At a Glance
Duration: 6 minutes, 45 seconds
Look Out For: motion sickness, slight spinning, and some sensory overload
Opening on May 21, 2008, Toy Story Mania puts a playful twist on the classic carnival “shooting” game. But how scary is Toy Story Mania? Let’s take a look at the ratings:
1. Ride Length
Toy Story Mania has a ride duration of 6 minutes and 45 seconds.
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
Toy Story Mania has no height requirement, making it a great choice for the whole family. However, children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by an adult and Disney does have a single warning for riders prone to motion sickness.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
The Toy Story Mania ride vehicles consist of individual cars seating 4 riders in 2 “back to back” rows of 2. Each passenger gets their own lap bar and has control of their own pull-string “gun” which is mounted to the vehicle.
4. How Does Toy Story Mania Work?
Toy Story Mania works by using 4D effects and screens to simulate a classic carnival “shooting” game. With each car seating riders back-to-back, there are screens on either side of the vehicle so that everyone get’s to play at once. When it’s time to move on to the next scene, the cars move and spin along the track.
5. Is Toy Story Mania Scary?
Toy Story Mania is not intentionally scary whatsoever. While there are certainly some loud noises (think popping balloons or fireworks) and flashing visuals, everything on the ride is presented in a fun and playful way. Those especially prone to sensory sensitivity may feel a bit overwhelmed with some of the show scenes, but for the most part, this attraction is family-friendly to its core.
6. How High is Toy Story Mania?
Toy Story Mania does not involve heights of any kind. As an indoor track ride, your ride vehicle remains on the ground at all times.
7. How Fast is Toy Story Mania?
Toy Story Mania does not go very fast. While the cars certainly accelerate and spin on their way to the next show scene, the movement doesn’t last for long and feels a lot like another carnival ride – the scrambler. You may feel “slung around” a bit when making a turn or two, but overall, this ride is very tame.
8. Does Toy Story Mania Have Drops?
Toy Story Mania does not have drops of any kind.
9. Does Toy Story Mania Cause Motion Sickness?
Toy Story Mania will certainly cause motion sickness for many riders. Due to the large screens, 4D effects, and spinning ride vehicles, this attraction has all the right ingredients for some Toy-Story-themed nausea. While some will have no issue with this ride, those especially prone to motion sickness may want to really take a moment to consider this one.
10. Is Toy Story Mania Claustrophobic?
Toy Story Mania could be a bit claustrophobic to some riders. With its longer-than-average ride duration, lap bars, and disorienting track, this attraction can definitely feel confining at times. However, its quick pacing, good air flow, and all-in-all fun riding experience definitely takes the edge off, in my opinion.
11. Are There Animatronics on Toy Story Mania?
There is one large animatronic of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story Mania queue. While there are no animatronics on the ride, guests will get up close and personal with a moving, quipping Mr. Potato Head as they wait in line. However, he is very cartoonish and not intentionally scary whatsoever – making him a friendly and pleasant presence to most.
Toy Story Mania Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance is located outside in the Toy Story Land area of Hollywood studios. The line winds through a covered outdoor area before finally taking you inside. The indoor part of the queue consists of several large rooms themed perfectly to Toy Story – complete with oversized props and settings to make you really feel “toy-sized.” While this section of the queue is windowless, most of the rooms and hallways have high ceilings, making it feel a bit less confining, in my opinion.
You’ll wind through several more well-themed rooms before winding your way towards Mr. Potato Head. The line snakes back and forth until you’re right up next to him – which may be a bit unsettling for anyone extremely averse to animatronics. As stated before, he is very friendly but HUGE – and guests get within touching distance as they pass by him in the queue.
After moving through a couple more rooms, you’ll finally ascend some stairs and then head back down towards the loading station. This is typically a very slow-moving queue with a long wait-time, so those prone to feeling claustrophobic in long lines may want to prioritize a lightning lane for this attraction.
Toy Story Mania Ride Walkthrough
As you board the ride vehicle, you’ll set off into your first “practice game” with Woody and Rex. After shooting for a few seconds to get the hang of it, you’ll spin towards another show scene – farm-themed this time – hosted by Mr. Hamm. Before you know it, you’re on to the next one – a volcano-scene with Trixie the triceratops. From there, you’ll break plates with the army men before tossing rings at the Pizza Planet aliens. The final scene has several Western-themed rounds with Woody and Jessie – and after that, you’ll spin over to Buzz who will give you the final scores.
That’s it! Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not. I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? How scary is Toy Story Mania? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the ride and queue, be sure to check out this video from 4K WDW:
