Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (The Complete Ride Guide)
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is a fun, family-friendly interactive attraction in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World). The mission: It’s time to stop the evil emperor Zurg from Toy Story 2. He’s been stealing batteries from toys to create a weapon of destruction! You can help by becoming a junior space ranger and taking out targets with Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters to defeat Zurg.
Below, we’ll discuss the details of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Most guests will enjoy experiencing this attraction at least once during their vacation. It is the only attraction representing the Toy Story franchise at Magic Kingdom. However, additional attractions representing the movies are available at Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Here is a quick reference chart for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
| Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin | Magic Kingdom |
|---|---|
Location: | Tomorrowland |
Height Requirement: | None |
Lightning Lane: | Yes, with Multi Pass, Tier 2 Category |
Ride Type: | Slow-Moving, Semi Dark |
Seats Per Vehicle: | Two |
Rider Switch: | No |
Early Theme Park Hours: | Yes |
Extended Evening Hours: | Yes |
Good For: | Everyone |
Scare Factor: | None |
Must-Do List: | Medium |
Perfect For: | Toy Story Fans Children Competitors |
Special Mention: | Interactive Gaming System with Ride |
Additional Info: Guests in ECVS must transfer to a wheelchair. *Details for those with mobility issues (i.e., wheelchair, ECVs) can be found on Disney’s site. An audio description and handheld captioning are available for this attraction.
Know Disney Rules When Riding With Children: Any child under seven must be accompanied by someone fourteen years or older.
Make sure to check our one-stop Lightning Lane Guide to plan your attractions.
Subscribe to the Resorts Gal newsletter and we’ll send you a copy of our complimentary planning spreadsheets.
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin Ride Review
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is a slow-moving dark ride. Guests have the opportunity to accumulate points while shooting at a variety of targets. This attraction is in Tomorrowland near Monster’s, Inc. Laugh Floor and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover.
Space Ranger Spin has a standby line and a Lightning Lane. This attraction can have long wait times throughout the day. So, it is often a suitable choice when using Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
Space Ranger Spin features our favorite intergalactic hero, Buzz Lightyear. This attraction is similar to Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios. However, Space Ranger Spin does not have 3-D elements. This attraction uses an omnimover ride system, similar to Haunted Mansion or Journey of the Little Mermaid.
You’ll board XP-37 space cruisers on a mission to Gamma Quadrant. Each cruiser seats two guests with two laser cannons. These cannons shoot infrared lasers to hit targets. All three can fit if you’re a party of three (one adult with two small children). But only two seats have blasters.
As your blaster hits targets, you’ll accumulate points like in a video game. A joystick in the center of the cruiser allows guests to spin their cars 360 degrees.
When scoring points, you’ll want to pull the trigger and locate the red laser from your blaster on the targets. If you can focus on the laser, you’ll do much better aiming at your target. Some guests like to keep the trigger pulled for the entirety of the ride. Targets are in the form of Zs and are located on robots, aliens, and batteries.
Like most rides of this nature, some targets are worth more than others. For instance, in the first room, shoot the robot’s left hand for bonus points and the claw for even more! Other coveted targets include the top of the volcano and the smaller batteries in the room full of batteries.
What do these points get you? Well, bragging rights. But if you reach the maximum score of 999,999, snap a photo with your mobile device. Then, show the image to the cast member in the shop at the end of the ride. They will award you with a Galactic Hero sticker or button. It’s kind of a big deal.
Space Ranger Spin has an on-ride photo opportunity about three-quarters of the way through the attraction. It’s one of those photo ops where those with a competitive nature will have a look of concentration.
Wait times for this Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin are lowest during the early morning and late evening hours. The queue will also be significantly shorter during fireworks and the afternoon parade.
At the end of the ride, you’ll exit through a dump shop that offers Pixar-themed merchandise. Here, you can browse items and preview the on-ride photo.
Other Versions of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (Disneyland Park, California)
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (Disneyland Paris)
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (Tokyo)
Formerly, Hong Kong Disneyland had a version of this attraction that has since been permanently closed.
The Resorts Gal Spin on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
We give this attraction the green light! However, if you were to find a line longer than 30 minutes, you might want to try again later. Unfortunately, this ride can have long waits. So, while we think it’s a must-do ride, it’s not always a suitable anytime attraction.
Resorts Gal Traffic Signals
Green Light
We give an attraction the green light if we consider it a must-do, regardless of the posted wait. We also give the green light for attractions we deem suitable to experience anytime. For example, some attractions have high capacities. Therefore, the lines continuously move and you shouldn’t have a long wait unless the attraction experiences downtime.
Red Light
We recommend checking the posted wait times for red light attractions. Then, make a quick judgment call on whether to wait, skip it, or return later. We also red light some attractions that we feel might not be suitable based on our experience.
For more attractions in the nearby area, try these articles:
- Space Mountain at Disney World
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Magic Kingdom’s Astro Orbiter
- Disney World Carousel of Progress
Or preview the complete list of rides at Magic Kingdom.
Related Disney Planning Articles:
Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. If you want information on where to stay, check out our Disney World Resort Reviews. It includes a list of every single resort review we have available. For those planning on spending a lot of time at Magic Kingdom, check out these nearby resort reviews:
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Review
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort Review
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Review
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort Review
If you plan to meet characters in the parks, we have an updated list of Disney World Characters. Additionally, Buzz Lightyear has a meet-and-greet at Toy Story Land.
In the Comments
What are your thoughts on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin? Are you looking forward to experiencing this attraction?
