Planning to Visit Disney World’s NEW Toy Story Land
Updated 7/2/18
Toy Story Land is now open! It opened with some crazy high crowds as expected but has been an overall big hit with Disney fans. Here’s some facts and info to help you plan your trip!
What Are the Main Attractions in Toy Story Land?
There will be a total of three attractions in Toy Story Land-
- Slinky Dog Dash (a family friendly roller coaster)
- Alien Swirling Saucers (a teacup style ride)
- Toy Story Mania (the existing ride we’ve had, but with a newly built entrance directly from the new Land)
Fastpass Options For Toy Story Land
Recently we learned how the Fast Pass system will be organized once Toy Story Land opens. Just so we are all on the same page, Disney separates their Fast Pass options into two “Tiers”. You get three Fast Pass choices at a time, and of those, only one of your choices can be a “Tier 1” FastPass. This prevents people from only booking all the headliner attractions. So you can pick one of the Tier 1 options, and then your other two Fastpasses will be from the Tier 2 group.
With Toy Story Land now open all three attractions in TSL will become the new Tier 1 options, and everything else moved to Tier 2. That means it will look like this:
Tier 1 Options (choose only one per day)
- Toy Story Mania
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Slinky Dog Dash Coaster
- Beauty and the Beast Live
- Disney Junior Live
- Fantasmic
- Frozen Sing Along
- Indiana Jones Show
- Muppet Vision 3-D
- Rock n Roller Coaster
- Tower of Terror
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
So what does this mean? As of right now the most difficult FastPass to get in all of Disney World is Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom. That will most likely change after Toy Story Land opens and it will then be Slinky Dog Dash, followed by Swirling Saucers.
So, when your FastPass booking window opens up, your priority will be to grab a FP for Slinky, with the second choice being Alien Saucers. But with the Tiers being this way, you won’t be able to get both. (Just like you can’t get Flight of Passage and River Journey.)
So either way, you’re going to need to plan to Rope Drop (arrive at least one hour prior to official opening time) one day at Studios. Here is what I would shoot for as the ideal touring strategy for Studios after June 30th:
- FastPass for Slinky Dog for late morning.
- FastPass for RocknRoller Coaster for midday/early afternoon
- FastPass for Tower of Terror just after the RnR window
See below for my tips on organizing your visit to Hollywood Studios using these Fastpasses.
Again, this is based on the info we have now and could change. But I’ll keep you guys updated. But for those of you who may be stressing your booking window getting closer, this may help. Also, if you want more info on making Fast Passes overall, as well as my list of top Fast Pass choices, check this article: Disney FastPass Tips and Tricks.
Food Options at Toy Story Land
It will also have a new eating spot – Woody’s Lunch Box, which will be a quick service place. And by the way, it’s literally a lunch box. Propped open with a thermos.
So cute. The theming is everything.
The new quick service spot will feature all sorts of sandwiches and sides that blend classic flavor combinations with a modern twist, plus nostalgic soda floats and specialty beverages. So basically kids classic lunch box food, but fancied up and made more fun.
I’m so in. (It’s like they know me.)
Let’s take a look at a few of my favorites that they’ve released. First off, this Green Alien cup.
Can we just talk about how cute this thing is? The claw! And it lights up. Yes, it’s plastic and similar to other cups they’ve had in the past and probably pricey.
Still totally buying it.
The adorable “Alien Sipper” may be purchased and filled with any fountain drink or the signature Mystic Portal Punch – Powerade Mountain Berry Blast with flavors of lemon-lime and tangerine.
The big kids can enjoy the Grown-Up’s Lemonade cocktail (cherry vodka, Odwalla Lemonade, and black cherry purée).
I know what I’m getting in my alien sipper cup.
S’more French Toast Breakfast Sandwich – Oozy goodness in a chocolate ganache- and marshmallow-stuffed French toast topped with graham cracker crumbles.
Sounds like a sugar overload. And also like the best breakfast idea ever.
Also I’m pleased they’ll be offering breakfast because as of right now there aren’t many options for a quick breakfast at Studios. I think the only one is what they offer at Starbucks.
Totchos – That’s Tater Tots + nachos. Yeah. Potato barrels, (barrels, lol) corn chips, chili, and cheese. YES.
Raspberry Lunch Box Tart garnished with Icing and Dried Fruit and Chocolate-Hazelnut Lunch Box Tart garnished with Icing and Caramelized Bacon are the dessert options.
Um, I’m sorry. That’s Disney’s titles. Let me just translate that for you- it’s a Nutella stuffed pop tart topped with candied BACON.
This one may be worth dealing with the crazy opening crowds. Just saying.
