Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is one of Disneyland Park’s most popular attractions for all ages. Located in Tomorrowland, this interactive dark ride combines shooting games with everyone’s favorite Space Ranger. As you ride through Emperor Zurg’s lair, you fire “astro blasters” at targets and race to the top score in your space cruiser. Scoring well requires a combination of skill, strategy, and some insider knowledge. Use these top 11 tips to improve your Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters score and defeat family and friends.
What Is the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters?
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is a spinning dark ride inspired by Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story films. Riders board “XP-37 space cruisers” that appear to be made of giant Lego blocks, similar to the toys Andy plays with. As you follow Buzz Lightyear on his mission to defeat the evil Emperor Zurg, your ride vehicle will pass through toy box-style tunnels illuminated with Christmas lights. As you walk through, you’ll see larger-than-life versions of popular Toy Story characters such as the Little Green Men, Rex, Hamm the piggy bank, and others.
Each rider is given their own laser “astro blaster” to shoot at a variety of targets, including fuel cells and spider robots. When the targets are hit, they generate different point values, and riders compete to get the highest score. Finally, your individual score is displayed, along with your ride photo, which shows your ranking. Everyone enjoys playing this family-friendly game together.
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blaster Tips
1. Know the target values
The first step towards scoring big on Astro Blasters is to understand the point values for hits. The most visible are the round blue, green, and yellow “isotope fuel cells”. Hit the blue ones for 50 points, the green ones for 100, and the yellow ones for 150. Going after these repeatedly is the simplest way to gradually improve your score. The problem is that they have a 3-second delay between activations, after which you cannot hit them again.
To level up faster, seek out the triangular shapes bearing Emperor Zurg’s insignia. These are worth 300-1000 points per hit. Some change positions after you hit them, allowing you to score multiple hits for even more points.
2. Improve your aim
Having good aim is the most fundamental skill required to maximize your Astro Blasters score. While shooters are appealing to kids who love Buzz Lightyear, improving your technique takes practice. Novice players frequently develop wrist or shoulder pain as a result of holding the blaster at awkward angles. The best ergonomic position is to pull the gun close to your body rather than reaching out. Brace the blaster with two hands for maximum stability, then turn left to right using your swivel seat.
As targets appear unexpectedly in all directions, anticipate movement to better direct your shots. Fire quickly at first to “catch” distant targets approaching almost face-on, then slow down as they get closer for more precise targeting. Learn how your blaster recoils after each shot so you can make automatic adjustments. Even inexperienced players can win matches with a good blaster grip and proper aim.
3. Identify High-Value Targets for Veterans
Buzz Lightyear riders understand the best path through the attraction to locate clusters of high-value Zurg targets worth 300, 600, or 1,000 points. The most important ones appear in Emperor Zurg’s secret lair shortly before you face his massive Zurg animatronic at the end. Concentrate all of your firepower here for the best results.
Other prime target zones include the opening scenes with the Toy Story characters, the alternating left and right target banks in the middle spinning tunnel, and cybernetic spiderbots descending on webs.Scan all areas quickly at first to detect difficult-to-see triangles hiding in dark corners. Making mental notes on the best target locations allows you to fire more accurately on subsequent trips.
4. Shoot at high-value targets repeatedly
The secret to getting ultra-high Astro Blaster scores is to pound on the 300, 600, and 1,000 point Zurg targets whenever possible. What makes them so valuable is their ability to pop up and down or slide left and right when hit repeatedly. This allows multiple hits on a single target, resulting in exponential scoring.
Aggressively shooting clusters of these trick targets early and frequently can double or triple their base value. One hidden section late in the ride contains pop-up triangles worth 1,000 points each, which can be hit 6-8 times, increasing their value to 6,000 or 8,000 points if aimed correctly. Consistently scoring multiple hits on all of these adds thousands to your total.
5. Be sure to hit Emperor Zurg’s chest
Astro Blasters’ dramatic climax occurs when your cruiser skids to a stop in front of the towering 50-foot Zurg animatronic figure. He’ll use his ion blaster arm to threaten Buzz and your vehicle before opening his chest and revealing a glowing Uni-mind in his power suit. What you should know is that slamming this chest target with blaster fire earns you 50,000 bonus points!
