Toy Story Mania

[MILWDIANA]

It has been about a year and a half since we have visited HS. Is Toy Story Mania still extremely popular? Do the fast passes run out early?? We will be there in July. Do we need to get there as soon as it opens in the morning??

Thank you for your advice.

[TinkerbellT421]

It has been about a year and a half since we have visited HS. Is Toy Story Mania still extremely popular? Do the fast passes run out early?? We will be there in July. Do we need to get there as soon as it opens in the morning??

Thank you for your advice.

If your going in July, I would suggest getting passes as early in the day as possible. We arrived this past January at DHS, on a non-extra magic hour day, and the park barely seemed like there was a lot of people there. We arrived around 1pm. Fast passes had been gone "for hours" quoted a cast member. (We had seen the fast pass machines were covered up and asked when they were out). And the wait in line was 90 minutes....so therefor...short answer. yes still crazy hectic for that ride. Over the course of the day we never saw the wait less than 60-90 minutes anytime we walked by. At the end of the evening, it was closing up and there was still people waiting in line that had been there for god only know hows long waiting.

[Trev&Ev Mom]

We were there this past December, the first week of the month, non holiday week. Fast Passes were gone by 9:30am and waits were anywhere from 60 minutes to 120+ minutes. I'm hoping when the new Star Tours opens it takes some of the pressure off Toy Story Mania! Its insane! We love the ride, but I won't wait 2 hours to ride it!!

[Ian]

Honestly, if you're going in July I wouldn't get your hopes up for riding it unless you're willing to wait.

I was there in early-to-mid December and at 9:05AM (park opened at 9AM) the wait was an hour.

We had to wait in line for 20 minutes just to get FastPasses!

[vicster]

The first thing I do when I get to HS is get a fast pass for TSM otherwise forget it.

[lovinmesomedisney]

We went the end of January and the park was pretty much empty. Every ride was a walk on EXCEPT TSM. We fast passed it, rode it, got back in line and rode it again. Our fast pass time came up again at 9 since we were there for morning EMH. After we got off, we waited for it to be 9:05, then we fast passed it again. Therefore, we had 4 opportunities to ride it. Two fast passes and two times in standby which the first time took about 5 minutes, the second about 15. DEFINITELY get there when they open. Especially in July. The line later in the day was 60 - 90 minutes.

[lindique]

Yes, try to get there when the park opens, and get a Fastpass immediately. Then get on the standby line, and you will be able to ride it twice in one day (and you will want to).

In early December, the standby line was 140 minutes (that's 2 hours 20 minutes) one afternoon when I was there - and that was low season!!

[johnO]

i rode it one time. It was in 2009 and the wait said 70 minutes. DW and DD didnt want to wait that long so I went solo. I waited about 60 minutes. It was worth it since I hadnt riden it before. Would I wait 60 minutes again? Ehhhh.

[RBrooksC]

It is not only the popularity of the ride that is the issue. It is more about the capacity of the ride. That helps push up the wait times.

My dilemma will be when Star Tours opens. My family and I will be there for the first day of Star Wars Weekends. Do I go right to TSM and get the fast passes and hope not to miss any of the "hard opening" event for the Star Tours? I have 93 days to figure this out but I am not sure if I will really know until they make some sort of announcement about what they will do for the ride opening.

[TinkerbellT421]

It is not only the popularity of the ride that is the issue. It is more about the capacity of the ride. That helps push up the wait times.

My dilemma will be when Star Tours opens. My family and I will be there for the first day of Star Wars Weekends. Do I go right to TSM and get the fast passes and hope not to miss any of the "hard opening" event for the Star Tours? I have 93 days to figure this out but I am not sure if I will really know until they make some sort of announcement about what they will do for the ride opening.

Honestly, I mean TSM is cute and everything. But personally I wouldnt miss the opportunity to be there for the Star Tours ride when it opens. I would rather do that than TSM anyday. IMHO. :mickey:

[Mousemates]

Yes, try to get there when the park opens, and get a Fastpass immediately. Then get on the standby line, and you will be able to ride it twice in one day (and you will want to).


