Disney officials promise the new attraction will deliver a 'personalized,' interactive experience.
Toy Story Mania may be Walt Disney World's most interactive ride yet when it opens next year at Disney-MGM Studios, continuing a trend for "personalized" attractions and other experiences.
The new attraction, announced Friday at Walt Disney World, will merge the ride-through shooting theme of the Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin ride at Magic Kingdom with newer technologies to let riders and characters communicate with one another, and to let the ride computer tailor each rider's game. Another Toy Story Mania is being built at Disney's California Adventure theme park.
"We're taking the Toy Story characters you know and love and combining them with incredibly crazy video gaming for what we call 'Toy Story Mania,' " said Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering, the company that designs Disney attractions. "Toy Story Mania is the next-generation interactive ride-through experience."
Visitors will ride through a series of scenes appearing as carnival midway games such as the ring toss and dart throw. The visitors will get to play at each booth, running up score tallies. Technology will allow them, with virtual images and 3-D glasses, to see themselves "shooting" rings, pies, eggs and other objects at targets.
Other technology will allow Toy Story robotic characters to talk with riders, maybe even giving them tips. And a computer will track how well each visitor is doing and adjust the game's skill level along the way, Fitzgerald said.
Disney World President Meg Crofton said the new ride continues Disney's growing trend toward developing attractions and other experiences that are more personal and customized.
Crofton cited similar robotic communication technology that will be used in the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club opening this spring in Magic Kingdom. She also cited the millions of giveaways and guest-employee interactions that Disney calls "magic moments" under the current "Year of a Million Dreams" promotional campaign. Such "immersive experiences," she said, are the direction for Disney World.
"There is no exit strategy for 'magic moments,' " she said.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-disney2707jan27,0,5849104.story?track=rss
Toy Story Mania may be Walt Disney World's most interactive ride yet when it opens next year at Disney-MGM Studios, continuing a trend for "personalized" attractions and other experiences.
The new attraction, announced Friday at Walt Disney World, will merge the ride-through shooting theme of the Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin ride at Magic Kingdom with newer technologies to let riders and characters communicate with one another, and to let the ride computer tailor each rider's game. Another Toy Story Mania is being built at Disney's California Adventure theme park.
"We're taking the Toy Story characters you know and love and combining them with incredibly crazy video gaming for what we call 'Toy Story Mania,' " said Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering, the company that designs Disney attractions. "Toy Story Mania is the next-generation interactive ride-through experience."
Visitors will ride through a series of scenes appearing as carnival midway games such as the ring toss and dart throw. The visitors will get to play at each booth, running up score tallies. Technology will allow them, with virtual images and 3-D glasses, to see themselves "shooting" rings, pies, eggs and other objects at targets.
Other technology will allow Toy Story robotic characters to talk with riders, maybe even giving them tips. And a computer will track how well each visitor is doing and adjust the game's skill level along the way, Fitzgerald said.
Disney World President Meg Crofton said the new ride continues Disney's growing trend toward developing attractions and other experiences that are more personal and customized.
Crofton cited similar robotic communication technology that will be used in the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club opening this spring in Magic Kingdom. She also cited the millions of giveaways and guest-employee interactions that Disney calls "magic moments" under the current "Year of a Million Dreams" promotional campaign. Such "immersive experiences," she said, are the direction for Disney World.
"There is no exit strategy for 'magic moments,' " she said.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-disney2707jan27,0,5849104.story?track=rss
