In this post we give an overview of Alien Swirling Saucers, a spinning ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Walt Disney World. We cover the basics of the ride, how to ride it, and our thoughts on the experience before closing with an FAQ. Read on to learn more!
Related Posts
This post is a quick guide to Alien Swirling Saucers, but we have related content that dives deeper into topics. Our Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane post covers Lightning Lane strategy in depth. The Hollywood Studios Rides and Entertainment Guide gives brief introductions to all the park’s offerings. For putting together your day at the park, we have a One Day Plan for Hollywood Studios.
And if you want to dive into more about the other rides at Hollywood Studios, we have guides to each:
Alien Swirling Saucers Basics
Alien Swirling Saucers is a spinning ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. The ride
offers rider switch
is a tier 2 ride on Lightning Lane Multi Pass
does not have a single rider line
is about 2 minutes long
If you’re visiting Hollywood Studios with small children, mind the 32 inch height requirement. Nearby Toy Story Mania has no height requirement. Otherwise, your non-rider might enjoy hanging out in the land and watching both Alien Swirling Saucers and Slinky Dog Dash, both of which bring energy to the area.
Where is Alien Swirling Saucers located?
Alien Swirling Saucers is located in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios.
Entering the park, you’ll walk straight to the hub (where the Chinese Theater with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is). From the hub, facing the theater, you want to head right and forward, to the back corner of the park (if you wind up at Star Wars Launch Bay, you went right too hard).
Walking into Toy Story Land from this side you’ll have Slinky Dog Dash along the right, and after that Alien Swirling Saucers. Alien Swirling Saucers is near the entrance to Galaxy’s Edge, opposite the Toy Story Land bathrooms. Look for the giant Buzz Lightyear statue.
If you’re riding it first at rope drop (which is generally not recommended), you’ll just queue outside of Toy Story Land before the land opens. Most guests will be heading to Slinky Dog Dash or Toy Story Mania.
How to Ride Alien Swirling Saucers
Alien Swirling Saucers is overall a low priority ride at Hollywood Studios, with one caveat. If you have Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you should know that the thin lineup of tier 2 rides at Hollywood Studios means Alien Swirling Saucers is not always the easiest Lightning Lane to snag. It might require some effort (refreshing) or planning on your part.
Otherwise, my only tip for Alien Swirling Saucers is that you don’t want to have to take time out of your day to get to it. If you have cause to be in Toy Story Land or Galaxy’s Edge, and Alien Swirling Saucers is posting a wait of 30 minutes or less, probably just ride it.
We’ll usually get to it at the end of our rope drop, typically either:
Rise of the Resistance, Smugglers Run, Alien Swirling Saucers OR
Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucers
Waits tend to drop once families with younger kids start to leave the park.
Andy might Want to Upgrade This One
Alien Swirling Saucers is a spinning ride sort of like Mad Tea Party (“the teacups”) but with vehicles that “whip” back and forth rather than individually spinning. This is less nausea-inducing than the teacups, in our experience.
I don’t have too much to say about this one. I don’t think of it highly, overall, but my kid does enjoy riding it, so we never miss it. Overall, I’ve always felt like a park with only two rides without a height requirement wasn’t served by adding this one—with a 32” height requirement. Even a carousel would have been better, I think.
The ride lasts about two minutes.
Alien Swirling Saucers FAQ
Can infants ride Alien Swirling Saucers?
Because it has a height requirement of 32 inches, most infants will not be able to ride Alien Swirling Saucers.
Does Alien Swirling Saucers make you sick or Dizzy?
While the motion of Alien Swirling Saucers could make some people sick, it’s significantly less nauseating than rides like Mad Tea Party, in which the vehicles can spin pretty much nonstop. The Alien Swirling Saucers vehicles sway back and forth on rotating platforms, but we’ve never experienced anything near sickness or dizziness on them.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
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Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
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