Toy Story Mania

17 June 2008
TOY STORY MANIA! LAUNCHES WITH FOUR DIMENSIONS OF FUN AND A BIG BOOST FROM BUZZ AT DISNEYLAND RESORT


ANAHEIM, Calif. - June 17, 2008 – In a spectacular ceremony featuring sky divers, fireworks and Disney executives, along with NASA Astronauts and Buzz Lightyear on board the International Space Station, the new Toy Story Mania! attraction premiered today in Disney’s California Adventure as part of Disney’s “Year of a Million Dreams.”
   
Inspired by the Disney•Pixar films “Toy Story” and “Toy Story II,” Toy Story Mania! raises the bar for interactive ride-game attractions.  It’s a high-energy, immersive adventure in which guests don 3-D glasses and enter a wild 4-D world of game play with Woody, Buzz and other favorite “Toy Story” characters. Special effects add a fourth dimension of fun.
   
"Through the years, millions of people around the world have enjoyed the humor, excitement and wonder of ‘Toy Story’ and its unforgettable cast of characters," said Bob Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. "With the opening of Toy Story Mania!, we celebrate the enduring popularity of Woody, Buzz and their friends as our Disneyland Resort guests become a part of their adventures through this new and imaginative theme-park experience."

Joining Iger in the opening festivities for Toy Story Mania! were Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts; Ed Grier, President of the Disneyland Resort, and John Lasseter, director of the original “Toy Story” and Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Buzz Lightyear and NASA astronauts sent greetings to Disney•Pixar fans from “infinity and beyond” - aboard the International Space Station.

In the timeless tradition of Disney storytelling, Toy Story Mania! takes its inspiration from the fact that Andy’s toys spring to life whenever he is away.  Soon after Andy received a “Midway Games Play Set” for his birthday, the toys opened the box and set up the game booths and carnival trams so everyone could ride and play.

Upon entering the attraction, guests are welcomed by Mr. Potato Head, more than five feet tall and looking like he stepped right down from the movie screen.  The state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics Mr. Potato Head makes a perfect carnival barker, capable of engaging guests in two-way conversation and encouraging them to “step right up” for the immersive Toy Story Mania! experience.

“Toy Story Mania! merges interactive gaming with classic storytelling as only Disney can do,” Rasulo said.  “We consider it to be one of our most energetic, immersive experiences yet, and it took a remarkable collaboration between Pixar and Disney to bring it to life in 4-D."

Everyone gets a front row seat when guests put on their 3-D glasses, “shrink” to the size of a toy and board the Toy Story Mania! carnival tram ride vehicles, which add a huge amount of fun to the interactive experience. The innovative design includes features that also make the fun accessible to guests with disabilities. No matter how many times guests return to ride and play Toy Story Mania!, they can be sure every ride-through will seem like a new experience. 

Toy Story Mania is just the latest highlight of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disney Parks. Also premiering at Disneyland Resort today is the new Innoventions Dream Home, in Tomorrowland at Disneyland park.

Innoventions Dream Home is both a show and a showcase, offering guests of all ages a hands-on experience with the newest in-home technologies as they interact with members of the fictional Elias family in a fun, home environment. Microsoft, HP, Life|ware and homebuilder Taylor Morrison have joined with Disneyland Resort to create entertaining, story-based demonstrations of the  connected digital lifestyle, which can simplify and enhance daily family life.

Additional highlights of a summer visit to the Disneyland Resort are the new shows and entertainment experiences that have premiered in the Year of a Million Dreams.  In Disney’s California Adventure, the “Pixar Play Parade” features characters from Disney•Pixar motion pictures dancing along the parade route in a fun-for-all animated playground, and “Playhouse Disney Live on Stage”  invites children to clap, dance and sing along with the stars of Disney Channel kids shows.

At Disneyland, not far from the treacherous Temple of the Forbidden Eye and Indiana Jones attraction in Adventureland, Indy himself invites guests to join him for the “Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries,” unraveling clues and spotting Indiana Jones as he outwits villains in various Adventureland locations.

Dream-come-true experiences happen every day as Disneyland Resort guests celebrate the Year of a Million Dreams, with new attractions and shows, immersive character encounters and all the fun of a Disneyland Resort vacation. To learn more, visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.


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