Some other details you’ll want to know:
Kids meals will have a choice of Grilled Cheese or Turkey served with Tater Tots (potato barrels) and oranges.
There are some more healthy choices as well, (if you’re not into getting a sugar rush) like Turkey Tomato and Lettuce on Multi-grain bread, and a Banana Split Yogurt parfait.
Woody’s Lunch Box Menu
Breakfast
- S’mores French Toast Sandwich 7.99
- Breakfast Bowl Potato Barrels, Brisket-Country Gravy and Scrambled Eggs 8.49
- Breakfast Sandwich Smoked Turkey, Eggs, Swiss, Peppers and Onions on Sourdough 7.49
- Banana Split Yogurt Parfait 5.99
Kids
- S’mores French Toast Sandwich served with choice of small Lowfat Milk or small Dasani® Bottled Water 5.99
- Breakfast Sandwich Smoked Turkey, Eggs, Swiss, Peppers and Onions on Sourdough served with choice of small Lowfat Milk or small Dasani® Bottled Water 5.49
Lunch and Dinner
- BBQ Brisket Melt served with choice of Side $12.99
- Monte Cristo with Raspberry Jam served with choice of Side $11.49
- Smoked Turkey Sandwich Smoked Turkey, Tomato and Lettuce on Multigrain Bread served with choice of Side 9.99
- Grilled Three-Cheese Sandwich served with choice of Side 8.99
- Totchos Potato Barrels, Corn Chips, Chili and Cheese topped with Sour Cream 8.99
Kids Meals
- Turkey Sandwich served with Potato Barrels, Mandarin Orange and choice of small Lowfat Milk or small Dasani® Bottled Water 6.79
- Grilled Cheese served with Potato Barrels, Mandarin Orange and choice of small Lowfat Milk or small Dasani® Bottled Water 5.99
Beverages
- Assorted Fountain Beverages – Souvenir Alien Sipper your choice of Fountain Beverage served in a Souvenir Alien Sipper 14.99
- Mystic Portal Punch POWERade® Mountain Berry Blast with flavors of Lemon-Lime and Tangerine 4.49
- Mystic Portal Punch – Souvenir Alien Sipper POWERade® Mountain Berry Blast with flavors of Lemon-Lime and Tangerine served in a Souvenir Alien Sipper 16.19
- Ice Cream Float with Barq’s® Root Beer 4.99
Desserts
- Raspberry Lunch Box Tart 3.29
- Chocolate-Hazelnut Lunch Box Tart 3.29
Alcoholic Beverages
- Grown-Up’s Lemonade Three Olives Black Cherry Vodka, odwalla® Lemonade and Black Cherry Purée 9.25
- Bud Light Lager – St. Louis, MO 16 oz
- Draft Beer 6.75
- Blue Moon Belgian White Ale – Golden, CO 16 oz Draft Beer 7.25
- Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider – Cincinnati, OH 16 oz Draft Beer 8.00
Now we get into the realm of speculation and planning. This post will be constantly updated with the latest news and updates on Toy Story Land, as well as my best tips once it opens, so you may want to bookmark this page for future reference. Now for the FAQ’s:
Passholder Previews
Let’s get this one out of the way – Passholders probably will NOT get any kind of time in TSL before it opens. So, no “preview”. From what I’ve been hearing thru unofficial but reliable channels (so not confirmed by Disney), the reason for this is simply time. This isn’t due to them being behind in construction, but the required state and local permits that they need to have in place before letting guests come in won’t be completed until shortly before opening date. If you’ve ever built a house then you won’t find this hard to believe as delays in that area are pretty common and often out of the hands of anyone to rush along. Even Disney.
Passholders (of certain levels) will get exclusive time in TSL in September. “Passholder Play Time” as they’re calling it, will be specific time window where a smaller group of only Passholders would be allowed in the Land. I’m guessing this will be a 2/3 hour window.
Why September? No doubt to get past the initial rush. Plus they’ve already promised resort guests daily Extra Magic Hours all summer in the new land. Since the Passholder time slots are likely to be before or after official park hours, they would need to be after the Extra Magic Hours have slowed down for resort guests. This is also close enough to the opening that it may be enough to keep some Passholders away from the Land until then, giving more space to other vacationing guests.
Which Passholders will be eligible? Only Platinum Plus, Platinum, and Gold. Silver and Weekday Select will NOT be included. That’s why they lifted the black out dates for those levels as a peace offering, giving you park access up until TSL opens.
Will every Passholder get to go? No. If they did, the Land would be packed and it wouldn’t be any less crowds than normal and it wouldn’t be much of a point. Even understanding that many invited wouldn’t be able to attend, there are still too many to invite them all.
