Posted by
Mike and Chris Pettey
on October 6, 2020
Category:
Disney vs. Disney
Tags:
Buzz Lightyear
Disney vs. Disney
Disneyland
Disneyland Paris
Magic Kingdom
Shanghai Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland
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Buzz Lightyear attractions are interactive dark rides that travel through scenes based on the Buzz Lightyear character from Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story franchise. Riders aim and fire laser “guns” at targets throughout the attraction to score points. The attraction can be found at five of the six Disney Resorts across the globe. We’ve ridden every Buzz Lightyear attraction in person.
Major Similarities & Differences
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You can watch fantastic videos of all versions of the attraction online, so we won’t spend time re-hashing the details of each experience. Instead, we will just point out the major similarities and differences we feel are worth calling out:
- All five versions of the attraction have a unique name.
- All versions except the one found at Shanghai replaced previous attractions:
- Florida: Take Flight, and before that, If You Had Wings
- Tokyo: The Timekeeper (a.k.a. Visionarium)
- California: Rocket Rods (queue), and before that, America the Beautiful
- Paris: The Timekeeper (a.k.a. Un Voyage à Travers le Temps)
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- The Florida version uses stationary guns affixed to the vehicle, while the other versions use hand-held guns attached to a cable.
- The Shanghai version uses visual color-coded laser targets to help riders with aim.
- A version of Buzz Lightyear could be found at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort from 2005 until 2017. It was then re-themed to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle! Before this change, Buzz Lightyear was the only attraction other than Dumbo the Flying Elephant to be found at all six Disney Resorts across the world.
The Rankings (from least favorite to favorite)
Buzz Lightyear has come a long way since this original version found at Magic Kingdom Park. The first and most noticeable difference is also the most frustrating: stationary guns that are mounted directly to the vehicles themselves. The guns can be angled and pivoted, but are still extremely restrictive, and this will test riders’ patience. As a result, it is hard to get a true line of sight into the targets, and many targets are just flat out difficult to hit at all. Add to this the fact that the Florida version is plagued often with faulty guns that just don’t work, and it may be more productive to put the gun down and just enjoy the scenery as a passive rider. This version of Buzz Lightyear does contain several unique scenes not found anywhere else, along with a pass-by from the Peoplemover, so there is no shortage of interesting things to see. But the interactive aspect really falls flat here. Riders who have only ever experienced the Florida version of Buzz Lightyear are probably fine with the attraction as they really don’t know any different, but a visit to any other version around the globe will quickly reveal why this one is the worst.
The “trilogy” of Buzz Lightyear attractions found in California, Tokyo, and Paris all opened within a two-year period, and it shows. These are near clones, but there are enough small differences that are worth calling out, and justify more than just a “tie”. In all three versions, the interactive aspect is immensely improved upon from the Florida original, with hand-held guns that allow riders a near free-range of movement. This makes the ride much more enjoyable – when it works properly. In Paris, unfortunately, the ride has been much more prone to faulty guns and broken props, and as a result the experience can be either extremely satisfying, or unnecessarily frustrating. Adding insult to injury is the ride’s placement within Discoveryland. This area has been watered down over the years with shoehorned themes and attractions that flat-out don’t fit (Mickey’s Philharmagic, anyone?). Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast suffers from the same problem being oddly wedged into the old Timekeeper building. Simply put: it’s a misfit of a ride that isn’t very reliable, and as a result this version is fourth on our list.
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As mentioned, this is a near clone on the inside of the Paris and Tokyo versions. That means it’s a fun experience, but again, only when it works. California’s version, like Paris, suffers from a series of technical issues that leave the experience much less impressive than it should be. The guns are the worst offenders here; sometimes they function properly, sometimes they don’t work at all. The ride building does have quite an impressive history, but it is really more of a missed opportunity, as no tribute exists to either CircleVision 360, or the Rocket Rods. As far as its “fit” within California’s Tomorrowland – it works…sort of. Truthfully, any cohesive theme to Tomorrowland left decades ago, and slapping Buzz Lightyear into the mix does no real harm (nor does it do any good). It’s entertaining enough, it’s a ride the entire family can experience, and it takes some attention away from the mess that the land has become over the years. At the end of the day, it’s a bit better fit than what is found in Paris, but only marginally so, and the third best version of the ride in the world.
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Like the rest of Tokyo Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, the exterior of Buzz Lightyear retains the 1970s aesthetic – which could be a good or bad thing, depending on one’s perspective. This is yet another Tomorrowland that has had its integrity compromised in recent years with shoehorned attractions, but visually it remains mostly consistent. Inside, however, the ride is very similar to its California and Paris cousins. And there is little to distinguish this from those other two versions of the ride. However, the one noticeable difference is a constant throughout the entire Tokyo resort – the fantastic reliability of all effects, guns, and ride mechanics. This is worth some extra time calling out: Tokyo Disney Resort follows a true preventative maintenance program. This means that everything receives time and attention before it becomes a problem, rather than waiting to fix things “once they break”. As a result, guns aim and fire properly, props respond with lights and sounds, and there’s never a question of whether or not the experience will be worth the time and effort. It’s just enough to set this version above its siblings, making it the second-best version in the world.
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Copyright Disney. All Rights Reserved.
Unquestionably, the best Buzz Lightyear attraction is found in the very unique and beautiful Tomorrowland area of Shanghai Disneyland park. The ride takes on a distinctive and different look here, much more in line with the opening scene of Toy Story 2, and much less fantasy-based than any of the others. Here, Zurg’s robot henchment replace the aliens, with plenty of targets to choose from. The laser blasters have been perfected, as each is color coded, and the position of the riders aim appears via laser target, making aiming and identifying your own blast easy and much more enjoyable. Targets that are hit register clear visual and audio effects, giving riders no doubts when they succeed in zapping an enemy. Like several attractions at the Shanghai resort, video screens have been incorporated into the physical sets, but in a way that compliments them in a refreshing and seamingless way. It’s hard to find a real flaw with this one - the overall experience here is more exciting, more fun, and more technologically advanced. All of that “more” means that Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue sits confidently at the top of our list, as the best Buzz Lightyear attraction in the world.
Written by
Mike and Chris Pettey
YOUR THOUGHTS?
Agree or disagree with our rankings? Have you experienced any of these attractions – either in person, or virtually via the internet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
4 Comments
Poon.
Did you guys ever get to ride hong kong’s version of astro blasters?
Yes. It’s better than all of the Buzz Lightyear versions…with the exception of perhaps Shanghai.
Oh nice. Thanks for the reply