Toy Story Mania! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios — Fun and Nostalgia for the Whole Family!
Undoubtedly, one of the best rides in all of Walt Disney World’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios is Toy Story Mania, located in Toy Story Land. Lines were out the door when this attraction first opened in the Summer of 2008. The line is still pretty lengthy nowadays, even if you use Lightning Lane! This ride is also super special because it’s a 4-D interactive ride where guests put their skills to the test while competing for the highest score!
But should you spend your day at the park waiting in the line for Toy Story Mania attraction? What exactly is the ride like? We’ve got you covered, partner! Let’s walk through the ride together—faster than you can say, “There’s a snake in my boot!”
Fun From Start to Finish (of the Line!)
There’s a reason this ride is so popular! Not only is it themed with some of your favorite Toy Story characters and based around interactive games, but it’s a great way to engage your whole group, kids and adults alike.
The long lines might make you feel as restless as Rex, and while we understand, hear us out: This line is entertaining and engaging to walk through, the décor is detailed every step of the way, and—best of all—it’s air-conditioned!
One truly great part about waiting in the queue for this ride is the many nostalgic toys throughout the line. Parents will love telling their kiddos how they played with Tinkertoys and Lincoln Logs when they were young. The line also consists of toy blocks, Viewmasters and Viewmaster slides, Candyland board game pieces, crayons, barrels of monkeys, and playing cards. You might even pass some dominoes and Scrabble letters!
Everything is larger than life, which makes you feel like the size of a toy as you walk through the line. You’ll even pass beloved Mr. Potato Head, who talks! You’ll be transported to Andy’s room as a resident toy, especially the closer you get to boarding your Midway Mania car, as you’ll notice the walls and furniture from Andy’s bedroom.
It’s Playtime, Partner!
When you reach the front of the line, a Disney cast member will show you which car to board, and you’ll sit down in front of an arcade shooter which will be what you’ll use throughout each round of games. Each ride vehicle holds four people, but two sets of two guests each sit next to each other, back to back. In other words, you won’t be able to see the partner duo on the other side of your vehicle! (This might be something to keep in mind if you have younger kiddos.)
The shooter makes a fun sound each time you pull it, and the games on the 3D video screens change as you move through the ride, but essentially each guest is aiming at the toy targets, in the form of ring toss, bullseyes, plastic darts, plate breaking, etc. See how many accurate shots you can make—and how many shots you can make in the time limit—and make sure to do your best! The car you ride in keeps your score and your partner’s score.
In concept, this ride is fairly similar to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. On both of these rides, guests board a car and play the game for points against the other guests on the ride, using the carnival shooter (or laser shooter, for space rangers) attached to their ride vehicle. Thematically, however, Toy Story Mania is very different in design. Everything on the ride and in the line queue has a retro toybox feel, the décor is all larger than life, and the design of the ride itself is carnival games-themed instead of the space ranger theme you see at Buzz’s ride.
The entire ride experience is 8 minutes long and it has no height requirement!
It’s All Fun and Games
The first part of the ride is a practice round for the rest of the ride, allowing you to warm up and practice using the pull-string shooter. It can actually be a little tricky to figure out where you’re pointing on the screen, so, this practice round is actually incredibly helpful! Once you have the hang of it, the vehicle turns you into an almost-complete circle to get to the next game screen.
Throughout the ride, the different video screen visuals present the guests with different carnival game screens, as they try their hardest to pull the string on the shooter and earn as many points as they can! Don’t forget, Toy Story Mania is a 4-D ride, meaning that at times, you may feel a puff of air as an added interactive feature during the different games that you’ll play!
Not including the practice round, there are 5 game screens in Toy Story Mania, each with its own unique theme that pays homage to a favorite character. There’s “Hamm and Eggs,” “Rex and Trixie’s Dino Darts,” “Green Army Men Shoot Camp,” “Buzz Lightyear’s Flying Tossers,” and “Woody’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Gallery.”
Pro Tip: Aim for the higher numbers! You’ll often see targets that are worth 1,000, 2,000, and even 5,000. Those points will matter in the end!
At the end of the 8-minute ride, guests see the final game screen, where Woody announces that “It’s Your Last Game!” Guests will have the opportunity to hit the target as many times as possible, to get their last several points. Overall, this ride is definitely a great experience for the whole family. With retro toys, carnival games, 4D features, your favorite Toy Story characters, upbeat music, and friendly competition, this ride is the perfect cool down, and a definite top of the to-do list activity.
While you’re in Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, don’t forget to check out the Alien Swirling Saucers (a Toy Story-themed Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, if you will), Slinky Dog Dash, and grab a bite at Woody’s Lunch Box.
Good luck, and may the best toy win!
Cover Image
Photo: Unsplash
Recommended Gear for this Adventure
Disclaimer: We earn a commission if you click any of the links above and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
