Astro Orbiter

Astro Orbiter: attraction at Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World — live wait times, operating status, and planning data on MouseHub.

Wait time history

Historical wait patterns for Astro Orbiter accrete daily as MouseHub records waits every 15 minutes. Charts appear here once enough history exists.

Visitor sentiment

4.1· 347 Google ratings

The MouseHub take

Astro Orbiter is the rocket spinner that turns high above Tomorrowland. Disney calls the vehicles retro two-passenger spacecraft, and that is the shape of it: you climb into a small rocket, take the lever, and fly it up or down while the whole rig orbits a galaxy of planets. It carries more speed than Dumbo does, and Tomorrowland goes by far below you instead of at eye level. Getting up there is its own small sequence: you line up at ground level, an elevator takes you up to the ride, and a second shorter line waits at the loading platform. There is no height requirement, so nobody in the party gets measured out of it.

The view is the reason to ride, and after dark it is the reason to ride again. Anyone who dislikes spinning should sit this one out, because the rockets turn continuously and the tilt does not let up. Two grown adults in one spacecraft is tight, which is the complaint that comes up most often. Go early or go late. The middle of the afternoon puts you in an open line with the Florida sun on you.

At a glance

Best for
Anyone who wants an open-air view of Tomorrowland after dark, and families with kids old enough to enjoy being spun around.
Skip if
Spinning or heights bother you, or your party is two full-sized adults who would have to share a rocket.
Ride type
Aerial rocket spinner with rider-controlled height, above Tomorrowland
Intensity
Continuous spinning at height, with a tilt you control. No height requirement, and riders transfer out of wheelchairs and ECVs to board.

The good

  • The night view is the whole point
    Tomorrowland lights up underneath you and keeps moving while you turn. It is a different ride after dark than it is at noon.
  • You fly the rocket yourself
    A lever in the cockpit raises and lowers your rocket for the whole cycle. Kids who have sat through a dozen rides where nothing responds to them get to be the pilot on this one.
  • It carries real speed for a spinner
    Disney's own description has the rockets picking up speed as they orbit, and the ride delivers on it. The pace and the height together put it a step past Dumbo.
  • Nobody gets measured out of it
    Disney lists Astro Orbiter as any height, so a toddler and a grandparent board the same rocket. Tomorrowland's other thrills do not work that way.
  • It has been Astro Orbiter since 1994
    Magic Kingdom ran it as Star Jets first, and D23 dates the rename to late April 1994. The Disneyland version spells it Orbitor and opened four years after that, which is why so much written about this ride describes a different park.
  • The breeze counts for something in July
    Moving through open air at height beats standing still at ground level. It is a short reprieve rather than a real cool-down, but a Florida summer makes you take what you can get.

The bad

  • Two adults do not fit comfortably
    The spacecraft holds two, and two grown adults is a squeeze the whole way around. This is the complaint that comes up more than any other.
  • The line sits out in the sun
    The queue has little shade and no air conditioning. A Florida afternoon spent in it is the worst part of the experience by a wide margin.
  • The ride is short for the wait
    The cycle ends not long after it starts, and riders who spent a chunk of their afternoon in the standby line say so plainly.
  • The rockets are awkward to get into
    You drop down into the vehicle with your legs out in front of you. Riders with stiff knees or hips find getting in and back out the hardest part of the ride.
  • The ground line is only half the wait
    You queue at ground level, ride the elevator up, and find a second line waiting at the platform. The wait you size up from the ground is not the wait you actually signed up for.
  • The spinning gets to some riders
    It turns continuously at a tilt, and the height amplifies the effect. Riders prone to motion sickness tend to regret this one.

Veteran tips

  • Ride in the first hour or after dark
    The line is shortest at opening and the view is best at night. The middle of the afternoon gives you the worst of both.
  • Send one adult per rocket if you can
    Two adults sharing a spacecraft is the main regret people report. Splitting across two rockets costs you nothing but a slightly slower load.
  • Let the kid fly it
    The lever controls your rocket's height for the whole cycle, and there is nothing a child can do with it that spoils the ride. Handing it over is the point.
  • Go while the crowd watches the fireworks
    Standby thins once people stake out spots for Happily Ever After. Check the app for that night's showtime and get in line just ahead of it.
  • Wheelchair and ECV users transfer to board
    Disney routes guests with mobility needs through the standard queue, and riders transfer out of the chair to get into the rocket. The elevator handles the climb, so boarding the rocket is the only transfer.
  • Pair it with the PeopleMover
    Both sit in the same corner of Tomorrowland and the PeopleMover line moves quickly. If Astro Orbiter's queue looks long, do that one first and circle back.

MouseHub editorial, written from visitor reports and official Disney sources. Last reviewed .

Sources