If you’ve visited Disney World fifty times or only once you know it’s an ever changing theme park, new rides are being added annually while the beloved older rides are updated or refurbished often. When preparing for a family vacation at Disney World it is always best to be prepared. Here is a list and review of the current rides and attractions offered at the four Disney World Theme Park. In this article the Magic Kingdom’s tomorrow land.
Tomorrowland is located to the right of Cinderella’s castle. The rides and attractions that can be found at Disney World’s Tomorrowland are: the Astro Orbiter, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, the Carousel of Progress, Monsters Inc Laugh Factory, Stitch’s Great Escape, Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, and Tomorrowland Transit Authority.
The Astro Orbiter
The Astro Orbiter was originally built in 1974. In this fun Disney ride the participants are off on a flying adventure in their own personal rocket ship. This ride can be found on top of the building that houses the Tours and Transit Authority, which means that once in the ride you will be able to see all of Tomorrowland as you fly about. This ride is similar to the Dumbo’s ride and Aladdin’s Magic Carpet ride. You must take an elevator to reach this ride.
Wait time: Regardless of the time of year you visit Disney World’s Magic Kingdom this ride always has a significant wait time. I believe this is due to the fact that it is not a continuous ride. There is no Disney fastpass available for this ride.
Age: This is a great ride for children 2 till preteen. Teenagers will be bored and adults will find it difficult to fit into the snug rocket ships.
See or Skip: If you have a limited time to spend at the Magic Kingdom you may want to skip this ride.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
The Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin opened in October of 1998. Buzz Lightyear’s ride is based on the Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear. In this ride you will travel in a space cruiser as shoot at Zurg’s evil minions. Each space cruiser comes equipped with two lazer guns and a tracker that keeps score of all the points you have earned. There are 13 different scenes that you will travel through in your space cruiser. At each scene you will do your best to hit the targets with the letter Z for Zurg. The more points you accumulate the better your ranking will be. The space cruiser is able to spin around a full 360 degrees.
Wait time: This is a very popular ride. Fastpass is available for this ride and I would suggest using one if you can. Average wait times depend on time of year you visit Disney World. In the off season you can expect to wait between 15 minutes to a full hour. During peak season you are looking at a minimum of a 60 minute wait. This is however a continuous ride so you are constantly moving while waiting in line.
See or Skip: This is a must see. If you skip you’ll be kicking yourself on the way home from your Disney vacation.
The Carousel of Progress
The Carousel of Progress opened in 1975. This is a favorite of many Disney vacationers. The Carousel of Progress isn’t really a ride but more like an animatronics show. Upon entering you will be seated into a rotating theater. You are then taken on a journey with a typical American Family as they travel though time and experience the positives and some humorous negatives that technology can bring. After taking in this “show” you will appreciate how much easier life is compared to how people lived at the turn of the century.
Wait time: Because this is a continuous ride the wait in line for this attraction is minimal. There is no fastpass available for this ride but it is not needed. This attraction clocks in at just a little over 20 minutes. The attraction takes place in a large, dark, rotating theater with plenty of air conditioning.
See or Skip: Definitely worth a see. This attraction is very entertaining and if you’re visiting in the summer months it’s a great place to cool off.
Monsters Inc. Laugh Factory
Monsters Inc Laugh Factor is an interactive attraction with a theater of 400 guests. Mike Wazowsk (the one eyed green monster) is busy trying to gather laughs to help generate electricity for his home town of Monstropolis. At this attraction guests will sing along to songs and can even text message Mike in hopes of having one of their jokes told on stage. Mike jokes and interacts with different members of the audience.
Wait time: This is a new attraction and there is very little information available for wait times. I suspect that the wait time is considerable because this is not a continuous ride.
Age: This attraction is most suited for young children. Toddlers may not understand the jokes but they will enjoy seeing all their favorite Monster Inc. characters. Older kids and adults will probably find the jokes to be big groaners.
See or Skip: If you have limited time at Disney’s Magic Kingdom then you may want to skip this attraction.
