Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Toy Story Land -- better at night!


In June, Toy Story Land opened at Disney Hollywood Studios.  This land, covering what once was the Lights, Motors, Action! set and part of the Backlot Tour, brings guests into the world of Toy Story.  This new land features three main attractions, Toy Story Mania, Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers. 

Toy Story Mania is not a new attraction.  It originally opened in 2008, but recently was refurbished with a new entrance, a third track, a revised queue and a new exit to connect with Toy Story Land.


Slinky Dog Dash is a moderate coaster, comparable to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom Park, though smoother.  It may not be best for toddlers, though those of older elementary age should be ok. 

The Alien Swirling Saucers attraction is a clone of Mater's Junkyard Jamboree at Disney California Adventure, just with different theming and ride vehicles.  The overall experience is the same and it's a fun twist on the Mad Tea Party at Magic Kingdom Park. 

Also included is a fairly large restroom area and Woody's Lunchbox, a quick-service counter restaurant, though there is no inside seating - only outdoor.

Right away, guests will find it tough to find one thing in Toy Story Land:  shade.  There isn't much, aside from umbrellas strewn all over the place.  This is one land that can get pretty warm in the dog days of summer (sorry, that pun was too irresistible).  That's why I recommend visiting Toy Story Land at night.  It's cooler and besides, the land also is lit up in tons of colorful lights, which makes it far more visually interesting and much more photographic.

One other benefit of Toy Story Land -- it give a good vantage point to see the construction of the nearby Galaxy's Edge.. but that's land for another time and another galaxy.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

New Star Wars themed resort to be connected to upcoming Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at DHS

Source:  https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/05/update-on-the-star-wars-immersive-resort-planned-for-walt-disney-world-resort/.

The official Disney Parks Blog has provided an updated on the planned Star Wars immersive resort coming to Walt Disney World.  The new resort, already under development, will be constructed adjacent to Disney Hollywood Studios on the southern side of the park, which is where the new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge land already is under construction and slated to open in late 2019.

Based on the description given in the linked blog post above, it appears the new resort could be located somewhere in the shaded orange area on the photo below.

Courtesy Google Maps
   So far, there's no specific opening date, though it seems logical that the resort will be open in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World in 2021.

Given that this is planned to be a very immersive resort, it's quite likely that the room rate for this resort will be higher than anything we've ever seen for a Walt Disney World resort.  One could almost consider this the first of a potential new class of resorts - the Ultra or Premium resorts.

It will be interesting to see how this new kind of resort goes over with guests.  Based on the current (huge) demand at Walt Disney World, I have good feeling about this.

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