A nearly 30-year-old ride at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is closing this summer so it can get a new show scene, updated ride vehicles and gameplay enhancements.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will close in August and reopen some time next year, a Walt Disney World executive said Tuesday.
“We’re not just, you know, sitting on our laurels and saying, ‘Well, let’s just kind of keep it running,'” Michael Hundgen, Creative Portfolio Executive Producer with Walt Disney Imagineering, said. “This is a great update to a classic attraction.”
One of the biggest upgrades to the iconic Tomorrowland ride will be the addition of handheld blasters, so guests of all ages can have better aim and potentially score more points. Disney Imagineers will upgrade the blasters with new lighting, sound and vibration effects, so Space Rangers will no longer wonder if they have hit specific targets.
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Imagineers recently participated in a play test of the improvements, which Disney said in a media release is critical to “delivering an out-of-this-world experience for our guests.”
“Everyone had a great time, and our team learned a lot,” project creative director Justin DeTolla said in a statement. “We’ve been working on this project for quite some time now, so it was exciting to see it all come to life for the first time in the field.”
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The dark, slow-moving ride is considered suitable for all ages and allows for some family or friend competition. Its storyline battling Zurg comes from 1999’s Toy Story 2, which was produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures.
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Walt Disney World is preparing for the summer travel season with new family deals on tickets, dining and hotels. Two new shows featuring The Little Mermaid and Disney Villains premiere on May 27, just days after Universal Epic Universe opens.
A new nighttime parade is also coming to Magic Kingdom later this summer.
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