Attraction Review: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Even after all this time, Disney theme parks can still surprise me.
The most recent example involves a ride from the 1990s.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Imagineers have breathed new life into it, somehow reinventing the vibe.
Here’s an attraction review of Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger. I can honestly say that Disney has done the impossible with this one.
About Space Ranger Spin
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin debuted at Magic Kingdom in 1998.
At the time, the ride experience shared no historical precedent.
Photo: Disney
Disney gamified the entire ride to make it a sci-fi shooting gallery at Tomorrowland.
Since the attraction takes place indoors, guests relished the idea. We could escape the often mercurial Central Florida weather for a time.
While enjoying the air conditioning, we could also embrace our Toy Story fandom.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Space Ranger Spin celebrates the genius of Buzz Lightyear as a character.
He’s an intergalactic hero who prevents the Evil Emperor Zurg from universal domination.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Sure, we should all wonder how successful Buzz is if Zurg is already an emperor.
But that’s beside the point. Buzz Lightyear is as noble and courageous as they come.
Since Zurg is his enemy, we know that the Evil Emperor is aptly named.
On Space Ranger Spin, we possess the ability to thwart Zurg’s nefarious plans. For whatever reason, the villain requires batteries aka crystallic fusion cells.
These beauties power the ships that the Little Green Men aka Three-Eyed Aliens use.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Zurg wants them to overwhelm the universe and claim supremacy.
We stop him by targeting the batteries with our laser blasters.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Presuming our aim is true – and mine never was – we stockpile the batteries.
In the process, we give Buzz Lightyear a fighting chance and save the universe.
The Flaws with the Original Version
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
That’s the idea anyway. In execution, Space Ranger Spin aged poorly. Obviously, any tech from the 1990s seems like a relic today.
I mean, the most popular video game consoles of 1998 were the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64. You can legitimately find these consoles at museums today. They’re that old.
As for phones, they were the size of a purse, and they most assuredly weren’t smart.
The world has changed for the better from a technological perspective.
Photo credit: http://buzz-lightyear-rides.wikia.com/wiki/File:Snake_(Space_Ranger_Spin).jpg
Space Ranger Spin hadn’t. It just got older and older, a recurring problem for Disney.
Tomorrowland frequently faces this dilemma with its attractions, as did the former Future World.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
In fact, Disney permanently closed Future World because it couldn’t stay relevant.
Another Disney ride currently faces the same issue. Toy Story Mania! still runs on Windows XP.
Disney hasn’t done a great job of future-proofing its gamified rides. Until now.
Imagineers accepted that the original design of Space Ranger Spin was dustier than an attic toy. So, they took a hard look at the flaws with the ride as it stood.
Something that stood out was that the laser blasters were outdated.
Also, the battery targets needed work as well. They’ve always been my issue with the ride.
I often joke that my wife brains me at Space Ranger Spin, which she absolutely does.
The reason why is that I suck at the game because I can’t tell if I’m hitting anything. A laser dot shows where you’re aiming, but I always found it unreliable.
I’d aim and fire true…or so I thought. I’d have no idea if I hit anything, though.
Ultimately, I’d be happy to score about 200k and usually wound up in the 100k range. And I stubbornly believe that the fault was the ride design, not my own extreme incompetence.
The Best Quality of Life Update
In May, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin reopened after a prolonged absence.
Imagineers took this opportunity to modernize and redefine the ride experience.
When Disney announced the change, I held low expectations for the new version.
I’m happy to report that I was dead wrong about this one. The updated Space Ranger Spin has addressed every existing criticism of the ride.
For starters, the new laser blasters are handheld, meaning they’re not locked in place.
When you board the ride, you can grab the blaster and hold it as you see fit.
I’d suggest that you take a moment to decide the most comfortable fit for your needs.
Soon afterward, the ride will begin, and that’s when the changes grow glaringly obvious.
You’ll have a much easier time identifying where you’re aiming under the new system.
Photo: Disney
Even better, you will ALWAYS know when you hit your target.Disney has eliminated all the guesswork by introducing a new mechanic.
The battery target will light up and spin around in a circle.
They’re also color coordinated, so you can tell whether it was you or your companion who scored.
As an aside, both are possible with simultaneous hits, another great improvement.
You don’t need to wait for the target to stop spinning before the other person can score.
In fact, a player can keep shooting the same target for additional points.
You’ll earn substantially less with the extra hits, but it’s possible. Due to all the enhancements, I’d already gotten my highest score ever halfway through the ride.
Everything simply makes more sense under the new system, which is all we could ask.
Imagineers took a hard look at what wasn’t working and fixed it all.
Attraction Review: Space Ranger Spin
Disney has created several variants of this ride since the original debuted.Throughout this process, Imagineers have clearly learned what works well.
The new version of Space Ranger Spin feels like an original ride, not a reboot.
The infusion of modern tech and an understanding of the previous limitations work wonders here.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Frankly, I was stunned by how much better the new Space Ranger Spin is.
For 15 years now, I’ve thought of the ride as well-intended but woefully dated. Disney just honestly evaluated those criticisms and defied expectations of old-school Magic Kingdom fans.
This is NOT the Space Ranger Spin you’ve known all your life. It’s something new and better.
Well done, Disney. The changes here give me hope for Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.
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Feature Photo: Disney
