As Toy Story Land is “gearing-up” for Opening Day (June 30, 2018), the team at Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Parks Blog have shared several new images and details surrounding the excitement of this 10-acre expansion. From exclusive merchandise to a behind-the-scene video sneak peek — we’ve got it all to share with you.
Today we get our first glimpse of one of the ride vehicles on Alien Swirling Saucers (shown above). This attraction is similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at Cars Land in Disney’s California Adventure Park — however, the storyline has changed a bit. At Alien Swirling Saucers, Aliens fly around in their toy flying saucers while “The Claw” appears overhead, guests will whirl around to electronic space music and may hear a familiar “OOOOHH!
As we recently heard Pixarian Jeff Pidgeon reprised his role of the Alien’s voice and did some vocal recordings for the upcoming attraction. The attraction will also feature several pizza details, as the storyline of Alien Swirling Saucers is a game from Pizza Planet, there will be pizza columns, a pizza space station, and the Planet Pepperonia.
The most anticipated attraction of Toy Story Land is the family coaster, Slinky Dog Dash. Early this morning on Good Morning America, a special behind-the-scenes ride-on video was released which showcases the detailing of the attraction itself. The story of the coaster is that Andy built it in his backyard using his Mega Coaster Play Kit and guests will notice all the details — as well as, a few characters along the track.
Clearly, there couldn’t be a Toy Story Land without the “songbird”…or penguin from the films franchise, that’s right the first and only Wheezy Audio-Animatronics figure in a Disney theme park will greet guests at the end of Slinky Dog Dash. Assisted by Mr. Mike (the voice charger tape recorder), Wheezy will sing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” as Mr. Spell sits alongside texting funny commentary.
The friends will be surrounded by various toys, including a Rubik’s cube, a canister for a game called Pick-Up Snakes, toy wooden blocks spelling out F-U-N, and toy packages for an RC Car and a triangle puzzle game, all framed by a towering book, Mr. Pricklepants Songs for Singing.
To watch the Wheezy in action, check out the special behind-the-scenes video from Good Morning America embedded directly below. For a more in-depth look at how the Disney Imagineering Team brought Wheezy to life check out the additional video below.
New Merchandise
Inspired by both new attractions at Toy Story Land, guests can purchase these adorable headbands. The Alien headband is plastic, with a silly feature — the alien’s eyes wiggle and bounce around as you walk. The Slinky Dog headband is plush and is 100% cute.
This light-up Slinky Dog is a brand new toy that can double as a fashion accessory.
The opening of Toy Story Land will feature several “I Played There” commemorative t-shirts that will let everyone know you were among the first to enjoy the fun in Andy’s backyard.
Additional Details
Toy Story Land will also feature a new character meet-and-greet location, a new entrance to Toy Story Midway Mania, and a walk-up counter-service restaurant Woody’s Lunch Box. Serving up all sorts of sandwiches and sides with a modern twist, the Woody’s Lunch Box menu is sure to be a hit with guests.
“Everyone has a special food memory, so it can be tricky putting a modern spin on the favorites,” explained Lenny DeGeorge, Concept Development Culinary Director for Walt Disney World, about the year-long menu development process.
“We honored these classic dishes by using the best ingredients to elevate the flavors. How we constructed the sandwiches was important, such as layering the ingredients in a specific order, to maximize textures and flavors. Why have a cold sandwich when you can have a toasted hot, gooey cheese-filled one?”
