It is inspired by Disney/Pixar's Toy Story franchise, and contains several elements loosely based on the cartoon series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

Since Buzz Lightyear is a toy, the attraction is cleverly scaled to give the illusion that one has just been reduced to the size of an action figure, featuring such detail as giant, exposed Philips screw heads and an explanation of the interactive phase of the ride that resembles a toy's instruction sheet, only on a gigantic scale.

An Audio-Animatronic Buzz Lightyear figure and giant Etch-a-Sketch (Disneyland) and/or View-Master (Walt Disney World) provide explanation of the "mission" to destroy Zurg's secret weapon with your blasters.

While his body is audio-animatronic, Buzz's face is actually a screen with a projection of computer animation, allowing better lipsync and more expressive features, making him look like a more realistic representation of the character from the films.

[citation needed] The Disneyland version once featured at-home play tied directly to the attraction itself via the Internet, however this is disabled.

[6] The installation at the Magic Kingdom utilizes an existing ride system by Arrow Development, originally constructed in 1972 for If You Had Wings.

The installation of Space Ranger Spin also impacted the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, which runs through the south show building.

These allowed the Mexico, Jamaica, and Trinidad scenes to be visible to riders on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority in such a way as to hide all projectors, lights and other show support equipment.

The third window would have had TTA riders looking directly into an extremely bright light and so was completely obscured with plywood and black fabric.

[8] Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin was named the 2004 Disney Magazine Reader's Choice Award winner for Best Magic Kingdom Park Attraction for Young Kids.

Rookies are directed to leave the briefing room, and report to the flight deck, allowing them to board XP 37 Star Cruiser.

This ride's queue (as well as the other clones with these blueprints) includes a walkie talkie with Buzz Lightyear on it reading his wrist communication device.

The rookies then board their star cruisers on the flight deck, equipped with Astro Blasters, and (in the case of the California, Hong Kong, and Paris versions of the ride), surrounded by a mural of Buzz, alongside some LGMs, battling Zurg's robot army.

Buzz Lightyear himself has traveled to the planet in an attempt to stop him, and asks the rookie Space Rangers for help, allowing them to be jetosenned on Star Cruisers equipped with two laser blasters.

A key difference between this ride and its counterpart at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is that its laser guns can be removed from their mounts to allow for more accurate shooting (similar to Men in Black: Alien Attack).

Zurg himself is seen firing his ion blaster, infuriated of the guests' presence, their aim, their devotion to Star Command, and being knocked out of orbit.

The rookies arrive on Green Planet, where the LGMs signing the receipt to return Zurg to Al's Toy Barn.

Buzz proceeds to remind the guests to put the Blasters in their holsters and to check their final score on the status board.

At Hong Kong Disneyland, the ride was called Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and a highly identical clone of the Tokyo version with a more elaborate queue, with its entrance Buzz Lightyear statue being taken from the defunct DisneyQuest Chicago's Astro Blasters bumper car attraction.

In its place was the park's second Marvel-themed ride, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!,[11] which became part of a new land, Stark Expo.

[1][12] At Disneyland Paris, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast replaced the Circle-Vision 360° production Le Visionarium, which closed in 2004.

It is based on the opening sequence of Toy Story 2, set on Zurg's home planet of Xrgthung, and featuring the robots with similar designs to those seen in the film.

The rookies are brought onto the surface of the planet, encountering several Zurgbots, all of which are easily neutralized with their laser guns, and with the help of the Little Green Men, and Buzz Lightyear himself.

The battle is mainly on the surface before being brought into Zurg's bunker, in which the defense systems are activated to prevent the rookies, Little Green Men, or Buzz himself from stopping the operation.

Buzz continues to assist the rookies in destroying the defense systems and robots, and eventually encounter Zurg, having thwarted his plan.

The evil Emperor swears vengeance as Buzz and the Little Green Men congratulate the rookies for their assistance to Star Command.

In 2005, the Walt Disney Company premiered a home version of the ride in the form of an internet video game that allows users to connect with guests at the parks.