Hollywood Studios’ Toy Story Mania! Accessibility

Hollywood Studios’ Toy Story Mania! is a 4D carnival-style shooting game. The queue is full of bright and familiar oversized toys, making it fun and photogenic. The ride itself is entertaining and a little exhausting (you’ll feel it in your shooting arm). Unfortunately, Toy Story Mania has several accessibility considerations you should be aware of before riding.

Editor’s note: I don’t have many photos of this ride’s loading area or vehicles. I’m always more concerned with stowing my camera and putting on my 3D glasses. I’ll be sure to take more Toy Story Mania photos the next time we visit Hollywood Studios.

Consideration: Physical Accessibility & Transferring

ECV users must transfer to a wheelchair to enter the queue. Once through the line, those guests may stay in their wheelchairs and use the ADA car or transfer to the default ride vehicle. I did not see any immediate red flag barriers for transferring.

There is a stairwell toward the end of the queue. A Cast Member (CM) at the base of the stairs will redirect you to the loading area if you are unable to navigate them.

Consideration: Safety

The ride restraint for Toy Story Mania! is a small, locking lap bar. This is fine for most riders. However, children under 7 must be accompanied by someone 14 or older.

By design, this ride provides a lot of sensory input, some of which can be intense. The ride simulates carnival games, so targets and other objects fly through the air. At least, that’s what the 3D screen makes it feel like. As such, it can be overwhelming for some individuals with sensory challenges. This can trigger impulsive behavior, potentially causing harm. On a recent trip, Noah became upset and nearly wriggled one leg free from the ride restraint before calming down.

Additionally, if someone becomes upset and expresses it by throwing objects, it could impact ride operations or harm other riders. I recommend individuals who have difficulty processing sensory input and impulsivity ride with a companion for their comfort and safety.

Consideration: 3D Glasses

To get the full ride experience, Toy Story Mania! guests need to wear 3D glasses. This can be challenging for individuals with sensory issues. If the sensory issue relates to discomfort with the visual processing of 3D elements, I recommend enjoying the ride without the glasses.

The glasses can also be an issue for prescription glass wearers. I suggest purchasing 3D glasses designed specifically to be worn over prescription glasses. Similarly, you may want to consider purchasing a pair for those with sensory aversions. The hard plastics found on theme park 3D glasses can be uncomfortable.

Consideration: Motor Skills

Toy Story Mania riders use pullstrings to shoot 3D targets. The blaster mechanism requires both fine and gross motor skills to meet the objective of the ride. A companion rider can reach the other blaster to provide hand-over-hand or other types of physical assistance if needed. Noah prefers to ignore the blaster altogether and still (usually) enjoys this ride.

Consideration: Spinning

This ride spins. And often. It’s not a particularly fast spin, but it is enough to trigger motion sickness for some. Unfortunately, there is no alternative.

This point-of-view video does a great job demonstrating everything we’ve discussed, including the blaster mechanism, flying objects, the spinning ride vehicle, and 3D glasses and screens.

Available Accommodations: Disney Handheld Devices

Finally, individuals with vision or hearing impairment may want to use a Disney Handheld Device on Toy Story Mania! These devices offer the following technologies:

Audio Description

Walt Disney World theme parks offer audio descriptions through Disney Handheld Devices for select attractions and entertainment.

Handheld captioning

Disney Handheld Device features Handheld Captioning—a portable captioning system that displays on-screen text in select theaters and attractions.

Assistive listening

Disney Handheld Device features Assistive Listening—which amplifies sound through headphones or induction loops at specific theme park attractions and entertainment locations. This service is recommended for Guests with mild to moderate hearing loss.

All Disney Handheld Device descriptions are taken directly from the Disney website.

Disney Handheld Devices are available at Guest Relations. They require a $25 refundable deposit and must be returned on the same day within the same park. Visit Disney World’s Accessibility page for more information.

Additionally, I recently spoke with a Guest Relations CM about the Disney Handheld Devices. They recommended using cash or charging it to your room (if staying on property) to avoid potential holds on credit cards.

Disability Access Service (DAS)

Using the Disability Access Service (DAS) on Toy Story Mania is straightforward. You will book the ride in the My Disney Experience (MDE) app and report to the Lightning Lane entrance at the return time.

Summary

Overall, Toy Story Mania is a fun and family-friendly carnival blaster-style game with bright, cheerful theming. Although there are multiple considerations, helpful accommodations and planning can make the ride accessible for most park guests!