First time on Toy Story Mania

[TheVBs]

So, thanks to FP+ we finally got to ride TSM! We've never been on it because we never got there early enough for a FP and refused to wait in that insane line. It was a very cute ride and we really, really enjoyed it, but I still don't get the insane wait. The girls loved it enough that they talked us into a 70 minute wait later in the trip. Can't believe we did that. Never again. I understand that it's one of the few rides good for little ones in the park, but we never had a problem finding other things to do there to entertain the kids.

We also tried the Backlot Tour for the first time. We weren't expecting much, we were never inspired to try it and the reports here weren't great. But we really liked it!! Don't know why this one is not reviewed well.

[Arielfan98]

Thank you finally someone that sees the insanity with that ride. I do think it is a cute, fun ride but it NOT worth waiting for in that line. If I could rank rides based on their wait time I would give TSM 20-30 minutes and no more. I don't understand what is so amazing about that ride it's just an updated version of the buzz light year ride in MK. It's ridiculous and once you ride it once there's no need to waste 70 minutes of park time on it.
As for the backlot tour I hope you enjoyed it, it's always a good relaxer ride. Just wish they featured more stuff on the ride.

[1DisneyNut]

I have always thought the same thing. I call it Buzz Lightyear 2.0. I have only been on it twice and that was when the wait was only 20 minutes or so. I would never wait more than 30 minutes for it and don't particularly care that much for it anyway.

I agree about Backlot Tour. We do it every time and always enjoy it even though we have been on it who knows how many times.

[VWL Mom]

You can add us to your little group that doesn't get the insane draw of TSM. Cute but once was enough.

We still enjoy backlot tour very much too.

[yankeesfan123]

I think a lot of the dislike for the backlot tour is simply because it used to be so much more. I still enjoy it now.

[PirateLover]

Toy Story Mania is a blast for us. I really enjoy it, and love the competitive aspect. If you don't enjoy shows, (or if you've seen them all a bunch of times), there aren't many other attractions that the whole family can enjoy.

As for Backlot Tour, the negative reviews come from people who have ridden it in the past. It is a shadow of what it used to be. For someone who never rode it before, it is certainly enjoyable, but there used to be so much more to it.

[texas211]

We always enjoy TSM. Some rides are worth a good wait. However, the hour + is excessive.

Part of the reason the line is so long, it lacks another E ticket ride to pull folks away. Example, in DCA in anaheim, TSM is a 15-20 minute wait b/c 95% of the crowd is stuck in cars land.

Now the backlot tour, a total waste. When it opened years ago it had so much more to offer. Now, they should reuse that space for something else. Star wars land or something.

[TheVBs]

It certainly wouldn't hurt to have more rides like TSM at HS.

And, I can understand people being disappointed with Backlot Tour being diminished. Since we hadn't done it before, we had nothing to compare it to. We really enjoyed it, would like to do it again, but I wouldn't call it a must do.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

We really like TSM but not well enough to wait more than 30 minutes...Backlot Tour is fun for a time or two, but we've seen it several times and its not been updated so we've skipped it a time or two

[yankeesfan123]

As far as TSM, I have never, and will never, wait in that line.

I've woken up early to get to the parks before opening but I wouldn't wait in *that* line.

Even when it was the brand new thing, I didn't ride it for my entire trip. It was so unmanageable that first year. It's still nuts, but not as bad as it was. I didn't even try to go on it until my second trip since it had opened.

But I do like it!!!

[markyv]

If you have small kids, it is one of a very few rides that kids want to go on. Small kids don't get the great movie ride, star tours is too intense, RNR and ToT are for big kids, so that only leaves backlot tour and toy story mania. Disney Studios needs an upgrade so bad.

[Ian]

TSM is cute and fun but all the hype is silly. It's not that great that I'd wait in line like a bazillion hours for it. I don't get it at all. :shrug:

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

Toy Story is cute, and we always enjoy it, but I'm not waiting 90 minutes for it.

I think the challenge is that there aren't tons of other "wimpy" rides at DHS (for those of us not going on ToT), so people wait.

We also like the Backlot, but wish there was more to see ... they have the room!

[GoldenDreams]

For me, I think the draw of the TSM ride is the personal involvement and the intensity. It's fun to compete with the family, it's fun to shoot stuff, it's fun to be whipped around to a new game every few minutes. So it's more involved than a ride where you sit and watch things happen. I've almost always gotten a FP for it, but we waited in the queue once and I remember that being really cool. I love when the queue is interesting, so I can see waiting longer in that one than in others.

It's been a few years since I've been on the backlot tour, but if they haven't changed the props, they'll need to or kids won't know the shows & movies that they are referring to.

The Lights Motor Action stunt show is really good for families. Somehow we had missed that many times, but we finally saw it and loved it.

[Arielfan98]

If you have small kids, it is one of a very few rides that kids want to go on. Small kids don't get the great movie ride, star tours is too intense, RNR and ToT are for big kids, so that only leaves backlot tour and toy story mania. Disney Studios needs an upgrade so bad.

I agree! They have so much empty space in HS. They should take away Streets of America and put a different theme there that offers rides for kids and adults who do not like thrill rides.

[thejens]

I would have to agree that the appeal of the ride is largely correlated with the lack of more appealing attractions. We love it, but no way would I wait more than 30-45 minutes. Our approach used to be to get their early, get fast pass, wait inline after getting fast pass and then going again at fp time. I guess in future we will make our fp appointment. I would never wait more than 35 -45 minutes.

Honestly, this entire park is skippable to me. We only enjoy a few attractions and don't feel the ambiance is immersive and as awesome as other parks. It feels disjointed. We love Star Tours and Toy Story. My brave family likes RR and TT. The rest is ehh.

