Toy Story Mania

Toy Story Mania is the top new ride in Disney Hollywood Studios. It's also a great video game available for the Wii and other video consoles. Toy Story Midway Mania (that's what the sign on the outside says) opened in 2008 to huge crowds, long lines and just a couple of nay sayers.

Toy Story Mania at Disney Hollywood Studios

Photo by tom.arthur

The Movie

This ride is based on the mega-hit movie Toy Story. The movie was first released in 1995. It was the first movie to be totally computer generated. Pixar Animation Studios produced the movie and Disney distributed it. (This was before Disney and Pixar merged.)

The movie stars Tom Hanks as a cowboy doll named Woody and Tim Allen as a toy called Buzz Lightyear. These characters (and several others) come to life whenever humans aren't present and have some rowdy adventures.

At the time of it's release it was one of the top grossing animation films ever. There have been spin offs and games and even a sequel, Toy Story 2, based on the movie. (Coming in June of 2010, Toy Story 3.)

Toy Story Mania joins Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, in the Magic Kingdom, and Toy Story Pizza Planet, also in Disney Hollywood Studios, as attractions (yes, Toy Story Pizza Planet is more than a restaurant) from the movie in Disney World. (Dad's editorial comment) It's interesting that a movie that wasn't even a Disney movie has more attractions then Mickey himself.

The Video Game

Toy Story Mania Wii is the video game based on the movie. It includes the games that are in the attraction and several additional games hosted by characters from the movie. It can be played by up to 4 players.

There are 10 shooting arcade games and 30 mini-games on the DVD. The game supports both competitive and cooperative options. There are also some 3D features that are truly astounding.

The Crowds

Toy Story Mania draws crowds from the second the park opens. Lines reach up to 3 hours long on busy days and over an hour on slow days.

How to beat the crowds - be one of the first people in line when the park opens. As soon as you are let in to the park walk quickly (Disney discourages running in the parks) to the attraction and have some fun.

The Preshow

Disney has great preshows. Toy Story Mania has one of the most unique. The lines snake through a maze of oversize kids toys. After a few twists and turns you come an attraction in an attraction. An 8 foot tall Mr. Potato Head (an audio-animatronics figure) interacts with guests in the line. Don Rickles (the voice of Mr. Potato Head from the movie) sings, tells jokes and talks to people in the audience. It's kinda like Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot or Monster Inc. Laugh Floor, but a little different.

It's the most sophisticated preshow in all of Disney World.

The Attraction

Throw on the 3D glasses and off we go. Like Buzz Lightyear, you enter a vehicle that has canons that can be fired at targets and points are displayed on the screen in the middle of the car. Unlike Buzz, 2 riders face one way and 2 riders face the other. The vehicle is preprogrammed and not steered (like Buzz).

The attraction is based on a midway carnival. The games are carnival type games like ring toss and baseball throw. First there's a practice exercise. Points are scored by hitting a target. In the practice exercise you throw pies at at target (you shoot the canon by pulling the string). No points are awarded in the practice round, but it does help you figure out how the canon works.

There are 5 games you play after the pie toss. Each game is a little different and is hosted by characters from the movie.

• Hamm & Eggs (egg throw game)
• Bo Peep's Baaa-loon Pop (dart game)
• Green Army Men Shoot Camp (baseball throw/plate breaking)
• Buzz Lightyear's Flying Tossers (ring toss)
• Woody's Rootin' Shootin' Gallery (suction cup shooting game)

The characters Woody, Hamm, Buzz Lightyear, and Bo Peep appear at the appropriate times. Scores are kept on the center console. At the end of the game you get to see how you've faired against the best scores of the day. (Parents don't be too concerned, these kids today are born with at joy stick in their hands.)

The Postshow

Just like all the Disney rides of the last few years, you will exit into the gift shop.

Video

Here is a great video that shows how the ride works.

Fun Facts

Here are some interesting tidbits -

• Disney built Toy Story Midway Mania for both Disney World and Disneyland at the same time. This is the first attraction that was ever done for.
• Randy Newman composed the score for the movies and for the preshow. Over an hour of music was recorded just for the preshow (which means on a busy day you'll hear the same song 3 times).
• Toy Story Mania Wii was released in September 2009

History

This ride opened in May of 2008. The Disneyland version opened in June of 2008.

Dad's Ride Information Table

The Fine Print

Here's some small print information

• Handheld Captioning is available with this attraction
• Guest activated captioning is available in the ride vehicles. Ask a castmember for assistance.
• Guest must transfer from a wheelchair, motorized scooter or ECV to enjoy this attraction.
• Flash Photography is not allowed.

Dad's Bottom Line

Dad can't wait to ride this ride. Every spy Dad has sent down there lately says that it's a great ride and worth standing in line for (at least for a little while). Dad can't wait to see if this makes one of my all time favorite Walt Disney World rides.

Grab a Fastpass and have a ball.

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