So who gets invited? Disney will determine how many time slots they can provide and how many people they can comfortably fit for each slot. They will want it to feel open and not crowded, so if it’s like the Pandora access we had, it will feel almost empty in comparison to the usual opening year crowds. Once they have that number they’ll start emailing invitations in a gradual process. You’ll need to RSVP and “register” to those invites that you’ll be attending. Once the slots are full, that’s it. It’s first-come, first-served.
If I’m a Passholder and I get invited, can I bring my non-Passholder friend/family as my guest? No. You will be able to register ONE guest, but that guest will not only have to be a Passholder also, they will have to be the right level (Plat, Plat Plus, or Gold). If they’re Silver or weekday they won’t be able to go because they’ll be on blackout and a park ticket (pass) is required to even reach TSL.
- Make sure the email you have on your Disney account is correct and working. If you got the Passholder info on Wednesday then you’re good. If you didn’t, then you need to call Disney and check this. Get it straight now.
- If you have other family or friends who are also Passholders make sure you’re linked on the My Disney Experience app and that you’ve given permission for them to see your plans and vice versa. Then one of you will be able to include the other one in the registration. This will pre-load from the people you’re linked to already so you won’t be able to add them then.
- “Star” or add the Disney Destinations email address to your VIP email list. On an iPhone, you tap on the email address and it looks like this screenshot below. Select “add to VIP”. You should see a star next to their email now and it will pop up on your notifications. Which means you see it sooner.
- If you do get the invite respond immediately! They will fill up. There will be people who will get the email but are late opening it and by the time they click to register it’ll be full.
If they go out I will notify you guys right away. So, you haven’t yet, you need to get me your email address so I can add it to my list and you don’t need to stress about finding out when the previews become available. I’ll make sure that you know is soon as I do.
How To Plan Your Next Disney Vacation for the Crowds of Toy Story Land
There are several things that you can do in order to prepare for your visit to this new and extremely popular land. Fastpasses for the new rides will be top priority in planning your visit. You can expect lines for the new rides to be extremely long and getting a fast pass for even one ride will be a huge time-saver.
Some things that will help:
1: If you haven’t yet, install the My Disney Experience app and get yourself signed in to your Disney account. Also it’s a good idea to make sure you have your Disney login and password stored on your phone’s internet browser. This will help for signing up for previews as well as anything else that you need to sign up for quickly.
2: Get a Fastpass for at least one of the new rides. Lines for the two new attractions, (the alien saucers and the Slinky Dog roller coaster) will be extremely long. So getting a Fastpass for at least one of them will be a huge time-saver and needs to be your number one priority. Set an alert on your phone the second your booking window opens for fast passes because fast passes for those new rides will go extremely fast. For guest staying at a Disney resort the Fastpass booking window is 60 days, and it’s 30 days for everyone else.
For those of us with a 30 day booking window getting those Fastpasses will be a challenge for a while. So if you haven’t seen it yet make sure you check out my video on getting hard to find Fastpasses. It will help you a lot in learning how to work the system to your advantage.
3: Plan out your park days to allow for the increased crowds the new land will bring. First, remember that crowds are lowest early in the day, and late at night right before closing. So if possible, block off one of those windows of time for Toy Story Land. I’d recommend being at Studios at rope drop, (that means arriving an hour to and hour and a half before official opening time) and heading straight for the new land.
Don’t freak out if you arrive (panting and breathless from almost being run over by scooters and strollers) and you the see the wait times for the rides already have an extremely long wait listed. They do this on purpose. If you arrive and see 240 minutes, maybe you’ll leave and try something else. Don’t be fooled! There’s no way the wait time is already that long. And if they’re coming way out of the entrance, they probably don’t have the queue fully open either, so it will look longer than it is. Just stay there and wait. This will still be the shortest the line will be all day. So whatever it is, you’re going to need to wait for it. Just be patient.
- Enter the park and queue up to enter the lands.
- When it opens, head straight to Swirling Saucers and ride.
- Ride Toy Story Mania
- While waiting in line, use mobile order to place an order for food at the new Woody’s Lunch Box.
- Use your FastPass for Slinky Dog.
- Go to Woody’s Lunch Box and pick up your food order. At this point it will probably be just before lunch time, so they may still be serving breakfast.
- Exit Toy Story Land which will be getting insanely crowded by now, and head out to the rest of the park to ride and enjoy your day.
Once you’re finished check out anything else you want to look at in the new areas get the heck out of there before the mass crowds arrive.
As I said above, they will be offering Extra Magic Hours to Resort guests so make sure you pay attention to the adjusted hours for those.
I’ll continue to keep you updated on the latest news and touring strategies for the new Toy Story Land… yes, it will be crowded, but if you have a plan, you can still successfully go and enjoy all that it offers.