In April 2019 the Disney Parks Blog announced a new dining option coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant. Located in Toy Story Land, this table service restaurant “will surround guests with a kaleidoscope of toys, games, and playsets, providing yet another unique, fun, family-friendly dining experience that could only be had in Toy Story Land.”
It took until January 2020 for construction walls to go up and construction permits were not filed until April of that year. After that, not much else happened. As the coronavirus pandemic carried on and travel slowed to a crawl, Disney scaled back on projects. In some cases, the company postponed projects, while others were outright canceled. Some Disney bloggers, fueled by their hatred of Disney CEO Bob Chapek, looked into their crystal rumors ball and made the assumption that the Roundup Rodeo BBQ restaurant was given the chop.
Yesterday, Chris Beatty, Portfolio Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, announced sometime in 2022, the restaurant, along with a new Playset, will be coming to Toy Story Land.
As guests exit Toy Story Mania, they will discover Jessie’s Trading Post playset. “Andy discovered Jessie’s Trading Post playset tucked away in the attic and is bringing it downstairs to set up shop,” said Beatty. “Full of the coolest toys and finest souvenirs handpicked by the rootinest, tootinest cowgirl.”
The decor of the Roundup Rodeo BBQ restaurant is described as “three cardboard boxes cut and taped together.” Andy has put diners in the middle of the action with his new creation – “a new rodeo arena using some of his favorite toys, games, and playsets.” While dining guests may spot “some of your favorite Disney•Pixar characters scattered throughout the restaurant in the form of toys and game pieces including a toy version of Jessie riding on the back of a Trixie pull-toy and unique toy versions of Bo Peep and her sheep, all who appear to be performing in the rodeo together.”
In a post on the Disney Parks Blog, Beatty says, “In this unique, fun, family-friendly dining experience, guests will enjoy delicious barbecue fare while surrounded by a kaleidoscope of toys, games, and playsets that Andy has brought together to create his one-of-a-kind rodeo.
Stepping into the lobby and waiting area, guests experience first-hand what it feels like to be one of Andy’s honorary toys, before progressing into two larger dining room spaces where Andy’s rodeo takes place. Here, the rodeo will be in full swing, with [the] western town and train station playsets mixing with surprising, playful details, like some fan-favorite Pixar characters as they’ve never been seen before!”
