Soarin’

Soarin’ is a ride that takes you hangliding over California landmarks from the comfort of a moving row of seats in front of a concave movie screen. This popular attraction opened at Epcot in May of 2005 with 2 theaters that hold 87 passengers each. The riveting musical score by Jerry Goldsmith is the perfect soundtrack for your flight.

Disney announced last week that they will be adding a third theater, which in theory will cut down on wait times allowing 1/3 more people to ride at a time. It was also announced that the screens and projection systems will be updated during this time. The addition is slated to be completed in late 2016.

photos courtesy of Disney

Toy Story Mania

Toy Story Mania is a spinning, virtual video game ride that takes riders through carnival style games featuring all of their favorite Toy Story characters. This fun, family-favorite ride will be having its track expanded allowing for more riders to be on the ride at a time. We do not know exactly how that will work yet since Disney has only told us that much. This project should also be completed in late 2016.

Mom Maven’s Thought

I’m glad that Disney is investing in these two uber popular attractions. Sometimes we don’t need new attractions we just need our favorites to be better or have less of a wait. I am excited to see exactly what Disney toes with Toy Story Mania and with the timeline atunder 2 years, we won’t have to wait too long.

What are your thoughts? Are these rides “must-dos” on your Disney vacation? Is Disney doing the right thing by expanding them?

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Toy Story Mania! – the 4-D interactive ride-game attraction inspired by the Disney•Pixar “Toy Story” films – is extremely popular with Disney Parks guests on both coasts. This high-energy, immersive adventure puts players squarely in the action as their game play triggers surprises that deliver a fourth dimension of fun. Toy Story Mania! engages guests in a whole new way with delightful characters of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2.”

Starting in late May, Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head and the gang are joined by a whole new set of characters from “Toy Story 3.” The new game greeting guests, “Rex and Trixie’s Dino Darts,” invites riders to shoot their virtual darts at all-new balloon targets in a primeval world filled with volcanoes and lava balloons, explained Sue Bryan, senior show producer, director, Walt Disney Imagineering.

Game players are welcomed by Rex (the nervous Tyrannosaurus rex) and his new friend Trixie (a blue Triceratops and one of the toy characters from the new film) cheering them on. The new game (it replaces “Bo Peep’s Baaa-loon Pop”) turns up the fun with more hidden surprises and the potential for volcanic levels of excitement. Other changes:

• The “Hamm & Eggs” game will now be hosted by Hamm and Buttercup (a toy unicorn with heart-shaped nostrils).
• In the prize scene, Trixie, Buttercup, Dolly (a doll), Mr. Pricklepants (a lederhosen-clad hedgehog) and one other surprise – all from “Toy Story 3” – will appear with Woody and Jessie.

“Our number-one goal in creating Toy Story Mania! was to come up with game-play challenges appropriate for all guests, from little kids to serious gamers,” Bryan said. “I love that we are keeping things fresh and new by adding these great new friends and fun to join some of the most popular characters of all time.”

About Toy Story Mania!

In the timeless tradition of Disney storytelling, Toy Story Mania! takes its inspiration from the fact that Andy’s toys spring to life whenever he is away. Soon after Andy got a “Midway Games Play Set” for his latest birthday, the toys jumped at their first chance to open the box and set up the game booths and carnival trams so everyone could ride and play. That means “no assembly required” for their game-playing guests – just nonstop fun. (That is, until Andy gets home!)

Arriving guests are welcomed by Mr. Potato Head, more than five feet tall and looking like he stepped right down from the movie screen. The state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics Mr. Potato Head makes a perfect carnival barker, capable of engaging guests in two-way conversation and encouraging them to “step right up” for the immersive Toy Story Mania! experience.

Everyone gets a front row seat when guests put on their 3-D glasses, “shrink” to the size of a toy and board Toy Story Mania! carnival tram ride vehicles which add a huge amount of fun to the interactive experience. The exciting and colorful route takes guests through “Andy’s Bedroom” filled with oversized murals and toys. The vehicles angle to face Toy Story Mania! game booths – high-tech yet rooted in classic midway games of skill – and guests aim for 3-D animated targets using their own on-board spring-action shooters. Players pair up and sit side-by-side for a friendly competition that delivers an ever-changing variety of targets and surprises.

As they play, guests can actually see the “virtual” objects they’ve launched leave their
spring-action shooters and hit (or miss) the targets. And thanks to 4-D special-effects technology, they may sense objects whirring past them as they pop out of the 3-D scenes.

The Toy Story Mania! games – five of them, plus an introductory practice round – are designed to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages and skills, from beginners to experienced gamers. Play is energized by the spirit of the “Toy Story” characters cast in games that best suit their very animated personalities.

No matter how many times guests return to ride and play, they can be sure every ride-through will seem different.

Pixar Animation Studies is creating animation of the new characters plus animation for “Rex and Trixie’s Dino Darts.” New music – a dino-themed version of Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” – comes from veteran music editor and Newman collaborator Bruno Coon, who did the original music for the attraction.

Toy Story Mania! was the first time that Walt Disney Imagineering created an attraction for two Disney parks simultaneously. The attraction opened in California and Florida in 2008.

More Fun in Store

Disney Parks guests not only get to play with “Toy Story 3” characters in Toy Story Mania! starting in late May – they get to see another new character from the film.

Starting May 9, Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear will join his “Toy Story” pals in the delightful “Pixar Play Parade” at Disney’s California Adventure and “Block Party Bash” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In addition, Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests can pose for photos with Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear in the meet-and-greet area inside The Magic of Disney Animation. Over at Disney’s California Adventure, guests can pose alongside the “Toy Story” gang inside a life-sized “blister pack” as if they themselves are toys.

About the Movie

“Toy Story 3” welcomes Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz (voice of Tim Allen) and the whole gang back to the big screen as Andy prepares to depart for college and his loyal toys find themselves in… daycare! These untamed tots with their sticky little fingers do not play nice, so it’s all for one and one for all as plans for the great escape get underway. A few new faces – some plastic, some plush – join the fun. “Toy Story 3” disney.go.com/toystory/ is a comical new adventure in Disney Digital 3-D. Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” debuts nationwide on June 18, 2010.

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