Photos: Astro Orbiter Completely Removed for Extensive Refurbishment

The planned maintenance of the attraction began just two weeks ago.

Work is moving fast on Astro Orbiter at Magic Kingdom as the attraction undergoes a multi-month long refurbishment. A lot has changed since our last update just three days ago, with the entire ride system being completely removed.

Rockets are Grounded:

  • Today, January 27th, Laughing Place had the chance to check out the current construction on Magic Kingdom’s Astro Orbiter.
  • Positioned on top of the PeopleMover, the rocket-themed flat ride is an iconic part of Tomorrowland, which normally features themed planets, lights, and provides kinetic energy throughout the land.
  • As of today, the entire ride system portion of the Astro Orbiter has been removed, leaving only the skeleton of the attraction’s planet ring.

  • The refurbishment began back on January 13th, with a large crane and construction walls appearing in the pathway just underneath the attraction.
  • Astro Orbiter is set to return sometime during Summer 2025.
  • The extent of the refurbishment is unclear. Astro Orbiter, which has been a staple at the park for decades, was given a new look during Tomorrowland’s 1990s sci-fi overhaul. While the rest of the land has slowly been restored to the retro-futurism aesthetics of Tomorrowland past, Astro Orbiter has maintained the, now, out-of-place “future that never was” design.
  • Over by the elevators up to the attraction, not much work has taken place. There is a construction wall with a sign letting guests know the attraction is unavailable.

  • Originally called the Star Jets, this refurbishment will be fun to watch. Who knows, maybe the prominent spacecraft theming will return in some form.
  • It does seem like they intentionally left the themed ring that hugs the attraction, so I can’t imagine we will see any drastic changes, but, with the closure expected to last for at least four more months, it’ll be interesting to see.
  • We look forward to providing you with more updates as the refurbishment continues.

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Maxon Faber
Based in Los Angeles, California, Maxon is roller coaster and musical theatre nerd. His favorite dinosaur is the parasaurolophus, specifically the one in Jurassic World: The Ride.