In this post we give an overview of Astro Orbiter, an aerial carousel ride at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World. We cover the basics of the ride, how to ride it, and our thoughts on the experience before closing with an FAQ. Read on to learn more!
Related Posts
This post is a quick guide to Astro Orbiter, but we have related content that dives deeper into topics. Our Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lane post covers Lightning Lane strategy in deep. The Magic Kingdom Rides and Entertainment Guide gives brief introductions to all the park’s offerings. For putting together your day at the park, we have a One Day Plan for Magic Kingdom.
Astro Orbiter Basics
Astro Orbiter is an aerial carrousel at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The ride
does not offer rider switch
does NOT have a Lightning Lane
does not have a single rider line
is a part of Early Entry at Magic Kingdom
is about 90 seconds long
Where is Astro Orbiter located?
Astro Orbiter is located in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom. Entering the park, you’ll proceed to the hub and turn right, passing through the big gate into Tomorrowland. Astro Orbiter is elevated in the center of the land, above the Electric Umbrella quick service restaurant.
To get to the entrance, you’ll head left around Electric Umbrella and see guests queuing for the elevator. Just be sure to get in the Astro Orbiter queue and not the neighboring PeopleMover queue.
If you’re riding it first at rope drop, you’ll wait with the crowds entering Tomorrowland, breaking off from the pack that is heading to Space Mountain when you pass the Astro Orbiter entrance.
How to Ride Astro Orbiter
Despite being “just another” aerial carousel (Dumbo and Magic Carpets are two others in the park), Astro Orbiter is maybe the trickiest ride to get on in Magic Kingdom. In fact, I more or less only ever ride it as my last ride on the day on very long days. The reasons are threefold…
First, it doesn’t have a Lightning Lane. There’s no way to bypass the wait for this one, so the only ways to get on quickly are to ride it very early or very late. It’s not a good use of time very early, hence my tendency to save it for very late.
Second, the elevator makes the queue move very slowly even if the ride isn’t running at capacity. So, even early in the day you won’t just walk right on. You first have to wait for the elevator to come down, then you have to ride the elevator, then when you get to the top you have to wait for the ride to finish its current cycle before you can ride.
Third, the ride has long waits relative to its quality. Astro Orbiter tends to have longer waits than Dumbo and Magic Carpets, despite being very similar. Astro Orbiter arguably has the best views of the three, but that’s not enough to motivate me to ride it without a Lightning Lane most days.
If staying until park close is an option for you, and if park close doesn’t conflict with the fireworks, then we recommend saving the ride for the end of your day. If park close isn’t an option and the ride is a must-do, you can ride it second or third as part of a Space Mountain rope drop if you have Early Entry. Without Early Entry, your only option is a midday wait.
If you’re visiting Magic Kingdom with small children, the ride is a fine option because it doesn’t have a height requirement, but if you have Genie+ you’ll have no problem getting on Dumbo and Magic Carpets, making a third aerial carrousel possibly unnecessary. I’ve also seen the occasional kid complain about the force/speed of Astro Orbiter, though our toddler has never minded it.
Astro Orbiter Ride Experience
Astro Orbiter is mostly a standard aerial carousel. As mentioned above you’ll take an elevator to get to the ride, and its height does provide for very nice views. From our experience, the ride does have a little more force than the other carousels. You’ll really feel the rotation, and I’ve seen a few kids (and adults) complain about this. You can view a video of the ride here.
Astro Orbiter FAQ
Can a baby ride Astro Orbiter?
Yes! Since Astro Orbiter has no height requirement, even babies can ride it.
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