Designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and inspired by Disney·Pixar's "Toy Story" franchise, the attraction was first unveiled during a press conference at Walt Disney World in January 2007. The Florida version opened officially on May 31, 2008, on the same date that the Buzz Lightyear action figure launched onboard Space Shuttle flight STS-124 (whose objective was to deliver the largest module of the space station - the Japanese Experiment Module pressurized section.), while the California version officially opened on June 17, 2008. The Japan version of the attraction opened on July 9, 2012.