Disney Parks Make Surprising Change to Buzz Lightyear to Celebrate 'Lightyear' Release

By Ashley Turner

Those who saw Buzz Lightyear recently in Tomorrowland noticed he looked somewhat different. To commemorate the theatrical release of Disney/Pixar's Lightyear, Disney Parks has replaced the toy character with a face version of the Space Ranger for Disneyland Park.

Disney's official Laughing Place social media page announced the change this week. Rather than being plastic, Buzz is an actual person dressed in a space suit.

The character can now be seen greeting visitors in Disneyland's Tomorrowland. Occasionally, you will find him outside the Galactic Grill, opposite the Tomorrowland Terrace. This Captain Buzz Lightyear is based on the "real" Buzz Lightyear from the computer-animated movie that inspired the toy (voiced by Tim Allen). Fans have known the action figure as the star of Pixar's Toy Story franchise for over 25 years, along with his friend Woody.

Meet and greets for Buzz Lightyear are nothing new. Fans of Toy Story have long met him at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Formerly, he would meet right next to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin but was greeting fans from the Tomorrowland stage due to COVID restrictions. 

In Disney Parks, Buzz is typically dressed in a full suit and appears more like a giant toy than a real character. As a face character, Buzz's head is exposed. Unlike his classic purple space cap and signature wings, Buzz's spacesuit has more realistic accents and does not have the traditional purple and green color scheme from Toy Story. On Buzz's chest are a set of buttons, a dial, and the Star Command logo. The panel also has his name inscribed on it, like a nametag.

Disney Parks' Buzz voice isn't evocative of the iconic Tim Allen character nor Chris Evans' portrayal. However, he is still in character as an out-of-place astronaut looking for intelligent life, much like the Toy Story protagonist.

There's also speculation that the Tomorrowland attraction could get a permanent Lightyear update. As part of the Tomorrowland overhaul under construction for the next few years, Space Mountain at Disneyland may receive a complete overhaul to reflect the Lightyear film. The film clearly shows the structure, which seems to confirm this rumor.

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