This Orlando Disney Park Is About to Have Its Craziest Monday of the Year and Here Is Why
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is going to be one of the most crowded theme parks in the country this Monday, and if you were planning a casual visit without knowing what is happening, you are going to want to adjust your expectations significantly before you arrive. May 4 is Star Wars Day, and Hollywood Studios has already sold out of park reservations for the occasion, which tells you everything you need to know about the kind of crowd that is planning to be there.
The Park Is Sold Out
Annual Passholders who did not secure a Hollywood Studios reservation ahead of May 4 cannot begin their day at the park. The reservation system shows no availability, which means the workaround for Passholders is to enter a different Walt Disney World theme park first and then park-hop to Hollywood Studios later in the day. That option still exists, but it removes the early morning window when crowds are lightest and motivated guests make their biggest progress on must-do experiences. Standard ticket holders and Disney Resort guests are not facing the same restriction and can still access the park directly, meaning Hollywood Studios will be at full capacity with guests who planned months in advance.
Why Monday Is Going to Be So Intense
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is located inside Hollywood Studios, and it is the reason the park becomes the center of the Star Wars Day universe every May 4. The combination of a dedicated fan community, an immersive land that makes the Star Wars universe feel tangible, and a cultural moment that comes around only once a year creates a crowd dynamic that is genuinely different from a typical busy day at the park.
Disney has confirmed 11 exclusive Star Wars snacks coming to Hollywood Studios specifically for May 4. The new offerings include a Pink Milk plant-based rice milk blend at the Milk Stand, a Kamino Cooler served in a DJ R-3x Souvenir Mug at Oga’s Cantina featuring Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Dole Pineapple Juice among other ingredients, Ettel Nuts with sweet spicy and queso fundido flavors at beverage carts around Galaxy’s Edge, and the Your Chosen Path Cupcake at Backlot Express which contains a secret lightsaber color inside.
Special collectibles and souvenirs are also arriving for the day, including the Salvaged Protocol Droid Bucket, a Bantha Sipper, a DJ R-3X Mug, and a Jabba’s Sail Barge Bucket. Disney recently closed the Vacation Fun theater in Hollywood Studios to transform it into a May 4 merchandise experience, meaning exclusive Star Wars Day merchandise will be available in multiple locations across the park simultaneously rather than concentrated entirely in Galaxy’s Edge.
What This Means for Your Monday Disney Park Visit
If Star Wars Day is the reason you are visiting Walt Disney World this weekend and you have your reservation secured, Monday is going to deliver exactly the kind of immersive fan celebration that makes May the 4th at Hollywood Studios worth planning around. The exclusive food, collectibles, merchandise, and the energy inside Galaxy’s Edge on this day are genuinely unlike anything the park offers on a standard visit.
If you do not have a Hollywood Studios reservation and you are an Annual Passholder, the park hopping option is your path in but it requires entering another park first and adjusting your entire day around a later Hollywood Studios arrival. Plan for that before Monday morning rather than discovering it at the gate.
If crowds are not something you want to deal with on Monday, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom will be operating under significantly more normal conditions, without the added intensity that Star Wars Day brings to Hollywood Studios every year. Any of those three parks is a better choice for a relaxed Monday if Galaxy’s Edge and Star Wars Day are not the reason for your visit.
Monday is May the 4th. Hollywood Studios is sold out. The crowds are coming. Now you know.
