OPINION: Hollywood Studios: Good scares, good fun

Aug. 21—It goes without saying that some aspects of Walt Disney World are better than others — meaning some are closer to being worth the money than others. With prices on a constant upswing, not everyone I've talked to who would like to go can do all four parks.

Unless you have little kids, Hollywood Studios should probably be your first choice. At least, for the moment. A new attraction at any park may open to change the balance. But Hollywood Studios is more eclectic than any of the others in terms of what it offers, although it doesn't have quite the range of restaurants as, say, Epcot.

Here are 10 don't-miss attractions, not necessarily in the order you might like them.

1. Hollywood Tower of Terror. This spin-off on the old "Twilight Zone" series featuring Rod Serling be my traditional favorite. Guests wind through a cobweb-infested, deserted hotel — Eagles fans will immediately make a "Hotel California" connection — and through a ghostly library, where Serling tells the tale of how everything came about. Then you move through a creepy boiler room basement and are eventually escorted into what looks like a large freight elevator — designed by, you guessed it, Otis Elevator — only it has seats into which riders are strapped. The elevator lurches forward horizontally through an eerie landscape of the "Fifth Dimension," and then the real fun begins when things go vertical, with the "cage" shooting up, dropping dramatically, shuddering, and everything in between. And all this in the dark, except when "windows" open briefly, allowing riders a glimpse outside. Not for the faint-hearted or those with weak stomachs.

2. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith. The best coaster at WDW, bar none. The pre-show takes you into a recording studio, where the band itself — at least as they looked in the late '90s! — is recording and seems to interact with the audience. The trains — simulated super-stretch limousines — pull through what appears to be an underground garage in downtown Los Angeles, and the ride is mostly dark, giving the illusion of a freeway at night, complete with road signs and all. Once aboard, you'll shoot from zero to 57 mph in less than 3 seconds — this is a launch-type coaster — and you'll pull about 4-1/2 G's on the first inversion, with two more to follow. The whole time, you'll be hearing Aerosmith's music blasting from speakers near your ears. At the end, you'll get out and walk the red carpet for your "backstage passes."

3. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This is a tough ticket; at first, you had to score a spot in a "virtual line." This attraction actually has three parts, combining a trackless dark ride using magnets; a walk-through part featuring Stormtrooper animatrons; a motion simulator posing as the inside of a rebel ship; and a drop-ride system. Cast members literally act in that capacity for this feature. After the first simulator part, guests are overtaken by representatives of the Empire, but are eventually rescued by the good guys. This is a very elaborate attraction that's even appropriate for children. And who can resist Star Wars?

4. Toy Story Mania! This is still my husband's favorite, because he always "wins." Your ride vehicle takes you through a shooting gallery featuring "Toy Story" characters. Guests use virtual "pop guns" to break plates, toss rings, pitch pies and throw darts, racking up points as they go along. Fit for the young ones, and fun, too, because of the movie theme.

5. Muppet Vision 3D. This is actually a show featuring the Muppets, and while we don't do many shows, we always make this one, as well as one in Animal Kingdom. If nothing else, it gives you about 17 minutes of cool-down time in an air-conditioned theater, and you get to hear Miss Piggy sing — if you count that a privilege, which is OK by moi.

6. Star Wars: The Adventure Continues. This attraction — which my son used to call a "shaky room" — is still a sensory delight, as you cruise through the galaxy on a tourism transport, with C3PO as your accidental pilot. There are many different scenarios on various planets. My favorite is the pass through Kashyyyk (for the ignorant, that's the Wookiee planet).

7. Slinky Dog Dash. This starter coaster, another themed on "Toy Story," is smooth and not too fast, with a couple of undulating hills but no inversions, and one relatively mild "launch." Even my sister Lisa, who has become fearful of coasters in her dotage, was OK with this one.

8. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. If you're thinking there's a lot to the Galaxy's Edge portion of this park, you're right. This one takes six guests and gives each of them a function in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon: pilot, gunner or engineer, two of each. Although it's virtual, it's a bumpy ride if your husband and son insist on crashing into every asteroid in the galaxy. When that happens, Chewbacca — who can be seen observing your treatment of the ship, on a monitor — shrieks in frustration.

9. Alien Swirling Saucers. Not sure why I like this one, but your cart is pulled along and swings from side to side — again, using magnets and rotating wheels. You can kind of control the movement by leaning to the left or the right. It's like an elaborate Tilt-A-Whirl we remember from the state fair.

10. Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. What starts out as several cars behind an engine, with passengers seated therein, becomes a rocking, shaking, spinning attraction once the cars break apart — and they'll come back together, too, as scenes featuring all the beloved Disney characters come into play. It's fun for the kids, and not scary — even the tango Daisy Duck leads.

Next, we'll explore Epcot.