[Mitzie]

We are another family that thanks to FP+ we were able to ride TSM for the first time this past April. Like most here..cute but we aren't rushing back. Another first for us was Fantasmic..to each their own but we didn't care for this at all. DH and I both agreed Illuminations and Wishes are much better.

[Figment104]

I think PP have hit the nail on the head that there just isn't a lot to do in this park for families with younger kids. Which is kind of funny considering this is the park where they have included some elements from Disney Jr. I know when we took my DS last year, we didn't even take him to this park. My DH and DB went over and did the thrill rides, but that was about it. They really do need some other options for families with young children, because I know last year there's no way my DS would have sat through any of the shows, and honestly it's questionable for this year as well.

[EJS-Houston]

So, thanks to FP+ we finally got to ride TSM! We've never been on it because we never got there early enough for a FP and refused to wait in that insane line. It was a very cute ride and we really, really enjoyed it, but I still don't get the insane wait. The girls loved it enough that they talked us into a 70 minute wait later in the trip. Can't believe we did that. Never again. I understand that it's one of the few rides good for little ones in the park, but we never had a problem finding other things to do there to entertain the kids.

We also tried the Backlot Tour for the first time. We weren't expecting much, we were never inspired to try it and the reports here weren't great. But we really liked it!! Don't know why this one is not reviewed well.

I couldn't agree more. Nice ride, but not worth an hour-and-a-half wait, which is how long I waited with my brother the first time I rode it. From now on, it's Fast Pass or nada.

[MNNHFLTX]

To be honest, I rarely wait in line longer than 30 minutes for any ride, even the new or popular ones, including Toy Story Mania. If I really want to ride it I just make sure and get there bright and early to get a FP as well as a standby run-through. I'm glad there is an option out there now for folks who don't want to use that strategy; I guess that's the "+" in FP+!

That said, I do really enjoy TSM, it's a fun attraction, although my shooting arm is usually toast for the rest of the day afterward. And I still enoy the Backlot Tour, although I agree it's a shadow of its former self. The one attraction at Disney Studios where I've felt once is enough was Lights, Motor, Action. It's a good show, but it takes up a huge amount of space for a twice-a-day show. I would much prefer they use that space for a innovative new attraction and/or land (much like they did with Carsland in Disney California Adventures).

[2Epcot]

I've only been on the CA version of Toy Story Mania, but have never waited more than 30 minutes. If the line is longer, I skip it. Even here in CA it still has a long line most of the day. Much better received than Little Mermaid for one of the newer attractions at DCA. Mermaid is usually a walk on here.

I enjoyed the original backlot tour, back in the days when the Studios were a real studio. I still go on it because it is one of the unique WDW attractions.

[Septbride2002]

Don't feel bad for not wanting to wait in a 70+ minute line. That is insane. We have a rule on our trip we never wait in a line over 30 minutes....heck most of the time it is 20 minutes.

We did wait 45 minutes once to meet Buzz Lightyear when he was my daughter's all time favorite character and that was enough of that. I was so happy we hadn't seen the Frozen movie yet when we went in early Dec - no need to talk a 7 year old out of waiting 3 hours to see a character. :humph:

[ANG]

I also will never wait longer than 20-30 minutes for ANY ride at WDW. Which is why a FP is usually needed for TSM. I like it. But Toy Story is my favorite pixar. I love hearing my kids giggle when I pop the bonus balloons and it blows air in their faces. And hubby and I compete. But I won't cry if we can't ride it every disney trip

[DisneyGiant]

For me, I think the draw of the TSM ride is the personal involvement and the intensity. It's fun to compete with the family, it's fun to shoot stuff, it's fun to be whipped around to a new game every few minutes. So it's more involved than a ride where you sit and watch things happen. I've almost always gotten a FP for it, but we waited in the queue once and I remember that being really cool. I love when the queue is interesting, so I can see waiting longer in that one than in others.

It's been a few years since I've been on the backlot tour, but if they haven't changed the props, they'll need to or kids won't know the shows & movies that they are referring to.

The Lights Motor Action stunt show is really good for families. Somehow we had missed that many times, but we finally saw it and loved it.

TSM is a must do ride for us every time - because of the cool visual effects & the friendly competition between family & friends.
And if the lines are going to continue to be as long as they are - they really need to make that queue interactive. Its so boring - but its air conditioned - I'll give it that.

You couldn't pay me to go on the Back Lot Tour any more. Lights, Motors as well - I've seen it twice - that's more than enough time.

The Studios is in desperate need of a make-over. But I still think Epcot needs to be made over before the Studios.....

[texas211]

TSM is a must do ride for us every time - because of the cool visual effects & the friendly competition between family & friends.
And if the lines are going to continue to be as long as they are - they really need to make that queue interactive. Its so boring - but its air conditioned - I'll give it that.

You couldn't pay me to go on the Back Lot Tour any more. Lights, Motors as well - I've seen it twice - that's more than enough time.

The Studios is in desperate need of a make-over. But I still think Epcot needs to be made over before the Studios.....

You had me until the last line. BUt the BLT is horrible. Absolutely dead on.

[TheVBs]

I do agree that the queue for TSM is really cool and fun! We took lots of pictures. Just didn't need 70 minutes to admire it. A leisurely walk through would be enough.

It would be great if they could balance the park out a bit more in terms of ride variety.

[texasteacher]

I like it but don't love it. My 27 year old son and his girlfriend are huge fans though and rush to ride it as soon as the park opens.

[masonlovesdisney]

Have only rode it once since it opened. Thankfully we were given fastpasses by a cast member we were talking to, otherwise that would not have happened.