Fun Facts about Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land
When Toy Story Land debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2018, it came with a twist. Unlike other international versions of Toy Story Land, Walt Disney World featured an E-ticket attraction, a roller coaster. It quickly became the most popular ride at the park and has maintained that success ever since. Here are a few fun facts about Slinky Dog Dash, the most adorable roller coaster ever built.
Andy Drew All the Pictures
Yes, the Toy Story franchise has moved on from Andy, who gave his toys to Bonnie at the end of Toy Story 3. However, Toy Story Land presumes that Andy’s still in charge of everything.
You’ll know this the moment that you enter the line for Slinky Dog Dash. Andy’s illustrations populate the wait queue for the attraction. And they’re charming.
Imagineers have created a bunch of brilliant drawings. They look like doodles that a student would make when they were bored in school. The premise is that Andy has imagined what his new roller coaster should look like.
As you reach the end of the line, you can examine his work. Disney’s placed it on the walls, and they’ve paid attention to every detail. The idea is that Andy notched the sheet of paper when he tore it out of the notebook. The sections of the ride are in the picture, and they have captions that are pitch-perfect for a child that age. To wit, Andy has named the last section, “The Big Finale.”
The Line Has Other Touches
Disney has designed Slinky Dog Dash to appeal to adults as well as children. In fact, it’s a throwback to a lost era of toys. Many classic elements of toy assembly have a place here.
The instruction box for the ride comprises a full wall, while Elmer’s Glue, Crayola Crayons, and Pencils also appear. Any parent will wince at the memories of the instructions steps from the assembly guide. The line queue includes a full rendering of these instructions for both the tracks AND the Slinky Dog ride cart.
Alert guests will appreciate just how fully realized that the idea is. From a distance, you can tell that you enter the playset when you walk into the line queue. How’s that for theming?
You’re a Toy Riding another Toy!
The charming premise of Slinky Dog Dash involves a playset that Andy won at Pizza Planet. The prize, Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster, allows him to build a haphazard set of tracks. Andy gets the bright idea to use Slink the Slinky Dog as the ride cart for his new playset.
You, as the rider, are one of the toys that have shrunk down to size. Andy will place you on Slink, who will then zoom around the tiny tracks of the playset. In a fashion, when you participate on Slinky Dog Dash, you’re a toy riding a toy on top of another toy!
Toy Story Favorites Make Cameos!
The Toy Story film franchise includes the cutest cast of characters in the entire Pixar library. These friendly faces will appear throughout the attraction, but you have to pay attention to notice them. You may not because you’re having too much fun on the ride!
Not everyone notices, but Jessie and Rex appear on the ride tracks for Slinky Dog Dash. Jessie strings the holiday lights that Andy wants on the Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster…for some reason. Rex “helps,” but he’s not much use since his arms are so short. It’s a great joke that not many people get.
A few other toys work as Easter eggs. You’ll only notice then if you pay attention. For example, Mr. Pricklepants waves from the cover of the Songs for Singing book.
The box for Rex is also part of the land. When you read it, you’ll learn that the dinosaur cost $19.95, which is also an Easter egg. That’s the year that Pixar released Toy Story! Disney actually doubled down on this reference. The box also displays the numbers 11 and 12. So, the full set shows 11/12/1995, the exact date of the movie’s opening.
Of course, the easiest toy to notice is the one at the end. Wheezy the Penguin will play you off the ride with his rendition of You’ve Got a Friend in Me. The life-sized (or toy-sized?) audio-animatronic stands on a stack of wooden blocks that spell F-U-N.
While Wheezy sings into a giant microphone, guests can follow along. The lyrics and music are written on the pages of the book right behind him! It’s a delightful way to jam in a few more toys during the ride experience.
The Big Stop
Slinky Dog Dash adds a new twist that’s a first for Disney rides. During the middle of the attraction, your ride cart comes to a complete stop. The idea here is that a kid built the entire setup. To make it more appealing and original, he threw in the halt to build suspense.
Yes, Andy wants everyone to get excited for The Big Finale. So, at one point, you’ll pass a set of Tinker Toys and come to a full stop. At this point, you can’t help but notice a series of concentric circles, the first of which says, “GO!” However, you don’t GO! quite yet.
Slink, who narrates the attraction, tells you to hang on. Then, the coaster cart lurches backward, playing up the stretching concept a bit more. Then, you take off over a high hill, bank on a sharp turn, and bounce through several bunny hops.
The Big Stop and the bunny hops serve a purpose. Imagineers want you to feel every bit of the Slinky Dog experience. Since the carts provide the sensation of stretching, the pull-back and the rapid ascension help you appreciate the physics of the Slinky Dog toy.
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Then again, The Big Stop also serves the purpose of building excitement, especially for kids. Disney wanted Slinky Dog Dash to be as child-friendly as possible, which explains why its height requirement is only 38 inches. Most four-year-olds should get to experience The Big Finale along with Slink (and Andy).
Slinky Dog Dash triumphs in every way, and that’s why it’s got one of the longest lines at Walt Disney World. Here are a few pro tips for getting FastPasses here and at other attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Image Credit: Disney
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