10 Fun Facts About Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

1. Attention Space Rangers!

After Buzz Lightyear completes his briefing, it’s time to board your space cruiser, power up your laser blaster, and get ready to travel to infinity and beyond to take on the evil Emperor Zurg. And just what kind of space cruiser are you flying? An XP-37, the latest in space fighter technology, complete with twin ion cannons. How does it work? Crystallic fusion of course! (Well, that’s code for batteries but don’t tell Buzz!)

2. The Omnimover

Prior to the arrival of Buzz Lightyear and company, the show building had played host to a number of attractions over the years. The first was If You Had Wings, which opened in 1972. The attraction made use of the Omnimover system, a system that was subsequently used in every attraction to occupy the show building. The Omnimover system was developed by Roger E. Broggie and Bert Brundage in order to convey a cinematic experience to ride-through attractions. The name itself was coined by Disney Legend Bob Gurr. The key component to the Omnimover system is the ability to have the cars rotate independently of their forward motion. For you Junior Space Rangers, that provides the freedom to swing around and take aim at targets in any direction.

3. Putting the “Spin” in Space Ranger Spin

This added element of control differentiates the Omnimover system from similar designs, such as that used in The Seas with Nemo and Friends, where the vehicles always face sideways and don’t rotate (much like the now-closed Horizons). Additionally, the Omnimover system used here, like the one used in the Haunted Mansion, makes use of a continually moving chain of vehicles that required the installation of a moving walkway to allow Guests to easily board and disembark the vehicles. While Journey Into Imagination uses an Omnimover type of system, the vehicles there aren’t in constant motion. In fact, the only time the vehicles come to a stop in Space Ranger Spin is if a Guest needs additional time during the loading or unloading process. If this occurs, Guests on board the attraction can take advantage of the stoppage by racking up extra points, since the guns and targets remain active even though the vehicles aren’t moving. Unlike the Haunted Mansion (and earlier attractions in the same building), the vehicles in Space Ranger Spin can be rotated by the occupants with full 360-degree freedom, allowing them to face in any direction in order to blast away at out-of-the-way targets. Because of this, the designers of Space Ranger Spin needed to ensure that every line of sight was filled with visual excitement, and that there would be no opportunity for Guests to get a peek at off-stage elements.

4. Galactic Hero

The top score, 999,999, earns you the rank of a Galactic Hero. The other ranks, from lowest to highest, are Star Cadet, Space Scout, Ranger 1st Class, Planetary Pilot, Space Ace, and Cosmic Commando.

5. Targeting Tips

There are several high-scoring targets located throughout the attraction. The secret to amassing 999,999 points is to find them and blast away! Two can be found in the first scene. One can be found on the large orange robot on your left. Blast the inside of his left hand and earn yourself a ton of points! Also, look for the structure that looks like a street lamp as you exit the area. The target underneath the “lamp” is also worth big points and is best targeted by swinging around once you pass it and shooting it from behind. In the next scene, look for the large volcano in the distance for another high scoring target.

6. Watch Out for Those Lasers!

Yes, the laser blasters do actually shoot real laser beams! They are completely harmless however, as they pack about the same punch as a barcode scanner.

7. The Superspeed Tunnel

If you were a fan of If You Had Wings or any of the other attractions that preceded Space Ranger Spin, then the Escape Tunnel scene may seem very familiar to you. This is because the tunnel used in this scene is the exact same superspeed tunnel that was featured in If You Had Wings and all other subsequent attractions housed in the building.

8. Bringing Buzz to Life

The Audio-Animatronic figure of Buzz Lightyear in the attraction’s queue was the first of its kind. The figure features a computer-generated image of Buzz projected onto the face, creating a very lifelike (well, for a toy anyway) appearance.

9. Pollost Prime

One of the cleverest Hidden Mickeys in the Magic Kingdom can be found here. In the queue, look on the giant map and see if you can find the planet called Pollost Prime. On it you’ll see a continent in the shape of a profile Mickey!

10. Changes On the Way!

Aspiring Space Rangers will soon get to experience an all-new way to battle Emperor Zurg. The attraction is scheduled to close in August for an extended refurbishment, reopening in 2026. Your star cruisers will now come equipped with video monitors that provide real-time scoring updates, and instead of fixed-in-place laser blasters you will now be able to take on Zurg with handheld blasters. This will give you better aim, allowing you to score even more points! (Without all the spinning, a welcome addition to vehicles with two Guests!). The new handheld blasters will also be perfect for younger Guests!