Disney Lies

One of the benefits of the new Toy Story Midway Mania attraction being largely computer animated is that it can be easily modified to suit current events. For example, beginning later this month, a certain little futuristic robot will be visible in the distance in one of the scenes, cleaning up darts that miss the background and hit targets. And when the new Tinker Bell movie is released directly to video, a certain pixie will appear in one game (and explode when hit with a burst of pixie dust that will make other objects on the screen fly — if they are thinking happy thoughts).

Holidays will also be commemorated as the season demands. Around Christmas time, players will be able to throw fruitcakes instead of pies, and Buzz Lightyear will sport a new red spacesuit and whiskers. You’ll be hurling colored eggs at chocolate farm animals on Easter. On Arbor Day, throwing a dart at a balloon in a tree will earn you double points, as will hitting any target in the Green Army Men scene on Memorial Day.

The attraction is also programmed to react to real-world events. Earthquakes will knock down all targets for a big score, and all on-screen characters are programmed to move calmly toward exits in case of a fire.

In honor of the new Toy Story Midway Mania attraction at Disney’s California Adventure, here are a few tips for maximizing your final score:

• Entrance: As your attraction vehicle moves into the show building, you will briefly turn to face guests waiting in line to experience the attraction. General guests are 100 points, anyone with a Mickey-ears hat is 500 points, and annual pass holders are 1,000 points.
• Practice: If you can bank your pie off the pie of another player and hit Buzz smack in the helmet, your score will not immediately go up, but your hidden score multiplier will be incremented.
• Barnyard: If you hit nothing but carnivores/omnivores during this round, your score will be doubled. Hitting only kosher animals (mainly cows and chickens), your score multiplier is incremented.
• Sheep field: Of you can pop the three-headed mutant sheep’s heads without destroying its body, you receive a bonus of 5,000 points. Avoid hitting the clouds — if you clear their balloons it starts to rain, which may cause a short in your gun.
• Army maneuvers: Hit enemy forces (in green) and avoid friendly forces (in slightly lighter green) for 5,000 points and an increase in your bonus multiplier.
• Aliens: Ring all of the aliens in the central rocket target area to get the “chest burster bonus” and activate “alien autopsy” high-scoring mode.
• Cowboy: You can increase your bonus multiplier if the total number of shots you fire on this screen is divisible by six (as if you have a six shooter).
• Mine: Hit the bat and then hit the target behind the leftmost moving foreground target to release the invisible gas leak. When the canary (in the shadows in the corner) dies, hit it on the way down approximately six inches from the bottom of the screen for a 10-point bonus!
• Final score: When your final score is announced, multiply it by your bonus multiplier for your actual score (this isn’t displayed, but it’s still completely official — just ask anyone).
• Closed curtain: After the curtains close at the end of the game, continue firing your weapon to release a torrent of adorable animated tapeworms.