Walt Disney Imagineering filed a permit for the impending overhaul of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Overhaul
The permit is for “electrical work” and contracts Central Florida’s Elite A/V System Inc. The address on the permit is 1305 Monorail Way, approximately corresponding to the Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin building in Tomorrowland. It was approved on June 2, 2025, and expires in one year.
Disney filed the first construction permit for set installation immediately after announcing the overhaul of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. It will include a new scene featuring new character Buddy the robot, new ride vehicles, new handheld blasters, and interactive targets.
The attraction will close this August and reopen in 2026, but Disney hasn’t announced exact dates. According to the Walt Disney World website, the ride will still be open through at least August 4, the furthest date currently available on the calendar.
WDWNT got to playtest the new blasters and targets. The update will bring the ride’s tech up to date, in line with Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue at Shanghai Disneyland and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! at Hong Kong Disneyland. Similar updates are likely planned for the Wreck-It Ralph attraction replacing Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters at Tokyo Disneyland.
The updates are coming just after Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin received new projectors.
The attraction originated as If You Had Wings, sponsored by Eastern Air Lines, which opened in Magic Kingdom in 1972. When Eastern Air withdrew their sponsorship in 1987, the ride became If You Could Fly. Delta Air Lines began sponsoring the attraction two years later, and it became Delta Dreamflight. It was later renamed Dreamflight and then Take Flight when Delta dropped their sponsorship. All these versions of the attraction explored the history of air travel.
In 1998, Take Flight closed to become Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Through the years of changes, the ride track and vehicles remained the same as the original 1972 attraction. With the upcoming update, they will finally be replaced.
Versions of the Buzz Lightyear shooting attraction have existed at all six Disney castle parks in the world. However, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters at Hong Kong Disneyland closed in 2017 (to become Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!) while the Tokyo Disneyland version closed in 2024.
Watch our video POV of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle below for an idea of what the updated Magic Kingdom attraction will be like.
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