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Magic Kingdom Quietly Strips the Toy Story Theming From Its Old Buzz Lightyear Meet-and-Greet in Tomorrowland
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Magic Kingdom Quietly Strips the Toy Story Theming From Its Old Buzz Lightyear Meet-and-Greet in Tomorrowland

Michael Travels
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One of Tomorrowland's photo stops looks a little different this week. The character meet-and-greet spot next to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom has quietly had its Toy Story theming stripped away, leaving a plain, generic vision of the future in its place.

The rethemed Tomorrowland meet-and-greet backdrop at Magic KingdomThe former Buzz Lightyear meet-and-greet in Tomorrowland after its retheme, repainted a generic blue and silver. Photo: WDW News Today.

What changed

The retheme appeared overnight and was first spotted by guests and outlets on July 13. The toy-inspired touches that tied the backdrop to Buzz Lightyear are gone: the faux-button decals and the battery-style flooring tiles have been removed, and the remaining frames and details have been repainted a simple blue and silver. The "SPACE RANGER MAP" LED sign is still there, but it has been switched off. What is left reads less like a corner of Andy's toy box and more like a generic sci-fi backdrop.

Part of the Buzz-out, Stitch-in shift

The location has not sat empty. Stitch and Chip and Dale are now the characters who most often appear at this Tomorrowland spot, reflecting a gradual, unannounced change since Buzz Lightyear stopped regularly meeting at this spot some time ago. Disney has not made any official announcement about the change or said what, if anything, is planned for the space beyond the current setup.

The same Tomorrowland meet-and-greet spot in 2023 with Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story themingThe same spot in 2023, when it carried full Toy Story theming and Buzz Lightyear. Photo: WDW News Today.

The bottom line

This is a small, cosmetic change rather than a headline overhaul, and there is no official word on why it happened or whether more is coming. But if you have a favorite Buzz Lightyear photo from that spot, it is now a piece of Tomorrowland history. For now, swing by for a picture with Stitch instead.

Sources

Image credits: WDW News Today.

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