Guests shrink to the size of a toy in Walt Disney World’s Toy Story Land, playing larger-than-life video games with Woody and Buzz and zipping down hills on a roller coaster train shaped like Slinky Dog. After nearly a decade of Toy Story Land entertaining guests, Disney is changing the name of one of its rides and adding a new character.
Keep reading to see what’s being updated and the dates when the changes will take place. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including changes to a Disney World roller coaster for a 1-day-only celebration and 8 announcements for the 2026 holiday season in the Disney theme parks.
READ MORE – Hidden Secrets of the Disney World Hotels You Haven’t Heard Of
Ride Name Changing in Toy Story Land
Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World features three main attractions:
- Toy Story Mania!, an indoor, interactive target-shooting ride
- Slinky Dog Dash, an outdoor roller coaster
- Alien Swirling Saucers, a sheltered, family-friendly spinning ride
Disney World Ride Closure ALERTS, Major Park Changes, Secrets Revealed
Get alerts on closures, park changes, exclusive discounts, and free printables. Trusted by 100,000+ Disney fans & planners.
The area is also home to the Roundup Rodeo BBQ table service restaurant and the Woody’s Lunch Box quick service dining location.
Alien Swirling Saucers will be updated with a new name, new music, and a new character from Toy Story 5.
The ride’s full name will officially change to Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad’s Jams. Lilypad, the tablet from the latest Toy Story movie, will appear in giant form outside the attraction entrance, near the existing giant Buzz Lightyear statue.
Within the attraction’s story, Lilypad has connected to the internet to remix and mash up different songs across genres. These include tunes from the Toy Story films’ soundtracks and original songs written just for the ride.
Some of the familiar Toy Story songs on the ride will include “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “We Belong Together” (from Toy Story 3), and “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” (from Toy Story 4). Among the new compositions are a Pizza Planet theme song and “Spin It Back, Lilypad” in honor of the land’s newest arrival.
The music styles played will include pop, country, EDM, and alt-rock. These differ from the ride’s current sound, which is mostly embodies a retro techno vibe that matches the aliens’ Pizza Planet origins.
When the ride isn’t actively in motion, Lilypad’s huge tablet screen will display puzzles, guessing games, and “home videos” she’s recorded of the toys.
These changes will happen fast, taking effect at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on September 25, 2026, just 9 days after they were first announced. This seems to be a permanent update.
READ MORE – 10 Secrets Of Disney’s Peter Pan’s Flight Ride That Will Change the Way You Look at It
The updates align with the Disney+ release of Toy Story 5. The new film, which debuted in theaters this past June, will be available for streaming on the platform starting September 23. See perks for Disney+ subscribers.
Alien Swirling Saucers is a spinning ride, but it differs from the Mad Tea Party teacups in that guests don’t control the spinning themselves. Instead, a lead car pulls the guests’ ride vehicle. As the turntable floor spins and the lead car moves with it, the following ride vehicle whips around sharply. Disneyland fans may be familiar with this ride system from Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at Disney California Adventure.
Unlike Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney has never been super strict about when Toy Story Land takes place within the fictional timeline of the Toy Story franchise. The setting is mostly meant to be Andy’s backyard, meaning guests are visiting before Toy Story 3, but characters from Bonnie’s room also appear in the Toy Story Mania! ride, and Bo Peep occasionally meets guests in her Toy Story 4 costume. Therefore, the introduction of Lilypad from Toy Story 5 doesn’t shatter any timeline that hasn’t already been broken from the start. It’s all in good fun.
Slinky Dog Dash was operating inconsistently earlier this month, closing for multiple days without notice.
Don’t Miss the Latest Disney News
Don’t miss the latest Disneyland and Disney World news from Mickey Visit. Join the FREE Mickey Visit newsletter that over 100k readers receive every single week. Mickey Visit is here to help you save money and experience more during your Disney and Universal vacation. See the Mickey Visit guide to Disneyland and the Mickey Visit guide to Disney World for tips.
