The Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is one of my favorite rides at DisneyWorld because it is fun for the whole family! On our trip last month this ride was enjoyed equally by the preschoolers as the 62 year old - and that isn‘t something we can often say!


ABOUT THE RIDE

The Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin opened in October of 1998 an is located in Tomorrowland. It is suitable for all ages. In fact it is the only non height restricted ride in DisneyWorld that takes a photo which makes the ride even more fun for them. People in wheelchairs must be able to get out of the chair to get in and out of the ride.

All riders on the Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin are enlisted as Junior Space Rangers to help Buzz defeat the evil Emperor Zurg. You see, the sinister Zurg is attempting to steal all the batteries so he can then use them to fuel his ultimate weapon of destruction This is done by shooting at all of the Z’s located in the 10 interactive scenes which are all scaled to the size of toys. The ride last 4 ½ minutes.

Note: There is a lot of action going on, some darkness and of course the evil Emperor Zurg but small children seemed to care more about controlling the spinning and shooting the lasers. Also small children ride with an adult which always help relieve fears. But, if your child is a bit fearful of these things I would suggest you ride through once and then make a decisions as to if they would enjoy it. I Would assume that most children over the age of 5 would want to ride it over and over.

The Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is a very popular ride and it always seems to have a line. Since it is a FASTPASS attraction you might want to use it here, especially if the wait is 30 minutes or more. BUT, we were able to ride it over and over with very little wait during the parades and right before closing so I would suggest you check it out during those times.


ON THE RIDE

To get on the ride you wind through a covered waiting area where an animated Buzz Lightyear explains the mission - to stop the horrible Emperor Zurg from stealing all of the Universe's cystollic fusion cell supply - also know as batteries.

To do this, you must board a XP-38 Space Cruiser which actually looks like a brightly colored wind up toy. The ride is continuous where the riders get on via a slow moving sidewalk type deal. This keeps the line moving quickly and smoothly.

Each of the cruisers can hold two adults, or two adults and one child, or two children and one adult. There is a lap type bar that somewhat holds you in.
Note: Even though three people can fit, there are only two lasers and therefore, the person in the middle will NOT have one. This caused a MAJOR disappointment in a cruiser ahead of us where the child was in the middle and AFTER the ride was underway noticed he didn’t have a gun!

Now that you are on the ride, the fun begins! Each cruiser has two laser guns - each with it’s own space ranger's score, is tallied, according to complexity of target, electronically via an LED screen scoreboard -- and a joystick which allows you to pilot your vehicle 360 degrees! To save the universe and become a full Space Ranger you need to collect points. Throughout the ride there will be multiple targets - mostly Emperor Zurg insignias which are lightning bolt-type Z's. Every time you hit one of them your score on your dashboard will increase. It appears that the smaller, hard to get Z’s are worth more points and we fond out that by hitting the volcano one it not only causes it to erupt but earns you 100,000 points! At the end of the ride is a Space Ranger chart where you can take your score to find your rank AND rub it in the faces of all of those with less ranks!



~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ 2BUZY'S FINAL THOUGHTS ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~


My whole family likes the Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin ride. Even the teenagers are eager to compare their scores against each other! It appears to be one of those rides that is fun for all.

A picture is taken -- toward the end of the ride -- which you can view (and buy) at the end of the ride. The cruisers lock up during the photo, making sure everyone is facing the camera when the picture is taken.

It is a great ride that can be enjoyed by all ages -- it is interactive, fun , an enjoyable waiting area and last a full 4 ½ minutes. I would recommend Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and based on my family’s experience I am giving the ride a solid 5 stars.

Note:There is a great photo op, at the end of the ride, on your way out - a giant Zurg behind bars. Kids, or even adults, can go through the bars and pose locked up with Zurg. We got two great pictures there and as soon as we took one there was a line of others wanting to do the same. It is a fun shot and we liked it better than the ones taken on the ride.



Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime