Spring Break, I suggest that you utilize both
Individual Lightening Lanes and Disney Genie+ Service. Let's talk about Individual Lightening Lanes first. At Disney's Hollywood Studios, the attraction that is currently available through Individual Lightening Lane purchase is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. You will be able to make a purchase of an Individual Lightening Lane for this attraction that will give you a time to visit it and skip the standby queue. You can make this purchase at 7:00 a.m. if you are staying at a Walt Disney World resort hotel or the Walt Disney World Swan or Dolphin Hotel or Shades of Green. Otherwise, you can make this purchase at theme park opening time.
I would suggest that you also purchase Disney Genie+ Service, which will allow you to select attractions to visit throughout the day while skipping the standby queue. This allows you to maximize the number of attractions that you experience by using Lightening Lanes. Regardless of where you are staying, you can make your first Lightening Lane selection at 7:00 a.m. Disney Genie+ Service is available for purchase the day of your visit, so you can stay up late and purchase it just after midnight. Anytime between midnight and 7:00 a.m. will work!
If it is going to be a long day in the theme park, I do suggest that you make at least
one dining reservation for a sit-down meal at Disney's Hollywood Studios. This will give your group a chance to recharge during the day. A late lunch or early dinner could be just the thing to keep you going!
I know that you have a teenager traveling with you; however, if you can head to the theme park early and be at the front entrance when it is opening time, you will find that you can accomplish many attractions before other guests even arrive at the theme park!
I know that this sounds like a lot of planning, and you mentioned that you are not a planner. You can simply be sure that you have a theme park ticket and reservation and head to the park at your leisure. You would likely not be able to experience as many attractions as following the steps above, but if you know that and are happy to take in the ambiance and a few attractions, this can also be a fun day!
I would love to help you plan more Christy; however, I am limited in the amount of space that I have to answer. Please do write back if you have any further questions!
~ Mona Leigh