Breaking News: Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters Open Today 3/4/05

[AP2CM]

I JUST GOT CONFIRMATION, THE ATTRACTION IS OPEN TODAY (SOFT OPENING)! I'M NOT SURE FOR HOW LONG, BUT I'M HEADING DOWN NOW (BEFORE MY SHIFT). IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, COME ON DOWN AND CHECK IT OUT!

--remember, the usual disclaimers apply--

[mamabot]

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

I am planning on being there tomorrow. If you see a mom with two little kids hovering around the entrance to Buzz, it could very well be me. My son is sooooo excited about going on this ride.

We have to remember to take pictures to Pluto in the morning in ToonTown. It is our first order of business.

[MasterGracey]

I'm hoping soft openins will still be going on when I go on Friday, March 11.
I'm getting more and more excited about this ride as I see more pictures and read more info about it...

Hopefully the quality of the ride lives up to all the hype!

[Malibu Minion]

I hope they still have soft openings next saturday.

[innonut99]

I hope they still have soft openings next saturday.

It should be running for some period of time everyday until the 17th. It may be down some days do to training and internal testing but TL managment wants it running ALL day for the Cast Previews... so they are workin out the quirks now.

[CaptainCM]

i was able to take a ride this afternoon. Here's the hilights:

Although a little shorter than Space Ranger Spin, at WDW MK, the technology is borrowed from the Japanese version of this attraction. What does this mean, you ask? Well the major differences are that the targets give you feed back when you score (they flash) and your blaster glows green as well. No more checking that score board before moving on to the next target! The cars still spin, and the blasters are removable, so you don't have to strain them to get that target as it goes out of range. The BUZZ A-100 Animatronic is AMAZING. He's a great improvement over the FL version, with a clearer animated face and the fact that he uses his blaster during his spiel is cool too. The scenes are vivid and the sound is crystal clear. There seemed, however to be less targets than the FL version, but that might have only been my perception. A really sweet feature is that when you exit, you are presented with a set of touch screen displays that offer you the ability to email an image of you blasting away to up to 4 email addresses for FREE! It then dumps you into a somewhat barren STORE COMMAND (formerly the Premiere Shop) that is in great need of Buzz and Attraction specific merchandize. All-in-all... I saw the Tomorrowland Offices and the space they built this attraction in and all I can say is that I am hundreds of times more impressed with this refit than when they refitted the Country Bear Playhouse into Winnie the Pooh. The Verdict: Matt's only been around for a little over a year, and he's already been able to accomplish something that Cynthia couldn't do in 5. He's created a great attraction out of a moderate budged that has real re-visit value and class. I can't wait to see what he's orchestrated for Space Mountain!

[MiceMan]

Do you think they will still be having soft openings at the end of the month???

[DznyVan]

We'll be there next week. I hope that it is still up and running...

Sounds like a BLAST!!!

[Reaver]

I was there tonight, and they had halted the soft openings for a few hours, but the exterior looked good, and some of the new blue TL trash cans were out, with the new logo... Looks very retro/modern/Verne-esque... Pretty sweet looking!

[LeeLi]

I got onto Buzz too this afternoon, and I have to say what impressed me most was how new and shiny everything was. That and the animtronic Buzz at the begining, as someone said up thread it's really really nicely done.
It was fun but I can't say I'm in love with it. It's a well done ride but it doesn't have the magic for me that other dark rides do. I think the story gets lost in all the shooting fun. It's more like being in a giant video game than it is being immersed in a story like say, Peter Pan. Really though I think my feelings about it are more related to my personal preferences and not to the ride itself. Overall, I'm glad I had the chance to go on it, and while I will ride it again it's not a high priority for me like HM, POTC, or TOT.

NB-My personal opinion above should not be mistaken for a lack of appreciation for Matt and others getting a new ride in TL so quickly. It was really nice to see TL a buzz (pun intended) for a change.

[Cousin Orville]

Matt's only been around for a little over a year, and he's already been able to accomplish something that Cynthia couldn't do in 5. He's created a great attraction out of a moderate budged that has real re-visit value and class. I can't wait to see what he's orchestrated for Space Mountain!

Matt is a great force of change, no doubt, but he merely "greenlights" these things to the studio for approval. IMHO, WDI deserves much of the credit for turning in an efficent and great show value for the money. Matt is finally the right audience for the creativy that was there all along. Space Mountain will be no less. Hats off to the Imagineering team! GREAT JOB!

[Disco Duck]

I LOVED the new ride...it was great...i've been on the florida one...I think I like ours better...

Did any of you catch the obvious "hidden" mickey...i believe it's at the end of the first main show scene...it's a big scrabble piece with 3 obvious circles in the shape of the good ol' mouse...

One thing i dont really like though...is all the bright purple "garage" doors all around the exit queue...and the fact that you can obviously tell that they raised the track above the ground for the sake of building the ominmover mechanisms...but it's not that bad...its still cool, cuz show elements take place below the track level...

I was wondering, does anyone know if they did a tribute to Rocket Rods or Circle Vision...it was fun riding on the ride and noticing that you were in the old Circle Vision Theater...

