Check out some photos from Guardians of the Galaxy Roller Coaster Area Construction at Epcot This attraction will be featured in the Universe of Energy area


Check out some photos from Guardians of the Galaxy Roller Coaster Area Construction at Epcot This attraction will be featured in the Universe of Energy area
When you think of Disney World, I’m sure you think of the Mickey Mouse, Space Mountain, yummy churros, and the magical firework display that fills up the night sky. Those are all perfect Instagram opportunities, but for your next trip, you need to make sure to scope out some of the best Instagram walls at Disney World. As one of the most Instagrammed destinations across the globe, Disney knows how to take your vacay photos from great to incredibly fairy tale-worthy.
There’s no shortage of ways to spend money at the Disney parks. The parks carry everything from iconic food offerings to alcoholic drinks to classic souvenirs like character tees, keychains, pens, and, of course, Mickey Mouse ears.
Character Couture makeovers are similar to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique — a beauty salon for children inside Cinderella’s castle at WDW — but for grown-ups.
The Alien Popcorn Buckets were a huge hit in Disneyland recently and were last weekend at the Grand Opening of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We wanted to share a couple of photos of them as they are super cute! If you are heading to DHS make sure to check to see if they have any more in stock.
Drink in the cantina. Tangle with a bounty hunter. Befriend a Loth-cat. Dodge blaster fire. Fly the Millennium Falcon.
You’ll be able to live inside your own Star Wars story at Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge, a whole new type of immersive theme-park experience opening in 2019.
Three-eyed Toy Story Aliens take guests on a whirling flying saucer ride in toy rocket ships as part of Alien Swirling Saucers, one of the new attractions inside Toy Story Land, opening June 30 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
As guests become “honorary toys” in the new land, they encounter Alien Swirling Saucers, a playset that toy-owner Andy of Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story films won at the Pizza Planet restaurant. The new attraction whirls and blinks with colorful lighting, electronic space music and nonstop fun.
Alien saucer pilots are straight out of the Toy Story movies, with their pointy ears, three eyes, short antennae and facial expressions designed to convey surprise or delight. Each extraterrestrial has hitched its flying saucer to one of 22 rocket ships; together, flying saucers and rockets spin through the Pizza Planet galaxy.
With “The Claw” dangling overhead, guests climb aboard their rocket ships and hover in Pizza Planet’s version of “deep-dish space” for an out-of-this-world saucer whirl to the beat of new versions of Toy Story songs and musical themes. During the adventure, the Aliens spin guests around toy icons like Planet Pepperonia and a pizza-inspired space station.
Before boarding Alien Swirling Saucers, guests can pose for a photo with a Buzz Lightyear action figure standing more than 14 feet tall on top of toy building blocks near the entrance to his Star Command Space Station Playset. Toy robot guards flank the Pizza Planet-inspired marquee.
Inside Star Command, there are buttons to push, dials to turn and a switch to toggle for audio and visual effects. His creativity never flagging, Andy built a toy gantry with his Construx toy pieces that guests use to traverse from Buzz’s command center to the Swirling Saucers game.
Guests who are spin-averse can swirl vicariously by watching from the viewing area in between and around the playset.
“This is a world created by a boy’s imagination,” said Dave Fisher, Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Story Editor. “Andy has brought out all his space toys – it’s a really fun and high-energy attraction.”
Before or after a spin on Alien Swirling Saucers, guests can pose for an out-of-this-world selfie with a stationary, photo-ready green Alien in its colorful saucer just outside the attraction. Toys of all makes and sizes – from a 10-foot-diameter “rubber” ball to colorful Cooties – have been carefully placed by Andy among the landscape of overgrown grasses, toy shrubs and playset trees throughout Toy Story Land.
Alien Swirling Saucers: At a Glance
Going to San Diego Comic-Con this year? D23 is presenting two exciting panels—Celebrating 90 Years of Mickey Mouse with D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, and 25 Years of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas with D23: The Official Disney Fan Club during the weekend of July 18-22.
From Toontown to Halloweentown, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club bringing two amazing presentations to the San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con San Diego 2018!

