Techtite's Shows & Parks Reviews!

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Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Sure, it's meant for kids. Sure, it takes up only the small, teeny-weeny amount of space in Tomorrow Land, that was once used in the 1970's for free, "commercial rides" like If You Had Wings (which promoted Eastern Airlines). Sure, it uses mostly 2D characters. Still, I'm amazed, at how much fun I had riding the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin; a ride which has slowly received underdog popularity, in DisneyWorld's recently revamped TomorrowLand theme park area.

The fun part is, all you need to know about the ride is explained while still in line! In a style of narration that would make a fan of Toy Story proud, a well-animated, animatronic Buzz Lightyear tells you, the new recruits, to help him fight the Evil Emperor Zurg. The story unfolds via slides shown in a giant Viewfinder, as Buzz tells you the energy cells of toys (i.e., their batteries) have been stolen. It's up to you to stop Zurg from getting away with it!

Here's where the fun begins: this ride is interactive. First, there's the "spin" part of it; you can use a joystick in front of your traveling vehicle, to spin a full 360 degrees in either direction. This is a good thing, because there are objects to see both in front and behind you, throughout the ride. Some bad guys you even get to shoot!

"Shoot"...? You bet. This ride brings back to life all the thrills of the classic shooting gallery attraction at arcades, with a pair of toy laser guns in front of you on your vehicle. You use these to shoot the "Z" badges/targets on all the bad guys you see. Shoot them, and an animation ensues, whose value depends on the difficulty of the shot. You can even help Buzz shut down Zurg's ship itself, in a grand finish to the ride.

Sure, it doesn't last long, though with all modern arcade games costing 50 cents or more, this is a free breath of fresh air. It even keeps track of your score! It may have some minor setbacks --like one too many targets that resemble cardboard cutouts, and not actual characters-- yet this is all in touch with the Toy Story/cartoon feel of the attraction. I was very surprised at how much I liked this ride, and so will you. If you're anything like me, you'll only want to jump right back on again.