When we go, we typically arrive at Disney's Hollywood Studio late in the day. By that time, every FastPass has already been distributed. In fact, I've heard that if you're looking for a FastPass after 10:00 am, you're likely too late. At least on busier days. So... if the Toy Story Midway Mania ride is on your must-do list, make sure you arrive early in the day.
Unlike someone on vacation at Disney World, we have the luxury of bypassing long lines and returning any other day. Well, that's what we've been doing with Toy Story for nearly 3 years. Crazy, right? Never before have we seen a Disney attraction sustain extra long wait times for this long after opening. It is not unusual for us to walk past lines with stand-by wait times of 90 minutes or more. I think the longest we saw for Toy Story Midway Mania was 240 minutes.
We finally decided that if we really wanted to experience the ride (and we did) than we'd have to plan an early morning trip. We arrived sometime before 10:00 am and headed straight to the FastPass distribution lines. It was a light day at the park (as we expected) but our FastPass return time was still for 3-4 hours later - we could return any time between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm. Return time was later than we hoped.
On this morning, the stand-by time was 40 minutes. The line seemed to be moving quickly so we decided to hop in line (we usually refrain from waits longer than 15-20 minutes). Inside was filled with everything you'd expect to see - oversized versions of childhhod toys from Candyland to a Barrel of Monkeys... and, of course, a fully animated Mr. Potato Head. Sadly, I heard recently that a new toy version of this playful spud has been slimmed down. Really? It's a toy potato. Potatoes naturally come in all shapes and sizes. But I digress...
After about 15 minutes in line, we were whisked off to the side by cast members to the disability entrance. No one needing special assistance was boarding at the time so we very luckily shaved about 15 minutes off our wait time (at least by our estimate). As we headed off to a ramp on the right, other guests filed off to the left and up a stair case. We just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I guess it pays to wait 3 years.
We entered our car, put on our 3-D glasses and began our journey down the Midway. It was an exhilarating (almost exhausting) ride filled with fun arcade games and a little spinning. Fun, fun, fun. For a few minutes, we smiled and giggled non-stop (exactly the reason we love to escape to Disney). We wish we hadn't waited so long. In the end, I even scored a little higher than my husband - which NEVER happens when we ride the similar Buzz Lightyear attraction in the Magic Kingdom.
I see now why Toy Story Midway Mania is such a popular attraction. Hopefully, it won't be another 3 years before we return!