Lilypad Bringing New Music to Alien Swirling Saucers at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Hey howdy hey!

Starting Friday, September 25, Imagineers are infusing new magic into Alien Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They are thrilled to introduce Lilypad from the latest Disney-Pixar movie, Toy Story 5, to the backyard alongside Woody, Jessie, and Buzz Lightyear. Lilypad is a lively, frog-shaped smart tablet on a mission to connect friends, using her technology to unite toys for an all-new soundtrack to Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad’s Jams!

With DJ Lilypad on the turntables, this exciting new lineup offers reimagined Toy Story classics and brand-new songs crafted specifically for this attraction, ensuring guests will want to ride repeatedly. Lilypad is the mastermind behind the music, connecting to the internet to remix and mash up various tunes from diverse music styles and genres.

To create this new soundtrack, Imagineers traveled to Nashville, collaborating with world-class musicians and exploring genres such as pop, country, EDM, and alt-rock. “We aimed to rethink the music entirely—taking beloved songs from the Toy Story films and crafting catchy new original songs that are singable, sincere, and a bit cheesy, like one about Pizza Planet,” said Thomas Niederhiser, Senior Creative Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering.

The Toy Story films are renowned for iconic songs that draw audiences into the adventures and stories of their favorite characters. They are eager to reimagine some of these beloved tunes—such as “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “We Belong Together,” and “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away”—and infuse them with a new swirling energy just for this attraction.

Besides remixing beloved Toy Story classics that guests are familiar with, they are excited to introduce new songs inspired by the films, such as the deep crust track “Pizza Planet Promo,” the theme song for the popular pizza arcade, and “Spin It Back, Lilypad,” a tribute to the newest toy in the backyard.

“Working with our partners at Pixar Animation Studios to write for these characters and expand their stories is simply a delight,” said Geoff Line, Senior Story Lead at Walt Disney Imagineering. “We played with these toys as kids. Now we get to play with them as Imagineers. It doesn’t get better than that.” With Lilypad as the DJ, many favorite toys, like ‘Partysaurus Rex,’ will certainly enjoy more airtime—or rather, playtime.

Guests don’t need to take a spin to join the fun! Lilypad is DJing for all honorary toys in the backyard, whether or not they are on Alien Swirling Saucers. Offboard, guests can sing along as DJ Lily introduces tracks from her playlist and offers various entertainment between songs. Try to guess which toy she’s drawing on her app, help her solve puzzles, and even watch “home videos” she’s made of some of guests' favorite Toy Story characters.

Ever since the first Toy Story film premiered in 1995, its narrative has resonated with audiences worldwide. Now, with the arrival of Toy Story 5, new generations of fans are creating memories with the film series. They eagerly anticipate welcoming Lilypad to the backyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, introducing brand-new music to Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad’s Jams, starting Friday, September 25. Don't miss Toy Story 5, available for streaming on Disney+ starting September 23.