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Disney Unveils First In-Ride Look at Buzz Lightyear Overhaul With New Blasters and Pixar-Animated Tunnel

A national TV preview highlights Buzz’s on-ride debut in a reworked hyperspace battle.

Overview

  • Good Morning America and a Walt Disney Imagineering video show updated scenes, including Little Green Aliens opening an airlock and Buzz joining the fight against Emperor Zurg.
  • The hyperspace tunnel now features new Pixar animation with Zurg deploying space mines that riders can shoot for additional points.
  • Gameplay upgrades include handheld blasters with always-on lasers plus vibration and sound, reactive targets that light up when hit, and redesigned vehicles with onboard scoring screens.
  • Pixar and Imagineering detailed a new production approach for the tunnel media by animating on a flattened grid to project correctly onto the curved surface.
  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin remains closed after its August 2025 shutdown and is set to reopen in spring 2026 without a firm date, with a recent signage permit and on-site testing fueling industry speculation about possible soft openings.