Ride: Alien Swirling Saucers

Board your toy rocket and hang on tight as the Aliens from Toy Story take you on a spin through space!

Ride Information

Composite Review (4.4 / 5)

Based on hundreds of Google Reviews and visitor feedback, the Alien Swirling Saucers attraction at Toy Story Land in Disney's Hollywood Studios is highly regarded as a fun, family-friendly "filler ride," particularly well-suited for younger guests.

The Experience and Theming

The attraction is consistently praised for its charming theming, which places riders inside a giant Pizza Planet claw machine playset. Guests board colorful spaceships "driven" by the iconic little green aliens from the Toy Story films, with the menacing claw hanging overhead. Upbeat sci-fi music and bright lights complete the playful atmosphere. As one reviewer enthusiastically states, "I love it, it's adorable! The aliens are my favorite characters!"

The ride system itself is what visitors call a "whip" ride—not a true spinning attraction like the Teacups. Instead of rotating continuously, the saucers are pulled in a figure-eight pattern by the aliens, causing the ride vehicles to swing side-to-side on a dampening mechanism.

What Visitors Love (Pros)

• Family-Friendly Motion: The biggest positive for many families is the unique motion, which often avoids the severe dizziness of typical spinning rides. Many guests sensitive to motion sickness find this ride manageable. As one reviewer noted, "I can't do the teacups but the alien ride doesn't bother me," while another described the movement as a "whipping side to side motion facilitated by figure-8 style travel," which is less likely to cause an "inner ear issue."
• Fun for All Ages (Especially Kids): The ride is universally described as a "basic, kid friendly ride" and a blast for children, yet is still enjoyable for adults who appreciate the fun, cute theming. One rider commented, "My big kids and I had a blast spinning and swirling with the playful aliens."
• Short Waits: Compared to nearby headliners like Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers often has "the shortest wait times," making it an excellent choice for an unplanned ride or when you have spare time in the area.

Common Criticisms and Caveats (Cons)

• Too Short: The most frequent complaint is the brevity of the ride experience, which lasts about 95 seconds. Multiple reviewers stated it is "really short" and one felt, "The ride is way too short. It feels like you get on and 2 seconds later, you get off." For this reason, some advise it's "not worth the wait" if the line exceeds 15 or 20 minutes.
• Low Thrill Level: Guests looking for high-intensity thrills will find this attraction lacking. It is a gentle ride, suitable for those with a minimum height of 32" (81cm), and is often described as "not super exciting" and more of a "kiddie ride."
• Queue Comfort: The queue area is a point of contention as it is "mostly outside, so it can get really hot during the day," with one guest lamenting that it is "SUPER hot and can be long."

Final Verdict

The Alien Swirling Saucers is an excellent example of Disney's fun and detailed theming. It serves as a perfect, low-wait attraction for families with young children in Toy Story Land. It is a fun, joyful experience, but its short duration and low-thrill nature mean that most visitors consider it a supplemental ride rather than a main priority.

Recommendation: Ride it when the posted wait time is short (15 minutes or less), or at night when the lights make the experience "a whole different – and lots more fun – experience."

Reference

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/hollywood-studios/alien-swirling-saucers/