The reopening date for Astro Orbitor at Disneyland Park has been shifted as refurbishment work continues on the attraction.
Astro Orbitor Refurbishment
The Astro Orbitor webpage previously indicated the ride would reopen on March 8, 2024. There are now no operating hours listed for Astro Orbitor until March 15. The ride closed for refurbishment in November and was completely dismantled and removed for work.
More elements have returned to the attraction in recent weeks. Scrim is also gone from the scaffolding around one of the decorative planets. Crews have evidently been touching up the planet overnight.
A strip of tarp is taped around its center. Some of the moon baubles on poles sticking out from the planet’s golden rings have been painted. As seen in our last construction update, the moons were previously metallic pink and red while the poles were silver.
Three moons — two at the bottom and one at the top — have since been painted solid white. This is likely a primer before receiving a refreshed metallic finish.
We have not yet seen crews work on the two smaller planet decorations around Astro Orbitor.
Both remain without any scaffolding or scrim around them.
The base of the ride is slowly being reconstructed. It’s taller than we last saw it, with blue trap secured over it. There is also a ring of poles around the base.
Just barely visible over the construction walls is the framework for an element of the ride.
The Astro Orbitor at Disneyland opened in 1998. It is a replica of the Orbitron attraction at Disneyland Paris, which opened in 1992. Disneyland originally had a rocket spinner ride called Astro Jets, which opened in 1956, and was later renamed Tomorrowland Jets and finally Rocket Jets before permanently closing in 1997.
The Astro Orbiter at Magic Kingdom originally opened as the Star Jets in 1974. It was renamed in 1994. Hong Kong Disneyland has a similar Orbitron while Shanghai Disneyland has Jet Packs.
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