A recently filed permit suggests that the iconic Astro Orbiter attraction will soon return to Magic Kingdom Park. Walt Disney World Resort closed the ride for refurbishment in January and promised it would return sometime in summer 2025.
The Astro Orbiter has been the towering icon of Tomorrowland since 1974 when it originally opened as Star Jets. Versions of the attraction later opened at Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Paris, Shanghai Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland. Walt Disney World Resort reimagined its version of the spinning ride into its current form in 1994. But earlier this year, the ride disappeared from the skies of Magic Kingdom Park.
Most attraction refurbishments last only a few weeks and go unnoticed by most guests. But the Astro Orbiter’s unique position at the top of the PeopleMover loading area made it impossible to ignore the most recent construction, especially when crews completely disassembled the ride.
Shortly after Astro Orbiter closed on January 13, construction walls appeared in Tomorrowland. Guests noticed a crane behind the walls, which was used to completely disassemble the attraction overnight. First-time Magic Kingdom Park visitors might not even know there’s supposed to be a ride in its place!
Thankfully, a recently filed “Notice of Commencement” suggests that Walt Disney World Resort is ready to reassemble Astro Orbiter. The document states that Buena Vista Construction Company will “provide labor, material and/or electrical for construction” at the Tomorrowland construction site.
This is the exact wording used in a construction permit filed earlier this year before the 50-year-old attraction disappeared. Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced an exact reopening date, but guests should expect to see the large crane return to Tomorrowland to rebuild Astro Orbiter soon.
This isn’t the only Magic Kingdom Park attraction undergoing a historic refurbishment right now. Across the park in Frontierland, crews are hard at work on a total track replacement at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The roller coaster, which also closed this January, is expected to reopen sometime in 2026 with some “new magic.”
Do you have a favorite Astro Orbiter memory? Disney Dining would love to hear it in the comments!
