Rides

Ride: Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Magic Kingdom, Tomorrowland

Aaron

23 Nov 2025 — 4 min read

Fire lasers to defeat Zurg in this shooting-gallery game that puts you in the center of a thrilling space battle.

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Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin will be temporarily closed for refurbishment beginning August 4, 2025, and is planned to reopen in 2026.

Ride Information

Park	Magic Kingdom, Tomorrowland
Ride Type	Omnimover, interactive shooting gallery
Thrill Type	Slow ride, Spinning
Height Requirement	Any height

Composite Review (4.5 / 5)

Verdict: To Infinity... and Beyond a Refurbishment

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is a beloved, nostalgic, and competitive shooting dark ride that is perfect for all ages and skill levels. It is one of the Magic Kingdom’s great family equalizers, allowing children to potentially outscore their parents thanks to its blend of skill and hidden high-value targets. However, the ride is widely recognized as being dated, with clunky guns, dim visuals, and ongoing maintenance issues being common complaints.

Crucially, many of these issues are expected to be addressed soon: The attraction is reportedly scheduled for a major, multi-month refurbishment beginning in August 2025 and reopening in 2026. This overhaul is expected to introduce handheld blasters, interactive targets, new ride vehicles, and a new scene, which should elevate the experience.

The Experience

Join Buzz Lightyear and Star Command on an epic mission to defeat the Evil Emperor Zurg, who is stealing batteries from toys to power his weapon of mass destruction.

Upon entering the queue, you'll be briefed by an audio-animatronic Buzz Lightyear before boarding your XP-37 Space Cruiser. The ride is a slow-moving Omnimover dark ride that takes you through various blacklight-lit scenes featuring classic Toy Story villains and their robotic minions.

Your goal is to use the attached laser cannons to shoot "Z" targets on the animatronics and set pieces to accumulate points. Your score is displayed on a screen in front of you, fueling a competitive spirit. Unique to this attraction is the central joystick, which allows riders to spin their vehicle 360 degrees to maximize shooting angles—or simply to cause a little delightful dizziness. The ride concludes with a final confrontation with Zurg and an on-ride photo opportunity.

The Good: What People Love

The Competition Factor: The single greatest draw is the friendly rivalry. Reviewers consistently praise the thrill of competing with friends and family to achieve the highest score and earn the ultimate rank: Galactic Hero (999,999 points).
Controllable Spin: The joystick control is highly praised. It gives riders direct control over their experience, allowing sharpshooters to line up shots on hard-to-reach targets and younger guests to simply spin themselves silly for fun.
All-Ages Fun: With no height requirement and a slow, non-scary pace, this is a must-do attraction for the whole family, from toddlers to grandparents.
High Repeatability: The game mechanics and the challenge of finding the high-value targets encourage guests to ride it multiple times to improve their scores.
Fast Loading: As an Omnimover-style ride, the continuous loading system helps keep the standby line moving at a steady, efficient pace.

The Bad: Common Complaints

Outdated Technology: The ride is frequently criticized for being outdated compared to newer, similar attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania or Universal's Men in Black: Alien Attack. The animatronics are simple, and the targets sometimes feel unresponsive.
Clunky Blasters and Aiming: The attached laser cannons are often reported to be inaccurate, and it's notoriously difficult to discern which red laser dot belongs to which player in the dark, chaotic environment.
Maintenance Issues: Guests have noted visible signs of aging and poor maintenance, including mold/grime on the ceilings, dirty queues, and blurry tunnel projections. Cannons and joysticks are occasionally reported as malfunctioning.
Wait Time Management: Some reviewers feel that the ride is prone to breakdowns, which can make the wait feel unworthwhile, especially if the standby time exceeds 30 minutes.

Top Tips from Reviewers

Look for the High-Value Targets: The key to becoming a Galactic Hero is to ignore the low-value targets and spam the few 100,000-point targets that reset every time they are hit:The Robot Arm: Hit the target inside the second/left arm of the giant orange robot in the first scene.The Claw: Spin your cruiser around to hit the target on the underside of the overhead "Claw" as you pass it (the best time is right after you pass the robot).Zurg's Ship: Aim for the small target directly underneath Zurg's ship.
Calibrate Your Gun: In the dark starting area before the targets appear, fire your laser at the plain black wall. Note where your laser dot hits relative to the gun's sight. This helps you account for the blaster's inherent inaccuracy.
Appoint a Driver: If riding with a partner, designate one person to focus purely on spinning the car using the joystick to maximize angles on the high-value targets, while the other focuses on shooting.
Hold the Trigger: Do not pull the trigger for individual shots; hold it down for continuous rapid-fire to maximize your chances of hitting the targets.
Claim Your Reward: If you manage to hit the maximum score of 999,999 points, take a clear photo of your score screen. Show this photo to a Cast Member at the gift shop exit to receive a special "Galactic Hero" sticker or button for your achievement.

Summary

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is a cornerstone of Tomorrowland that delivers a genuinely fun and highly competitive interactive dark ride experience. While its charm and nostalgia carry the day for many guests, its aging ride system—particularly the aiming mechanism and visual quality—makes it one of the more commonly cited attractions in need of an update. It’s an easy recommendation for families seeking a shared, silly, and competitive experience that moves quickly and offers a fun challenge. Just be sure to use those high-score secrets if you want to be a true Space Ranger.