NEW YORK -- Toy Story Land, a highly anticipated attraction
at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, now has an opening date. It will open
June 30.
"Hollywood Studios is certainly in the middle of an
amazing transformation, and clearly Toy Story is right at the front of that,"
said Phil Holmes, vice president of Disney's Hollywood Studios, during a media
event here highlighting the new area.
Toy Story Land is one of a number of new features in the
works for Disney's Hollywood Studios. Next year, another new area of the park
based on the Star Wars franchise will open -- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The
following year, a new ride-through attraction, Micky & Minnie's Runaway
Railway, will open in the park in the former location of the Great Movie Ride.
The 11-acre Toy Story Land is based around the Toy Story film
franchise, and is set in the character Andy's backyard, where he has scattered
a number of his toys.
"When you enter Toy Story Land, you suddenly become the
size of a toy," said Dave Minichiello, executive creative director at Walt
Disney Imagineering. "In fact, you're about the size of a Green Army Man
in the land."
Holmes said the idea is to create an "immersive
environment," making guests a part of their favorite stories.
A roller coaster car from the Slinky Dog Dash on display. Photo Credit: Jamie Biesiada
Oversized toys surround guests throughout the land, which
features the Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers.
Slinky Dog Dash is a roller coaster featuring Slinky Dog as the
vehicle. The coaster spans much of Toy Story Land.
"It's really kind of the kinetic thing that threads the
whole land," he said.
The ride is appropriate for children as young as 3 or 4
years old, Holmes said.
Alien Swirling Saucers is an indoor attraction putting
guests in vehicles towed by green aliens in spaceships, set to space-themed music
with an electronic backbeat.
Toy Story Land will also feature a reimagined entrance and
queue to the existing Toy Story Mania!, in which guests enter a ride vehicle
and play a number of carnival-themed shooting games in 3D. The new entrance
will look like a toy carnival game box, meant to represent the box that the Toy
Story Mania! game came in.
The old entrance to Toy Story Mania! (off Pixar Place) will
be shuttered, Holmes said, so everything Toy Story-related will be contained in
Toy Story Land. Its new entrance will be in the middle of Toy Story Land.
Holmes promised unique merchandise for the area, and donned
a headband with a Slinky Dog sitting atop it as an example, reminiscent of the
popular Mickey ear hats and headbands featured around the parks.
It will also have its own quick-service food kiosk, Woody's
Lunch Box. Holmes said it will serve sandwiches, floats and some specialty
treats.
The Toy Story franchise was chosen to be featured in its own
land because its popularity has proven to be long-lasting, said Minichiello.
"It's one of those properties that just continues to be
popular out there in the world," he said.