Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS
Toy Story Midway Mania! ushers in a whole new gen-
eration of Disney attractions: virtual dark rides. Since Disneyland opened in 1955, ride
vehicles have moved past two- and three-dimensional sets often populated by Audio-An-
imatronics (AA). Designed by the Imagineers and constructed by skilled craftsmen, these
amazingly detailed sets and robotic figures literally defined the Disney creative genius in
attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, and Peter Pan's Flight.
Now for Toy Story Midway Mania!, the elaborate sets and endearing AA characters are
gone. Imagine long corridors, totally empty, covered with reflective material. There's al-
most nothing there … until you put on your 3-D glasses. Instantly, the corridor is full and
brimming with color, action, and activity, thanks to projected computer-graphic imagery
(CGI).
Conceptually, this is an interactive shooting gallery much like
Buzz Lightyear Astro
tual midway, with booths offering such games as ring tossing and ball throwing. You use
a cannon on your ride vehicle to play as you move along from booth to booth. Unlike the
laser guns in Buzz Lightyear, however, Toy Story Midway Mania's pull-string cannons
take advantage of CGI technology to toss rings, shoot balls, and even throw eggs and pies.
Each game booth is manned by a
Toy Story
character who is right beside you in 3-D glory
cheering you on. In addition to 3-D imagery, you experience various smells, vehicle mo-
tion, wind, and water spray. The ride begins with a training round to familiarize you with
your cannon and the nature of the games and then continues through a number of “real”
games in which you compete against your riding mate. The technology has the ability to
self-adjust the level of difficulty so that every rider is challenged, and there are plenty of
easy targets for small children to reach.
Tip:
Let the pull-string retract all the way back
into the cannon before pulling it again. If you don't, the cannon won't fire.
Finally, and also of note, a new generation of “living character” AA figures was
introduced in the preshow queuing area of Toy Story Midway Mania! A 6-foot-tall Mr.
Potato Head breaks new ground for an AA character by interacting with and talking to
guests in real time.
TOURING TIPS
Much of the queuing area for Toy Story Midway Mania! is across the ped-
estrian walkway from the attraction's entrance. The queuing is covered, which is good,
but it's not air-conditioned, which is very bad, with temperatures escalating into the 90s
and higher. Not roasting in this oven is a great incentive to experience Toy Story Midway
Mania! in the early morning, before it gets crowded.
As you might expect, Toy Story Midway Mania! is addictive, and though it's great
fun right off the bat, it takes a couple of rides before you really get the hang of the pull-
string cannon and the way the targets are presented. To rack up a high score, you must
identifyandshootathigh-valuetargets:low-valuetargetsarelargerandeasiertohit,while
high-value targets are small and often moving. Toward the end of the ride, the top score of
the day and the top scores of the month are posted.
If you're a newbie and you'd like to ride several times to gain experience and get
your skill level up, consider making the attraction your first stop after the park opens.
