Okay for one, the atmosphere of Pixar Pier is easily one of the best of any theme park land at night.
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And remember, arguably the best night show anywhere is also here.
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It’s similarly a land with a coaster, Toy Story Mania (DCA’s has far shorter lines so it wins), flat rides (with DCA obviously trouncing it), and a similar IP theme with very different execution, scope and design.
Pixar Pier easily wins in a head to head, however, with the food and merchandise options additionally being plentiful. The Pier’s coaster is also vastly superior in both length and thrill level and the theming on each of them is comparable. There are also many components to explore throughout the land.
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Oh, and of course a meal at Lamplight Lounge’s outdoor seating over the water is preferred. There’s just something special about watching the coaster trains launch across the water while eating with a slight breeze and low humidity. The land’s other food options are also great including quick service.
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I personally think Pixar Pier is better than Paradise Pier outside of it diminishing the park’s theme as a whole as it beautified and romanticized much of the land. But regardless, there’s no contest between Toy Story Land and Pixar Pier/Paradise Pier as for which is the better land to hangout in.
TSL is much better than its counterparts in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Paris, but it’s still a filler land by nature and the land opening without a single shop is all you need to know about its issues, but the lack of shade and really things to do in general means it’s pretty much a single path to Galaxy’s Edge. Pixar Pier would deceiving seem like that from the nature of it being a boardwalk but it doesn’t feel that way at all because there are many things to do and they’re done well in relation to the park.