I got on it three times today...it was great experience...got to add Buzz to my list of other soft opening ride experiences:

Autopia 2000
Tower of Terror
Buzz ...

I think there's another...but for the life of me, i cant remember...

"Do the Disco Duck..."

[zzyzx]

10 years later, still no new Eticket. Sad.

Well, went on Buzz today. Open all day, 15 minute waits all day (Disneyland dead today!). It seems like Buzz is open till infinity and beyond from this point out.

With Indy celebrating it's 10th year, I am sad to say that, 10 years later, Disneyland still has no new E ticket (DCA does not count, as this is a seperate park - though I hesitate to call any ride their an E ticket anyway).

ANd E ticket, in my definition, is an attraction of Epic size and quality. A Priate, a Mansion, Space/Splash Mountains, the upcoming EVEREST (at AK). These are huge, big rides that easily cost over $40 million to make (2005 dollars) and are simply mindblowing.

Buzz, I am sorry to report, is not that.

Yes, it's a cute "C" ticket, harking back to the days of IF YOU HAD WINGS at WDW, a LESSER ride than INNER SPACE. Little kids will love it, like the like Dumbo. Colors, loud noises.

YEs, BUZZ is really a pretty low-budget ride and it shows. There is many "Mr Toad"-like cut out flats (Toad a better ride, by the way) that activate like a carnival shooting gallary when you shott them. There is a BUZZ figure that is more advanced, but, is NOT, I repeat, is NOT an AUDIO-ANIMATRONIC. The face is projected like Madam Leota. The trademark of what makes an AA an AA is mechanically moving lips, facial expresions synchronized to a soundtrack.

The ride is pretty shory; the track layout, when you think of it, is very short (Disney simply runs the ride slower than most Omnimovers to create the illiusion that the ride is longer). THe WDW version is noticebly longer. I call it a tie between the 2 versions. Each one has something better than the other (ie, the WDW version has WIDER ride landscapes, as the buidling is bigger, while the DLand version has removable guns).

The que is BORING! Unimaginative! Painted walls!

I think many here will say they like this ride. In my opinion, I would feel that those who like it, are settling. It's sad to see that, AFTER 10 years, still no EPIC original E ticket on the horizon! A redone Space Mountain and Subs are what we are getting! Great rides/shows closing replaced with mediocrity (Rocket Rods for the relaible People Mover/Pooh for the always entertaining Bears - in re to Bears, in heinseidt, this was the low-point of the Pressler/Harris regime - taking out a solid crowd pleaser, a nice place to take a break, for an inept Pooh ride).

Is the days of the Epic E over at Disneyland? The future does not bode well.

[HMMaid2001]

I went on it the evening...and loved it!! two thumbs way up and a twist!!

[AaronInCal]

Well, if your thinking an "epic ride" at Disneyland is something that costs at least $40 million, you just rode the newest ride at the Park that was probably that much to build. No, it's not a massive E-ticket ride, but at least it's something that Tomorrowland needed. It was built and basically now open in a fairly quick timeframe. For the size building they had to work with, I think they did a great job. It's a very repeatable ride as well. That always helps! Hopefully there will be a massive E-ticket ride in the near future, but everyone will just have to take what they can get for now!

[zzyzx]

Buzz NOT $40 million. Budget at $15-20 million

-Well, if your thinking an "epic ride" at Disneyland is something that costs at least $40 million, you just rode the newest ride at the Park that was probably that much to build.

Just not true. WED budgeted this attraction at 15-20mil, and it shows. Deifintely not an E.

The excuse that they did the best the could in the limited space is lame. There is plenty of Space to build UP, and down. You would need to look at TOkyo Dinseny Seas, and how they built the amazing underground Mermaid Land. Spacemountian Florida wisely uses sub-level spacing (and, upper level space). Disney simply built yet another ride on the cheap. They could have built UP/DOWN, made an epic E ticket.

I swear, I rode this once, had no passion to ride it again. But, 40 years later, I can ride Pirates, Mansion, over and over.

[kayoss]

[Mr D]

Oh oh, I'm already beginning to see another internet thumbs down on a new Disney project.

At least its not another SSL!

I am glad there is a new ride that preteens can enjoy, I liked Buzz at WDW but honestly I wished Disney could have outdone Universal with something as good as Men in Black, thats an awesome shooter!

[DisneyFunGuy]

It's Thumbs Up For Me...

I was able to go on Buzz yesterday and only had to wait less than 10 minutes. Even tho I'm not really a Buzz Lightyear fan, over all I thought the attraction was great and very interactive! It's definitely a major step-up from the Pooh ride and you can tell Disney put a lot of money into Buzz. I personally think it'll be a huge hit from most people.

I'm just HAPPY they finally have something in the old Circle Vision building, and something that is worth going on. I say kudos to Matt for bringing us an attraction that was much needed in Tomorrowland. I have high hopes that this *land* will eventually make a wonderful come-back (more sooner than later) once everything is set and done!

Side Bar...even tho the Buzz character is not a *true* AA, it was still pretty impressive to me! The face was very clear and the audio perfect!

Patrick

[CrazyDreamer]

I can't wait to try it in a couple weeks...