At a glance
No ride sums up Discoveryland’s retro-futuristic mood better than Orbitron - Machines Volantes. Other Disney parks have Rocket Jets that look like NASA hardware, but Imagineers didn’t want a copy here. They chose a steampunk take, drawing ideas from old astronomy instruments, sketches by Leonardo da Vinci, and comic strips from the 1930s such as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.
The idea is simple but effective: you climb into one of the twelve little copper and bronze rockets, each one dedicated to a sign of the zodiac, alone or with one other person. As it spins, you control the altitude yourself with a joystick and can rise to about 7.80 meters off the ground. In the center of the ride, a giant planetarium shows the planets of the solar system turning the opposite way from the rockets. The illusion makes it feel like you’re racing through space at twice your actual speed.
As you walk into Discoveryland, Orbitron is the first thing that catches your eye. Wait until nightfall: that’s when it looks most spectacular, with the glow of its neon and its gold globes mirrored in the water of the Discovery Lagoon next door.
Discoveryland’s signature retro-futuristic ride. Rockets with adjustable height circle a mobile of copper planets, and each rider controls how high their car climbs. Gentle thrills and a bird’s-eye view over the land. It looks especially good at dusk, when the lighting shows off the setting.
History
Opened on April 12, 1992 along with the park, Orbitron is the Disneyland Paris cousin of the rotating rocket rides that Disney has built in several parks, starting with Disneyland in Anaheim (1956). What sets this Discoveryland version apart is its retro-futuristic styling, which borrows from Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci, a look created just for Paris with input from sci-fi author Ray Bradbury. The result was so successful that California copied it: the Astro Orbitor at Disneyland followed in 1998.
BNP Paribas sponsored the ride for its first ten years. In 2021 it was stripped all the way down to its foundations and fully restored with a new line and LED lights, then it stayed closed for a long refurbishment that ran until summer 2025 so the structure could be maintained.
Technical specs
- Duration
- 1 min 30
- Opened
- 1992
- Type Classic ride
- Opening date April 12, 1992
- Duration 1 min 30 s
- Number of rockets 12
- Design Walt Disney Imagineering
- Manufacturer Zamperla
Theme & world
Levels & accessibility
- Fear level low
- Thrill level low
- Emotional impact moderate
- Perceived wait moderate
- Height requirement None (open to everyone)
- Recommended age kids, tweens, teens, adults
- Wheelchair access must transfer from wheelchair
- Pregnant visitors OK to ride
Premier Access, Single Rider, PhotoPass
Skip the standby line whenever you like. Handy in peak season, when the wait often goes past 60 minutes.
This ride has no Single Rider line. If you want to cut your wait, rely on Premier Access or get there at park opening.
No PhotoPass on this ride.
This ride stays closed during Extra Magic Time and only opens when the park does.
Who it’s made for
Pros and cons
The highlights
- The visual icon of Discoveryland
- A retro-futuristic design you won’t see anywhere else in the world
- You control how high your rocket flies
The downsides
- Low hourly capacity
- Weather-sensitive (no cover when it rains)
- The planets often stop spinning because of breakdowns
My verdict
Orbitron is the visual icon of Discoveryland: twelve copper rockets circling a mobile of golden planets, with each rider controlling how high their car climbs. The ride is very gentle, the minimum height is 81 cm, and it lasts 1 min 30 s. Its retro-futuristic time machine look is one of a kind, with nothing like it in any other Disney park.
My favorite way to ride it is after dark: the neon lights reflect in the Discovery Lagoon and the whole land lights up. One detail to look for: each of the twelve rockets is dedicated to a sign of the zodiac. Capacity is low and the central planet rotation breaks down regularly, so keep that in mind when it comes to the line.
Best time to go
Based on this ride’s wait time history, updated every day.
Map & getting there
Orbitron - Machines Volantes is at the entrance to Discoveryland, between Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast and Autopia.
Your questions about this ride
01 How can you avoid long lines for the most popular rides?
To skip long lines at Disneyland Paris, I mix several strategies. First, Single Rider is free and really speeds things up on the rides that offer it, including Crush’s Coaster, Flight Force, Ratatouille, and Spider-Man, as long as you don’t mind boarding apart from your group. Next, Disney Premier Access is a paid service that guarantees you priority entry on the headline rides. If you’re staying at a Disney hotel, Extra Magic Time lets you into the park before official opening, and that’s the best time to ride the popular attractions back to back without waiting. Last, heading to the busiest rides during a parade or a big show empties the lines dramatically.
02 Are the wait times posted in the park accurate?
Yes, the wait times shown in the app or on the park’s screens are generally accurate. They’re often equal to or slightly longer than the real wait, which helps you plan your day better.
03 How can I find out if a ride will be under refurbishment during my vacation?
Disneyland Paris posts the list of rides closed for refurbishment on its official website several weeks ahead of time. Since the parks are open year-round, maintenance crews sometimes work on days the park is open, which leads to temporary closures. My tip: check this calendar (or the one on my blog) before you book, especially if there’s one particular ride you really care about.
04 What are the height requirements for each ride at Disneyland Paris?
Here are the minimum heights for the thrill rides at Disneyland Paris. In Disneyland Park: Autopia at 0.81 m, Star Tours and Big Thunder Mountain at 1.02 m, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain at 1.20 m, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril at 1.40 m. In Disney Adventure World: Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop at 0.81 m, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at 1.02 m, Crush’s Coaster at 1.07 m, and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force and RC Racer at 1.20 m. All the other rides have no height requirement, which families with young kids love.
05 Which rides might scare young kids?
Several rides at Disneyland Paris can be a bit much for young kids, even with no height requirement. Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains, in Fantasyland, has dark scenes with the witch that can catch them off guard. Les Voyages de Pinocchio also has some unsettling moments. La Tanière du Dragon, beneath Sleeping Beauty Castle, is home to a very impressive animatronic dragon. Phantom Manor, in Frontierland, leans into its ghostly mood and stays pretty intense for little ones. Pirates of the Caribbean switches between cheerful scenes and darker ones. I recommend watching how your child reacts before you board.