Stitch’s Great Escape
Stitch’s Great Escape opened in 2004 and replaced the Alien Encounter attraction which had replaced the old Flight to Mars ride. In this attraction the audience is part of an inter-galactic security team who are transporting criminals (of the space variety) to prison. Upon entering the room you will take your seat and a device will lower down and rest on your shoulders. Of course during your routine mission to bring the space criminals to justice something will go wrong and Stitch will escape his prison. He will prowl around the room wreaking havoc on all the members of the audience. You will be able to fell Stitch’s breath on the back of your neck, feel him push down on your head, and much much more.
Wait time: Because this attraction is not a continuous ride during the busy months at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom the wait time can be considerable. Fastpass is available for this ride.
Age: This is not an attraction suitable for small children. You must be at least 40inches tall to visit this attraction. Because most of this attraction takes place in the dark even for older or taller kids this could be a scary experience.
See of skip: This is definitely a must see. If you have younger children who have large age gaps and the adults need to take turns to see this attraction then let a cast member know. They may be able to save you a wait in line.
Space Mountain
Space Mountain opened in 1974 and is a favorite among all of the Disney attractions. Space Mountain is an indoor rollercoaster. You will board your rocket ship and zoom though the stars and planets in deep dark space. There are several high speed turns and dips and dives throughout this ride.
Wait time: Because this is one of the most popular rides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom the wait time for this ride is considerable. Fastpass is available.
Age: This ride is most suitable for older children, teenagers and adults. If you do have any back or neck problems you may want to skip this ride. IF you are pregnant then this ride is a definite no no. You must be at least 44 inches to ride this ride.
See or skip: This is a must see.
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
With the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway you’re on a race to win the Intergalactic Speedway cup. With this ride you and your child will find yourself in a gas powered race car whipping around the track at approximately 5 miles per hour. The track does have a rail so your child will not be able to drive off the track.
Wait in line: This ride always has a long wait. On the off season you will wait at least 60 minutes before you are able to get into your race car. During the peak months at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom your wait may be up towards 2 hours or more. There is no fastpass for this ride.
Age: This ride is best for children 4 and up. You must be at least 52″ to ride unaccompanied. Those who are not of driving age will find this to be a fantastic ride as they are really driving. Those that are old enough to legally drive will enjoy the expression on your children’s faces.
See or Skip: Unless your child is dying to drive one of these race cars you can definitely skip this ride. The exhaust from the motors may make you a little ill.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority
The Tomorrowland Transit Authority is a slow paced ride through all of Tomorrowland. Once your climb aboard this relaxing ride you’ll be taken on a futuristic visit through many of the attractions that are located in Tomorrowland. You will travel through Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin as well as Space Mountain. The best thing about this ride is that it gives you a little time to cool down and rest your tired feet.
Wait in line: 5 minutes of less. Because this is a continuous ride there is little to know wait.
Age: This ride is appropriate for everyone although teenagers may become bored because this is not a ride with “bells and whistles”.
See or Skip: This is defiantly a ride that you can skip, but if you are hot and tired of standing in line this will offer a ten minute break.
Tomorrowland Shopping
Like all of the Disney theme parks there are plenty of gift shops to be found in Tomorrowland. In Tomorrowland you can find Mickey’s Star Traders and Merchant of Venus. These gifts shops offer the usual fare: candy, stuffed animals, clothing etcetera. Most clothing items in these two gifts shops comprise mostly of Stitch and Monsters Inc. related merchandise.
Where to eat
Aunt Gravity’s Galactic Goodies- offers sodas and ice cream.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café- is a large complex with three different restaurants inside. You can get chicken meals, pizza meals, or hamburger meals just to name three. There are many places to sit and there is even an animatronics Alien who plays the piano. This is a cafeteria style eatery and is priced accordingly.
If you’ve visited Disney World fifty times or only once you know it’s an ever changing theme park, new rides are being added annually while the beloved older rides are updated or refurbished often. When preparing for a family vacation at Disney World it is always best to be prepared. Here is a list and review of the current rides and attractions offered at the four Disney World Theme Park. In this article the Magic Kingdom’s tomorrow land.
