Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: Disney World’s Incredibly Epic Intergalactic Dark Ride
Look sharp, Space Ranger! You’re embarking on a perilous mission, code name: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it sounds like a theme park ride. You’re up against the most dangerous criminal in the galaxy.
No, not Darth Vader!!
It’s Emperor Zurg, of course! Although, the resemblance is uncanny, now that you mention it…
Anyway, Zurg is at it again with another nefarious scheme—he’s stealing batteries from helpless toys to power his weapon of mass destruction! It’s up to you to conquer him and save the universe. (No pressure.) Don’t worry, though, we aren’t sending you in blind, Ranger. Consider this your official manual. How To Save The Universe For Dummies, or something like that.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: Mission Docket
Now, remember, Space Ranger, all of this information is highly classified. Not stuff we’d want floating around the internet where Zurg or any old civilian could find it. Could you imagine the panic that would ensue if people knew the danger we were in??
With that disclaimer out of the way, I can reveal to you the location of your mission. To engage in Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, you’ll need to head to Tomorrowland, in Walt Disney World‘s Magic Kingdom. It shouldn’t be too hard to find—Zurg’s secret base is located right across from the fantastic Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. So, if you can find the PeopleMover, then you’ve found Zurg.
While we’re leaving the timing of the mission up to your discretion, those of us at Star Command would recommend combating Zurg right as the park opens or is getting ready to close. We’ve recruited a lot of Space Rangers to help with this, so, if you don’t want to wait a long time to board your XP-37 star cruiser, this is the best time to go!1 Additionally, your weapon is a laser gun, and when there are a bunch of Space Rangers fighting at once, it’s easy to lose sight of which laser dot is your own. This is a rare exception to the “strength in numbers” rule!
Because, frankly, you’re also competing against your fellow Rangers on this mission. (Or, at least, it’s more fun if you do!) While you all have a common goal to beat Zurg, Star Command is also keeping track of your score, that is, how many targets you hit on the mission. You can keep track of your own score by looking at the monitor on the dashboard of your cruiser.
The more targets you hit, the more points you get, which means promotion from Star Cadet rank to Galactic Hero—if you earn enough. Even if you don’t reach Galactic Hero, you’ll want to rank higher than your fellow Rangers, right?? But please, keep the competition friendly, and remember Zurg is the real enemy here!
Your XP-37 has room for roughly three Rangers if you’d like to attempt Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin as a group, but keep in mind each cruiser has only two laser guns. Choose your sharpest shooters to man them, and appoint your most trusted group member as the driver. By using the centrally positioned joystick, they’ll be in control of steering the ship! (And these top-of-the-line cruisers can spin 360 degrees, hence our “Space Ranger Spin” mission title!)
This mission is open to Space Rangers of any age. In fact, if you ignore how dangerous Zurg is, this mission is a great opportunity for the youngest members of Star Command to start earning their stripes!
Here’s a quick breakdown of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin’s ranking system.2
- Star Cadet: 0 – 1,000 points
- Space Scout: 1,001 – 10,000 points
- Ranger 1st Class: 10,001 – 100,000 points
- Planetary Pilot: 100,001 – 300,000 points
- Space Ace: 300,001 – 600,000 points
- Cosmic Commando: 600,001 – 999,998 points
- Galactic Hero: 999,999 points
If you manage to reach the rank of Galactic Hero, then you’ll be awarded a special pin (or sticker) that denotes your outstanding rank.3 Wear it with pride!
Insider Tips for Aspiring Galactic Heroes
As you sail through the darkness of space (the starry Gamma Quadrant, to be exact), you might be wondering which targets to shoot. As you’ll soon discover, there are a bunch of things floating around, and they’re not all equal in point value!
Each target—be it one of Zurg’s robot henchman, a battery, or an enemy escape pod—will be marked with Zurg’s insignia, the infamous lightning bolt “Z.” Any target that is farther away or attached to a smaller object is worth more points.
Now, if you simply hold the trigger the entire time, you’ll manage to rack up a little over 1,000 points, even if you don’t hit anything.4 (This is good practice for our younger Rangers!)
While it’s important to Star Command that every target be destroyed, there are certainly some priority targets on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.5,6 While point values are subject to change, these targets are consistently high-scoring. Truly skilled Rangers may try to hit them multiple times as they pass by.
- Orange Rock ’em Sock ’em Robot: hitting the “Z” on the inside of this robot’s left hand with award you somewhere in the range of 100,000 points. This target is not to be missed!
- The Claw: Look up! The Claw chooses who will stay and who will go, and if you choose to hit The Claw, reports say you can garner up to another 100k.
- Volcano: hit the top of the volcano to make it erupt and earn yourself a tidy profit of points. (Around 50,000!)
- Zurg’s Power Meter: one of your final targets is Zurg himself. Fear not, intrepid Ranger! Just aim for the target at the base of his power meter, and you’ll snag 100,000 points, as well as Zurg’s everlasting humiliation.
It’s hard to say what’s more thrilling, chasing down Zurg or watching your points rack up (especially when you’ve got more than the Ranger seated next to you!).
Buzz Lightyear Salutes You!
Even if you don’t manage to reach that glorious score of 999,999 points, Buzz Lightyear will be waiting at the end of your mission to congratulate you on a job well done. Any work accomplished by our Space Rangers is deeply appreciated by those of us here at Star Command!
(And you can always go on the mission again if you really want to…)
This is Star Command signing off, and remember Space Ranger, we’re going to infinity, and beyond!
Have you embarked on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Walt Disney World‘s the Magic Kingdom? What targets proved most fruitful for you? Did you make it to Galactic Hero rank? Report back to Star Command in the comments below!
Cover Image
Photo: Josh Hallett via Flickr
Recommended Gear for this Adventure
Disclaimer: We earn a commission if you click any of the links above and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