That's our approach too...and two is the perfect number of times to ride in one morning...otherwise your arm would fall off from pulling the cord so much.

[brownie]

A line forms for Fast Passes as soon as the park opens and the Fast Passes go quick. The stand-by line will quickly get to over an hour, too.

I'd get there early and go right to Toy Story Mania to get Fast Passes. I'd still be prepared to wait.

[Ian]

I'd get there early and go right to Toy Story Mania to get Fast Passes. I'd still be prepared to wait.That's sort of the issue ... even if you get there right when the park opens (and this is especially true for July) you could still spend the majority of your morning in the Studios on two rides of TSM.

If you're lucky, you'll spend 10 minutes in line for your Fastpass (which will most likely have a return time of between 10:15 and 10:30AM). Then you'll wait a minimum of 45 minutes to get on the ride standby. You'll get off and basically get right back in the Fastpass line. You'll wait like 10-15 minutes there and by the time you get off it's close to 11AM.

It's a cute ride, but I don't know if it's worth that kind of time investment for just two rides.

[TinkerbellT421]

It's a cute ride, but I don't know if it's worth that kind of time investment for just two rides.

:ditto:
:yoda::darth: ANYDAY! :D

[lovinmesomedisney]

Be one of the first in line for the fast passes and it is very easy to get your fast passes AND ride stand by. My daughter was one of the very first to the fast pass machine. No problem!!! You just have to get to the park EARLY, position yourself at the rope, and be able to walk VERY FAST!!! :mickey:

[MarkC]

Just curious if anyone has experience with the ride at the end of the day. We've been on some major rides (like EE) that have huge lines right away, but we've gone back at the end of the day and they're basically walk-ons. Anyone tried this with TSM? Thanks.

[Ian]

Just curious if anyone has experience with the ride at the end of the day. We've been on some major rides (like EE) that have huge lines right away, but we've gone back at the end of the day and they're basically walk-ons. Anyone tried this with TSM? Thanks.I did on our December trip. We went to the Studios twice to see the Osborne Lights and both nights the TSM wait time (this was around 6-8PM) was 90 minutes plus.

Everest is a very different attraction, simply because Animal Kingdom as a whole is usually near abandoned after like 2PM. But rides like Soarin' and TSM that are in parks that offer nighttime entertainment typically have excessively long lines all day long.

[Nascfan]

Original poster: yes, yes, and yes. That's basically the short answer to all three of your questions. My advice for July, get to the park early, well in advance of opening and still be prepared to wait.

MarkC, we did something similar to what you are mentioning last May/June. Our difference though was that we were there for evening EMH and chose to get in line for TSM the last ride of the evening. The wait time was posted at well over an hour and we got in line about a half hour before EMH closing. We rode and were out at approximately 10 minutes after EMH closing. So, if you are willing to still wait some, but not quite as bad as regular, I say go for it! I don't think TSM is ever a walk on, with the exception of being absolutely first behind the ropewalking CM's at the beginning of the day, but it was definitely better. Was kind of cool exiting through a virtually empty park too.

[beksy]

We were there in October and that was the only ride I had a problem with. We stayed for EMH that night and I was hoping to get in the 3 rides that had had longer lines all day: ToT, RnRc, and this. I was able to ride ToT twice without waiting and RnRc once with a 20 minute wait. By the time the park was closing from EMH, the wait for this ride was still over an hour. Dealing with a cranky parent and a cranky sister (both using electric wheelchairs so there is no getting somewhere fast) I have been to the park three times since the ride opened and still haven't rode this. I keep saying "next trip!"

[johnO]

I'd have to agree with some others...Its a fun ride and all, but really? It doesnt seem to merit all the craze...

[Imagineer1981]

I liked the ride alot, and have only rode it using FP, which i sort of regret cause I have never seen Mr. Potatohead in action, but waiting 90 minutes for that ride just isn't worth it. Now you can even get the game on the Wii

[ransam]

i was just in DIsneyland....andn early on it wasn't busy, but by mid afternoon. it was packed....

