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New upgrades at Disney's Buzz Lightyear?s Space Ranger Spin
New updates are coming to Walt Disney World's Buzz Lightyear?s Space Ranger Spin in Magic Kingdom. The upgrades will include a new show scene, updated ride vehicles and gameplay enhancements. To prepare for these updates, Disney officials said the attraction will temporarily close in August and reopen next year.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Disney World's Buzz Lightyear ride is preparing to reopen at Magic Kingdom this spring with a major refresh.
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, which has been closed since August, is about to become even more interactive with updated ride vehicles, new handheld blasters and enhanced targets.
"We put a lot of love into reimagining this classic and keeping it the same experience but plussed up," Justin DeTolla, a creative director with Walt Disney Imagineering, said Monday.
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The focus of the updates is improving the gameplay throughout the attraction, according to Imagineers working on the project.
Buddy, the new support bot
Big picture view:
One addition includes a new character named Buddy. Walt Disney Imagineers worked closely with Pixar Animation Studios to create the support robot.
She'll appear in a new scene at the beginning of the attraction and help prepare riders for their mission. During this section, riders can see the new targets in action and learn to use their blasters.
"She's also going to have practice paddles, so it's a great opportunity to calibrate your blaster before you're off on your adventure," said Kimberly Alison, a producer with Walt Disney Imagineering.
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New handheld blasters with haptic feedback
The blasters are also getting a major upgrade. Disney has replaced the fixed cannons from the previous version of the attraction with handheld blasters that are much more reactive.
"The blasters are now handheld, so they are no longer anchored to a dashboard," DeTolla said. "So you can move them around freely."
Riders will be able to aim at the targets better with the blasters' new always-on laser. The lasers come in two different colors—green and red—making it easier for riders to know which one is theirs when firing.
"The blasters will react with haptic feedback and sound effects, so you'll know individually as well, not just visually but feel it and hear it," Alison said.
The targets are being updated with new technology that allows them to light up when hit. And the colors will correspond with the blasters.
Updated ride vehicles, known as star cruisers, will carry riders through the attraction. The vehicles will feature a design inspired by Buzz Lightyear's colors.
The vehicles will be equipped with new monitors that track and display scores in real-time. With the updated monitors, scores are no longer limited to 999,999—the Galactic Hero ranking. Riders will now be able to push their score to 1 million and beyond.
However, Imagineers said that some aspects of the previous scoring will still be part of the ride.
"We know our fans love Galactic Hero, so, of course, we've preserved that for them," Alison said.
More ‘surprises’ added to the ride
The experience will also feature new Easter eggs for riders to unlock.
"We wanted to make sure that we preserved a lot of those special secrets that we know our superfans love to find," Alison said. "But now that we have all digital targets, it allowed us to actually take a look at the gameplay and add even more fun surprises. So we do encourage riders to keep a really sharp eye out as they ride."
The project also includes updates to the queue, but Imagineers weren't ready to reveal details about what those changes will be.
"We are kind of reassessing our queue," Alison said. "It's going to feel refreshed as well."
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin features a popular character from "Toy Story." With "Toy Story 5" set to hit theaters this summer, could riders see nods to the movie in the ride?
"We're going to say keep a sharp eye out when you ride," Alison said. "There are some fun surprises that we can't wait for you guys to discover."
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin opened in 1998, and it has been one of Tomorrowland's most popular attractions ever since. The dark ride lets riders team up with the "Toy Story" character on a mission to defeat the evil Emperor Zurg.
Disney World refreshing several attractions
The ride's renovations come as other attractions across Disney World are refreshed and rethemed. Over in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed for a lengthy refurbishment that involves track replacement, restored effects, updated caverns and what Disney is calling "new magic."
Last month, Frozen Ever After at Epcot reopened with updated faces for its animatronics. And last week, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney's Hollywood Studios closed to add the Muppets. The indoor coaster will reopen this summer as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets.
The Source: This article was written with information gathered from an interview with Walt Disney Imagineering and previous reporting.