Astro Orbiter

Astro Orbitor
The Astro Orbitor as it appears today
Ride statistics
Theme	Space
Music	none
Duration	1:30
Wheelchair accessible
Must transfer from wheelchair
Assistive listening available

Star Jets
Ride statistics
Attraction type	Centrifugal
Designer	Walt Disney Imagineering
Theme	Space
Music	none
Vehicle type	Rockets
Duration	1:30
Wheelchair accessible
Must transfer from wheelchair

Star Jets
Star Jets at Tokyo Disneyland

Orbitron, Machines Volantes
Ride statistics
Attraction type	Centrifugal
Theme	Space
Vehicle type	Rockets
Duration	2:00
Single rider line yes
Wheelchair accessible
Must transfer from wheelchair

Orbitron

Astro Orbitor (known in other parks as Star Jets and Orbitron) is a rocket-spinner attraction featured at all five Magic Kingdom-style parks at Walt Disney Resorts around the world. Although each ride may have a different name, all share the same premise of rockets spinning around a central monument, commonly a large rocket. As each form of the attraction appeared, new designs and locations have been implemented to fit with changing schemes of several Tomorrowlands.

History

Disneyland

In 1956, the first rocket-spinner attraction opened at Disneyland and was known as the Astro Jets. The attraction was made by Klaus Company Bavaria and similar to several versions found in traveling carnivals. The "jets" made a 50-foot circle around a large red-checkered rocket and guests were able climb upwards of 36 feet in their ride vehicles from the ground level they were boarded at. The attraction stood between the Submarine Voyage and Rocket to the Moon.

The name Astro Jets was changed in 1964 when United Airlines, as a new park sponsor (sponsoring "The Enchanted Tiki Room"), contended the name was free advertising for American Airlines' coast-to-coast Astrojet service. After this dispute, the name was changed to Tomorrowland Jets. The name lasted until September of 1966, when the attraction was closed to make room for the new renovated Tomorrowland.

The attraction returned in August 1967 as the Rocket Jets. This version was located on top of the new PeopleMover platform, and was accessible from ground level via an elevator. The focal point of this version was its replica Saturn V/NASA-themed rocket in the center. This version remained open until 1997, when it closed for renovations with the rest of Tomorrowland. The new form of the attraction opened one year later as Astro Orbitor. The new version is a replica of the Orbitron, Machines Volantes at Disneyland Paris.

The Astro Orbitor was planned to be placed where the Rocket Jets were, but weighed too much for the current building. Instead, it was relocated to the entrance of Tomorrowland, and placed on ground level, thus making the ride the new focal point as guests step from the main plaza of Disneyland into Tomorrowland. One concept drawing had guests boarding the attraction underground and others had the center of the attraction featuring a water moat (similar to the "Dumbo the Flying Elephant" attraction in Fantasyland). Both ideas were never carried out.

The mechanism for Rocket Jets on top of the PeopleMover was re-used as a kinetic satellite-themed sculpture known as Observatron was built out of the ride's skeletal structure. The Observatron was originally planned to come to life every fifteen minutes and appear to summon signs from the skies, while a selected soundtrack (such as selected music pieces from Space Mountain and Le Visionarium at Disneyland Paris) would play over Tomorrowland. However, the mechanism has been prone to failure and occasionally will be inactive for periods of months or only play sporadically on certain days.

In April 2009, the Astro Orbitor closed for refurbishment and was stripped down to its skeletal structure.
It reopened in June 2009 with a silver, blue, red, and gold trim color scheme.

Magic Kingdom

No form of the attraction existed in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World until 1974, three years after the park's opening, when Tomorrowland underwent a massive expansion including the creation of Space Mountain, a new location for the Disneyland-attraction, Carousel of Progress, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (WEDWay PeopleMover), and of course the Star Jets also opened. Star Jets was considered the focal point of Tomorrowland due to its soaring, spinning rockets and central location.

This version of the attraction was based on the Disneyland version, in both location (on top of the Peoplemover platform) and in style (both feature a large Saturn V rocket). However the attraction vehicles were different than any other previous form as they were much larger and featured a flatter back-end and larger tail fins. Each of the 12 open-air vehicles was attached to the central axis by a 20 foot arm. The vehicles held up to two passengers who circled round and round, 80 feet above the ground, for a thrilling 90 seconds, while controlling their ascent and descent with a metal stick. This form of the attraction lasted until the 1994 rehab. The fate of the original Star Jets attraction is largely unknown.

In 1994, the Astro Orbiter opened when "The New Tomorrowland" premiered. The land was now a haven for retro-futurism with a 1920's view of the future, though many Disney fans still prefer the original Star Jets ride and theming. The attraction featured a highly stylized iron-work tower in lieu of the center rocket along with various planets on the outside of the attraction as to appear as if the rockets were weaving between the planets and guests feel as if they are going much faster than they actually are. The ride at the Magic Kingdom does 11 rotations per minute and averages 1.2 million miles a year. In the narration for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, the ride is referenced as the "League of Planets Astro Orbiter."

See also

• List of current Disneyland attractions
• Magic Kingdom attraction and entertainment history
• Tokyo Disneyland attraction and entertainment history

External links

• Disneyland Park - Astro Orbitor
• Walt Disney World Resort - Astro Orbiter