Toy Story Mania! Breaks Out at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Buzz Lightyear recently blasted “to infinity and beyond” from the Kennedy Space Center on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Back here on earth, the long-awaited opening of Toy Story Mania! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is what everybody is buzzing about.

Just as Buzz launched into his outer space vacation, Woody and the rest of his “Toy Story” friends were welcoming the first official guests onto the newest addition to the attraction landscape at the Walt Disney World Resort, Toy Story Mania! Disney held the grand premiere of the latest interactive amusement to hit Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 31.

Toy Story Mania! transports Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests to the world of Andy’s latest birthday present, the “Midway Games Play Set.”

A life-sized, carnival barking Mr. Potato Head welcomes riders into Toy Story Mania! and beckons one and all to don their 3-D glasses and “step right up” to the immersive 4-D attraction. Through high-tech Audio-Animatronics, Mr. Potato Head can have two-way chats with adventurers preparing to board their carnival tram vehicles and rocket down the midway firing away with their innovative spring-action shooters.

Riders sitting side-by-side are faced with 3-D animated targets just waiting to be pummeled upon in midway style game booths:

• “Pie Throw Practice” gives you a chance to get used to your spring-action shooter by tossing a virtual pie at your targets.
• Next it’s virtual egg tossing with Hamm in the “Hamm & Eggs” game booth, where the 3-D targets are barnyard characters.
• In “Bo Peep’s Baaa-loon Pop” you aim your virtual dart shooter at a scenic setting of balloon sheep, trees and more. Warning: Beware the popped water balloon!
• In true midway style, the “Green Army Men Shoot Camp” game has you shooting virtual baseballs at animated plates.
• Enjoy a game of classic ring-toss at “Buzz Lightyear’s Flying Tossers,” where you fire on those Little Green Aliens.
• “Woody’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Shootin’ Gallery” is the grand finale, and you will be fired up by the Wild West theme. But be prepared for “Woody’s Bonus Roundup.” The super finale calls for some super-fast spring-action shooting at one super target. And the shots will be totaled when its all over so you can see how you rate compared to other top scorers.

A Disney ticket is required for admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a chance to be one of the first Disney guests to ride Toy Story Mania!, so get your Disney ticket today and join Woody on his friends for some carnival fun!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Parties it up for Spring

Disney’s Hollywood Studios got a new name at the start of 2008, and that let loose a succession of new and exciting events that will last all year long. If you are planning an Orlando vacation, make sure to include Disney’s Hollywood Studios in your Disney ticket purchase so you can experience all the fresh fun for yourself.

Block Party Bash Now Dancing Down Hollywood Boulevard
Disney’s Hollywood Studios unveiled their most innovative and interactive parade ever to Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests last month amid rave reviews. You do not want to miss this moveable dance party, so get your Disney tickets today and join the par-tay down Hollywood Boulevard!

Play ‘n Dine at Hollywood & Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The new Disney’s Hollywood Studios means new character experiences, and your kids will love eating with their favorite friends from Playhouse Disney. You and your family can enjoy a magically musical breakfast buffet or luscious lunch with JoJo and Goliath from “JoJo’s Circus” and Disney’s “Little Einsteins,” Leo and June. Play ‘n Dine at Hollywood & Vine takes place inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so you need your Disney ticket to get in. Advance reservations are highly recommended.

Join the New Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage! At Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has new stuff for kids too. With the new Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage! show, little ones will step right into their roles at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In this new live stage performance, Mickey wants to surprise Minnie with a birthday bash to remember, and he needs help from your kids! Little ones of all ages will dance and sing with their Playhouse Disney pals from:

• “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”
• “Handy Manny”
• “Little Einsteins”

The new Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage! show is 22 minutes of dancing, singing and Disney fun brought to you several times a day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. All your kids need to be a part of this Disney show is a Disney ticket!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Has Your Ticket for Springtime Fun
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a new name and some amazing new shows and special events debuting this spring. And your Disney ticket is all you need to experience the glamour and excitement of Hollywood for all ages.

The Top 10 Reasons to Visit Disney

There are literally hundreds of reasons to visit the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida, from the gorgeous year-round weather and the location to all of the endless fun you will have on vacation, no matter if you spend a weekend, an entire week or longer experiencing everything Disney has to offer. But with all of the limitless options you have, we at DWTickets.com have narrowed down the list to the top 10 reasons for why you and your family should visit the Walt Disney World Resort this year!

