Earlier this week, I covered Disney’s announcements about Star Wars Land expansions coming to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. While that news has dominated the landscape over the past few days, it’s hardly the only update about upcoming attractions. Disney also revealed plans at the D23 Expo for a Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. The 11-acre area looks detailed and should help to revitalize the park. Families with young kids need more to do at the Studios, and this land fits the bill.
Rumors about a Pixar expansion at the Studios had been circulating for a while; many insiders expected something on par with the maligned Toy Story Playland in Paris. I worried about off-the-shelf rides in the vein of DCA’s A Bugs Land. Thankfully, management seems to have learned its lesson. The concept art promises something more than basic kiddie rides. The attractions may not offer any technological advances but should be solid additions.
The Rides
It’s hard to gather too much on Toy Story Land from the limited information that we know. There will be two new attractions, which seems like the norm given the set-up of the Star Wars areas. A Slinky Dog family coaster might sound lame, but the track looks pretty extensive. It seems to have more in common with Big Thunder Mountain than the Barnstormer. The track appears to weave through other parts of the land, which should create a lively atmosphere. An extra benefit of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in the Magic Kingdom is hearing the screams all over Fantasyland.
The second inclusion is a spinner ride themed to the Little Green Men’s Flying Saucers. I’m not as thrilled by this one, but I expect it will be well-themed. My hope is that it’s more than a clone of Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree with the Claw hanging above it. It’s tough to speculate much until its scope is clearer. If the theming can match the intricate details of Storybook Circus or Cars Land, we’ll be in good hands. It’s cool to see Disney at least offering original rides unique to the Studios.
More Mania
Disney again confirmed the Studios’ worst-kept secret — a third track for Toy Story Mania. This added capacity should help to diminish the tremendous demand for the popular ride. It’s fun and deserves the crowds, but the long lines are more about the park’s lack of attractions than anything else. When both new lands are up and running at the Studios, the crowd distribution will be very different. It may become more like the DCA version, which draws much shorter lines by comparison.
An interesting aspect of the concept art for Toy Story Land is a building that appears to represent a different entrance for Toy Story Mania. I know that these plans can change, so it’s possible the scale isn’t accurate. It would be intriguing to have multiple entrances to avoid the bottleneck, but it would lead to guest confusion. The more likely scenario is a completely new entrance that helps avoid the cramped Pixar Place. It also might fit better alongside the other parts of Toy Story Land.
When and Where?
It isn’t clear when Disney will open this expansion, but I expect it will come before Star Wars Land. I’d love to see it arrive in 2017, but that’s probably too optimistic. With Frozen Ever After and Pandora coming in the next two years, Disney may shoot to complete Toy Story in 2018. Spacing out the openings would keep us distracted from the long wait that’s likely before Star Wars arrives at the Studios.
The location of Toy Story Land is a little easier since it must connect with Toy Story Mania. My money is on the former spot for the Backlot Tour, which offers more than enough open space. With the Star Wars Launch Bay going in the Animation pavilion, the other side of Pixar Place is unlikely. This corner would also offer room for additional Pixar expansions down the road, which wouldn’t surprise me.
My Take
Low expectations before the D23 news definitely played a role in my interest in the Toy Story Land. It might feel like an afterthought, but this is a crucial part of revitalizing the Studios. This park needs a lot more than one strong new land, and even this addition won’t be enough to complete the park. A good comparison is DCA, which drew the crowds with Cars Land but made other crucial moves. Carthay Circle and World of Color were also essential at fixing the issues. The Studios needs even more help than DCA, and two lands is really just a starting point.
My daughters are six and two, and they’ll be the right ages when Star Wars Land arrives. In the near future, my younger girl would find more to like with Toy Story. There are a lot of families in a similar situation. The best theme parks work because they offer rides for everyone, and the Studios isn’t there. The challenge will be how it functions in the next few years. The construction will need to move a lot faster than New Fantasyland or Pandora if Disney wants to keep people going to the Studios.
My final point is about the branding aspects of these announcements. Disney’s strategy for the next five years is very clear. They’re adding Soarin’ Over the World and the Skipper Canteen, but the main focus is IP. It’s a little disheartening for this ‘80s Walt Disney World fan to recognize the current landscape. My hope is that these expansions match the hype and make the Studios shine again. The concept art shows promise; Disney needs to hit a new gear and bring this dream to life.
Sources: Disney Parks Blog, Theme Park Insider
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Melanie says
Good assessment of the park– very curious to see how it all turns out, and if rumors are true (Indy will still be in the park in some form, part of the parking lot could be sacrificed, etc). I am reminded to a great meme I saw recently – Sam the Eagle, and the caption reads “Hollywood Studios: A Salute To All Movies, But Mostly Star Wars.” Too funny.
Dan Heaton says
Nice! I’ve heard rumors that we’ll see even more Pixar (Monsters Inc. and Cars Land perhaps), though I still wonder if those will fall prey to budget cuts. Star Wars and Toy Story will help the park, but I still feel like it needs even more to really be a full park. I am happy to hear that Disney recognizes the urgency with completing the expansions quicker than usual. They can’t take five years on this project.