Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
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Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is a popular attraction featuring characters from the Disney/Pixar film Toy Story at the Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland theme parks. Both attractions opened in 2005. It has also resided at Tokyo Disneyland as Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters since 2004, and will open at Disneyland Paris as Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast in 2006. The ride premiered at the Magic Kingdom in 1998 as Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. There is also a version of it in Walt Disney World's DisneyQuest under the name Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, but is a different ride system. The attractions use a third-generation Omnimover system, and are combination of a shooting gallery and a dark ride.
Plot
The backstory of the ride revolves around the attempts of Evil Emperor Zurg to steal the "crystallic fusion cells" (i.e., batteries) used to power the space vehicles of the "Little Green Men." Participants are "Star Command" raw recruits sent to defeat Zurg. The queue area is awash in the chartreuse, white, and bright blue hues of Buzz Lightyear himself. Since Buzz Lightyear is a toy, the attraction is cleverly scaled to give the illusion that one has just been reduced to the size of an action figure, featuring such detail as giant, exposed Phillips screw heads and an explanation of the interactive phase of the ride that resembles a toy's instruction sheet, only on a gigantic scale. An Audio-Animatronic Buzz Lightyear figure and giant Etch-a-Sketch provide explanation of the "mission." The Buzz Lightyear figure utilizes both the latest Audio-Animatronic technology combined with an innovative video rear projection system for Buzz's face, resulting in one of the most lifelike Audio-Animatronic figures in Disney theme park history.
Technical aspects
"Astro Blasters" and "Space Ranger Spin" are equal parts shooting gallery and dark ride. Visitors board an Omnimover space vehicle featuring two laser pistols and a joystick. The pistols are used to shoot targets of varying point values while the joystick allows full 360-degree rotation of the vehicle to assist in aiming. A digital readout on the dashboard shows the player's score. At one point in the attraction, each visitor is photographed during gameplay and has the option at the exit queue of sending an electronic postcard via e-mail. The new Disneyland attraction features at-home play tied directly to the attraction itself via the Internet. The home game enables players to help Disneyland visitors by lighting up special targets that allow both sides to win more points.Attraction facts
Magic Kingdom
- Grand Opening: November 3, 1998
- * Soft Opening: October 7, 1998
- Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering
- Attraction name: Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
- Show Scenes:
- * Launch Bay
- * Robot Attack
- * Planet "Z"
- * Zurg's Ship
- * Robot Factory
- * Zurg's Secret Weapon
- * Escape Hatch (Zurg's Escape)
- * Speed Room (Hyperspace)
- * Space Battle
- * Star Command
- Former attractions:
- * If You Had Wings June 5, 1972 - June 1, 1987
- * If You Could Fly June 6, 1987 - January 3, 1989
- * Delta Dreamflight/Dreamflight/Take Flight June 26, 1989 - January 5, 1998
- Show length: 4:30
- Ride system: Omnimover
Tokyo Disneyland
- Grand opening: April 15, 2004
- Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering
- Attraction name: Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
- Former attractions:
- * Circle-Vision 360
- * The Timekeeper
- * Magic Carpet Round The World
- Ride system: Omnimover
Disneyland
- Grand opening: May 5, 2005
- * Soft opening: March 17, 2005
- Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering
- Attraction name: Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Show scenes:
- * Gantry Hall / Flight Deck
- * Robot Attack
- * Zurg's Dreadnought
- * Zurg's Secret Weapon
- * Crash Landing
- * Planet Z
- ** Zurg's Escape
- * Hyperspace**
- * The Final Battle
- * Victory Celebration
- Former Attractions:
- * Circarama
- * Circle-Vision 360
- * Rocket Rods (queue)
- Ride system: Omnimover
Hong Kong Disneyland
- Grand opening: September 12, 2005 (Opened with Hong Kong Disneyland)
- Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering
- Attraction name: Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Ride system: Omnimover
Disneyland Paris
- Grand opening: April 08, 2006
- Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering
- Attraction name: Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
- Former Attractions
- * Le Visionarium (The Timekeeper)
- Ride system: Omnimover
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