Tomorrowland is located to the right of Cinderella’s castle. The rides and attractions that can be found at Disney World’s Tomorrowland are: the Astro Orbiter, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, the Carousel of Progress, Monsters Inc Laugh Factory, Stitch’s Great Escape, Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, and Tomorrowland Transit Authority.
The Astro Orbiter
The Astro Orbiter was originally built in 1974. In this fun Disney ride the participants are off on a flying adventure in their own personal rocket ship. This ride can be found on top of the building that houses the Tours and Transit Authority, which means that once in the ride you will be able to see all of Tomorrowland as you fly about. This ride is similar to the Dumbo’s ride and Aladdin’s Magic Carpet ride. You must take an elevator to reach this ride.
Recent changes: Besides a name change (from Star Jets in 1994) this ride hasn’t changed much in 33 years.
Wait time: Regardless of the time of year you visit Disney World’s Magic Kingdom this ride always has a significant wait time. I believe this is due to the fact that it is not a continuous ride. There is no Disney fastpass available for this ride.
Age: This is a great ride for children 2 till preteen. Teenagers will be bored and adults will find it difficult to fit into the snug rocket ships.
See or Skip: If you have a limited time to spend at the Magic Kingdom you may want to skip this ride.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
The Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin opened in October of 1998. Buzz Lightyear’s ride is based on the Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear. In this ride you will travel in a space cruiser as shoot at Zurg’s evil minions. Each space cruiser comes equipped with two lazer guns and a tracker that keeps score of all the points you have earned. There are 13 different scenes that you will travel through in your space cruiser. At each scene you will do your best to hit the targets with the letter Z for Zurg. The more points you accumulate the better your ranking will be. The space cruiser is able to spin around a full 360 degrees.
Wait time: This is a very popular ride. Fastpass is available for this ride and I would suggest using one if you can. Average wait times depend on time of year you visit Disney World. In the off season you can expect to wait between 15 minutes to a full hour. During peak season you are looking at a minimum of a 60 minute wait. This is however a continuous ride so you are constantly moving while waiting in line.
Age: This ride can be enjoyed by people 2 and up. Young children may need to sit on their parents lap but can still participate in the ride.
See or Skip: This is a must see. If you skip you’ll be kicking yourself on the way home from your Disney vacation.
The Carousel of Progress
The Carousel of Progress opened in 1975. This is a favorite of many Disney vacationers. The Carousel of Progress isn’t really a ride but more like an animatronics show. Upon entering you will be seated into a rotating theater. You are then taken on a journey with a typical American Family as they travel though time and experience the positives and some humorous negatives that technology can bring. After taking in this “show” you will appreciate how much easier life is compared to how people lived at the turn of the century.
Wait time: Because this is a continuous ride the wait in line for this attraction is minimal. There is no fastpass available for this ride but it is not needed. This attraction clocks in at just a little over 20 minutes. The attraction takes place in a large, dark, rotating theater with plenty of air conditioning.
Age: This ride is appropriate for children of all ages. Young children will enjoy the animatronics and love the song “It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”. Teenagers may be a little bored feeling like they are sitting through an educational lesson.
See or Skip: Definitely worth a see. This attraction is very entertaining and if you’re visiting in the summer months it’s a great place to cool off.
Monsters Inc. laugh Factory
Monsters Inc Laugh Factor is an interactive attraction with a theater of 400 guests. Mike Wazowsk (the one eyed green monster) is busy trying to gather laughs to help generate electricity for his home town of Monstropolis. At this attraction guests will sing along to songs and can even text message Mike in hopes of having one of their jokes told on stage. Mike jokes and interacts with different members of the audience.
Wait time: This is a new attraction and there is very little information available for wait times. I suspect that the wait time is considerable because this is not a continuous ride.
