Taylor Swift’s Disney World takeover continues, and this time it’s happening on one of Hollywood Studios’ most overlooked rides. Alien Swirling Saucers debuted a brand new overlay called Lilypad’s Jams on September 25, 2026, and buried in the new soundtrack is an instrumental version of a Swift written track originally from Toy Story 5. It’s the latest move in what’s turning into a real ongoing story between Swift and Disney parks, and the reaction so far is split.
Swift’s Slow Roll Into the Parks Continues
This is Swift’s second Disney World moment in 2026. Earlier this year she had a limited run through the Taylor Swift Eras Tour exhibit inside Walt Disney Presents at Hollywood Studios, showing off three costumes from The Eras Tour. That thing blew up, pulling in massive crowds almost entirely through word of mouth and social media, becoming one of the more talked about attractions in the park during its short run, even though it was technically just an exhibit.
Before this current overlay, fans had also floated the idea of a Captain EO style theater built around Swift, drawing the obvious Michael Jackson comparison and pointing to all the underused venues sitting around the resort. That never happened. Instead, her Disney connection ended up tied to Toy Story 5 through this new addition.
Here’s What’s Actually on the New Playlist
The overlay brings in a brand new character named Lilypad, a frog shaped smart tablet joining Woody, Jessie, and Buzz Lightyear in Andy’s backyard. Her whole thing is connecting friends through music, using tech to remix and mash up songs across a bunch of genres for the ride’s new soundtrack.
The full lineup includes two original songs, “Pizza Planet Promo” and “Spin It Back, Lilypad,” plus a batch of remixed classics like “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “We Belong Together,” “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” “Partysaurus Rex Anthem,” “Buzz Beats!,” a Spanish remix titled “Hay Un Amigo En Mi,” and “Woody’s Roundup.” Closing it out is an instrumental version of “I Knew It, I Knew You,” written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff, originally featured in Toy Story 5 and tied to Jessie’s storyline going all the way back to Toy Story 2.
Disney says Imagineers actually went to Nashville to work with musicians across pop, country, EDM, and alt rock to put this whole soundtrack together.
The Instrumental Choice Is Getting Called Out
Reaction to “I Knew It, I Knew You” landing in the mix has been mixed at best, mostly because Disney went instrumental only instead of using the full vocal version, probably over rights or royalty stuff. One longtime park commentator didn’t hold back. “Nevertheless, opting for an instrumental version was a dubious decision, and one that I can only assume was made on the basis of rights or royalties. It seems like the whole goal with Lilypad’s Jams was to make the attraction more energetic and upbeat, getting guests to dance along a la The Happy Ride with Baymax.”
They also called out the irony directly. “I know people are going to be excited that ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ is in the attraction, because Taylor Swift, but this strikes me as achieving the opposite of the overlay’s goal. The instrumental version is too mellow and laid back, sapping the energy from the attraction.”
No end date’s been announced for the overlay, and given it’s tied to the Toy Story 5 Disney+ release, there’s a decent chance it becomes permanent if guests actually like it.
The Real Argument Isn’t Even About Taylor Swift
Funny enough, most of the fan drama around Lilypad’s Jams isn’t even about Swift. It’s about whether the overlay messes with the timeline of Andy’s backyard or the scale of Toy Story Land overall. That criticism feels a little inconsistent given how much love Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge got for loosening its own strict timeline recently.
The bigger point being made is that Toy Story Land, popular as it is, has never actually lived up to its potential as a themed land. Alien Swirling Saucers specifically has always been the weak link of the three main rides, missing the personality and energy that similar flat rides like Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree or the Happy Ride with Baymax nail almost entirely through their music.
With that in mind, Lilypad’s Jams is a real opportunity, even if this particular instrumental Swift track isn’t the strongest move. A more energetic playlist paired with the already fun Little Green Men characters could genuinely level this ride up, assuming Disney keeps tweaking it.
Should You Actually Go Ride This
If Alien Swirling Saucers has never been high on your list before, this overlay might be worth checking out, especially if hearing Swift’s music worked into a Disney ride sounds interesting to you. Just don’t expect too much from the Swift angle specifically, since going instrumental only makes it way quieter than an actual vocal track would’ve been.
This whole thing also happens to be dropping right alongside a busy stretch for Swift generally, with The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, including lead single “Patient Zero,” coming out around the same time. Coincidence or not, her name’s been everywhere lately.
Ridden the new Alien Swirling Saucers overlay yet? Tell us what you thought of the soundtrack in the comments, especially if you’ve got thoughts on that instrumental Taylor Swift track.
