HELP transmission problem i think?

If the shifter moves too easily, then there is a good chance that the shifter or cable that links the shifter to the transmission is broken. Hopefully, that is the case with your car, because the other possible cause is a bad transmission, which will cost thousands more to fix than a shift cable.

You can check with a AAA-approved repair facility, your local Toyota dealer, or a facility that employs ASE certified technicians for diagnosis and repair.

The broken cable (linkage) makes sense.

As a point of order, the move from Reverse to Neutral to Drive without pressing the button is NOT part of the problem. It is NORMAL to make this movement.

Pressing the button (or pulling the column shift lever) is a safety feature to prevent selecting gears by mistake. You must press the button (pull the lever) to shift into or out of park, or to shift into Reverse OR a gear lower than Drive. If in N or R, you can shift to D without the button, but need the button to select 2 or 1. If in D, you need the button to select a lower gear (as described above) or to shift into R. You can shift from D to N without the button, but need to use it to select R or P.

You describe another symptom -- ease of movement -- that says the linkage is faulty, but the movement without pressing the button is not part of your Problem Set.