Exploring Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Toy Story Land officially opened on June 30, 2018, and it’s been a huge hit! The project was announced on August 15, 2015. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time in the land and are excited for you to experience it too. Read on for our full review below.

1 – You Are a Toy!

Toy Story Land is inspired by Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story films, turns guests of all ages into “honorary toys” and allows them to “play big” in the whimsical world of a child’s imagination. In Toy Story Land, Woody, Jessie, Buzz Lightyear, Slinky Dog, Green Army Men, and other fun-loving Toy Story characters come to life in the outdoor setting of Andy’s backyard. A world of toys surrounds guests: giant building blocks, Tinkertoys, yo-yos, board-game pieces, dominoes, Scrabble tiles, and even a giant roller coaster set. The entire land encourages the best playtime ever. It really is a very cool-themed land. The land is very immersive, and you’ll actually feel like you are in Andy’s backyard.

2 – Theming

Toy Story Land also celebrates what defines entertainment for kids of all ages. Crayola crayons, a Rubik’s Cube, Cooties, and other toys and games pour on the nostalgia for park-goers – and fascinate young ones. With building blocks around every corner, there are lampposts shaped like Tinkertoys and benches built from Lincoln Logs and K’nex pieces. A balsa-wood glider, a Barrel of Monkeys, giant playing cards, and jacks add to the visual tapestry of the new land.

Sheriff Woody, standing nearly 20 feet tall, welcomes all to Toy Story Land by jauntily leaning on a tall assemblage of colorful wooden blocks, tipping his wide-brimmed hat to guests while holding onto his trusty lasso.

“With set pieces, staging, attractions and experiences, Toy Story Land represents the best of Walt Disney Imagineering’s collaboration with our storytelling partners at Pixar Animation Studios,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products. “This new land will place guests inside the wondrous world of Woody, Buzz, and their pals – and invite everyone to experience the joy of being a toy.”

Be on the lookout for some exceptional themed items such as popsicle stick benches and domino seats. We’re sure they are hidden Mickey’s, but we didn’t have time to find them yet (email us if you spot any). It will be a lot of fun to explore the land more fully in the next few months!

3 – Slinky Dog Dash

The main attraction for this new land is Slinky Dog Dash. From his Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster Kit, Andy has assembled his roller coaster for maximum family fun. But instead of just using the roller coaster vehicle that came with the kit, Andy has put his Slinky Dog on the track. The result is a family-friendly thrill ride around the backyard that includes two launches. Tracks and supports in bright colors of red, orange, yellow, and blue were snapped together according to Andy’s hand-drawn plans. Rex and Jessie helped by stringing lights above Andy’s stacked Jenga game pieces. To complete his creation, Andy picked everyone’s favorite floppy-eared dachshund with a stretching coil body – Slinky Dog – and dropped it onto the coaster track. Slinky Dog Dash is inspired by the delightful pooch spinoff of Slinky, the classic 1940s American toy. Riders of all ages delight as Slinky Dog bends and twists his coils (you’ll hear that sound on the ride) around curves, over hills, and down drops in the Slinky-est coaster ever. In each 18-passenger coaster train, riders zip around and above Toy Story Land, catching great vistas of all the new land has to offer. In a first for a Disney coaster, Slinky Dog Dash features a second launch at its midpoint as riders experience cool sound effects and spinning lights, darting through a series of rings. You’ll actually be pulled back, just like you would pull a toy car back before you dash forward on your way to the attraction’s finale featuring Wheezy, the squeaky penguin from the Toy Story films.

I absolutely loved this attraction. The coaster is well-themed and a whole lot of fun. The second launch is really unique and is a one-of-a-kind experience—it’s the first two-launch coaster at any Disney park. This attraction is great for kids of all ages. It’s been dubbed a great family coaster, and almost everyone will enjoy it. This attraction has been compared to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. However, we would rank it one notch higher on the thrill meter, but less intense than Big Thunder Mountain. It’s a much smoother ride. You’ll find yourself higher off the ground sometimes, so keep that in mind when deciding if it’s right for small children. The height requirement is 38 inches. Young kids should love this ride just as much as the adults!

Want to experience Slinky Dog Dash now? Click here to ride with us on this amazing coaster!

4 – Alien Swirling Saucers

The second attraction added to the land is a spin ride called Alien Swirling Saucers. Brace yourself for out-of-this-world thrills because the Aliens have powered up their flying saucers! Alien Swirling Saucers immerses guests in the playful world of Andy’s imagination. This galactic space toy is designed as a playset Andy won at the Pizza Planet restaurant. The adorable little green Aliens from Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story swirl about in toy rocket ships with guests in tow while “The Claw” hangs overhead. Two sets of 11 saucer/rocket-ship pairings spin guests through a multi-colored galaxy to a raucous, energetic musical beat.

This attraction has the same ride track as Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at Disney’s California Adventure. I don’t usually do spin rides, but I did try this out to experience it. It’s nothing like the Tea Cups, but if you suffer from motion sickness, you may need to sit this one out. However, most people will adore this attraction. It’s just so much fun. The sights and sounds will make this one a favorite for many!

5 – Toy Story Mania!

While Andy’s away, the toys will play! Toy Story Mania!– one of the most popular attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – receives a colorful all-new entrance. Evoking the fun in store, the entrance is actually the box Andy’s Toy Story Mania game came in. Recently updated with a third track, the attraction allows even more guests to experience the carnival playset action, using virtual objects from baseballs to creampies to hit targets in a variety of whimsical, fast-paced scenarios. To the highest scorer, go the bragging rights!

6 – Woody’s Lunch Box

When it’s time for on-the-go refreshments, Woody’s Lunch Box serves tasty meals, and old-fashioned soda floats from a walk-up window in a setting surrounded by Andy’s favorite toys and a giant vintage thermos. Order a grilled three-cheese sandwich (delicious!), grab a seat under festooned lighting at a Tinkertoy table and take in the scene. You’ll even spot Sarge, the Green Army Men leader, in a tower on the lookout for Andy. Woody’s Lunch Box features Mini Babybel cheese – the Official Snack Cheese of Walt Disney World Resort. Babybel’s famous cheese wheel also provides inspiration for fun chairs and tables nearby. Make sure you get the Lunch Box Tarts available in raspberry and chocolate hazelnut flavors. Although they are sort of like Pop-Tarts in design, these Disney treats are so delicious they blow away a regular Pop-Tart. They were our favorite item on the menu!

7 – Merchandise

Two merchandise locations – a toy camper and toy dump truck – offer shoppers logo merchandise, must-have collectibles, and unique gifts sure to become long-lasting memories of their time in Toy Story Land. Special items sure to become guest favorites are small-scale replica toys of the attraction vehicles, a Slinky Dog that can be a tabletop toy or double as a fashionable accessory, and colorful headbands sprouting an Alien or Slinky Dog himself.

8 – Character Interactions

Woody, Jessie, and Buzz appear throughout the land to add to the fun. The Green Army Drum Corps creates a playfully percussive rhythm, and Sarge and the Green Army Patrol march through the land, playing games with guests in a fun and interactive boot camp – ten-hut!