10. The Year of a Million Dreams – This special year-long celebration celebrates your dreams coming true and the Disney Cast Members that make magic for their Disney guests every day. Along with the new attractions and shows that have been brought in throughout the parks, including The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot, the High School Musical Pep Rally at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom Park’s Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, over a million dreams will also be granted through various giveaways, from an overnight stay in Cinderella Castle to a dream FASTPASS badge or even a trip for one lucky family to visit each and every Disney theme park around the globe. Guests are picked at random, and you never know when you or someone in your family may get the surprise of a lifetime on your next visit to Walt Disney World!

9. Recreation – While the four theme parks and two water parks may be the main attractions at Disney, there also countless recreation activities that can give you a much-needed break from the parks for a few hours or an entire day. Among those activities are golf at one of the five Disney championship golf courses or two miniature golf courses, the Richard Petty Driving Experience, the various watercraft rentals on the many waterways throughout the property, fishing excursions and many sporting activities such as bike rentals, jogging trails, tennis and volleyball.

8. Special Events – There are many special events that happen throughout Disney all year long. At the Magic Kingdom Park, there are special after-hours parties that bring even more magic to Disney guests, from Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. At Epcot, guests get a different kind of celebration with their two major events, Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival in the Spring of Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival in the fall. Disney’s Hollywood Studios also gets into the act with Star Wars Weekends in the summer, ABC Super Soap Weekend and ESPN The Weekend.

7. Disney Spas – Who says Disney is only for kids? For a full-service spa experience, guests can head to one of eight Disney resorts that are equipped with full-service spas, including Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's BoardWalk Inn, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort and Disney's Yacht Club Resort. These world-class spas specialize in rejuvenating treatments for the face, body and mind, including an array of message therapies, facials, aromatherapies, signature services and fitness facilities that will either work you into shape or keep you in peak physical condition while you are vacationing.

6. Disney Resorts – If you are traveling to Walt Disney World, you have many hundreds of options on where to stay in Central Florida. But, if you choose to stay on property at Disney you will receive many benefits that are reserved for resorts guests only, including free transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport and to all of the parks and Downtown Disney, Extra Magic Hours at the parks, free package delivery and the ability to charge purchases in the parks back to your hotel room charge. But that is not the only reason to stay on property – the resorts themselves are beautiful with tons of amenities, including hours of fun for kids in each resort’s pools, and there is a resort with a theme for everyone and a price for every budget!

5. Dining – Theme park dining may not have a good reputation, but there are many restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort that are critically acclaimed, like the California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort or Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and many more that offer good food and good wholesome family fun, such as the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. But there are also good options inside the parks, both full and casual service, and many character dining opportunities inside the parks and at the Disney resorts as well to give your family a plethora of dining options for your vacation. And with the Disney Dining Plan, which includes one casual service meal, one snack and one full service meal for everyone in your party at one low price, your family can also eat where you play and not break the bank!

4. Disney Water Parks – Disney has two world-class water parks that are open year-round (each take a few months off for rehab in the winter months, but one is open at all times), and each have a distinct theme and attractions that will appease everyone in the family. Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park has exciting slides, including the world’s largest body slide in Summit Plummet, among piles of “snow” and even a real, working ski lift. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, however, has one of the largest wave pools in the nation to go along with their attractions, which are all in the tropical setting of an island that has been hit by a wild typhoon. Both of these parks are rated as two of the top water parks in the world, and with their array of unique attractions and activities (including the chance to snorkel with sharks at Typhoon Lagoon), we can see why!

3. New Attractions and Shows – In the past few years, Disney has made a conscious effort to keep guests coming back, adding new attractions and shows that are more relevant to the new movies that have been produced in recent years. Off of the success of “Finding Nemo,” Disney has dedicated an entire pavilion at Epcot and a musical at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park to the hit movie, while the High School Musical Pep Rally based off the hit Disney Channel movies is now entertaining guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Soarin’ was also brought to Epcot from Disney’s California Adventure Park and has quickly become one of the park’s most popular attractions, as has the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you haven’t visited Disney World in awhile, you will be surprised at everything that has changed in and around the parks in the recent years, giving you yet another reason to come back for more!

