Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a second permit for Alien Swirling Saucers at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and two active filings on one attraction is worth paying attention to. The latest Alien Swirling Saucers permit covers signage installation, which is a different category of work than the first one.
Disney still hasn’t announced anything. But signage plus set elements is a combination that usually means more than a routine refresh.
Here’s what the filings actually say, why the timing is interesting, and what we can reasonably conclude versus what’s still speculation.
Quick Summary
- WDI filed a second permit for Alien Swirling Saucers at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- The latest Notice of Commencement covers signage installation
- Design Communications Ltd is named as contractor, a longtime WDI signage vendor
- An earlier filing covered set element installation by Icarus Exhibits
- Two active permits now exist for the Toy Story Land attraction
- Disney has not announced any changes to the ride
What the New Alien Swirling Saucers Permit Covers
The latest Notice of Commencement covers signage installation, with Design Communications Ltd named as contractor.
Design Communications Ltd has a long history of working with Walt Disney Imagineering on signage projects across Walt Disney World. This is not a new or unusual vendor. Seeing their name attached is a strong signal that the work is genuine signage fabrication and installation rather than a placeholder filing.
Disney has still not announced any changes to the ride.
Two Permits Is the Real Story
Combined with the earlier filing for set element installation by Icarus Exhibits, WDI now has two active permits tied to Alien Swirling Saucers.
That combination is what makes this interesting.
A single permit for set elements could mean almost anything — replacing a worn prop, refreshing a faded scenic piece, swapping out damaged theming. Routine maintenance gets filed the same way real projects do.
Signage installation on top of set element work is different. You don’t replace signage during routine maintenance. Signage changes when something about the attraction’s identity, branding, or story presentation changes.
Signage changes alongside new set elements point toward something more than a minor tweak — though exactly what is still unknown.
What Signage Work Could Mean
A few possibilities, ranked roughly by likelihood:
- Refreshed theming tied to a newer Toy Story film. Updated character art, new marquee graphics, or refreshed queue signage.
- A name or branding adjustment. Less likely, but signage permits are how that would show up first.
- Accessibility or wayfinding updates. Genuinely mundane, and this happens more often than fans assume.
- A larger overlay. The most exciting option and the least supported by what’s currently filed.
Be careful with that last one. Two permits is a signal, not a confirmation.
The Toy Story 5 Timing
Toy Story 5 opened on June 19 and is currently in theaters. With audience interest in the franchise running high, a push to refresh the attraction while the film is still on screens would make sense.
That remains speculation for now.
It’s worth saying plainly: the timing is suggestive, not evidence. Disney files permits for attractions constantly, and the overlap between a film release and a permit filing is the kind of pattern fans notice after the fact more often than it actually predicts anything.
Still, if Disney were going to refresh Alien Swirling Saucers, doing it while a new Toy Story film is driving interest is the rational choice.
What Alien Swirling Saucers Is Today
For context on what might be changing: Alien Swirling Saucers opened with Toy Story Land in June 2018 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
It’s a spinner attraction themed to a Pizza Planet toy playset, where the Little Green Men pilot flying saucers and guests ride in rocket-shaped vehicles pulled behind them. The Claw hangs overhead. The soundtrack is a set of alien-language versions of familiar songs.
It’s a short ride with a modest queue and it’s the least demanding of the three Toy Story Land attractions. That also makes it the easiest one to modify without a long closure.
How to Follow This
If you’re tracking this project:
- Permits are public. Notices of Commencement get filed with Orange County and become visible shortly after.
- Watch for a closure announcement. Disney typically posts refurbishment dates to the Walt Disney World website a few weeks ahead.
- Contractor names matter. Icarus Exhibits handles set elements. Design Communications Ltd handles signage. A third contractor appearing would expand the scope meaningfully.
- Don’t book around speculation. Nothing has been announced, and the ride is currently operating normally.
The Bottom Line
The new Alien Swirling Saucers permit covers signage installation by Design Communications Ltd, joining an earlier permit for set element installation by Icarus Exhibits. Two active filings on one Toy Story Land attraction suggests more than a minor tweak.
Disney hasn’t confirmed anything, and Toy Story 5’s theatrical run makes the timing convenient without making it certain. Keep an eye on refurbishment listings — that’s where this becomes real.
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Meet the Author: Nate Bishop
I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!
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