SLINKY DOG DASH

Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World Resort lets guests at its Hollywood Studios theme park have a wonderful playtime pretending they are toys.  The area themed after the popular PIXAR animated movies is decorated by Disney Imagineers so that people feel like they are toy-sized and walking through the backyard of the boy whose collection of playthings are the main characters in the Toy Story films.  A highlight of Toy Story Land is its roller coaster that features one of those toys from the movies as the star of the attraction … SLINKY DOG.

Slinky Dog Dash is a roller coaster playset that you as an honorary toy can ride when visiting Andy's backyard. It was assembled by Andy from his Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster Kit with one big alteration. He picked everyone’s favorite floppy-eared dachshund with a stretching coil body – Slinky Dog – and dropped it onto the coaster track to use as the roller coaster vehicle instead of the one that came with the kit. Remember, you are toy-sized and immersed among Andy's playthings while visiting Toy Story Land.

A Geek Daddy had the chance to ride Slinky Dog Dash during the Toy Story Land grand opening festivities and can say it is a very impressive ride.  Slinky Dog Dash is Disney World's first double launch roller coaster that incorporates a power booster so riders are shot off twice at different points on the track. When your Slinky Dog hits the midway point of the ride, the coaster stops, reverses a few yards, then shoots through multiple rings pulsing with sounds, spinners and flashing lights as it launches riders into the second act of the ride experience.



One of the really fun details about the ride is when approaching the boarding area you will notice Andy’s construction plans sketched out in Crayola crayon on notebook paper hung up to see. Glue bottles, empty toy boxes and stray coaster parts and pieces are also strewn all about the queue area. There are lots of great elements like these sprinkled all throughout Toy Story Land that are really exciting and entertaining to discover. Plus these touches help you feel as if you are a Toy Story toy yourself while exploring Andy's backyard.

My 9 year old twins were so excited to be some of the first kids to be able to ride the Slinky Dog Dash during a special pre-opening event.  They LOVED it !!!!  In fact, both of them agreed that this roller coaster is now their favorite ride at Disney World. High praise indeed! Especially from kids who really aren't much of roller coaster enthusiasts.

While the speed and swoops of Slinky Dog Dash will absolutely get some butterflies fluttering in your stomach it isn't a scary ride at all.  The Slinky Dog theme provides a light hearted, unintimidating vibe to the roller coaster. Most people who meet the ride's 38 inch height requirement should have a good time on it.

With that in mind,  Slinky Dog Dash has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval because it is an excellent ride for parents and children to enjoy together for some family fun.  My wife and I took a ride on Slinky Dog Dash with our kids and everyone was all smiles throughout it.  That may have been the most memorable family moment of this Walt Disney World Resort trip.

As you are soaring around the track, keep an eye out for Toy Story details surrounding the roller coaster.  For example, Andy built the Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster Kit around his Jenga game set. As the coaster swoops around, you'll notice Rex, the toy dinosaur, is precariously perched atop the unstable Jenga stack. He is trying to decorate a toy block city Andy also within the roller coaster's course by stringing up colored Christmas lights. A daunting task when you’re a dinosaur with short front arms but fortunately you will also see Jessie comes to his rescue helping to untangle and set up the lighting. By the way these lights actually illuminate Slinky Dog Dash at night and it is an impressive experience to ride the roller coaster when it is aglow in the dark.

Andy has also placed a special treat for his coaster’s finale. Wheezy, the squeaky toy penguin from the Toy Story films, serenades coaster riders with a rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” This Audio-Animatronics figure of Wheezy created especially for Slinky Dog Dash is unique among all the Disney Parks located around the world. Completing the scene is a backdrop that includes a remote control car box, a Pick-Up Snakes game cannister and toy wooden blocks spelling out F-U-N – along with a towering book, Mr. Pricklepants’ “Songs for Singing,” compiled by the huggable hedgehog from Toy Story 3.

To wrap up, the Slinky Dog Dash at Toy Story Land in my opinion is the ultimate family-friendly roller coaster because it will delight kids + kids-at-heart. It has the speed and twists to be exhilarating yet isn't frightening. One of the smoothest riding roller coasters you'll find anywhere!

ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS

Have yourself some Pizza Planet themed fun on the ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS ride within the Toy Story Land area of Walt Disney World Resort's Hollywood Studios theme park. This swirl-and-whirl ride revolves around the quirky aliens that originally called the claw game machine in the arcade at Pizza Planet restaurant home before joining up with Buzz Lightyear, Woody and the rest of Andy's collection of toys in the Toy Story movies.  Jump in a toy rocket ship piloted by one of those three-eyed green aliens for a fun spin.



On your way over to ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS, take a moment to get a picture with the giant Buzz Lightyear action figure standing on a pile of building blocks that is watching over the ride's entrance.  It makes a great backdrop for photos! Then make your way into the ride queue by passing between two robot guards that look just like the ones portrayed flanking the restaurant entrance to Pizza Planet in the original Toy Story movie.

Take some time to enjoy the details of the scenery while going through the ride queue area.  Look around and you may see army men keeping guard to make sure no human interlopers discover that toys come alive when people aren't looking.  Remember … you are an honorary toy playing in Andy's backyard while visiting this area of Hollywood Studios. The layout is meant to make you feel like you are a toy's height surrounded by other playthings that are your size like army men, building blocks and popular characters from the Toy Story movies.  Be on guard because it looks like Andy just dropped his toy ray gun and could be stomping by again soon!

As you approach the ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS the queue area has the vibe of being inside Star Command.  You'll feel like you are in the Buzz Lightyear aisle at Al's Toy Barn.  Your surroundings aren't just decorative either.  Push buttons, turn dials, and toggle switches to activate audio and visual special effects while waiting your turn to ride a swirling saucer.

Eventually you will be directed to one of two ride spaces.  Each of the two spaces has 11 "flying saucers" though it is important to note this ride is more like the Magic Kingdom's Tea Cups ride then Dumbo … the rocket ships never actually lift off the ground.  Each saucer holds 1 to 3 riders along with your Toy Story Land alien pilot. There are a total of 22 saucers that can be swirling around at the same time between the two launch spaces.

If you plan on waiting for someone to get off the ride be aware there are a number of possible exit points depending on which ride space someone ends up in and where a saucer comes to rest after its flight.  So it is important to keep an eye out on multiple exit points.  Fortunately there is an accessible public viewing area between the two spots providing a nice vantage point to keep an eye on riders while they being swirled around as well as to see where they get off.

With “The Claw” dangling overhead, climb aboard a rocket ship and hover in Pizza Planet’s version of “deep-dish space” for an out-of-this-world saucer whirl to a techno beat version of the Toy Story  movies musical theme. People don't have any control of the speed or direction of their saucers, so just sit back and enjoy the ride.  In comparison to other Disney World attractions, ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS could be described as a mild version of the Tea Cups since riders can't increase the velocity of their spinning beyond preset limits.

 It is an enjoyable ride that will get your adrenalin raised but won't stir up your stomach too much. I rode ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS six times with my kids and three times by myself during the Toy Story Land grand opening festivities.  It was a blast and from my children's enjoyment of the experience as well as all the fun I had, ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval.

Taking a spin on ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS shouldn't be a big deal for most people as long as someone doesn't have severe back or heart problems, isn't pregnant, doesn't easily suffer from motion sickness, and is over the 32 inch height requirement.  It is not going to send you to infinity and beyond but WHOO-WEE you'll have a good time riding it! If you get the chance, take a whirl at night when the ride is lit up like the rave party bathtub scene from the Pixar Toy Story Toons short film "Partysaurus Rex."