Katrina P.
Yelp
Advice number one make sure to bring bug spray! Disney is usually very cool about treating areas that have attractions. This is Florida and it is expected that they're going to be swampy areas with mosquitoes and other insects. I am a native of California but I have lived here in South Tampa since 2010. Mosquitoes are A pest that we are not used to. Even my native Floridian friends stated they were being eaten alive by mosquitoes. At one point I thought I would spend my entire evening scratching a million mosquito bites. At some of the other parks they have insect repellent mainly that is found at animal Kingdom. (except in times when mosquito borne illnesses are elevated by the CDC's reports) So be prepared and bring your own, Protect yourself and you're wee munchkins. Especially if you are not used to this type of pest!
Number two on the list, this is a very compact space to squeeze a lot of bodies into. Most people at Disney are quite passive; but I witnessed a lot of hostility because the lines were very long and there was not a lot of respect for personal body space. Being from the west coast we are an easy-going people. East coast people are a little more cognisant and demanding of their personal space and it show d in the attitudes of those in the area. So a tip to tourists, many European cultures are much like the California West Coast culture as far as thought about personal body space, we don't mind being around and interacting with and usually bumping into each other, but Floridians do and they are bothered by it. If you don't give them an arms length distance away from their person they will be verbally aggressive and sometimes physically. So point your hand forward if you can touch the person in front of you take one step back. If you are with family and friends keep as close as you want to those of the people you wanna hug anyway. We were lucky enough to be staying in a Disney resort, so we were able to experience Hollywood studios during magic hours. That said; even though magic hours are limited to resort guests only, and that time is usually only 1 to 2 hours.. It was an hour long + wait for slinky dog, actually approximately it was 75 minutes and this was after the park closed, and the number of guests was limited.
Tip number three bring a fan or cooling device. Handheld, battery operated or a wet cloth. Whether it be a handheld fan, battery operated fan, a wet cooling cloth. The line for slinky dog is deceiving. Normally Disney has a long line which is well known, you see what is ahead of you. Whether it be the next direction to another line, you are able to visualise where you are in line and how far are you are from the ride. This is not the case of the slinky dog, they made short segments that turn multiple ways, and when they said it was a 75 minute wait.... it was way longer. There is no air circulation whatsoever. I experienced the wait for the ride after the park closed, so it was approximately 81° according to a weather app, with a feels like 87°. (Per a well known nationally accredited new station source) A few of the fans were broken or not functioning. And of course this was in the worst space where you could not feel a natural breeze, and there are too many bodies compacted into the line into tiny segments full of numerous parties, not only was the heat and bearable but so was the stench. One would assume that the "Thunder Mountain" air circulation problems would have been corrected met a new ride that came about in 2018.
Although the ride is spectacular. Disney loses a few points in thinking about the comfort of the patrons at the park. After all patrons are what find the park surviving.
Next point: parents with children who are on autism spectrum or have sensory issues. These children will not do well with this particular ride. There are lots of sounds and lights and sensory processing issues. Disney does have a program for children with specific disorders where they may not be able to stand in long lines, it is rarely talked about and never advertised. It is an excellent program. For this universal studios and islands of adventure is is one step ahead of the game, with their child swap program, thats fully advertised, and includes infants, toddlers and young children who don't meet height requirements. For many children on the spectrum, this area is going to be very overwhelming for them.
It's a bit disappointing that Toy Story Land doesn't have an indoor shopping area like all of the other attractions have. They have a couple of small outdoor shopping booths but those close during inclement weather.