Friday, July 20, from 4:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Room 6A
Beginning with Steamboat Willie, Mickey’s career has taken him on an epic journey that has endeared him to fans around the world. D23’s Justin Arthur hosts a panel including Bret Iwan (Voice Actor), Becky Cline (Director, the Walt Disney Archives), and Mark Henn (Master Disney Animator), who look at Mickey’s legendary roles in animated films and television shows, the Magic Kingdoms, and beyond!

Saturday, July 21, from 7:45 p.m.-8:45 p.m., Room 6BCF
D23 pulls the curtain back on the classic stop-motion Halloween (and Christmas!) favorite, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, with a behind-the-scenes retrospective panel featuring the team that brought the movie to life 25 years ago, including Henry Selick (Director), Kelly Asbury (Art Director), Edie Ichioka (Editor), and Anthony Scott (Animator)
Jumping on the coolest canine toy ever, guests are in for a rollicking good time as Disney’s Hollywood Studios unleashes Slinky Dog Dash in the new Toy Story Land at the Walt Disney World Resort. This multi-launch, family-friendly roller coaster careens around bends and “catches air” over camelback humps as it runs across the 11-acre land.

As honorary toys, guests have Andy of Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story films to thank for this incredibly fun experience. They get to ride his creation and be inside Slinky Dog’s coils as the lovable pooch twists and turns around the track. It all takes place in Andy’s backyard, where he used the Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster Play Kit to assemble this speedy toy.
Andy’s idea for his double-launch coaster – a Disney first – was to pick everyone’s favorite floppy-eared dachshund with the stretching coil body – Slinky Dog – to send guests around the track. The attraction’s ride vehicles are spring-tailed spinoffs of Slinky, the iconic American toy from the 1940s. Track and supports for the coaster are done up in bright colors of red, orange, yellow and blue.
Guests approaching the ride launch see Andy’s plans sketched out in Crayola crayon on notebook paper. Glue bottles, empty toy boxes and stray coaster parts and pieces are strewn about – Andy’s pet project was clearly a work in progress when he was called away. But that’s when the toys will play!
In one hilarious scene, the coaster swoops around blocks Andy stacked around his Jenga game. Rex, the toy dinosaur, is precariously perched atop the unstable Jenga stack trying to decorate the toy block city by stringing up colored Christmas lights – a daunting task when you’re a dinosaur with short front arms! Jessie comes to his rescue, working to untangle Rex’s dino-sized predicament.
Andy also tricked out his coaster creation with a power booster. When Slinky Dog Dash hits its midway point, the coaster stops, reverses a few yards, then shoots through multiple rings pulsing with sounds, spinners and flashing lights to launch riders into the second act of the ride experience.
“The first half of the ride is many swirls, turns and dips, and after the second launch come a drop and camelback humps – as if you were playing with a Slinky Dog toy,” explained Dave Minichiello, Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering.
Andy saved one last surprise for his coaster’s finale: Wheezy, the squeaky toy penguin from the Toy Story films, breaks into a rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” Created especially for Slinky Dog Dash, the Audio-Animatronics figure of Wheezy is unique among Disney Parks globally. Toys and toy packaging complete the scene, including a Rubik’s Cube, a game canister for Pick-Up Snakes and toy wooden blocks spelling out F-U-N – all against the backdrop of a towering book, Mr. Pricklepants’ “Songs for Singing,” compiled by the huggable hedgehog from “Toy Story 3.”
“As Toy Story Land welcomes our guests – as toys – into Andy’s backyard, Slinky Dog Dash invites them into Andy’s imagination,” said Phil Holmes, Vice President of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. “What Andy has dreamed up will deliver nonstop coaster fun for all ages.”
Slinky Dog Dash: At a Glance