BAY LAKE, Fla. – Buzz Lightyear’s Ranger Spin reopens April 8, and riders chasing Galactic Hero status can expect new enhancements to help them earn bragging rights across the galaxy.
Closed since Aug. 4 for refurbishment, Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland interactive attraction will return with handheld blasters and all-digital targets that respond with light and visual effects.
“We’ve put a lot of love into reimagining this classic and keeping it really the same experience. You’ll see the thoughtful evolution,“ said Justin DeTolla, creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering.
The updated ride vehicles will provide a red blaster and a green blaster so riders can see which shots are credited to them and be able to move and aim more freely. Riders will also get haptic feedback and sound cues from the blasters to indicate successful hits.
Disney is also introducing Buddy, a character created by Walt Disney Imagineering and its Pixar partners.
“Buddy is a charming new support bot that we’ve added into the world of Star Command,” said Kimberly Alison, producer at Kim Walt Disney Imagineering. “We’re at the start of our mission. Buddy is there to perform final systems checks on all of our departing Star Cruisers, and 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.”
Imagineering said the team preserved the highest possible rank, Galactic Hero, while raising the ride’s scoring limit and switching to all-digital targets, a move that opened opportunities for new hidden surprises without changing the core challenge fans love.
“You can hit over 999,999 for the very first time, so you can go to a million points and beyond. So we’re very excited for that,” Alison said.
The reopening of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin comes ?????? before the theatrical release of “Toy Story 5.″ When asked if there are any Easter eggs tied to the movie inside the attraction, Imagineering said to "keep a sharp eye out" while riding, as there are “some fun surprises to discover”.
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