Attraction Stats

Location: Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom

Type: Interactive Dark Ride/Game

Length: 4.5 Minutes

Audience: Kids, Teens, Adults

Open since November 3rd, 1998

3.5 Stars Out of 5 Rating

A Good Attraction, Worth A Moderate Wait

Genie+ Lightning Lane Available Genie+ Lightning Lane Available

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is an interactive, game-based ride set in the world of Pixar’s Toy Story 2. Riders board moving cars and use the attached Astro Blaster to shoot lasers at the armies of Evil Emperor Zurg. Compete for the high score of the day, or just see if you can beat whoever you’re riding with.

Tips and Trivia

  • Not all targets are created equal! Points per target range from 100 to 100,000.
  • The first time you see Zurg, aim for the bottom of his ship. This target is worth 100,000 points. This will help you get a Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin high score.
  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is inspired by the opening sequence of Toy Story 2.
  • Want more interactive Toy Story fun? Check out the highly popular Toy Story Midway Mania in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Review

When Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin first came out, I was obsessed with the novelty of an interactive Buzz Lightyear ride. I’ve always been a big fan of Toy Story, video games, and theme park rides, and this seemed like the perfect marriage of the three. The ride remains a great deal of fun to this day, and nothing really beats besting one of your family members at the ride. However, it’s not a perfect experience. Each car spins around, controlled by a single joystick in the center of the car. This means only one of the two riders can control which way the car is facing, which can lead to a struggle over control of the joystick. Additionally, it’s easy to lose track of which red dot is actually your laser. With the recent addition of Toy Story Mania, which fixes these issues while adding gameplay variety and production values, Space Ranger Spin’s age starts to really show. However, after spending minutes blasting away at Zurg’s minions and seeing your score, it is very easy to indulge the impulse of “Well… How about one more ride?”

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Images