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!
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This post is a quick guide to Astro Orbiter, but we have related content that dives deeper into topics. 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
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 Lightning Lane Multi Pass 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.
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 Lunching Pad quick service restaurant.
To get to the entrance, you’ll head left around Lunching Pad 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, Astro Orbiter does not 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 in low crowds. 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 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 rope drop if you have Early Entry. Without Early Entry, your best options are going to be to head there first or just endure a midday wait.
Reach for the Stars
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. The views are great, offering an elevated perspective at the entire park and surrounding resorts.
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.
The ride lasts about 90 seconds which, given the forces involved, is more than enough for me most days. Note that you’ll also have to take the elevator back down. Altogether the 90-second ride experience is going to take several minutes, even with absolutely no one else riding.
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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