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Credit: DisneyFrom Casey’s Corner to Victoria and Albert’s, there are plenty of wonderful places to grab a bite at Walt Disney World. With all sorts of new developments and announcements from Disney coming to the Parks, it should come as no surprise that Guests will be getting new places to eat along with rollercoasters and Bayou Adventures. However, one upcoming opening at Toy Story Land bound to set some people off.
Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a Pixar fan’s dream come true as Disney Park Guests are transported from the streets of Tinsel Town to Andy’s backyard where Buzz, Woody, and all their friends are waiting and ready to play. The place is absolutely loaded to the brim with easter eggs and tributes from Pixar’s golden child, as well as their other works. However, Disney is missing a huge opportunity with Roundup Rodeo BBQ.
What Went Wrong?
Disney has some of the most gifted Imagineers working for them, especially for designing the Parks, but the enormity of this missed opportunity for a new Toy Story restaurant is downright painful. Not only is Disney missing out on bringing a major movie tie-in to life, but the merchandise and experience that could have been offered could have been a major success. With the perfect area surrounding it, the perfect groundwork, and the perfect fanbase for it, why on earth did Disney not give fans a Pizza Planet?
Related: Brand-New ‘Toy Story’ Sequel Will Take Us to “Unexpected Places,” Pixar Reveals
The fictional sci-fi pizzeria is a prominent feature in the Toy Story franchise. The Pizza Planet delivery truck is literally present in all of Pixar’s features, yet no actual restaurant counterpart currently exists. Although Disney did have a quick-service restaurant version for a time, it was replaced by Pizza Rizzo in 2016.
Disney has walked away from a golden opportunity. With as much energy as they are putting into Roundup Rodeo BBQ, they could have done the same thing for the restaurant seen in the first Toy Story film. With enough Imagineering, Pizza Planet could have made Cosmic Ray’s look like a bargain bin Chuck-E-Cheese.
Return of the Round Up Gang
Roundup Rodeo is set to open March 23, 2023, and while the images of it seen online and across social media definitely look promising, the fact that Disney could have put the same amount of time, effort, and resources into creating a 100% movie accurate Pizza Planet is practically unforgivable.
Related: Disney Announces All-New ‘Toy Story’-Themed Restaurant’s Opening
The Roundup Gang already has Woody’s Lunchbox, and the addition of a bigger western-inspired restaurant feels like overkill to a certain extent. While it’s clearly dedicated to all of Andy’s toys, the massively missed opportunity is bound to leave a sour taste in some fans’ mouths. Then again, it’s not like Disney is lacking in the pizza department.
Are Disney fans being robbed of a great opportunity? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!