Disclosure: My family and I were provided tickets by Disney, but all opinions are my own.
Guests visiting the recently opened Toy Story Land 11-acre addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios are transported to Andy’s backyard where they become “honorary toys” and play with their favorite characters in a new twist on classic adventures based on the beloved Pixar Animation Studios’ hit Toy Story films.
The Rides:
Toy Story Midway Mania!
Since its 2008 debut, Toy Story Mania! has been a blockbuster hit with families, combining the fun of a video game, 4D technology and interactions with favorite Pixar stars, including Woody, Jessie, Buzz Lightyear, Hamm, Buttercup, Rex and Trixie.
As the all-new gateway to the ride-through action inside, the carnival-style entrance with its candy-striped marquee is, in fact, the box Andy’s Toy Story Mania! Midway Games Playset came in. Looking out over the rest of Toy Story Land, the entrance welcomes stand-by and FastPass+ guests to fun and fast-paced games of skill.
Guests queue through colorful games and game pieces, View-Master discs, Crayola crayon drawings and more. In one “box” of the queue, guests walk through a carnival midway that surrounds them on all sides. In another, they come across an Audio-Animatronics figure of Mr. Potato Head, who returns to Toy Story Mania! to serve as “Boardwalk Barker,” greeting guests with wise-cracking zingers.
After a practice round of virtual pie-tossing, there are five game stops in all – plus 4D surprises like air blasts and water sprays.
Guests in moving ride vehicles maneuver their pull-string, spring-action “shooters” to lob simulated projectiles at animated targets. Gameplay includes tossing virtual baseballs at plates, virtual darts at balloons, virtual rings on Aliens and virtual hardboiled eggs at barnyard animals. Players rack up points when they nail the targets, with harder-to-hit marks notching higher values.
Scores are tallied at the end to determine the master of the midway, or at least who has bragging rights among family and friends. In the end, whether guests are experts or beginners, everyone’s a winner!
Slinky Dog Dash
Jumping on the coolest canine toy ever, guests are in for a rollicking good time as Disney’s Hollywood Studios unleashes Slinky Dog Dash in the new Toy Story Land at the Walt Disney World Resort. This multi-launch, family-friendly roller coaster careens around bends and “catches air” over camelback humps as it runs across the 11-acre land.
As honorary toys, guests have Andy of Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story films to thank for this incredibly fun experience. They get to ride his creation and be inside Slinky Dog’s coils as the lovable pooch twists and turns around the track. It all takes place in Andy’s backyard, where he used the Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster Play Kit to assemble this speedy toy.
Guests approaching the ride launch see Andy’s plans sketched out in Crayola crayon on notebook paper. Glue bottles, empty toy boxes and stray coaster parts and pieces are strewn about – Andy’s pet project was clearly a work in progress when he was called away. But that’s when the toys will play!
“The first half of the ride is many swirls, turns and dips, and after the second launch come a drop and camelback humps – as if you were playing with a Slinky Dog toy,” explained Dave Minichiello, Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering.
Alien Swirling Saucers
Alien saucer pilots are straight out of the Toy Story movies, with their pointy ears, three eyes, short antennae and facial expressions designed to convey surprise or delight. Each extraterrestrial has hitched its flying saucer to one of 22 rocket ships; together, flying saucers and rockets spin through the Pizza Planet galaxy.
With “The Claw” dangling overhead, guests climb aboard their rocket ships and hover in Pizza Planet’s version of “deep-dish space” for an out-of-this-world saucer whirl to the beat of new versions of Toy Story songs and musical themes. During the adventure, the Aliens spin guests around toy icons like Planet Pepperonia and a pizza-inspired space station.
The Food:
Woody’s Lunchbox
Woody’s Lunchbox serves tasty meals with a side of sentimentality. Here are some of the classic on-the-go menu items with a creative twist:
S’more French Toast
Inspired by the classic American campfire treat, this breakfast sandwich oozes goodness in a chocolate ganache- and marshmallow-stuffed French toast topped with graham cracker crumbles.
Grilled Three-Cheese Sandwich
To ensure a soft gooey middle, Disney chefs created a sharp cheddar cream cheese spread, layered in provolone and cheddar and wrapped the sandwich in garlic butter-grilled French bread.
BBQ Brisket Melt
With a nod to cowboy Woody, this Texas-style smoked brisket features cheddar, Monterey Jack, pickles, BBQ sauce and garlic butter-grilled sourdough.
Totchos
This bite-sized treat combines potato barrels, corn chips, chili and queso.
Lunch Box Tarts
A modern interpretation of a breakfast toaster pastry as a hand-held dessert, these feature a uniquely delicate crust. Layer in high-quality ingredients for fillings, add a decorative garnish, and these tasty tarts beat anything Mom ever packed. Choice of Raspberry Lunch Box Tart garnished with Icing and Dried Fruit and Chocolate-Hazelnut Lunch Box Tart garnished with Icing and Caramelized Bacon
Kids’ Menu – Grilled cheese or turkey sandwich, both with potato barrels and mandarin oranges.
Sides – Tomato basil soup, vegetable macaroni salad, potato barrels and Mini Babybel snack cheese, the Official Snack Cheese of Walt Disney World Resort.
In addition to fountain drinks and refreshing lemonade, beverage offerings include a classic Barq’s root beer float and a Mystic Portal Punch (PowerAde Mountain Berry Blast with flavors of lemon-lime and tangerine). For the big kids, there’s a Grown Up’s Lemonade with cherry vodka, Odwalla Lemonade, and black cherry purée.
Woody’s Lunchbox is from park open until the toys close up shop – that is, park close. Disney Dining Plan is also accepted.
Merchandise:
What would Toy Story Land be without… THE TOYS! Disney does not disappoint with the merchandise aspect of this new land. Guests find exclusive logoed merchandise, must-have collectibles and unique gifts that become take-home memories of their days in the newest land at Walt Disney World Resort. Alien-themed light-up tumblers, colorful tote bags, home décor, caps and coffee cups, bracelets and backpacks, collector pins and t-shirts are available throughout the area and fans can also find the full line of Pixar merchandise in stores crisscrossing Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including Beverly Sunset, In Character and Mickey’s of Hollywood.
Among the enticing choices:
•Guests can wear Slinky Dog, inspired by the Slinky Dog Dash family-friendly coaster. Slinky Dog’s stretching coils wrap around guests as a toy and fashion accessory, with playful light-up rings.
•The Buzz Lightyear Bubble Blower is sure to be a hit. Buzz shoots bubbles out of his helmet, and everyone’s favorite space ranger also features a light-up chest and arms.
•Guests can make a fashion statement with a unique headband or stylish apparel. They can “get their alien on” in an optic-green headband with a row of eyeballs belonging to a space Alien; the eyes shift with each head movement. There is also a delightfully amusing headband perched on by Slinky Dog. For true fashionistas, a fun graphic shirt splashed with Toy Story characters is just the ticket. Or accessorize with a necklace playfully strung with Toy Story
•“I Played There” commemorative t-shirts let the world know the wearer was among the first guests to experience Toy Story Land.
•Disney’s new merchandise line also includes small-scale replicas of attraction vehicles – Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers – that no shelf in a child’s room should be without. A spring-action Slinky Dog Dash & Dodge Power Boost Set sends Slinky Dog on his way, just like the family-friendly coaster that inspired it. When designing the replica toys, the Disney Parks Merchandise team used the actual 3D files created for the attractions by Walt Disney Imagineering.
For more information about what you can expect to experience while visiting Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, to book FastPass+, and check current wait times, make resort or dining reservations, or for additional information please check out the My Disney Experience app!
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