Disney's Hollywood Studios

As the title implies, DHS is movie-and-TV themed. Attractions are almost entirely based on entertainment properties: Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Power Rangers, Twilight Zone, Little Mermaid, Toy Story and even a backlot tour. Many of the attractions here might have height limits that would exclude your kids (but it's noted in all of the park maps you can find).

The "big" attraction here is Toy Story Mania (TSM). It's pretty cool - a ride with 3D effects. I love doing it, and so do most others, as evidenced by the long standby lines. Never fear though, just get to DHS early in the morning, get a FP and then come back and only wait in the short line. One thing that most people will miss, however, is a special appearance OUTSIDE the ride (across the "street", actually) by Luxo, Jr., the little desk lamp that starts every Pixar movie. He comes out every 10-15 minutes, does a little musical dance thing and then goes back behind louvered doors. It's even cooler at night when he controls lights in the trees around TSM. Don't miss it. Update: I have heard a rumor that due to intellectual property rights, Luxo, Jr. doesn’t appear anymore. But I haven’t been there yet to find out first hand.

Your daughter(s), if any, will love Voyage of the Little Mermaid - she's actually live and performing. It's also a dark, cool, indoor attraction - great to break the heat. The same is true for "The Great Movie Ride" - it's one of those slow-moving things like Ellen's Energy Adventure at Epcot. It can be slightly scary at times (especially when you get into the Alien area), but overall, it's harmless.

On the other hand, virtually all school-aged kids will probably love Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular. And if you show up early enough, you (or they) could be selected to join the "cast" during the show. It's rare, but it can happen. The same is true for Lights! Motors! Action! (now with a special guest appearance by Lightning McQueen and Finn McMissile)... but one thing to know about THAT show is that you're sitting on metal bleachers for about 45 minutes... in the blazing sun. So make sure you have water with you before you enter the stadium entrance.

I really love Rock'n'Roller Coaster, starring Aerosmith. I won't say too much, as it's my favorite ride in the entire property - but if you like roller coasters, this one will knock your socks off. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is also really cool. It's not a roller coaster... more of a lift and drop you several times (actually, it's 100% controlled, so you get PULLED down faster than gravity would take you), type of ride. Lots of fun, scary as all get out the first time you do it. And the theming is, of course, off the charts, which adds to the freakiness of the ride.

Girls will probably like the Beauty and the Beast show. It's outdoors, but covered/shaded from the sun. It's actually not bad, as far as shows go. My favorite part about it, though, is that on most weekdays, there's an acapella group called Return2Zero that performs an "unexpected" and unadvertized pre-show. They pretend to be microphone checker-people... then break out into song. And they're really good.

Kids love finding Lighting McQueen and Mater near the Streets of America as well. They also like the large "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" play area near the Backlot Tour. Kids and adults like the Muppets in 3-D show - Waldorf and Statler are even in attendance.

The icon for this park is affectionately known as the Big Ass Hat (BAH). It's in the center of the park and this is where you can find various character meet/greets throughout the day. It's also the epicenter for the High School Musical live performance. And it's a pretty good place to see the Stars and Motorcars parade in the middle of the day. New for 2011 is a different parade, too, but I've not yet seen it so I can't comment much on it.

At night, the fireworks show here is called Fantasmic! It's a little more involved and centralized than the other parks... you actually have to go sit in a theatre-style setting. It's also the only show where there are actual characters involved.... and the ONLY place where you can get a photograph of Steamboat Mickey as a walk-around character. Given the seating, though, you need to arrive relatively early if you want a good seat. There are dinner and a show options, too, though with kids, I'm not sure that's of benefit.

Special events at DHS include the Star Wars Weekends and Soap Opera Weekends. Both seem pretty self-explanatory to me, but again, go to the Disney Parks website for specifics and timing.