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Daily Disney - Sold out. Here's how to get in anyway.
Here's what matters today. Hollywood Studios is sold out tomorrow. Here's what you need to know.
Daily Disney May 4, 2026
Daily Disney - Sold out. Here's how to get in anyway.
Daily Disney
May 04, 2026
Monday, May 4
Good morning. May the Fourth be with you.
It's 81° and sunny in Lake Buena Vista, and Hollywood Studios is already sold out. Park reservations across every Annual Passholder tier are gone. If you didn't plan ahead, your options are park hopping or Disney Springs. Big Thunder Mountain reopened yesterday to opening-day crowds that wrapped through Frontierland, and the early reviews are in: Rainbow Caverns is back, the new trains are smoother, and the lowered 38-inch height requirement means a lot of kids just had their first ride. And today's Top Story is the only one that matters if you're anywhere near Galaxy's Edge.
Here's what matters today.
🎯 Top Story
Hollywood Studios is sold out tomorrow. Here's what you need to know.
May the 4th at Hollywood Studios is not a normal park day. It is the closest thing Walt Disney World has to a fan convention, and 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most heavily attended Star Wars Days the park has ever hosted. Park reservations are sold out across every Annual Passholder tier. If you have a reservation, this is what you're walking into and how to make the most of it. If you don't, you still have options.
The virtual queue. Disney is running a virtual queue for the exclusive May the 4th merchandise event. You must join through the My Disney Experience app. The Hollywood Studios queue opens at 7 AM Eastern. The Disney Springs queue (no park ticket needed) opens at 9 AM. Joining the queue does not guarantee access, and merch will sell out. Have the app updated and ready before you go to bed tonight.
The collectibles. This is what the lines are really about. The Salvaged Protocol Droid popcorn bucket (C-3PO's head with light-up eyes), the Jabba's Sail Barge popcorn bucket (hatch opens to reveal Jabba, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Salacious Crumb), the Bantha Sipper, and the DJ R-3X souvenir mug at Oga's Cantina. Limit two per person per transaction on all novelties. Mobile checkout is available at the Hollywood Studios event through My Disney Experience. On a day like this, use it.
The food. Exclusive Star Wars snacks are available at Hollywood Studios from May 4 through May 31. The headline is Pink Milk finally arriving at Walt Disney World at the Milk Stand in Galaxy's Edge - plant-based rice milk, sweet and fruity, non-alcoholic or with Bacardi as the Pink Milk Cooler. The Chosen One Cooler comes with a rechargeable Luke Skywalker lightsaber swizzle stick. The Sith Lord Libation comes with a Darth Vader version. Both available with or without vodka. The Your Chosen Path Cupcake at Backlot Express has a hidden lightsaber color baked inside. Oga's Cantina has the Kamino Cooler served in the new DJ R-3X mug, plus Batuu Bites and the Roaring Loth-Cat.
The atmosphere. Coordinated group costumes, custom droid builds, lightsabers everywhere, and a Galaxy's Edge energy that doesn't exist any other day of the year. If you're a Star Wars fan, this is the day. If you're not and you just happen to be visiting, ride Rise of the Resistance and Smugglers Run early and know that the crowds will be heavier than usual all day.
The pro move. If you're an Annual Passholder who missed the reservation window, enter any other park first and hop to Hollywood Studios during park hours. Park hopping is subject to capacity, but Hollywood Studios rarely shuts out hoppers even on its busiest days. Book Lightning Lanes for Rise of the Resistance and Smugglers Run as early as possible. Both will sell out. And if you don't have park tickets at all, Disney Springs has its own merch event starting at 9 AM with no admission required.
How do you celebrate May the 4th at WDW? (Choose One) |
⚡ Daily Disney QUICK HITS
Big Thunder Mountain reopened yesterday after more than a year of refurbishment. First-day riders are reporting a noticeably smoother track, restored Rainbow Caverns effects, refreshed Audio-Animatronics throughout the mine shaft scenes, and new gold props. The lowered 38-inch height requirement (down from 40) is already bringing families who couldn't ride before. Expect opening-week waits to remain brutal through the weekend.
Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney's Yacht Club Resort closes May 11 for a full refurbishment and is expected to reopen in early August. If this is a must-do for your trip, book before May 10. Crew's Cup Lounge at the same resort is already closed through June 1.
