A Popular Magic Kingdom Ride Is Set to Reopen This Summer

A classic Tomorrowland ride is getting ready to make its comeback.

After months of construction walls, cranes, and a whole lot of speculation, it looks like Astro Orbiter in Magic Kingdom is finally on its way back. A new permit was just filed, and we’ve been keeping a close eye on the progress. While Disney hasn’t dropped a specific reopening date, we do know that guests can expect to ride again this summer—and we’ve got the latest scoop on what’s happening. Let’s break down what this means, plus a quick look at the other big Magic Kingdom projects going on right now.

First up: yes, Astro Orbiter is officially on the path to reopening.

A Notice of Commencement was filed on April 10th for the site, which means construction is very much active again. The language in the permit says the work is to “Provide labor, material and/or electrical for construction” at the location—which, if that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same wording Disney used when they dismantled the ride earlier this year.

So, what does that mean for parkgoers? Well, if you’re visiting in the next few weeks, expect those massive construction walls to be back in Tomorrowland. There’s also a good chance that the same tall crane we saw during the dismantling will return to handle the reinstall. It’s kind of hard to miss—especially when it’s towering over the PeopleMover. But here’s the good news: last time the walls and crane only stuck around for a short while, so hopefully it’s a quick turnaround again.

As of now, Disney is sticking to a “Summer 2025” reopening window for Astro Orbiter. No exact date, but we’ll be watching closely for updates.

In the meantime, Astro Orbiter isn’t the only thing being worked on in Magic Kingdom. There are a few other major closures you should know about—especially if you’re planning a trip soon and want to avoid any surprises.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is next in line for a big refresh. That’s closing in August 2025 and reopening sometime in 2026. And it’s not just a standard tune-up—Disney is giving this one a real upgrade.

They’re adding a brand new scene featuring a robot named Buddy, who’ll help brief Space Rangers before the mission. The current Z targets are getting upgraded with reactive tech that lights up when hit, which is a big step up from what we have now.

And here’s something we’re especially curious about: the ride vehicles are getting a major redesign. You’ll get handheld blasters now—no more attached blasters stuck to the vehicle.

The lasers will always be on (in two different colors depending on the car), and there will be new lighting, sound, and vibration effects too. Plus, there’s going to be a scoring monitor in the vehicle for real-time updates. Basically, this is the Space Ranger Spin glow-up we didn’t know we needed.

Now, over in Frontierland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is currently closed for a “long” refurbishment. And by “long,” we mean you won’t be riding it again until 2026. Disney hasn’t shared a lot of details about what they’re doing, but this is a major closure that’s expected to last well into next year.

And finally, the Hall of Presidents is also temporarily unavailable. That one’s closed as part of its standard post-election refurbishment—it always shuts down after a presidential election to update the show with the new Commander in Chief. It closed on January 20th, 2025, and Disney says it’ll be back later this year.

So, to sum it all up: Astro Orbiter is coming back this summer, and we’ve hit a key milestone now that construction has restarted. While it’s still behind walls (and maybe under a crane again soon), we’re officially in the home stretch. Just make sure you plan around some other big closures if Magic Kingdom is on your itinerary.

As always, be sure to keep following AllEars for more Disney news.

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Will you be heading to Magic Kingdom this summer? Tell us in the comments! 

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