It’s HAPPENING! The newly refurbished Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin has soft opened at Magic Kingdom.
We got the chance to check out this new ride as part of a media event and Cast Member previews, but now it looks like Disney has decided to open the ride a bit earlier than the official April 8th reopening date! Here’s everything we know about this soft opening.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin has soft opened at Magic Kingdom! The ride will officially be open for new Space Cadets on April 8th, but for now, Disney is allowing guests to experience the attraction ahead of that date. We headed to Magic Kingdom to see how things were going, and we also got a glimpse at the new marquee!
Since the ride is still in a soft opening phase, it may not be fully open until April 8th, so your best bet is to check the Disney World app daily to see if it’s an option before you make a special trip to the park just for Buzz. When we stopped by, the wait was around 30 minutes, but of course, that can change at any moment — especially once people start finding out about the soft opening!
There were quite a few problems with the ride going down intermittently during the first couple of days of Cast Member previews, so keep in mind that Disney is likely still working out some of the kinks, and the ride is subject to closing at any time during the soft opening phase.
One of the biggest (and most celebrated) changes to the new version of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is the replacement of the original, fixed blasters with new ones that can be picked up and aimed in any direction. Previously, you had to fully spin your ride vehicle to aim your blaster at the targets, but now, you can pick up your blaster and point it where you want it to go. This is an extremely welcome change, and we’re not the only ones who think so.
We had an absolute BLAST on this ride when we checked it out (pun intended!), and we can’t wait to hear what people think of it throughout this soft opening phase and the ride’s official opening on April 8th. We’ll be here on opening day to report on the crowds and any other details.
For more Disney World news, subscribe to our newsletter and our YouTube channel.
Here’s the 2026 Guide to Every Magic Kingdom Ride and Attraction!
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
What do you think of these changes? Tell us in the comments!






Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.

Can you let us know if they have reworked the stand-by line so that people that need to use an ESV will be able once again take the ESV thru the line like we use to be able to. For those of us that can not stand in lines for a long time is really needed. They want you to use a wheelchair but then someone needs to push you thru the very tight lines. Please let us know. Thank you.
Okay, the new addition of all the (extremely distracting!) flashing and dancing paid advertisements on these articles is VERY disappointing.
Far be it from me to deny someone making a little extra money, since I was in the TV/advertising business myself for my entire career, but this is WAAAAYYYY too much – especially when some of these ads are for “Arousal-Enhancing” products!
This is a Disney-adjacent site – if it has ads at all, they should be family-friendly ads. READ THE ROOM!!!
Hi Donna! We do not place the ads you’re seeing. Ads are displayed to you through automated, real-time auctions that analyze your browsing behavior, search history, location, and interests, often within milliseconds. They appear on search results, websites, mobile apps, and social media, typically in formats like banner ads, video ads, and native ads. We have no control over what you’re seeing there or whether or not they’re appropriate for a Disney audience. To stop them, you can personalize or turn off ad tracking via Google’s My Ad Center, enable “Limit Ad Tracking” on Apple devices, use Private DNS on Android, and activate browser pop-up blockers. I would recommend you look into this more so you’re not seeing any unwanted ads.