Magic Kingdom's Astro Orbiter Refurbishment Kicks Off with Extensive Work Planned

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Astro Orbiter refurbishment - January 15, 2025

Posted: Wednesday January 15, 2025 11:10am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The refurbishment of Astro Orbiter at Magic Kingdom is officially underway this week, with a large crane now positioned in Tomorrowland to assist with the project.

Astro Orbiter refurbishment - January 15, 2025

The attraction, which closed on January 13, 2025, is expected to remain out of service through summer 2025. The presence of heavy equipment and the extended timeline suggest this will be a significant refurbishment—possibly a near-rebuild of the attraction.

Astro Orbiter refurbishment - January 15, 2025

Astro Orbiter, known for its elevated spinning rockets and panoramic views of the park, underwent a similar extensive refurbishment in 2014, which included structural updates, a new color scheme, and enhanced lighting effects. Given the current setup, it appears Disney may be following a similar approach to modernize and refresh the attraction.

Astro Orbiter refurbishment in 2014

What To Expect During the Refurbishment

Cranes and Construction Walls: A large crane is now visible in Tomorrowland, and construction walls extend into the area of Tomorrowland near Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.
PeopleMover Impact: The Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, which passes underneath the Astro Orbiter platform, remains operational but may offer views of ongoing work.
Extended Closure: With the refurbishment set to last several months, this project likely involves mechanical upgrades, structural work, and possible aesthetic improvements.

Disney has not yet provided specifics about the scope of the work or any potential new features.

Astro Orbiter refurbishment - January 15, 2025

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peter114353 hours ago

Correct. The crane will not be there for the entire duration of the work. Walls and scrims have never been intended to block all views of construction equipment.

plutofan154 hours ago

Pretty sure that this crane will not be there during the entirety of the rehab. And, in my opinion, 15' walls extending towards the base of the Peoplemover would be obtrusive no matter how themed they may be.

Brian20 hours ago

The purpose of the scrim, presumably printed, is to cover the construction elements as best they can, in this example, scaffolding. They've done this several times at Disneyland in recent years. I applaud efforts like that. It isn't perfect, but obviously in a year round operation, things must be refurbished while in guest view. Your comparison is a rather poor one, because to compare it to the Astro Orbiter crane and its walls would be to imagine that they only covered the lower half of the castle in scrims and left the top half with just bare scaffolding.

Brian20 hours ago

In a vacuum, it's not. Nobody's vacation will be ruined by seeing the crane, some might not even notice. But ultimately, it is the attention to detail, including the things that only 1:10,000 guests will even notice, that made Disney theme parks what they are. That's a large part of what 'Show' means at a Disney park, and it's examples like this that illustrate the lack of emphasis on 'Show' in recent years. Without Show, Magic Kingdom is no better than Six Flags. Of course, that's not to say that because the crane is visible from the ground in Tomorrowland for a few months, Disney is no better than Six Flags. What I'm trying to highlight is that the "It's not that serious" sentiment, which is increasingly permeating management, leads to more and more examples of this, including permanent ones, that may eventually lead Disney parks being no better than Six Flags.

JD8020 hours ago

Better, kills less trees.

Mr. Sullivan20 hours ago

It’s not that serious

ToTBellHop20 hours ago

I just put a paper bag over my own head in construction areas.

JD8021 hours ago

Brian when they are doing work on the Castle with scrims: "They should cover the whole castle in a paper bag. Bad show."

SplashJacket21 hours ago

Brian22 hours ago

Better than a giant yellow crane in the middle of the plaza. They can also theme the walls, put up a futuristic mural, etc. Remember, this is the world's preeminent entertainment company we're talking about.