Gamers, prepare yourself for the ultimate 3D interactive
entertainment experience at Disney’s Toy Story Mania.
Currently under construction at both Disney’s California
Adventure and the Florida Disney-MGM
Studios, this new interactive theme park promises
to be fun for all ages. Set for a 2008 summer opening,
Toy Story Mania takes its inspiration from the Disney/Pixar
movies, “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2".
Toy Story Mania Disney World in Florida is being built
at Mickey Avenue, which will be aptly re-named “Pixar
Place” when the park is finished. Mickey Avenue
officially closed on July 9th, 2007, and the former “Who
Wants to be a Millionaire” sound stages at both
the California
and Florida Disney theme parks will be effectively replaced
with the Toy Story Mania production.
Designed in part to resemble the classic midway games, Toy Story Mania will push the current interactive gaming standards to all new heights. Visitors will enter the world of Toy Story characters Woody the Cowboy, Buzz Lightyear and the little Green Men for a gaming experience that is part ride, part interactive competition. Before you enter Toy Story Mania Disney World, you will come across a 6-feet tall Mr Potato Head as you wait in line. In much the same way Crush the turtle interacts with guests at Epcot Center, Mr. Potato Head will be a groundbreaking audio-animatronics figure able to listen and respond to visitors as they wait to enter the new theme park. As with the original Mr. Potato Head, the interactive offering will be able to add and remove body parts. Mr. Potato Head appeared in both Toy Story and Toy Story 2, with Don Rickles providing the character’s voice. After an engaging meeting with the famous spud, gamers will prepare to don 3D glasses for the technological gaming environment that awaits them once they enter Toy Story Mania Disney World.
Visitors entering Disney’s Toy Story adventure will board a spinable vehicle that will transport them through an array of virtual environments. Each ride vehicle seats up to 8 people, with a seating pattern that pairs four groups of two. Before the real competition begins, participants will travel in their ride vehicles to a training area, where they will learn how to use the various controls at their disposal. This will better prepare them for the adventure at hand, where physical sets take a back seat to an environment ruled by video displays. Aboard your ride vehicle, you will then begin your real journey through Disney’s Toy Story virtual gaming world. To make the Toy Story Mania Disney World experience all the more realistic, 3D imagery will team with effects ranging from accompanying smells to wind and water spray.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of Disney’s Toy Story Mania is the ability of the different games to identify the skill level of each player and tailor the playing experience to fit both beginners and experts. This means that all riders will find Toy Story Mania Disney World both challenging and rewarding. The idea is to create a gaming experience that changes with each ride. Also upping the attraction’s re-ride-ability factor is Disney Imagineering group’s plans to alternate the games offered. This furthers the originality of each experience, guaranteeing that riders will want to return again and again. Be prepared to engage in virtual ring-tossing, ball throwing and dart throwing as you meet Disney’s Toy Story characters at their respective booths. Disney’s Toy Story gaming experience at MGM-Studios will join an impressive Disney Hollywood Studios show list. Visitors can also expect daily parades at MGM-Studios, like those found at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
