Toy Story Playland

[Kman101]

Do we even know for sure where the location/what theme they'd be going for with Toy Story Land? Would it even be "you are now the size of the toys" (like the other two) or would it be simply a land of oversized Toy Story toy attractions? Or maybe themed to Andy's room (if inside like Mermaid Lagoon). It's time for someone to start dropping some knowledge on this project. Could all of it fit inside the former Captain Jack soundstage? Will it go BEHIND that location and they open up a walking path? Will it go where Backlot Tour entrace is?

Just too many questions. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they aren't rushing to tell us years ahead of time but any plan they reveal for DHS will take several years so they need to start dropping something.

 

[GoofGoof]

Indeed! I am shocked at how many people consider it well themed. It is the Pop Century of theme park lands.

The alternative is just plopping some generic spinners and kiddie rides down in an area and calling it a play land. We already have that in AK. It's giant toys from the movie. The theme is you are shunk down and walking amongst Andy's Toys. It is well themed. The execution could fall short if it looks cheap or has gaps, but the theme isn't the issue.

You'd hope. Anything on the backlot area needs to address the parks capacity problems whilst delivering a quality, top draw environment and experience. Not C ticket kiddy rides in a quick attempt to tick a PowerPoint box. A few junior attractions with the MI Coaster and a family D/E dark ride would do it. In a quality, fully immersive environment. For example.

And assuming the expansion on the other edge of the park received what it needs and is expected too.

I am thinking of the Playland area as the few junior attractions (hopefully). There is way more space and way more budget to build something else as well. I 100% agree that if this Playland is all we get on the Pixar side it's an epic fail. Assuming Playland costs no more than $100M there's got to be other stuff coming. I would think 2 additional Pixar D/E ticket rides. Maybe MI doors coaster and the rumored cars dark ride (AKA RSR light).

Star Wars has to be a home run.

 

[DinoInstitute]

Is it wrong to be super excited about a possible new carousel? There is something magical about a good carousel. It adds a neat kinetic energy to an area. I love the King Triton Carousel in DCA, I know my kids get a kick out of being able to ride on a sea creature.

I like a good carousel too. And I think a Toy Story one could be really cool for the different fun designs and "horses" to sit on. I would also hope for some sort of double decker carousel.

 

[George]

The alternative is just plopping some generic spinners and kiddie rides down in an area and calling it a play land. We already have that in AK. It's giant toys from the movie. The theme is you are shunk down and walking amongst Andy's Toys. It is well themed. The execution could fall short if it looks cheap or has gaps, but the theme isn't the issue.


I am thinking of the Playland area as the few junior attractions (hopefully). There is way more space and way more budget to build something else as well. I 100% agree that if this Playland is all we get on the Pixar side it's an epic fail. Assuming Playland costs no more than $100M there's got to be other stuff coming. I would think 2 additional Pixar D/E ticket rides. Maybe MI doors coaster and the rumored cars dark ride (AKA RSR light).

Star Wars has to be a home run.

I've kind of written off the MI coaster. It has been rejected so many times over the years that someone loses major face if they go ahead and build it. I would love it and think it would be a great addition, but I'm not sure it will be happening.

 

[Bolna]

The alternative is just plopping some generic spinners and kiddie rides down in an area and calling it a play land. We already have that in AK. It's giant toys from the movie. The theme is you are shunk down and walking amongst Andy's Toys. It is well themed. The execution could fall short if it looks cheap or has gaps, but the theme isn't the issue.

Just to be difficult: Dinorama is well themed as well: It is supposed to have the theme of a roadside carnival. And it shows that theme very well. ;-)

My issue with Toy Story Playland is maybe more that the theme is lazy and not really well fitted for a theme park. By blowing small things up you take away everything that could be details. It is large plastic things with no texture etc. I don't even mind them putting in a few kiddie rides. Personally I think a spinner or a carousel would be far nicer than the really slow Slinky Dog ride (it moves at snail pace, really!) as they would add more kinetics to the area.

 

[Wikkler]

But it's located in an area themed to Ireland . The original ride that was there was much better but this is off topic anyways... Lol

1. Fair point about the theming.
2. I've never been there before 2012.

 

[GoofGoof]

Although the Toy Story Land would be themed to you being the size of a Toy I believe. Pizza Planet is somewhere for normal sized humans to go so unless it was an over sized Pizza Planet it wouldn't really fit in TSPL.

Two possible ideas:

1. There is a Toy Story store and the Buzz and Woody meet and greet area across from TSMM built in to the side of the GMR show building. If there is enough room they could relocate pizza planet there.
2. The studio catering Co (knife and fork symbol on the center of the map above) is between the HISTK playground and the BLT front entrance. They could relocate Pizza Planet there.

