As Walt Disney World continues to prepare Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin for a reopening on April 8th, we’re learning a little bit more about a planned preview schedule. While Imagineers have been play-testing the new attraction for a little while now, an expanded playtest scheudle will allow more Cast Members to take their shot at defeating Zurg soon. In this article, we’ll cover the upcoming Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin playtest schedule and what it could signal for possible guest previews.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Preview Schedule
While Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is scheduled to officially reopen on April 8th at Magic Kingdom, there will be a “playtest” period for eligible Cast Members as well. The playtest is designed to allow Cast Members the opportunity to experience the attraction while the attraction is still in development and final adjustments are made.
The Cast Member playtests begin this weekend and will continue into next week. At this time, no other preview opportunities have been officially announced. That said, we’d imagine that any previews or soft openings would occur after the Cast Member playtests conclude sometime late next week. If we had to guess, soft openings could start as early as late March or early April in the days leading up to the official reopening.
As always, any potential soft openings would be subject to attraction availability, and dependent on any last-minute adjustments the team would like to make to the ride. As of right now, I’d only suggest planning on riding Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin starting April 8th.
That said, we’ll be keeping an eye on potential soft openings as crews wrap up work on the exterior of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. More on that in a little bit!
When it reopens, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will feature a number of upgrades:
- Brand New Scene – As their adventure begins, guests will now be greeted by an all-new character! As a support-bot, Buddy makes sure departing Space Rangers are fully prepared for their mission, enthusiastically providing encouragement, final system checks on their Star Cruisers and a chance to hone their blaster aim.
- All-New Targets – The static Z targets found in the attraction today will be upgraded with new technology that will allow them to react and light up when hit. It also opens the door for a few other ideas Imagineers have in mind.
- Brand New Ride Vehicles – Star cruisers will also receive a face lift with a new design inspired by the colors of Buzz Lightyear and Star Command. Each enhanced vehicle will also now come equipped with video monitors that provide real-time scoring updates and other exciting features.
- Handheld Blasters – Each ride vehicle will now include handheld blasters for better aim, helping guests to score even more points. These new blasters will be perfect for younger riders, allowing them to participate more in the experience.
And, if you’ve ever wondered where you’re aiming (don’t worry, you’re not alone), these enhanced blasters will now include an always-on laser and come in two different colors per star cruiser, in addition to new lighting, sound and vibration effects, so players know where they’re aiming throughout the mission.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!