The Walt Disney Imagineering ten year plan has been discussed frequently on the Boardwalk Times. Our writers have discussed the past plans and the future plans. The ten year plan is rapidly changing. Something might of even happened today in Glendale, CA. We won’t know about it for years. That brings me to the question of the day.
Was Toy Story Land Always The Plan?
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been subjected to rumors for years. It’s honestly the easiest park to make up a rumor for. The question I bring up is interesting to me and most Disney Parks fans. Did the ten year plan change to include Toy Story Land last minute?
Toy Story Land was announced at D23 2015. The announcement was heavily rumored in the days prior to the expo. It was confirmed that night. At the time before the Toy Story rumor picked up steam. There were two other theories.
1. Cars Land Clone Theory
This rumor was around before the Boardwalk Times even began. Multiple websites even confirmed the rumor. Citing that legitimate sources said Cars Land would replace Lights, Motors, Action! This obviously didn’t come to fruition. I’m assuming due to budget? That’s one of the possibilities. Maybe Disney realized cloning a complete land makes tourist less willing to go to Disney’s California Adventure. Maybe it was the cost of Cars Land. Cars Land was included in $1.1 billion renovation of Disney’s California Adventure. So Walt Disney World wanted a smaller scale land in Toy Story. Not having Cars makes sense due to it being in Disney’s California Adventure but why Toy Story?
2. Pixar Studios Theory
Did Disney want to expand Pixar Studios at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Oh heck yeah they did. This was obvious change in the WDI ten year plan. Rumors of a Monster Inc. coaster have been on and off in recent years until Toy Story Land was announced. Naming the area Pixar Studios would allow more Pixar franchises to be injected into Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Will we ever know what the large scale Pixar Studios plans were? The rumor of a Monsters Inc. land is still looming. The plans could still happen yet it seems very unlikely. Especially with the announcement that Toy Story Midway Mania’s location would be changed to Toy Story Land. A move similar to Muppet Vision 3D being changed from Muppets Courtyard to Grand Avenue. Oh I would love to see a whole Pixar land! Although I see the potential Pixar has in all four of Disney’s parks and the two water parks. Even at Disney Springs I see potential for Pixar. So having it all in one place wouldn’t make sense. Not when you can spread the love. Although a themed land around Pixar where you could adventure from Inside Out, Wall-E, UP, and The Incredibles would be fun. Pixar franchises that don’t get a lot of love in the parks could have a home here.
Well in conclusion we can debate that Toy Story Land wasn’t always the plan. Disney probably decided on Toy Story Land due to having already made lands in Paris and Hong Kong. Although Walt Disney World’s Toy Story Land will be vastly different. The other key reason is one of the top rated attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is Toy Story Midway Mania. If the company knew they couldn’t creatively come up with a expansion for Pixar Studios the safe bet was to make a land around one of the most profitable Disney franchises. Toy Story Land is coming at a time where attractions are desperately needed at the small, identity-crisis Hollywood Studios. Although most fans in 2015 weren’t excited about Toy Story Land they are now and it will feel like a breathe of fresh air for Hollywood Studios.
So what is exactly planned for Toy Story Land? The Slinky Dog Dash which will introduce a family coaster to the park. Themed around Andy’s backyard using a toy coaster kit and using Slinky Dog as the actual coaster. Alien Swirling Saucers is similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree in Disney’s California Adventure. Plus the addition of Toy Story Mania.
It will be interesting to see how the rest of Toy Story Land turns out. It’s also interesting to think about the other possibilities that could’ve went into that spot. Leading me to believe that Toy Story wasn’t always the plan. Will those Monster Inc. plans get resurrected? I’m sure we will be writing about that soon.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief at the Boardwalk Times.