2. Theme Parks – The theme parks may be the top reason why guests fall in love with the Walt Disney World Resort. From the young at heart nature of the Magic Kingdom, the lure of tomorrow at Epcot, the bright lights of Hollywood at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to celebrating Walt Disney’s love of animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, there truly is something for everyone at these four very unique and distinguishable theme parks. From the young to the old, the magic of Disney captures the heart of all, making dreams come true each and every step of the way.

1. Discounted tickets! – You could make a case that every one of the reasons above is the No. 1 reason to visit the Walt Disney World Resort, but we at DWTickets.com believe the top reason you should make a trip to Central Florida is all of the money you can save by purchasing discounted theme park tickets! That’s right – here at DWTickets.com, you and your family can purchase discounted tickets to Walt Disney World, along with all of the other top attractions in Central Florida, and even have them delivered right to your home before you leave for vacation! With all of the money you will save with us, along with all of the reasons listed above, why wouldn’t you want to take a vacation to Disney? Click here to get started now!

What’s New at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly known as Disney-MGM Studios) has more than just a new name in 2008. This park, which transports guests right into the movies with an array of attractions and shows, has a new daily afternoon parade and a few new attractions that are either already entertaining guests or will be in the coming months! To experience all of them for yourself, however, you have to have tickets to get into the theme park, and we have just the way for you to do it! DWTickets.com is your one-stop shop for discounted tickets to the Walt Disney World Resort and all of the other top attractions in Central Florida, from local dinner shows to Universal Orlando and all of the Sea World parks, including Sea World’s brand new water park, Aquatica! For tickets to everything above, simply click here to get started by perusing our discounted theme park tickets to Walt Disney World!

As we mentioned earlier, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a brand new afternoon parade that has already debuted at the park, and this performance is more of a mobile stage show than a traditional parade that guests may be used to. The Block Party Bash originated in 2005 in Disney’s California Adventure Park, but moved over to Walt Disney World in mid-March, replacing the former Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade. This new daily spectacle combines almost 30 Disney Pixar characters, incredible floats, trampoline units, aerial acrobatics and upbeat music for a parade experience like no other! Disney’s Block Party Bash also doubles as an interactive street party, with choreographed performance stops along the route where dancers, acrobats, jumping stilts, electric scooters and your favorite Disney Pixar characters from films like “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles” and “Monsters, Inc.” mesmerize the crowd. If your vacation plans include a stop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, don’t miss this mid-afternoon parade that is sure to knock your socks off!

In addition to the Block Party Bash, Disney’s Hollywood Studios also has a few attractions that have recently been added and a couple more that are on the way! The High School Musical Pep Rally, a stage show that takes place in front of Mickey’s sorcerer hat, transports guests into the halls and onto the basketball court of East Side High School. In addition to performances from all of your favorite songs from the popular Disney Channel movies, you can learn new dance moves and cheer along with your favorite characters at this one-of-a-kind pep rally! Another new show at the Studios is Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage! This live musical has recently changed casts and now features a 20-minute performance with characters from the Disney Channel shows “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Handy Manny” and “Little Einsteins.”

Even more fun is on the way to Disney’s Hollwood Studios in 2008! Projected to open in May 2008, Toy Story Mania will be similar to the Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom Park, except more high-tech. Billed as a “4-D” ride, guests will put on 3-D glasses that will instantly shrink you to toy size, and then you will wind your way through a midway to play games and see characters from the “Toy Story” films! Each guest will be armed with a toy cannon to play all of these games, and each target that you hit will be worth a certain amount of points, while some special targets will bring you even more fun surprises!

Finally, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has partnered with Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment and FreMantleMedia for the opening of an “American Idol” attraction that is slated to open in late 2008. Guests who enter the park and register will be able to audition in front of a producer. From there, the best performers will then perform in front of a panel of judges and a live audience of park guests, with the winners (whoever receives the most amount of votes) from each show advancing on to that evening’s Grand Finale performance. The winner of this daily event is then given a pass to use at a future American Idol audition to bypass the lines and sing immediately in front of producers of the show at one of these regional competitions. While this does not ensure that the winners will then advance to sing in front of the show’s actual judges, it does eliminate the waiting process! Since “American Idol” is only open to participants from 16-28 years old, daily winners who are not in that age group can transfer their pass to a friend of family member, or in the case of someone under the age of 16, they can save their pass for a future competition.

To experience all of these shows, parades and attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, be sure to go ahead and purchase your advance, discounted theme park tickets right here at DWTickets.com!