New Hollywood Studios FastPass tiers coming August 29

 As you can see from the chart above, the majority of the rides will now be in the "Tier 1" category, while the majority of the shows (plus Star Tours) will be in Tier 2.

This means you'll have some difficult decisions to make when it comes time to planning your day in the park.

How to tour with the new FastPass tiers

If you are traveling before August 29, the current Hollywood Studios touring plans will still work the same way they always have. 

If, however, you are traveling August 29 and beyond you'll need to have a new approach that is going to depend heavily on which Tier 1 FastPass+ you have.

We understand (and totally sympathize!) that people are anxious to know what the best method to tour will be, and while we don't know everything yet, we do have some ideas.

We are currently working on updating our Hollywood Studios touring plans to reflect both the opening of Galaxy's Edge as well as the new tiers.

As soon as those are finished you'll find them in the link above, but, keep in mind we won't be able to make definitive suggestions until after the new Star Wars land opens up.

Hollywood Studios in the immediate weeks after the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

To help those that are traveling in the early days and weeks after the new land opens, we do have a list of some tips, thoughts, and suggestions we can pass along now so that you can be prepared when your FastPass+ window opens up in the next few weeks.

This list may change as we learn more, but as of right now these are the things that we think will be important. 

• The (likely true) rumor is that Disney does not plan to utilize the same reservation system for Galaxy's Edge at Hollywood Studios as they did out at Disneyland. That means if you want to see the area (and ride Smuggler's Run) you'll need to plan on getting to the park early. 
• If you are staying onsite and traveling during the time when there are Extra, Extra Magic Hours, use them. That will be the best way to ensure you get to see and ride the maximum number of attractions in the park. Yes, those opening times are early, but they will be worth it.
• If you can't make it for Extra, Extra Magic Hours (because you are either staying off-property or just can't arrive to the parks that early), you will have to make some tough choices on which attractions you will focus on as you won't be able to "do it all".
• If you are staying Club Level at a Walt Disney World Resort, don't forget that you can purchase 3 additional FastPasses/person/day (minimum purchase of 3 days required). You can't use them on Smuggler's Run but when paired with your 3 standard FastPasses you could potentially have FastPasses for all but one Tier 1 attraction (a huge time saver!).
• The wait times for the attractions will be the shortest first thing in the morning and right before closing, so if you can't be there when the park opens, your Plan B can be to jump into line for one of your must-ride attractions shortly before the park closes. (Note: oftentimes the wait times listed by Disney are inflated/longer than they actually are so don't let that scare you away.)
• Your best bets for FastPasses when the new tiers go into place will be the attractions that see the lines grow the longest the fastest (more on that below). 

Hollywood Studios after November 2

If Extra, Extra Magic Hours aren't extended (and as of right now we have no word that they will be), touring will take a bit of a different look starting November 3.

By that point, Galaxy's Edge will have been open for 2 months which will give us a much better look into how this newly themed (and highly anticipated) area plays into the overall touring of Hollywood Studios.

Look for our first batch of plans for that time period soon.

Choosing the best Tier 1 

Now that we know the FastPass+ tiers will be changing (and fairly dramatically, at that) it becomes more important than ever to select the best ones for your traveling party.

Here's our thoughts on your 5 tier 1 options:

Slinky Dog Dash (38" height requirement)

This is our #1 recommendation and the one we will aim to snag for opening day (and the days beyond).

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (48" height requirement, Single Rider Line available)

This attraction tends to have waits that are similar to Slinky Dog Dash; however, it also has a Single Rider Line. Only get this as your Tier 1 if you can't get Slinky Dog Dash AND if your party can't utilize the Single Rider Line.

Toy Story Mania (no height requirement)

This was once the hottest ticket in Hollywood Studios and it remains popular to this day. The capacity here has been expanded but it can still see lengthy lines form. This is a decent option for Tier 1 if you need a ride with no height restrictions, can't get Slinky Dog Dash, or you plan to ride Rock 'n' Roller Coaster using the Single Rider line.

Alien Swirling Saucers (32" height requirement)

This attraction is popular; however, the lines here don't build as quickly as they do for the other Tier 1 attractions nor do they tend to be as long. If you plan to ride Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, or Toy Story Mania, use your Tier 1 option there, instead, and plan to ride this one as close to park opening as possible.

Tower of Terror (40" height requirement)

This attraction has been under a partial refurbishment lately which has been creating longer-than-average lines. However, if that is completed by August 29 the lines here typically hover around the same wait as what you'd find at Toy Story Mania making it a less desirable option for your Tier 1 FastPass.