Toy Story Land has been something that I wasn’t really looking forward to, and not in a Dis Twitter facetious or condescending way, just didn’t really feel like the land was for me, instead I figured I would just spend my time on my tip toes gazing over the fence looking at Galaxy’s Edge getting any glimpse of the future I could. And while the last part may still be true I can honestly say that I didn’t spend even 3 percent of my day looking at Galaxy’s Edge instead I spent it roaming around Andy’s backyard in an amazed dazed at what Imagineering has done.

Now I am not gonna sit here and say this is the great achievement that Imagnineering has done, but here is the thing, it doesn’t have to be. However what they have done and particularly at night with the lighting package is nothing short of incredible. But lets dive into Andy’s backyard and break it down one piece at a time.

The story: Andy has set up a play set in his back yard and his mom has called him into the house and we are the toys in his back yard and we can play while Andy is away. Pretty cute right?  ****SPOILER ALERT*** So as you walk into his back yard the first thing you see is Woody and he is greeting you and your friends and family into Toy Story Land and HE TALKS. The first time I heard this I was so thrown off but I loved it. And as you walk past Woody can begin to see Slinky Dog Dash and hear the screams from other guest on the attraction. All of the railing around the land appears to be made out of K-nex, which is a really, really cool idea.

 

You can see Rex and Jessie stringing up Christmas lights, and they have some fun banter back and fourth. Midway Mania has opened up inside the land and is back up with the three tracks, new queue is cool, and leads into the new wall trend at the end of the queue, the Popsicle wall…That is Josh, he won the internet that day. 

I cant really remember exactly what they said back and fourth but it was adorable. (I love Rex ) so then if you keep up the path that leads to the rest of the land, the first thing you will encounter is Woody’s Lunch Box. And where do we start here?

Well since its a restaurant lets start with the food its self, we have a bunch of people with us, Josh the co host of the podcast, his wife, my girl friend and some listeners of our podcast, (Some Orlando Junk go check it out on iTunes and Stitcher #shamelessplug) so between all of us we actually were able to try everything on the menu. Lets go through this quickly:

The BBQ Brisket Melt: This sandwich was great, I really liked it but it wont be my go to here, probably because I am not the biggest fan of BBQ sauce.

 

The Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich: This was FANTASTIC. Very rich, very creamy, and is a great item on this menu you should really give this a shot. (Maybe go kids meal so its a half of the sandwich  or split it with some one since its so rich)

The Monte Cristo: This was the one thing I was looking forward to the most on the menu and it really lived up to the hype I put on it before hand. This will be the item I get every time I can. I loved this sandwich so much. I cant recommend it enough. Oh and the bread is french toast. (RIGHT??) Also its nothing like the one from Blue Bayou. I actually prefer this one.

Smoked Turkey Sandwich: This is just what it says, its good, but its a simple turkey sandwich, but done well. I was nothing special but a good options for kids who like food on the plain side.

Totchos: This was the other thing I was stoked to try. They were tater tots (excuse me potato barrels) covered in chili, cheese, fritos, sour cream and onion. They were my second favorite thing on the menu.

Toaster Box Tart: Disney’s take on a pop-tart, bigger, thicker and meh. They are fine, but I wasn’t in love with this one. They come in two varieties hazel nut and candied bacon, and raspberry. Again…meh. They do have carts they were selling these nearby at the restaurant so you dint have to stand in line.

 

Speaking of standing in line, we stood in line for about 45-55 minutes to order our food, worth it on opening day to try it first, but not on an average day. (for me, remember I live here tho, I would not wait that long again) They also have a breakfast menu that I have not tried yet, but I am looking forward to trying it next week.

There is a small seating area complete with BabyBel cheese chairs which added to the theme. The window you actually order out of is a Tupperware container  and the menu is on a juice box. Just another level of immersion in the land. So over all I really thing this is must do place on your next trip and they also do mobile ordering. There are some green army men who are looking out for Andy to make sure he doesn’t come back and ruin the toys good time. The seating area is really small around 30 tables probably less, and its really cut throat finding a spot, we ended up deciding to eat our food there at ABC commissary.

After you grab a bite to eat, if you take a left out of Woody’s Lunch Box you can see the restrooms which are highly themed on the outside but nothing special inside.

 

And then you can see one of the two attractions Alien Swirling Saucers. This attraction is really fun but there isn’t much to the actual experience, if you have been to Disneyland and have ridden Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree its the same experience. The main difference here is the themeing, and the music. The music is so much fun there are several (not sure the exact number) different, for lack of a better term, techno music versions of your favorite Toy Story Songs. This attraction really comes alive at night and I think that’s the time to ride it. The queue is really long and has a lot of bold colors and fun stuff to look at.  Also this has a height requirement of 32 inches.

Then after if you get of this ans shake the dizziness off, you can go and see the best attraction in the land. Slinky Dog Dash. Now the queue for Slinky Dog dash was really fun but very comparable to Midway Mania, more of the same type aesthetic just bigger and done on a more grandiose scale. There are so many little Easter eggs in the queue it could be its own article, but I will give you one. The stand by line sign is shaped like a dogs collar tag, and on the back of it it says “Buster 234 Elm Street” so the toys are using Busters dog tag as a sign. Loved this detail!

When this attraction got announced I was expecting something along the lines of Barnstormer over at magic Kingdom and I was pleasantly surprised to get  some thing closer or more intense to Big Thunder Mine Train. It is a launch coaster that launches you in two places, and it was really fun. I was surprised at how much I liked this coaster and it far exceed my expectations. I have a ride through posted on my YouTube channel in 4K at night, go check it out if you want.

 

There are a few surprises on the attraction that I wont ruin here, but this is the one ride you have to do in the new land. This land is exactly what Hollywood Studios needed right now. It is a great addition to the Walt Disney World Resort, and is more than just a place holder like I had intended. It is something really special that I cant wait to go back and experience over and over again. Thank you for reading this article, follow me on Twitter @someorlandojunk and let me know you found me here. See ya next time!

-Brad Hughes