Astro Orbitor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Astro Orbitor | |
 |
|
| Land | Tomorrowland |
| Theme Parks | Walt Disney Parks |
| Locations and Opening Dates | |
| Disneyland | March, 1956 |
| Magic Kingdom | November 28, 1974 |
| Tokyo Disneyland | April 13, 1983 |
| Disneyland Paris | April 12, 1992 |
| Hong Kong Disneyland | September 12, 2005 |
Astro Orbitor is a rocket-spinner attraction featured at all five Magic Kingdom-stlye parks at Walt Disney Resorts around the world. Although each ride may have a different name, all share the same premise of rockets spinning around a central monument, commonly a large rocket. As each form of the attraction appeared, new designs and locations have been implemented to fit with changing schemes of several Tomorrowlands.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Disneyland
In 1956, the first rocket-spinner attraction opened at Disneyland and was known as the Astro Jets. The attraction was made by Klaus Company Bavaria and similar to several versions found in travelling carnivals. The "jets" made a 50-foot circle around a large red-checkered rocket and guests were able climb upwards of 36 feet in their ride vehicles from the ground level they were boarded at. The attraction stood between the Submarine Voyage and Flight to the Moon.
The name Astro Jets was changed in 1964, when United Airlines, a new sponsor for the park (specifically "The Enchanted Tiki Room") disputed the name was free advertising for a rival company's (American Airlines) coast-to-coast jet-airline service, the name was changed to Tomorrowland Jets. The name lasted until September of 1966, when the attraction was closed to make room for the new renovated Tomorrowland.
The attraction returned in August of 1967 as the Rocket Jets. This version was located on top of the new PeopleMover platform, and was accessible from ground level via an elevator. The focal point of this version was its replica Saturn V/NASA-themed rocket in the center. This version remained open until 1997, when it closed for renovations with the rest of Tomorrowland. The new form of the attraction opened one year later as Astro Orbitor. The new version is a replica of the Orbitron, Machines Volantes at Disneyland Paris.
The Astro Orbitor was planned to be placed where the Rocket Jets were, but weighed too much for the current building. Instead, it was relocated to the entrance of Tomorrowland, and placed on groundlevel, thus making the ride the new focal point as guests step from the main plaza of Disneyland into Tomorrowland. One concept drawing had guests boarding the attraction underground and others had the center of the attraction featuring a water moat (similar to the "Dumbo the Flying Elephant" attraction in Fantasyland). Both ideas were never carried out.
The mechanism for Rocket Jets on top of the was dismantled and a kinetic satellite-themed sculpture known as Observatron was built out of the ride's skeletal structure. The Observatron was originally planned to come to life every fifteen minutes and appear to summon signs from the skies, while a selected soundtrack (such as selected music pieces from Space Mountain and Le Visionarium at Disneyland Paris) would play over Tomorrowland. However, the mechanism has been prone to failure and occasionally will be inactive for periods of months or play sporadically on certain days.
However, the future of the Astro Orbitor may change. Since it retained the 1998 gold and bronze color scheme when most of Tomorrowland was repainted blue and silver in 2005 and 2006, reminiscent of the white and blue 1967 paint scheme, the attraction may be repainted in the future. Rumors on some Disney fan sites are that along with a return of the Peoplemover, a new version of this ride will replaced upon the Peoplemover platform. Reasons to support these rumors are due to controversy among Disney fans that it obstructs the view of Tomorrowland's main thoroughfare, and takes up space that could be used for the frequently overcrowded viewings of Remember... Dreams Come True fireworks show.
[edit] Walt Disney World
No form of the attraction existed in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World until 1974, three years after the park's opening, when Tomorrowland underwent a massive expansion including the creation of the first Space Mountain, a new location for the Disneyland-attraction the Carousel of Progress, a new WEDWay Peoplemover, and of course the Star Jets also opened.
This version of the attraction was based on the Disneyland version, in both location (on top of the Peoplemover platform) and in style (both feature a large Saturn rocket). However the attraction vehicles were different than any other previous form as they were much larger and featured a flatter back-end and larger tail fins. This form of the attraction lasted until the 1994 rehab.
1994, the Astro Orbiter opened when "The New Tomorrowland" premiered. The land was now a haven for retro-futurism with a 1920's view of the future. The attraction featured a highly stylized iron-work tower in leiu of the center rocket along with various planets on the outside of the attraction as to appear as if the rockets were weaving between the planets and guests feel as if they are going much faster than they appear to. The ride at the Magic Kingdom does 11 rotations per minute and averages 1.2 million miles a year.[1]
[edit] Attraction facts
[edit] Disneyland
- Previous names:
- Astro Jets
- Tomorrowland Jets
- Rocket Jets
- Current name: Astro Orbitor
- Grand opening: 1966
- Re-opening: August 1967
- Re-opening: May 22, 1998
- Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering
- Rockets: 12
- Rocket height: 26 feet (7.9 m)
- Rocket distance from tower: 20 feet (6.1 m)
- Ride duration: 1:30 (11.5 revolutions)
- Ride system: Controlled moving rockets rotating around central tower
[edit] Magic Kingdom
- Previous name: Star Jets
- Current name: Astro Orbiter
- Grand opening: November 28, 1974
- Re-Opening: 1994
- Rockets: 12
- Rocket distance from tower: 20 feet (6.1 m)
- Ride duration: 1:30 (11 revolutions)
- Ride system: Controlled moving rockets rotating around central tower
[edit] Tokyo Disneyland
- Current name: Star Jets
[edit] Disneyland Paris
- Current name: Orbitron, Machines Volantes
[edit] Hong Kong Disneyland
- Current name: Orbitron
[edit] Trivia
- In Disneyland Paris, the attraction is named Orbitron Machines Volantes.
- The names of the rockets at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland attractions are the same.
- The Astro Orbitor had one of 50 hidden "Mickey 50 Ears" added to it as part of the Happiest Homecoming on Earth celebration.
- The Walt Disney Co. has never explained why Disneyland version has the spelling Astro Orbitor, while the Magic Kingdom version has Astro Orbiter, but some guests have speculated that it may be derived from the French version of the attraction, Orbitron, Machines Volantes.
A poster of the attraction could be seen at the end of the movie Monsters inc.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Astro Orbiter. WDWHistory.com. Retrieved on August 12, 2006.
