One thing we’ve noticed in all our years going to Disney World is that not all seat rides are good ones.
We’ve told you the best seats in the house in Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, now we’re moving on to TinselTown! We’ve already told you about everything you shouldn’t miss at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but now we’re going to let you know which seats on rides are the absolute best and worst there!
We want to help you find which seats give you the biggest bang for your buck, the best thrill of the ride, and the best view of everything that’s going on! Who wants to sit in the back row of a ride with layer after layer of plexiglass, right? And who wants to be an engineer on the Millennium Falcon when EVERYONE knows that being a pilot is where it’s at! (But seriously — if you like being last row or Engineer, you do you, boo!)
So our team has come up with what we believe to be the best and worst seats on every ride at Hollywood Studios. And if you’re looking to nab a specific seat, don’t be afraid to ask a Cast Member about your preference — it might take you a little longer to board, but Disney World does its best to try and accommodate guest requests!
Toy Story Land
Alien Swirling Saucers
Okay, so there’s not really a best or worst seat on Alien Swirling Saucers, mostly because it’s a single-row ride and only seats three people.
However, do keep in mind that you share a seatbelt with everyone in the row, so that might be something you’ll want to consider. Pick your seat-mates wisely!
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Slinky Dog Dash
Best Seat: Our team definitely thinks there’s a best seat on Slinky Dog Dash, though! And we’re going with roller coaster rules on this one — sit in the back for the most thrilling experience. It feels like you’re going faster because you’ve got the momentum of the rest of the cars in front of you. We think you feel every little twist, bend, and dip a little more, too! WHEE!!! In all honestly, most seats are great on this ride aside from one we’ll note below.
Worst Seat: We feel like the front is actually the worst seat on Slinky Dog Dash (something we rarely say for a coaster!). The problem here is the view: you’re stuck behind his gigantic head and you can’t see a thing! So you’re whipping around the track and all you get is the back of Slinky Dog’s head. Where’s the fun in that?
PHOTOS: Slinky Dog Dash in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Seating Riders in Every Row
Toy Story Mania!
Toy Story Mania! only sits two riders per vehicle, so there isn’t a best or worst seat. HOWEVER, this ride-meets-game pits you against your seatmate, so instead of telling you where to sit, here are a few tips to get the highest score! Because that makes your seat the best no matter where you sit!
The first thing you want to remember is to aim for accuracy. Take your time and line up your shots — this will score way more points if you just keep randomly firing and not hitting anything. Also, some scenes have more high point targets, such as Woody’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Shootin’ Gallery — hit a shot through the saloon doors and new high-point targets will appear!
Those lava flow balloons in the Dino Darts scene? Hit those to make the volcano erupt with balloons worth 500 points each! In the Shoot Camp scene, you’ll want to hit both 2000 point plates — this will lift the rocks to reveal a tank that shoots 3000 point plates into the air! Happy gaming!
Here’s What It’s Like to Ride Toy Story Mania in a Reopened Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Hollywood Boulevard
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Best Seat: Okay, we’re still a little salty about losing The Great Movie Ride to this one, but we can still appreciate the new ride in its place — Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. There is a clear best seat for us and it’s the front row of the first car. Why? Because the other rows have plexiglass between them, which means you don’t see everything as well. It’s not as bad as the wet plexiglass on Frozen Ever After, but it still hinders your view.
Worst Seat: The absolute worst seat on the ride is the back row of the back car. Not only do you have to sit behind all that plexiglass, but your car is the last one to get to the room where you get to do the Cha-Cha (Daisy’s dance studio) and the first ne out, so you don’t get to have as much of that fun experience.
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Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Best Seat: As we previously mentioned, this one is a no-brainer. The best seat is one of the two pilot seats in the front. One pilot seat steers the ship left to right, while the other steers it up and down. And it’s really the ONLY job you want to have on the Falcon, trust us! So how do you get one of those seats? Ask a Cast Member once you get to the Chess Room — depending on how busy the ride is, they will try to accommodate you.
