Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

March 2005 – present

LOCATION

Tomorrowland – When entering from Main Street USA, you will find the Astro Blasters on the left, just after the Astro Orbitor.

BACKGROUND

Opening in the spring of 2005, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters marked a celebration of the 50^th anniversary of Disneyland. The Astro Blasters ride in Disneyland is based off its counterpart in Florida, which debuted before Toy Story 2 (Zurg’s first film appearance). Guests were thrilled to battle a new villain alongside Buzz Lightyear, and the Florida ride’s tremendous popularity inspired Disneyland to follow suit. Since 2005, the Astro Blasters have provided a tamer, but still exciting experience for Tomorrowland visitors, and park guests come back to Buzz Lightyear time and time again.

EXPERIENCE

Details:

• Single Rider Line – no
• Fast Pass – no
• Height Requirement – none
• Duration – 4:30

When guests load into the Astro Blaster ships, Buzz guides them on a journey to infinity and beyond! Along the way, the newly dubbed space pilots have to fight off Zurg’s army, shoot down moving targets, and face a final battle with Zurg himself before returning to the spaceport. Along the intergalactic journey, Buzz snaps a photo of each car that guests can email themselves for free.

MY RATING: ★★★★★

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is a lot of fun. There are tons of different targets, each room has different features, and the whole ride has a laser tag vibe. While it’s not as interactive as its California Adventure counterpart (Toy Story Midway Mania), Buzz Lightyear offers a fun break between the thrills and dramatic special effects of Tomorrowland.

VISITING TIPS

Most of the traffic in Tomorrowland tends toward Star Tours and Space Mountain, so lines for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters are generally manageable. If you see a long line, don’t be intimated! The line for the Astro Blasters is almost entirely outside, and moves very quickly, so the wait may appear much longer than it actually is. Tomorrowland’s busiest time is early to mid-afternoon, so as long as you steer clear during that time frame, you should be fine.

TRIVIA

Aim for the Z on Zurg’s chest. Supposedly, it’s a hidden target!

The blue triangle targets are worth the most points. They’ll bolster your score by 50,000 with each shot.

Unlike Toy Story Midway Mania, when Buzz Lightyear breaks down, the targets are still active. This is a great time to pick a target and just rack up tons of points.

Similar Buzz Lightyear rides can be found in most of the Disney parks worldwide, but each has a different name and offers a slightly different experience.