The Astro Orbiter has been closed for almost three days at Magic Kingdom Park despite recently undergoing a six-month-long refurbishment. Here’s what we know about the problems with the 50-year-old Tomorrowland ride.
Then known as Star Jets, the original Astro Orbiter debuted at Walt Disney World Resort in November 1974. This attraction is one of a few that have had iterations at every Disney park around the world, though Tokyo Disneyland has since closed its version. The spinning ride still operates as Jet Packs at Shanghai Disneyland, Orbitron at Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris, and Astro Orbiter at Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park.
In January, Astro Orbiter closed for one of the most unusual refurbishments in Walt Disney World Resort history. A crane surrounded by construction walls arrived in Tomorrowland, and construction crews disassembled the ride piece by piece to refurbish it offsite. About halfway through the project, first-time Magic Kingdom Park guests would’ve never known that an attraction once towered above the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover loading platform.
The crane eventually returned, helping crews rebuild the refurbished Astro Orbiter. The ride officially reopened on June 27. Unfortunately, it looks like the maintenance project wasn’t wholly successful.
Mid-afternoon on July 13, the Astro Orbiter shut down. Temporary closures are common at the Disney parks, typically due to weather, guest behavior, or technical issues. However, unlike most interruptions, this one didn’t end after a few hours.
The Astro Orbiter remained closed until Magic Kingdom Park closed on July 13 and didn’t reopen on July 14. As of late evening on Tuesday, July 15, the My Disney Experience app still lists the Tomorrowland attraction as “temporarily closed.”
Several Disney Park guests made social media posts about the closure, questioning the efficacy of the six-month refurbishment. On July 14, X (formerly Twitter) user @BeastCoasters wrote:
I don’t think Astro Orbiter opened at all today so I guess the refurb ended a bit too soon
I don’t think Astro Orbiter opened at all today so I guess the refurb ended a bit too soon
— BeastCoasters (@BeastCoasters) July 14, 2025
Astro Orbiter and Space Mountain down right now is not helpful!
Astro Orbiter and Space Mountain down right now is not helpful!
— SportsZu (@TheSportsZu) July 14, 2025
Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t issued a public statement about the days-long Astro Orbiter shutdown. As of this article’s publication, the attraction remains closed.
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