Disneyland Paris has temporarily closed its popular Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast attraction in Discoveryland for an extensive refurbishment project scheduled to continue through the end of 2025.
The closure will allow teams from Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, park maintenance, and Central Workshops to perform comprehensive upgrades across multiple aspects of the popular interactive dark ride.
https://anchor.fm/s/7618f58/podcast/rssFacility Improvements Planned
The refurbishment will include a complete repainting of the attraction’s distinctive façade, which features futuristic elements representing Star Command’s space station, including radars, energy-collecting towers, and structural pillars. The nearly two-meter-tall Buzz Lightyear statue and attraction marquee will also receive fresh paint treatments.
Additionally, the neon (LED) lighting systems on the facility’s five towers and radar dishes will be completely replaced with new technology designed to provide enhanced illumination effects.
Technology and Vehicle Updates
Park officials indicate that all current Astro Blaster devices used by guests to target enemies during the ride experience will be completely removed and replaced with updated equipment. The attraction’s XP-41 Space Cruiser ride vehicles will undergo repainting and receive new dashboard systems featuring improved display technology.
Interior lighting throughout the attraction will be comprehensively updated, with all existing spotlights being replaced and special effects lighting receiving refurbishment. Some scoring targets used in the interactive experience will also be replaced with new versions designed to offer improved precision and performance capabilities.
Additional Work Scope
The project encompasses various technical and visual improvements beyond the major system upgrades, including restoration work on several Audio-Animatronics figures within the attraction.
About the Attraction
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast at Disneyland Paris opened on April 8, 2006 in Discoveryland, bringing Disney’s popular interactive shooting attraction concept to the European park. The attraction uses a third-generation Omnimover system and is part of the global family of Buzz Lightyear attractions found at Disney parks worldwide, following the success of the original Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin that debuted at Magic Kingdom in 1998.
The ride underwent it’s last significant refurbishment in the early 2020s, with the attraction reopening on June 17 after more than a year of rehabilitation that focused on lighting and set improvements. The attraction is expected to reopen to guests by the end of 2025, though the company has not announced a specific reopening date. Subscribe to AirMagique for more news and updates.
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