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Toy Story Mania is the first attraction to be introduced as part of the 5-year renovation of California Adventure, and I must say that if this is the standard that has been set, the park has a great future ahead. Toy Story is far and away the best shoot-em-up style ride I have ever experienced. To say that it consists of cars that travel around in front of screens that riders shoot at simply does not do it justice. The screens are absolutely filled with Toy Story characters and targets to be hit, each screen providing its own take on a classic midway game (pie toss, egg toss, ring toss, darts, plate breaking). The theming really works well too, as the ride sits on the midway of the pier at the park, while all of the games have been perfectly catered to the toys. All of the targets have their point value marked, and they range from lots of low-pointers to a few challenging high-pointers. The guns are also awesome. I was not sure how I would take to the unusual trigger cord, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. It was very easy to aim and shoot with, and the wonderful thing was that you could actually see your shot on the screen and know exactly where it was going and landing, unlike normal shoot-em-ups where it is literally hit or miss (the target either lights up or not). Here, riders are really able to improve their skills as the ride goes on as they learn how to best take aim. There is even a practice round at the beginning before any points start accumulating, and if the ride needs to pause at any point to let the loading / unloading in the station catch up, there are more practice rounds, so the action never stops. Great idea! This is a very long ride, and the final scene goes on forever (that is a good thing!). This is where the bonus round takes place, enabling one to seriously double or triple his or her score. The targets just keep coming at this point, and while your arm might be exhausted once the ride comes to an end, I can guarantee that your spirits will be raised exponentially. Now add in the fact that the ride also utilizes crystal clear 3-D effects, interactive 4-D effects (blasting air and water spray), and very comfortable vehicles that spin around as they travel from one game to the next, and you have a complete winner with Toy Story Mania. Along with the Tower of Terror, California Screamin, Soarin Over California, and Grizzly River, Toy Story makes for a collection of five really great rides at California Adventure. If you rank these five based on sheer fun, Toy Story may actually be the best of them all.
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