It’s a milestone year for Toy Story Franchise as the original movie becomes 30 – and one of its most iconic rides is to get a major overhaul at Disney World.
Confirmed back in March 2025, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, located in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland At Orlando, Florida Resort, undergo a significant renovation.
The target? Greater immersion and increase the fun level. The attraction already allows you to board a ride vehicle, turn it around and take part in the Star command in the match against Zurg. Since the original opening, guests have used integrated blasters to hit a number of goals, but the upcoming updates are taking things to the next level. Disney shared back in the spring that Blasters would be removable rather than attached in place and that the target disk would get a full redesign.
At a Disney World Media event at the end of July, we got an early look at the new experience test of the updated blasters and being among the first to see the brand new riding vehicles.
I was already excited about the changes that came to one of my favorite attractions, but after trying them, I am convinced: Disney uses practical technology in the smartest ways possible to increase the submerson.
As we have seen with recent projects such as Haunted Mansion Parlour on Disney Treasure Ship or The Walt Disney Audio Animatronic at Disneyland, Disney’s final goals are only about specifications and performance.
For example, take the new blasters. I had to deal with a pre -production version and the improvements are obvious. They are more ergonomic with a smaller unified building that is now free to move in any direction. This means that you can aim where you will without turning the entire driving vehicle, which should be a big plus for accuracy. Previously, these blasters were bolted down and could not be lifted up – just a fixed pull to the left, right, up or down.
There are other improvements as well: Built -in Haptics provides feedback when you hit a target, LEDs light up when you pull the trigger in front and rear, and each blast in a vehicle now has its own color for easy identification. You either turn red or green and the goals are also transformed with this shade. As someone who has lost an overview of my shots in the sea of red LEDs before, this is a huge upgrade.
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The goals also change. Instead of the original slices of light, the new versions have circular LED screens with physical elements. The well-known yellow-and-orange “Z” for Zurg Remains, but the support is now dynamic with animated Hyperspace effects and there is the potential for theme overlays. As you could expect if you hit Bullseye, the goal of perfectly synchronized visuals, sound and blaster feedback responds.
Disney also revealed the redesigned riding cars, styled after Buzz Lightyear’s own Space Ranger suit. They are slimmer but should still comfortably put two riders.
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And yes, the scoring system also gets a gleaching. The old LED number shows that are closed on 999,999 for the “Galactic Hero” status, are swapped into screens that track scores far beyond that.
While I didn’t get to sit in the updated vehicle or see the new screens in action, these feel like the cherry on top of the overall experience. The upgraded blasters handle much better, and the freedom to remove the mountain should greatly expand the number of goals you can hit – and increase competition.
The technical improvements under the hood – including haptic engines, a smoother trigger and integrated LEDs – paired with the redesigned target discs really bring this attraction into modern times. I can’t wait to experience the full version when it debuts in 2026.
When Disney World confirms an opening date we share an update. We are also looking forward to the promised new riding scene-in the essentials the visuals you will see along the track and debut of a brand new animatronic image has evolved.
Meanwhile while waiting for the official opening you can see again Toy Story On Disney+, one of the best streaming services out there. Who knows – maybe a fully clock pov will fall on the launch day.