That’s right, pounding multiple shots directly into Zurg’s chest is worth $50,000, almost guaranteeing a top score. So, when you reach Zurg, point straight ahead and continue firing rapidly into his center chest compartment for as long as you can. Every hit generates more points. With all the anticipation for Zurg’s reveal, don’t miss out on this jackpot stage.
6. Do not stop shooting
The most common rookie mistake on Astro Blasters is to stop firing your laser when the ride targets are not visible. However, if you pause for too long, you will lose valuable scoring time and fall behind other players. Continue shooting as more targets appear suddenly. Fire into open spaces on all sides as your ride vehicle rotates. The blasters trigger hidden illuminations in seemingly empty areas, resulting in unexpected bonus points. Maintain a consistent shooting rhythm from beginning to end for better results.
7. Sit on the left side
Veteran riders have discovered that sitting on the left side of your Astro Blasters cruiser will result in slightly higher scores over time. This is because the positions of oncoming targets in the ride’s spinning tunnels are better suited to a left-handed shooter’s perspective. Subtle angles favor shots taken from the left seat curve. So, for a small advantage, request the left when boarding to potentially increase target hits overall.
8. Rotate the Space Cruiser
Astro Blaster cruisers have 360 degrees of manual rotation, allowing them to shoot rapidly in all directions. Don’t just face the front and shoot forward the entire ride. Spin yourself aggressively left, right, up, and down to cover more ground. The spinning tunnels present targets all around, so swivel frequently to capture shots from behind and overhead. It’s exhausting, but each target hit increases the tally faster. If your swiveling becomes too forceful, use kids or heavier riders to balance it out. Anything to get a higher score!
9. Ride by yourself
To achieve the highest individual score totals, ride Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters alone, without other riders interfering with your carriage. Solo riding allows you to freely rotate forward and backward while acquiring targets using the manual spinner wheel. With fewer bodies in the way, you can take clear shots in all directions with barrel rolls and spins. Nobody can accidentally block blaster sightlines or steal your points. Tracking target patterns solo is easier than dealing with multi-rider chaos that bumps you around. Queue solo or request to ride in a single rider line, so it’s just you and Zurg!
10. Check if your laser is working
A little-known Astro Blaster advantage is that you can check if your laser gun works before you start. As you exit the loading area, begin shooting round blue isotope fuel cells on either side. If they immediately light up when targeted, your blaster is calibrated for accurate shooting. However, if targets do not activate after direct hits, call an attendant to adjust your gun before leaving the loading zone. Don’t be stuck for the entire ride with a “cold” blaster that is too weak to score well! Properly powered guns make topping the scoreboard much easier.
11. Check The Photo Kiosk If You Maxed Your Score
If, against all odds, you are one of the few riders talented enough to achieve Astro Blaster’s maximum achievable score, make sure your ride photo captures it correctly. The screenshot shows your cruiser with the individual rider score digitally imposed on top. However, extremely high totals can occasionally result in a glitch that omits the number, so double-check kiosks later to ensure they show correctly. Check for full visual recognition before attempting such a monumental gaming feat. Don’t lose evidence of breaking Astro Blasters’ all-time records due to a technicality!
Conclusion
Mastering Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters to beat everyone’s score requires cunning, skill, and the following pro tips. Learn target point values and placement, master blaster handling, and fire relentlessly with aimed spins and swivels. Rack up massive amounts of striking pop-up triangles, blast Zurg’s chest, and ride solo for clean shots all around. With practice and these high-level tricks You will be an Astro Blaster ace in no time. Conquer Emperor Zurg, and don’t let little kids beat you on the scoreboards!
After more than 15 years, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters remains Tomorrowland’s most popular attraction because it provides interactive fun for the entire family. The ride allows players of all ages to fire foam “laser” projectiles at lit-up targets in a game format that never gets old. Earning bragging rights for the highest scores among family and friends ignites everyone’s competitive spirit in this shoot ’em up sci-fi carnival-style challenge. Mastering the strategic tips presented here will propel your Astro Blaster prowess into the stratosphere. Soon, you’ll be giving novices advice on how to properly blast Zurg’s hidden Z insignia. See if you can be the first in your group to complete the secret million-point achievement!