My thoughts are that they could build TSPL directly behind the TSMM show building (top of map directly to the right of the words stage lane). There are a couple of buildings back there (old wardrobe area that BLT went through) plus a tram parking area and the tower. They could make the entrance directly next to TSMM near the former entrance to BLT. That leaves the entire area below that for other Pixar stuff. There's a whole lot of space there. Easily enough to add 2 additional themed areas (Monster & Cars?).

 

[GoofGoof]

Just to be difficult: Dinorama is well themed as well: It is supposed to have the theme of a roadside carnival. And it shows that theme very well. ;-)

My issue with Toy Story Playland is maybe more that the theme is lazy and not really well fitted for a theme park. By blowing small things up you take away everything that could be details. It is large plastic things with no texture etc. I don't even mind them putting in a few kiddie rides. Personally I think a spinner or a carousel would be far nicer than the really slow Slinky Dog ride (it moves at snail pace, really!) as they would add more kinetics to the area.

IMHO dinorama's biggest issue is it has nothing to do with dinosaurs. With TSPL it's part of the Pixar Place section of the park and allows people (kids) to be shrunk down and walk amongst the toys. If done right, you are meant to feel like you are riding on Andy's toys. Not sure how this all works if they swap in a Mater clone ride and the other ride from DCA. They very well may scrap the "shrunk down amongst the toys" theme and just have some Toy Story themed rides together in an area with minimal theming.

 

[GoofGoof]

I've kind of written off the MI coaster. It has been rejected so many times over the years that someone loses major face if they go ahead and build it. I would love it and think it would be a great addition, but I'm not sure it will be happening.

• My highest level of expectations for me would be MI coaster and RSR being the 2 added rides (2 E tickets).
• My middle of the road expectation is a Monsters dark ride and a Cars dark ride (both probably D tickets).
• My minimum expectation is one dark ride (at least D ticket) within a themed area.
• Just TSPL is an epic fail.

I am pretty sure my highest expectations aren't happening, but you never know. I'd be OK with 2 additional dark rides with TSPL.

 

[Goofywilliam]

1. Fair point about the theming.
2. I've never been there before 2012.

Its still a beautiful park with many amazing rides, it just seems the new management isn't up to par on how to properly handle the park. Many of the decisions they have made have had a negative impacts on the park, except for Verboten, that ride is soon much fun!

 

[maddie_odair]

Its still a beautiful park with many amazing rides, it just seems the new management isn't up to par on how to properly handle the park. Many of the decisions they have made have had a negative impacts on the park, except for Verboten, that ride is soon much fun!

Verbolten is amazing! Okay back on topic TSPL alone would be horrible but as part of an overall expansion it would be a nice addition

 

[Wikkler]

Its still a beautiful park with many amazing rides, it just seems the new management isn't up to par on how to properly handle the park. Many of the decisions they have made have had a negative impacts on the park, except for Verboten, that ride is soon much fun!

I'm not a thrill junkie, but the people I was with made me go on it. Never again.

 

[doctornick]

Indeed! I am shocked at how many people consider it well themed. It is the Pop Century of theme park lands.

I'm not the first to say this, but the "problem" with Pop Century, The All Star resorts, etc is that they are decorated, not themed. One can argue as to how "nice" TSP is, but it is certainly themed -- it is set up as though you are shrunk down to a small size and are among toys. There's a clear delineation of place involved with the land.

I do not think the comparison to the value hotels is apt at all.

 

[doctornick]

View attachment 78411My thoughts are that they could build TSPL directly behind the TSMM show building (top of map directly to the right of the words stage lane). There are a couple of buildings back there (old wardrobe area that BLT went through) plus a tram parking area and the tower. They could make the entrance directly next to TSMM near the former entrance to BLT. That leaves the entire area below that for other Pixar stuff. There's a whole lot of space there. Easily enough to add 2 additional themed areas (Monster & Cars?).

Right now, I'm thinking it would make sense to put TSPL right behind TSMM as you said, but I would build the main entrance to be in between TSMM and the former Jack Sparrow attraction. That would hide TSPL from the other parts of the park effectively and would have it integrated closer to the entrance of TSMM.

(And in an ideal world, they can use the former Jack Sparrow space for at least part an indoor ride.)