[RBrooksC]

It really is a product of the logistics of the ride. Due to the ride mechanics, it has a limited capacity. So, what occurs is, like Dumbo or the MK dark rides, a line forms because the ride can handle only so much.

You group that with having to filter the Fast Pass riders and a sense of scarcity due to the constant long lines, you get waits that skew longer than any of the other rides are in DHS.

One has to wonder, if this ride did not have Fast Pass, would the lines be as long?

[Altair]

One has to wonder, if this ride did not have Fast Pass, would the lines be as long?

My guess would be no. Most would not wait without a FastPass so most of them would be eliminated from the line.
FastPass rewards those that will not wait and penalizes those that will.

[Faver]

TSM is the longest wait for any attraction, I have ever experienced in my life!!!!!:yes: almost 2.5 hours!!!! but we LOVED it!!!!!!!!!!!:party:

I can't say that I would wait that long again, but it is a must do for us everytime!

[darthmacho]

Maybe they need to build a second one, like they're doing with Dumbo? :mickey:

[joanna71985]

I can't see Disney doing that. One of the main reasons the line is so long is that there are very few "family" rides at DHS. So this is where people of all ages can ride

[Kaps]

Yes it is still popular and they did run out. That was in low season :confused:

[Goes4FastPass]

I don't wanna get off on a rant here

Isn’t this too much for too little?

After all we go through logistically, financially and every other way to make a WDW vacation for our families our choices are

Roll out earlier than we do when we’re not on vacation, slam down a pop-tart while we wait to open the park then rush with the crush to TSM
Spend time in a crazy long queue because FastPasses were all gone soon after the park opened
Tell the kids, “Maybe we’ll ride it next trip…”
We like this attraction and bytheway, my GS really enjoys the plug-in home version of the game.

[PinKy]

We go every year and unfortunately have still never made it on this ride. We have little kids (infant, 2 years and 4 years) and without waking everyone up at the crack of dawn to go stand in front of the park gates before they open - to dash to get a fastpass for 4pm..... we just can't get on the ride and we're not going to do that with 3 little ones (they'd never make it that long in the parks anyway). So - we're waiting for the hype to die down a bit. We're STILL waiting. LOL! I'm so glad it's apparently an awesome ride - I just wish there was an easier way to get on it! I'm sure eventually we'll get to experience it.

DH and I were talking recently though about this - part of the problem is that its at DHS and aside from a couple of attractions, this just isn't a favorite park of ours. Its fun - just not a favorite.

[iluvdumbo]

When I went to DHS in 2009, it was very crowded at TSM as the day carried on. If you go right as the park opens to get a FastPass, it won't be as bad, but they run out of FastPasses quickly, as my mom and our friends figured out the first day we wanted to ride it, so we waited in line for about 30 min. The upside to waiting in line for the ride is that there is SO much to look at in the queue that you won't get bored. One of my favorite parts of the ride is actually the queue.

[RBrooksC]

TSM is the longest wait for any attraction, I have ever experienced in my life!!!!!:yes: almost 2.5 hours!!!! but we LOVED it!!!!!!!!!!!:party:

I can't say that I would wait that long again, but it is a must do for us everytime!

No ride is worth 2.5 hours of wait. No ride is worth 80 minutes, what I am seeing via my droid app as of right now.

Time is too short and there are too many other things to do.

[LudwigVonDrake]

It is still quite the popular ride :mickey:

[AuntLaura]

One of our favorite to-do's. We send our fastest walker ahead to get FP's. We do the ride once. Depending on the crowd, if we think we can do the ride again before the fastpasses start, we will stand in line again. Then we use the FP. If we're really lucky, we can get 3 rides in. Yes,you do need to get there early to get a FP. When it's busy, we have been there when the fastpass return time was 6pm already at 10AM. The fastpasses go quick, RE: late in day. Usually everyone who didn't use their FP during the day shows up, so the FP line is usually out the door. Once all the FP's clear out, the line is about 30 minutes. We've been told that long as you are in line at park closing, you can still ride. The CM's don't allow anyone in line after that.