Age: This attraction is most suited for young children. Toddlers may not understand the jokes but they will enjoy seeing all their favorite Monster Inc. characters. Older kids and adults will probably find the jokes to be big groaners.
See or Skip: If you have limited time at Disney’s Magic Kingdom then you may want to skip this attraction.
Stitch’s Great Escape opened in 2004 and replaced the Alien Encounter attraction which had replaced the old Flight to Mars ride. In this attraction the audience is part of an inter-galactic security team who are transporting criminals (of the space variety) to prison. Upon entering the room you will take your seat and a device will lower down and rest on your shoulders. Of course during your routine mission to bring the space criminals to justice something will go wrong and Stitch will escape his prison. He will prowl around the room wreaking havoc on all the members of the audience. You will be able to fell Stitch’s breath on the back of your neck, feel him push down on your head, and much much more.
Wait time: Because this attraction is not a continuous ride during the busy months at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom the wait time can be considerable. Fastpass is available for this ride.
Age: This is not an attraction suitable for small children. You must be at least 40inches tall to visit this attraction. Because most of this attraction takes place in the dark even for older or taller kids this could be a scary experience.
See of skip: This is definitely a must see. If you have younger children who have large age gaps and the adults need to take turns to see this attraction then let a cast member know. They may be able to save you a wait in line.
Space Mountain
Space Mountain opened in 1974 and is a favorite among all of the Disney attractions. Space Mountain is an indoor rollercoaster. You will board your rocket ship and zoom though the stars and planets in deep dark space. There are several high speed turns and dips and dives throughout this ride.
Wait time: Because this is one of the most popular rides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom the wait time for this ride is considerable. Fastpass is available.
Age: This ride is most suitable for older children, teenagers and adults. If you do have any back or neck problems you may want to skip this ride. IF you are pregnant then this ride is a definite no no. You must be at least 44 inches to ride this ride.
See or skip: This is a must see.
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
With the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway you’re on a race to win the Intergalactic Speedway cup. With this ride you and your child will find yourself in a gas powered race car whipping around the track at approximately 5 miles per hour. The track does have a rail so your child will not be able to drive off the track.
Wait in line: This ride always has a long wait. On the off season you will wait at least 60 minutes before you are able to get into your race car. During the peak months at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom your wait may be up towards 2 hours or more. There is no fastpass for this ride.
Age: This ride is best for children 4 and up. You must be at least 52″ to ride unaccompanied. Those who are not of driving age will find this to be a fantastic ride as they are really driving. Those that are old enough to legally drive will enjoy the expression on your children’s faces.
See or Skip: Unless your child is dying to drive one of these race cars you can definitely skip this ride. The exhaust from the motors may make you a little ill.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority
The Tomorrowland Transit Authority is a slow paced ride through all of Tomorrowland. Once your climb aboard this relaxing ride you’ll be taken on a futuristic visit through many of the attractions that are located in Tomorrowland. You will travel through Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin as well as Space Mountain. The best thing about this ride is that it gives you a little time to cool down and rest your tired feet.
Wait in line: 5 minutes of less. Because this is a continuous ride there is little to know wait.
Age: This ride is appropriate for everyone although teenagers may become bored because this is not a ride with “bells and whistles”.
See or Skip: This is defiantly a ride that you can skip, but if you are hot and tired of standing in line this will offer a ten minute break.
Tomorrowland Shopping
Like all of the Disney theme parks there are plenty of gift shops to be found in Tomorrowland. In Tomorrowland you can find Mickey’s Star Traders and Merchant of Venus. These gifts shops offer the usual fare: candy, stuffed animals, clothing etcetera. Most clothing items in these two gifts shops comprise mostly of Stitch and Monsters Inc. related merchandise.
Where to eat
Aunt Gravity’s Galactic Goodies- offers sodas and ice cream.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café- is a large complex with three different restaurants inside. You can get chicken meals, pizza meals, or hamburger meals just to name three. There are many places to sit and there is even an animatronics Alien who plays the piano. This is a cafeteria style eatery and is priced accordingly.
