Mickey Mouse's Legendary Hat at Disney World's Hollywood Studios

If you’re visiting Disney World with a preschooler in tow, you’ll find that the Magic Kingdom park has the most to offer your younger vacationer.  But chances are, if you’ve spent thousands of dollars on airfare and hotel, you’ve also ponied up for the park hopper pass and plan to hit the other three Disney World parks as well.

What can you do with your preschooler while the older kids are hitting Hollywood Studios’ Twilight Zone Tower of Terror?  Check out these preschool friendly attractions at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios.

6 Things For Preschoolers To Do At Disney World’s Hollywood Studios

1. Toy Story Mania – ride

Arguably the most popular ride in Hollywood Studios, the fast passes for Toy Story Mania run out quickly. If you’re set on enjoying this (and you should be – it’s fun for the whole family), make this your first stop of the day. If you don’t get a fast pass, expect at least an hour long wait, which is actually pretty tolerable thanks to the ginormous animatronic Mr. Potato Head telling jokes in the waiting area. The ride itself features a series of interactive, carnival style video games. It’s a blast.

2. Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage

This 25-minute, Broadway-style musical raised its curtains for the first time on the same day that the Beauty and the Beast movie hit theaters.  Your little one (and, let’s face it, everyone else in your family) will love the costumes, singing and dancing.  You can be seated up to 20 minutes before showtimes.

3. Muppet*Vision 3-D – 3-D show

More than a 3-D movie, this attraction features a 12-minute long “pre-show”, muppet animitronics, and – of course – the 17-minute long main event 3-D movie. Of course, chances are that you’re more familiar with the individual Muppets than your preschooler is.

4. Playhouse Disney — Live on Stage

This is one show that will probably bore and annoy your older children, but absolutely delight the preschoolers. It’s a great option for entertaining little ones while the big kids go on “big kid” rides. The show features a host of Playhouse Disney characters, including Mickey & Minnie, the Little Einsteins, and Handy Manny. It’s a fun, interactive show that encourages singing, clapping, and on-your-feet dancing along.

5. “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” Movie Set Adventure – free play area

This is the granddaddy of all free play areas. It offers 11,000 square feet of oversized props, including a 52-foot long leaking water hose, 40-foot tall bumblebees, 30-foot tall blades of grass and slides made from oversized film strips.

6. Voyage of The Little Mermaid – live action show

This 15-minute musical attraction is also very popular, so you’ll want to pick up a Fast Pass here. What’s all the fuss about? Stunning puppetry and sweeping sets let you become part of Ariel’s world instead of mere audience members. And who doesn’t love every single song that came out of The Little Mermaid?

Aaaaand… yeah, that’s about it for preschool fun at Hollywood Studios.  But you can actually pack a pretty full day between character greetings and the onslaught of shows available here.  If you hit Disney during the winter holiday season, Hollywood Studios is also home to the best light display on earth, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.

If you’re headed to Orlando and Disney World to escape a colder season farther North, Hollywood Studios is a great option for a “half day at the park/half day relaxing in the hotel pool” – at least if you have preschoolers to keep entertained.

Photo by dawnzy58 on Flickr.