Just a few days after Astro Orbitor was completely deconstructed at Disneyland Park as refurbishment continues, the entire structure is now essentially gone.
Astro Orbitor Refurbishment
Astro Orbitor initially closed for refurbishment in November 2023, and is currently set to reopen sometime in “Winter 2024,” meaning likely sometime in January, February, or March. Currently, the Disneyland Resort operating calendar goes through February 22, 2024, and there are no operating times available for the attraction.
In our last update, only the metal base of the attraction remained. As of January 6, 2024, now even that has been dismantled. The ride was also removed and replaced during an extended refurbishment in 2019.
Construction walls still surround the area as work continues. One of the plaques featured on the walls previously included incorrect dates and information about the Magic Kingdom version of the attraction. It was removed and replaced with correct information late last year.
For now, only the Orbitron, the abandoned structure where Astro Orbitor used to be located, remains until the ride’s structure eventually returns.
Astro Orbitor History
Astro Jets was the original rocket-spinner attraction at Disneyland, which opened in 1956. When United Airlines became a park sponsor in 1964, the name was changed to Tomorrowland Jets, due to concerns that “Astro Jets” would be connected to American Airlines’ Astrojet service.
The Tomorrowland Jets closed in 1966 as part of a major Tomorrowland renovation, and reopened a year later as the Rocket Jets; this lasted until 1997, which another major renovation on the land began.
The following year, 1998, the new Astro Orbitor opened — a replica of the Orbitron at Disneyland Paris, but with a different color scheme. The Orbitron was an opening day attraction at Disneyland Paris in 1992.
In 1974, the Star Jets opened in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, and was re-themed to Astro Orbiter in 1994. Star Jets was also located at Tokyo Disneyland from its opening in 1983 until 2017, when it closed to make way for The Happy Ride with Baymax.
At Hong Kong Disneyland, the attraction is also known as the Orbitron. This and the Magic Kingdom version are visually similar to the Disneyland Park and Disneyland Paris iterations — a central tower and large planetary orbs — and feature similar rocket ride vehicles.
Shanghai Disneyland has its own rocket spinner ride, known as Jet Packs, though it looks very visually different from its counterparts.
Are you looking forward to Astro Orbitor’s eventual return to Disneyland Park following its refurbishment? Let us know in the comments.
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