Toy Story Is Out at Disneyland With No Explanation

The Disneyland Resort is making a pretty drastic change to one of its most valuable properties, the venerable, tear-jerking Toy Story series. Although fans and theme park patrons love Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Mr Potato Head, Slinky Dog, and all the other, lesser toys, the Walt Disney Company is shutting them down.

Specifically, Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort is shutting down the popular Toy Story Mania 4D attraction (per Deadline) without any real explanation and definitely no indication the company will reopen it. The attraction has been in service at California Adventure since 2008 with minimal shutdowns, which makes this even more surprising.

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Toy Story Mania is One of Disneyland’s Most Advanced Attractions

It is particularly puzzling why the Disneyland Resort Toy Story Mania is being shut down, effective July 17, given that it is one of the most expensive and technologically advanced attractions in the entire Disney theme park universe. Reportedly, the attraction took $80 million dollars to develop and build, which presumably means that it needs to make a return on that investment.

Even as the California Adventure Toy Story Mania is being closed indefinitely, the locations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort (which also opened in 2008) and Tokyo DisneySea at Tokyo Disney Resort (which launched in 2012) will remain open. There is no official word as to what may have prompted the Disneyland Resort closure.

Toy Story Remains Pixar’s Most Dependable Franchise

While the California Adventure Toy Story Mania is being shuttered, the Pixar flagship franchise is one of the most recognizable in the world. Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (as well as its sister parks at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland Park) remain incredibly popular and fan-favorite feature games like the Slinky Dog Dash and Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop.

Related: Disneyland Refuses Guests Admission After Eight Hour Wait

And, of course, the Toy Story film franchise appears to still be going strong, regardless of a shutdown at Disneyland Resort. Toy Story 5 is in active development and has been announced to reunite Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) and feature the return of Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, which is a bit of a relief after the debacle of Chris Evans’ Lightyear (2022).

However, soon there will be one less Toy Story attraction available for Disney theme park patrons. Hopefully, this is not a harbinger of things to come for the future of Toy Story. We can make a trip to Florida or Japan if we really have to.