MyWDW: Toy Story Midway Mania!

On May 31, 2008, Disney's Hollywood Studios became the host to an exciting, innovative new attraction featuring the cast of the wildly successful Toy Story film franchise. Previous to the arrival of the ride, the space now occupied by Toy Story Midway Mania was used for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Play It!, a version of the syndicated television game show, where guests could try to win real prizes.

Toy Story Midway Mania is set in an area of the park modeled around Pixar's California studios, and once you step into that area, you're immediately thrust into a world of living toys - enormous board games, Tinker Toys, and just about any other childhood toy you can think of line the queue. There's so much to look at as you wait, it's almost difficult to get too terribly bored - try to see just how many of the toys and games in Andy's room make you start feeling nostalgic for your own childhood playthings. Even if you do run out of things to count along your way, you'll find yourself entertained by none other than the special edition Carnival Barker Mr. Potato Head - one of Disney's most complicated Audio-Animatronic figures, capable of interacting with guests, and even removing and replacing a body part or two!

Once you finally make your way through Andy's room to the ride vehicles, you're thrust further into the world of the toys, donning 3-D glasses and shooting various projectiles, depending on what game you're playing (there are 6 different games throughout the ride) at themed targets - everything from a ring toss to suction cup darts. Be sure to keep a sharp eye for special targets - they'll earn you tons of extra points and may even unlock a special screen for you to score even more! This ride is especially fun for the more competitive guests, as the vehicle keeps track of each person's score, so you can compare bragging rights! Though it may be easy to take for granted as you're swept up in the Disney magic, this is one of the most advanced attractions in any of the parks - running over a hundred screens and games simultaneously, and even having programming which allows a non-scoring target practice game to be switched on if the ride gets stuck in a given location for a time, as is bound to happen now and again.

- Guests in motorized scooters need to be able to transfer to an available wheelchair in order to ride.

- Nothing scary or objectionable for the young ones on this ride, and no height requirement!

- As you head around the corner to find out your score, look at the sign that says "Circus Fun!" - the dot of the exclamation point may look familiar!

- In the standby queue, take a look at the paintings of a clown fish (another hidden Disney favorite?) and Rex, and in the nearby blue paint splotches, you'll notice a familiar tri-circle pattern!