First Look! Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Review

Our team was able to experience a preview of the updated Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin this morning (thanks, Meg!), & we’ve got some notes! Buzz is scheduled to reopen for everyone on April 8th, but we were able to ride 3 times this morning. Here are Len’s thoughts on the changes…

Handheld Blasters Are an Upgrade!

The old Buzz blasters were mounted to the ride vehicle and limited aim while also encouraging slouching. The new blasters can be lifted and allow wide range of motion. It was much easier to aim and we think the new blasters will be a hit with the younger Galactic Heroes. Big win!

Red & Green Lasers

One laser in each car is red and one is green. This helps you know where you’re aiming. Additionally, Len noted that the laser is brighter and is much easier to see as you’re swirling around. A big improvement.

The Point Values Change!

All those years of scoping out and memorizing where the high point value targets were for naught! The target values have not only changed, they aren’t consistent anymore and this made riding multiple times so much more fun! Just when you’ve found a big value, it changes!

Len noted (and later confirmed with a Cast Member) that there are tiers to the target rings. There are plain rings, white rings, rainbow rings, and video rings around the targets. The video rings are worth the most points and values decrease down the list.

Focus on Your Target and You Can’t Miss!

You’ll need to be a sharp shooter to get points! The new, bolder laser will come in handy since you’ll need to hit the center of the target to see points rack up. Being able to manipulate the blaster did make this easier, though.

Len also caught on that you can hit the same target multiple times and get points with each bullseye! The old blasters only registered one shot with each trigger pull, and the new blasters allow for continuous shooting when the trigger is depressed. This “burst mode” feature is new and neat and will take a few rides to get down pat.

We love the new display screens on the updated ride! We didn’t exactly love being shamed in such a bold way, but this will be super cool once our aim improves.

You Can Score More Than 1,000,000 Points

We confirmed this with a Cast Member, too, because we didn’t even come close to 1,000,000 points, but YOU might be able to hit Galactic Hero and beyond! We loved seeing that 999,999 in the past and take this as a personal challenge to see exactly how many points we get.

We’re thrilled this ride will be back online soon. The Magic Kingdom can use the capacity until Frontierland comes back online. The new game play is fantastic and the repeat ride potential was such a smart change. A huge win in our books.

Are you looking forward to riding Buzz when it reopens next month? What’s your high score? 

Photos: Amy Schinner