V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days are now active through July 31 for Walt Disney World Annual Passholders. Perks include exclusive new Passholder merchandise, increased dining discounts at select restaurants, resort hotel discounts, and a new collectible Toy Story AP magnet available at EPCOT.
Soarin' Around the World closes permanently on May 14. That's 10 days from today. Soarin' Across America replaces it on May 26 as part of the U.S. 250th anniversary celebration. The new film features entirely new scenes shot specifically for the attraction. If you want to ride the current version one last time, rope drop EPCOT this week.
Daily Disney Insider Tip
If you're at Hollywood Studios today and want Oga's Cantina, do not walk up and wait. You will not get in.
Oga's Cantina operates on a reservation system through My Disney Experience, and on May the 4th, those reservations were gone weeks ago. The walk-up waitlist opens at park opening and fills almost immediately. Your best shot is to check the app repeatedly throughout the day. Cancellations happen. Guests no-show. Slots reappear, usually between 2 PM and 4 PM when the initial reservation wave clears. Set a reminder to refresh the app every 15 minutes during that window. When a slot appears, grab it. You won't get a second chance.
If Oga's doesn't happen, Docking Bay 7 has the lightsaber swizzle sticks (both Luke and Vader versions) with the Moof Juice and Takondana Quencher. Same collectible, shorter wait, no reservation needed. Mobile Order it.
📊 Today's Crowd Size Snapshot
Magic Kingdom is moderate. Big Thunder's second day will still draw Frontierland traffic, but the May the 4th crowd is at Hollywood Studios today, not here. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON hold real waits. Good day for Magic Kingdom.
EPCOT is light to moderate. Flower & Garden continues but Monday weekday crowds are thin. Strong day for Guardians of the Galaxy standby and Frozen Ever After. Soarin' may see nostalgia-driven traffic as word spreads about its May 14 closure.
Animal Kingdom is light. Monday is historically quiet here. Flight of Passage climbs by mid-morning but the rest of the park breathes well. Strong rope drop opportunity.
Hollywood Studios is very heavy. May the 4th. Sold out. Merchandise virtual queues. Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, and Smugglers Run will all hold extreme waits. Lightning Lane Multi Pass is mandatory today.
Strategy: If you're not here for Star Wars, stay away from Hollywood Studios. Magic Kingdom and EPCOT are your plays today. Animal Kingdom is the pressure valve. If you are here for Star Wars, get to Hollywood Studios as early as possible, join the merchandise virtual queue at 7 AM, ride Rise of the Resistance first, and plan your day around the food and collectible drops.
🚢 The Porthole - Disney Cruise Line
Disney Treasure is currently mid-voyage on a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary out of Port Canaveral, having departed May 2 with stops in Cozumel and Castaway Cay. At just over a year old, the Treasure is the second Wish-class ship and the newest vessel sailing year-round from Florida. If a land-and-sea combo is on your radar, Port Canaveral is roughly an hour from Walt Disney World, and the Treasure's alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings make it easy to tack a cruise onto either end of a park trip. The ship carries 4,000 passengers, features the same AquaMouse water coaster and 1923 restaurant as Disney Wish, and adds the Periscope Pub (a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea themed lounge that Wish doesn't have). Fall 2026 sailings are booking now.
🌤 7-Day Weather Forecast — Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Trend: Monday is comfortable. Wednesday the heat arrives and doesn't leave, pushing into the low 90s through the weekend. Mid-60s overnight lows keep early morning rope drop pleasant, but by 2 PM you'll want shade, water, and an AC show break. Hydrate before you're thirsty.
🎯 Final Take
May the 4th is a test of whether you planned or showed up.
The guests who booked their Hollywood Studios reservation months ago, who set their alarm for the 7 AM virtual queue, who already know which collectible they're targeting and which Lightning Lane they need first, will have a great day. The guests who checked the reservation calendar this morning and found out it's sold out will have a different one.
Disney rewards preparation. Every system in the park, from Lightning Lane to dining reservations to virtual queues, gives an advantage to the guest who planned ahead. That's not a bug. That's the design. The guests who treat their Disney trip like a project instead of a vacation are the ones who come home saying it was the best trip they ever took.
May the Force be with you. And may the virtual queue be with you even more.
See you tomorrow.
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Unofficial fan news — Not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company.
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