It's a small "virtual" world after all

Disney's trademark creative storytelling and state-of-the-art technology combine to create "Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters," an all-new interactive Disneyland park adventure, now open in Tomorrowland as part of the park's 18-month 50th anniversary celebration, continuing throughout 2006.

"Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters" is inspired by a Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film, "Toy Story 2." It is the first Disney theme park adventure in the world to feature a real-time interactive online component during the actual "ride" portion of the attraction. This never-before-attempted convergence of the real world and the virtual world allows guests on the attraction to be paired randomly with online players via web-cam technology. At-home participants help increase the scores of riders by raising the value of targets along the way.

The space adventure stars Buzz Lightyear, the intrepid galactic hero from the hit film "Toy Story 2" Enlisting Disneyland guests as members of the Universe Protection Unit of the Space Ranger Corps., would-be Space Rangers help Buzz defeat the evil Emperor Zurg before he corners the galaxy's energy supply.

"Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters" is an interactive experience in which guests pilot their own Space Cruisers and twist, turn, and fire personal laser cannons in order to hit targets and gain points that will protect the peace of outer space from the forces of the Emperor Zurg! Total scores--representing one's ranking in the Space Ranger Corps--appear in the Space Cruiser at the conclusion of each adventure. Guests are compelled to ride repeatedly in order to continue to better their scores.

Moreover, there now is Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom, an online experience that includes games and Internet communities set in five lands which make up the Magic Kingdom at Disney's theme parks: Main Street, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, and Frontierland. At Disney's VMK.com, each guest creates his or her own character and is provided with a variety of clothing in which to "dress" their character. In addition, they are given a room that is themed after one of the lands. These chambers are decorated by the owner with items they have collected or purchased using points they have earned in the games played in the Virtual Magic Kingdom. Other items can be gotten via trading cards. These can be obtained at the Magic Kingdom in California and Florida or through special promotions.

Cards are earned at the park by completing a quest at any of the five lands. Park guests are given a card with questions to be answered. The Correct answers to the quests are awarded with trading cards that have a code which can be entered when guests return home and go online to vmk.com. Codes also have been made available with the purchase of certain items, such as the newly released "Herbie" DVD. Since vmk.com is an online community where characters can converse with other characters, users also can arrange to trade items that have been obtained.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning