Disney Toy Story Land First Timers Guide

This Disney Toy Story Land First Timers Guide is written in partnership with Walt Disney World. My family and I visited for the first time as a part of a media day experience.

1995.

That was the year the first Toy Story movie hit theaters. I was 4. To this day, Toy Story is one of my favorite movies. Everything from the green army men to Pizza Planet is still engrained in my brain. The Toy Story movies were among the first Disney movies that we introduced to Tatiana in VHS.

A year after the first movie was released was the first time that I had ever been to Magic Kingdom.  still remember how magical it was. The weather was perfect and the crowd was pretty much non-existent. Being able to see the Disney parade for the first time as a little girl created a memory that I’ll never forget.

A few weeks ago, I was able to experience everything that I loved about Toy Story in person in Andy’s Backyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We missed opening day but I’m kind of glad we did because I heard the wait times were insane. We had high expectations for Disney Toy Story Land before arriving. I decided to create this first timers guide to tell you pretty much everything you need to know before you head to TSL.

Disney Toy Story Land First Timers Guide

When you first arrive in Toy Story Land, you’re arrived by a giant Woody statue. Be ready because everything is giant in Andy’s Backyard. We were the toys in his backyard which I thought was a pretty cool concept.

The Rides

Toy Story Land currently has three rides: Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucers, and Slinky Dog Dash. We only were able to ride two out of the three because I don’t and can’t ride rollercoasters. T was slightly disappointed but no worries, I’m sure we’ll be back soon.

Toy Story Mania

Toy Story Mania is an indoor interactive 4-D game. It’s very similar to the Buzz Lightyear Space Rangers ride if you’ve ever been to Magic Kingdom. I shared a few shots of it here when we visited MK for Disney After Hours. It’s a two-player game where the goal is to win as many carnival games as possible by shooting the targets. There are a couple surprise spins and twirls that add a little extra fun.

Alien Swirling Saucers

I surprisingly loved Alien Swirling Saucers! Typically I don’t like getting on rides that spin at all because I get dizzy pretty easily but the swirling saucers weren’t bad. The ride takes you on a spin through space. It’s a fun experience and not long at all.

Slinky Dog Dash

If you want to see the entire land from a view up above, Slinky Dog Dash is your ride. Slinky Dog takes you on a wild ride that goes through the entire land. There are a few small drops so that’s something to note before you hop on.

Woody’s Lunch Box

Woody’s Lunch Box is a quick service restaurant located in Disney Toy Story Land. They serve both breakfast, lunch, and dinner items for under $15. They even serve alcohol too. We ordered a couple of things off of the menu. Some we loved and some we didn’t.

Mystic Portal Punch is POWERade Mountain Berry flavored mixed with lemon-line and tangerine. It honestly wasn’t my favorite. I wasn’t a huge fan of the flavors but I loved the look of the drink. I ordered it in a souvenier alien sipper. If you’re wanting to get the souvenir cup but not sure about the punch, you can order a regular drink in the souvenier cup for a little cheaper.

I thought the kids grilled cheese was great. Tatiana on the other hand wasn’t a huge fan. It’s a simple three cheese grilled cheese so you can’t go wrong with ordering it.

The Totchos were my favorite menu item. It was hearty, the flavors weren’t overpowering, and simple enough that you could eat while you’re waiting in line for a ride.

The lunch box tarts were the best! We had both flavors. The pastry was soft and crumbly, and the filling was the just right. It was a great sweet treat to end our day in TSL.

I thought Woody’s Lunch Box had a good selection of menu items but I was a little disappointed that there weren’t any pizza items on the menu since Pizza Planet is such a major part of the movie.

Where to Buy Toy Story Gear

You can find Toy Story gear throughout the land at the different shopping carts. They’ve got Slinky Dog headbands, Sherriff Mickey’s, and a few other fun things. If you want a larger selection of Toy Story merch, the best place to stop is at Beverly Sunset on Sunset Blvd. They’ve got all of the Toy Story Land things that you could ever dream of. We were able to pick up the Jessie headband that Tatiana wanted so badly.

In all honesty, we absolutely loved Toy Story Land. The design, the colors, the rides and the overall experience was nostalgic. However, I do wish that it had more to offer. I wish Disney Toy Story Land had more shaded areas. Although there were plenty of Instagram worthy photo spots, if the lighting isn’t right during your visit you’ll end up with an overly exposed photo that the average person doesn’t know how to edit. Hopefully in the future they’ll add more rides as well. Toy Story is such a major part of Disney’s story and the land is so beautifully designed.

If you’re planning on heading to Disney Toy Story Land any time soon, consider getting fast passes to skip the long lines. Since there are only 3 rides in the land, the wait times can get up to over an hour. When we were there the wait time for the Slinky Dog Dash coaster was over an hour. With a fast pass, the wait was less than 15 minutes.

Have you been to Disney Toy Story Land yet? I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

Photos by Emma Shourds Photography