Park Spotlight: Disney Hollywood Studios Park Expansion Toy Storyland
At the biannual D23 Expo event in 2015, Toy Story Land was announced. The creation of Toy Story Land was inspired by the vast guest admiration for Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park in Disneyland Resort. An example of this admiration happened on the opening day of Cars Land when a little boy asked his mom:
“Is this where they filmed the Cars movie?”
And so the story began…
If you’re as big of a fan of the Disney Parks as I am, then you’re probably familiar with Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, France and Hong Kong Disneyland in China even if you haven’t actually visited them! But, what you might not be familiar with is that each of those parks has their own rendition of Toy Story Land. Each incorporates its own variation of the Toy Story films while giving park-goers the unique experience of being part of the toy story. This version in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) in Walt Disney World (WDW) in Florida, which began construction on April 3, 2016, will ultimately be similar.
Concept Design for Toy Story Land
Photo credit: Disney Parks Blog
As guests enter the 11-acre Toy Story Land in DHS, they will find themselves shrunk to toy size as they begin their exploration of Andy’s backyard. Joining in for the adventure will be the beloved Toy Story characters, including Buzz and Woody.
Attractions
During their exploration, guests can expect two new attractions, Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers, as well as an expanded version of Toy Story Midway Mania!.
First, Slinky Dog Dash will be a family-friendly rollercoaster where guests will zip along the track while experiencing the drops and curves of Andy’s “Mega Coaster Play Kit”. In fact, as the story will go, Andy designs his rollercoaster in such a way that he is even able to combine it with some of his other toys. Enter: Slinky Dog! Below is the concept video of the attraction shared by Imagineer Kathy Mangum.
Guests who have visited Disneyland Park and ridden Gadget’s Go Coaster or visited WDW and ridden The Barnstormer can expect a similar ride experience on Slinky Dog Dash.
Next will be Alien Swirling Saucers, an attraction based around The Claw and the Squeeze Toy Aliens (or Little Green Men) from the Space Crane game at Pizza Planet. But, how did this attraction appear in Andy’s backyard? From a visit to Pizza Planet of course! In Andy’s imagination, the aliens are flying around in flying saucers while attempting to capture the toy vehicles with The Claw.
Park guests will spin around in toy rocket vehicles to “Space Jazz” music that was created just for this attraction. The ambiance of the music and sound effects will add to the adventure while The Claw hovers overhead.
Concept Art of Alien Swirling Saucers
Photo credit: Disney Parks Blog
Guests who have ridden Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree in Disney California Adventure will have had a similar experience to Alien Swirling Saucers.
One of the signs shown on the construction walls as Toy Story Land continues being built.
Photo credit: Inside the Magic
Ultimately, Disney’s inspiration and goal for Toy Story Land is to immerse guests by placing them in an oversized world and making them feel like toys.
“We want people to feel – like they’ve stepped onto the set of their favorite film…like the quaint town of Radiator Springs or, in the case of Toy Story, the wild and adventurous outdoors of Andy’s backyard.”
~Kathy Mangum, Imagineer
Though no actual time frame has been released, rumors have been swirling of a 2018 opening date as the land itself isn’t as complex as others (i.e. Pandora – The World of Avatar and the upcoming Star Wars Land). The exact date will be released at the D23 Expo during the weekend of July 14-16, 2017!
Ashley Hunt is an Independent Agent of Fairytale Adventures Travel. She is an ex-Cast Member, Annual Passholder at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and a frequent guest of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. She specializes in couples vacations and family travel at all Disney parks worldwide, Adventures by Disney, and Disney Cruise Line. Ashley can be reached at Ashley@fairytaleadv.com or magicalvacationsandbeyond5571@gmail.com.
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