Disney Parks Confirms Next ‘Toy Story’ Ride Opening Ahead of New Movie Release

Disney is preparing to unveil its Toy Story ride as the fifth movie in the franchise gets ready to drop.

Walk through Tomorrowland at Disneyland these days, and something feels off. One of the land’s most familiar experiences has been sitting dark since April, tucked behind construction walls and scrim while crews worked through what Disney has described in absolutely no detail whatsoever. For guests who make blasting Emperor Zurg’s robot army a non-negotiable part of every visit, the past two months have been a quiet kind of torture.

The good news is that the end is now clearly in sight.

So what actually happened behind those walls? That remains something of a mystery. Disney has offered no specifics about the scope of the work at Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and based on everything pieced together from what is and isn’t being said, this looks like a maintenance-focused closure rather than any kind of dramatic creative reinvention. Guests hoping to walk into a completely transformed attraction may want to adjust expectations accordingly.

For context, consider what just happened at the Florida version of this ride. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom recently came out of its own refurbishment period looking genuinely different, complete with brand-new ride vehicles, refreshed scenes, updated interactive targets, and a package of technological enhancements that gave the whole experience a noticeably contemporary feel. The Disneyland refurbishment is not believed to have pursued anything close to that scale of change. Astro Blasters appears to be coming back largely as guests remember it, running well and freshened up, but not reimagined from the ground up.

The refreshed Buzz rides come as Disney and Pixar prepare the release of Toy Story 5 (2026). The fifth movie in the long-running franchise is expected to be the movie of the season when it drops on June 19, and will likely top the box office for weeks–maybe even giving The Walt Disney Company its next billion-dollar picture. With Taylor Swift involved, too, it’s very much going to be a Toy Story summer.

Back in Tomorrowland, some early activity is already visible around the attraction. The Little Green Men Store Command, the gift shop connected to the ride, has already swung its doors back open, injecting a little life into the area. Construction scrim and facade work remain visible on portions of the exterior, suggesting the finishing details are still coming together.

As for when guests can actually get back in line? Disney has updated the official Disneyland website to confirm that Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters will reopen on Saturday, June 13, 2026, with operating hours from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.

The timing lands at an interesting moment. Peak summer is arriving, families are flooding into the parks, and Toy Story 5is building genuine momentum with audiences who grew up loving these characters. An attraction themed around one of animation’s most recognized heroes stepping back into service right at that intersection makes a certain kind of sense from every angle.

Emperor Zurg has enjoyed a long enough vacation. His defeat at the hands of Disneyland’s newest class of Space Rangers resumes June 13.

What do you think will have changed when Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters reopens next week? Let us know in the comments down below!