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Throwing in JUST one or two E/D tickets does nothing for this park. Unfortunately we DO need those kiddy rides. I don't want them either but I know the park does need them. Just because they aren't a personal favorite doesn't mean they aren't needed IMO and they do have their fans (I'm not really one of them, but Mater's gets praised to hog heaven). Yes it's cheap but if other parks can have them why can't DHS? I know it's not well loved but Bugs Land and Paradise Pier (well, original flavor) are hardly knocked.

Bugs Land is a well themed kiddy land and seems to be accepted for what it is. Paradise Per 1.0 was mocked heartily by the fan community and the media- and for good reason. With the remake, it looks a lot better but it still very far from being top quality. I was just at DCA about a month ago and saw it for myself.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Bugs Land is a well themed kiddy land and seems to be accepted for what it is. Paradise Per 1.0 was mocked heartily by the fan community and the media- and for good reason. With the remake, it looks a lot better but it still very far from being top quality. I was just at DCA about a month ago and saw it for myself.

The problem is they didn't finish what they started. There's still quite a bit of version 1.0 there that was intended to be fixed (the carousel, Screamin's queue), but hasn't been done yet.

 

[flyerjab]

• My highest level of expectations for me would be MI coaster and RSR being the 2 added rides (2 E tickets).
• My middle of the road expectation is a Monsters dark ride and a Cars dark ride (both probably D tickets).
• My minimum expectation is one dark ride (at least D ticket) within a themed area.
• Just TSPL is an epic fail.

I am pretty sure my highest expectations aren't happening, but you never know. I'd be OK with 2 additional dark rides with TSPL.

I like how you summed this up GoofGoof. I am assuming middle of the road if for no other reason than there is going to be so much more happening at this park over the next 1-5 years. The only thing that I will add is that I always return to this post by @Lee when I start thinking about what may or may not be happening at DHS (and EPCOT potentially, as he was sort of replying to someone in regard to the state of EPCOT as well as DHS):

I don't think it will get that far.
Disney is in a spending mood. Seriously.

It is just one of those posts that always give me hope that this expansion/transformation is going to be handled the right way.

 

[Fantasmicguy]

Although the Toy Story Land would be themed to you being the size of a Toy I believe. Pizza Planet is somewhere for normal sized humans to go so unless it was an over sized Pizza Planet it wouldn't really fit in TSPL.

What if they say Andy brought a Pizza Planet play set. That's why its toy size and you can go in.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Throwing in JUST one or two E/D tickets does nothing for this park. Unfortunately we DO need those kiddy rides. I don't want them either but I know the park does need them. Just because they aren't a personal favorite doesn't mean they aren't needed IMO and they do have their fans (I'm not really one of them, but Mater's gets praised to hog heaven). Yes it's cheap but if other parks can have them why can't DHS? I know it's not well loved but Bugs Land and Paradise Pier (well, original flavor) are hardly knocked.

And for cheap, yes I haven't seen either playland in person (yet!), at least one of the Parachute drop (which I know we aren't getting) queues and RC Racer queue look fairly well done *for what it is*. Again, it's all about personal prefernce. Everyone just demands E/C/D tickets. Universal/Springfield throws in a spinner, (that it NEEDED), Kang and Koda's and it's praised to no end. Spinner at WDW? Or a flat ride that's NEEDED. It's mocked.

I think the reaction is just fear it's ALL we're getting. There's no way they just give us Toy Story Playland.

I don't know how to say this politely, but you are wrong on just about every point you made.

No, DHS doesn't need carnival rides. It needs capacity.

No, we haven't entered capacity crisis now anymore than the past 25 years. DHS only ever had 6 rides. Closing one doesn't constitute "Buy everything in the Zamperla catalog and paint a frickin' Mickey on it, NOW!!!!!". Just because TDO suddenly realized DHS only has 5 rides doesn't mean WE haven't been discussing the situation since Al Gore invented the internet.

The Monsters, Inc. Coaster, a Ratatouille themed RR's Cartoon Spin and a Cars themed version of the Rat ride in Paris would give the capacity and bring the Disney Quality. The C, D, E trifecta.

Or we can settle for carnival rides. TDO's choice.

 

[Kman101]

It's not wrong in EVERY WAY because it's simply my opinion, just like you have yours. You hate the idea of TSPL and will argue against it no matter what. It's not up to you or to me to determine what the park needs but I'm not saying ALL it needs is kiddy rides. It needs those on top of what you listed Disneyhead'71 (An E/D/C). If you add just those rides, then it's new Fantasyland all over again. Yes it adds a bunch of rides but they aren't going to do all that (IMO). You also have to be realistic. I'd love all of what you'd listed. But the park ALSO needs flat rides. IMO. I'm NOT saying that's *all* it needs. If we get JUST that, I won't be a very happy camper.