Worst Seat: We might argue that any seat that ISN’T a pilot seat is the worst seat in the Millennium Falcon, but the absolute worst are the Engineer seats. Not only is this the back seat on the attraction, pulling you a little further away from the Falcon’s “window,” (and there’s plexiglass in front of you there, too), but it literally involves nothing more than pushing a button here and there.
You’re stuck deciding do you focus on hitting the buttons when they light up or actually watch the ride happening. BO-RING. We know there are some diehard Engineer fans out there, so, of course, to each their own here. If you want a tamer experience where you can sit back and watch without the stressor of crashing the Falcon, Engineer might be perfect for you.
VIDEO: Feel the Force with this Virtual Ride on Disney’s Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run!
Rise of the Resistance
Best Seat: There are some that might argue that ANY seat on Rise of the Resistance is a good seat because scoring a boarding group can be difficult at times. But if you get lucky enough to get a boarding group, don’t you want the best ride experience possible? And that’s going to happen in the very front seat in the first car. This puts you in front of the plexiglass and gets you some one-on-one time with the Probe Droid (depending on which of the two cars you’re seated in, you get a slightly different ride experience. We happen to think the first car gets the slightly better end of the deal.)!
Worst Seat: So that means the worst seat is the back row of the back vehicle. You’re behind several layers of plexiglass at that point, so anything happening in front of you is a little blurred. Again, we recommend asking a Cast Member if you want a specific seat here — they might not be able to help, but it never hurts to ask!
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Sunset Boulevard
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Best Seat: Okay, so we usually recommend the back seat on coasters, and we’re going with that because it just feels faster. BUT the front ain’t so bad either, and you get that awesome view when the coaster takes off and goes from 0 to 57 mph in 2.5 seconds flat! Talk about a rush!
Worst Seat: The middle seats. In the back, you get all the sensations and thrills from the coaster’s wild ride. And the front gives you a great view. The middle means you’re not seeing quite as much in front of you and the thrill level is watered down a little bit. (But this ride has a pretty solid experience and view regardless of where you sit!)
Photos: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Now Seating Guests on Every Row in Disney World
Tower of Terror
Best Seat: Welcome to the Hollywood Tower Hotel… and the Twilight Zone. To get the full experience, you’ll want to sit in the front row because then you’ll have the best view of Hollywood Studios being laid out before you just before you plunge — multiple times — back to the Earth. Fun, amirite?
Worst Seat: The front gives you the best view, but the back is raised, so the view isn’t so bad from there either. It’s the middle seats that are probably the worst, although the way the seats are stacked, everyone has a chance to see the outside world pretty well before they fall to their doom. Of course, if you’re a bit nervous about riding Tower of Terror, the back corner seats might feel a bit more comforting to you.
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Grand Avenue
Muppet*Vision 3D
Best Seat: Theater rules for best and worst seats is what you’re going to want to think about here, as this is in a theater. The front would leave you straining your neck to see everything, so you want to be in the middle center. It’s not all bad near the front though — you get a great view of one of the surprises later on in the show. This will give you the best view of everything going on during the show because a lot happens on the left and right sides of the theater, too!
Worst Seat: The worst seat in this theater would be on one of the sides because you’ll find yourself straining to see any goings-on happening on the other side of the theater. Even the back row is better than that, as long as it’s center-ish. You might find yourself twisting to look behind you a fair bit though in the back!
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Commissary Lane and Grand Avenue
Star Tours
Best Seat: If you’re wanting to be the Rebel Spy, the best seat is wherever you’re at if you get chosen. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) this is at random. Otherwise, the front seems to toss you around a little less than the rest of the ride, which makes it better for those prone to motion sickness.
Worst Seat: The back gets a LOT of motion, and could make you feel like you’ve had one too many margaritas after a late night out. Sure, you might WANT that, but just in case you don’t, if you can skip the back row, do it. It just feels jerkier back there, too, so the experience isn’t quite as smooth.
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So these are our favorite and least favorite seats on these rides, and we hope it helps you a little bit when you’re given a choice of where to sit on these attractions!
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