Toy Story Mania!--Our Favorite Attraction

Disney's Hollywood Studios boasts our favorite attraction, Toy Story Mania! Due to its popularity, get there first thing to ride or get a FASTPASS or both! Often FASTPASSes have maxed out distribution by noon.

OK, so you start by entering the queue and see that you are now the size of a toy. Possibly, one of Andy's toys. As you move through the stand-by queue you get to see lots of toys, including Mr. Potato Head. He operates as a game "barker" of sorts, asking questions, offering challenges and insults to the crowd. Note: If you use the FASTPASS entrance, you do not get to go by Mr. Potato Head.

Here's the giant Candy Land in the stand-by queue.
And the Tinkertoy set. Monkeys, checkers, and Tinkertoys adorn the ceiling.

Here's Mr. Potato Head. If he asks who your favorite character is, say Mrs. Potato Head.

He likes that answer!

After passing Mr. Potato Head, you will round the corner, pick up your 3-D glasses and head up the stairs.

After navigating the short queue you will enter Andy's Room and go down the stairs to get in your ride vehicle.

Here's a list of the Toy Story Action Figures that is posted in Andy's Room. The ride vehicles have a picture and name of one of the action figures. Ask if they have a Stinky Pete car.

And then, it is time to get in your ride car! The car has seats on both sides and spins and turns before you get to the practice screen. The "gun" has a pull string that throws pies, tosses rings, throws balls and darts, depending on the screen. For each screen, you get a score, a total score, and an accuracy rating. Be sure to the let the string of your shooter go all the way back in before pulling again. On the last screen you will be shown your score and the "prize" you have earned. My highest score was 177,800 (which beat Todd's by the way) with the prize of a black cat.

The word on the "street" is that the ring toss screen which currently features Bo Peep is going to be changed to feature Rex and Trixy?? ( a new character from Toy Story 3) and a volcano scenario. This update can be done by just changing out computer information and the prediction is that it can be done overnight without closing the attraction. Also, the word on the "street" is that there will more information posted about your score. I can't wait to see the changes! (221 days and counting)

Here's the boy and our friend Dale ready to ride Toy Story Mania!

(It's also great to run into friends while you are at the happiest place on earth! It is a small world after all!)

Our strategy for Toy Story Mania! is to head there at rope drop with the thousands (ok, hundreds) of other people. We give the husband all of our Key to World cards, as he is moving ahead of us to get FASTPASSes. (click here for tips on FASTPASS.) Then the boy and I move to the stand-by queue and the husband typically joins us quickly. We then move through the stand-by queue, ride, and check when we can get the next FASTPASS. It is usually within 20 minutes or so, so I collect the Key to the World cards, the boy and husband head to Star Tours, and I wait to collect another set of FASTPASSes. We then come back later in the day and ride two times in a row!

I hope you enjoy Toy Story Mania! as much as we do!