ASTRO/ROCKET JETS/ORBITER |
PHOTOGRAPHY | ART | EMAIL DAVE | HOME |
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| (1956–Current) BACKSTORY: Manufactured by the Klaus Company Bavaria, the Astro Jets “flew” in a 50' circle reaching heights upwards of 36'. The attraction stood between the Submarine Voyage and Flight to the Moon. In 1964, United Airlines (a new sponsor for “The Enchanted Tiki Room”) disputed the name “Astro Jets” was free advertising for American Airlines’ coast-to-coast jet-airline service, so the name was changed to Tomorrowland Jets. The attraction closed September of 1966 to make room for the new Tomorrowland, reopening in August 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 was its replica Saturn V/NASA-themed rocket in the center. Rocket Jets lifted guests 70' above ground. 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 Astro Orbitor was planned to be placed where the Rocket Jets were, but weighed too much for the current building. Instead, it was moved to the Tomorrowland entrance and placed on groundlevel, thus making the ride the new focal point as guests step from the main plaza of Disneyland into Tomorrowland. The top Rocket Jets mechanism was dismantled and a kinetic satellite-themed sculpture known as Observatron was built out of the ride’s skeletal structure. |
1950’s |
) Aug. 1956 |
) Sept. 1956 |
) Fess Parker & Kathleen Crowley, 1956 |
) 1956/57 |
) 1958 |
) June 24, 1959 |
) June 1959 |
) Sept. 1959 |
) Nov. 1959 |
) 1950s |
) 1950s |
) 1950s |
1960’s–1970’s |
1990’s+ |
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) Sounds of The Astro Jets: “Please tear out your C coupon, and hand it to the operator. To make your jet go up, push up on the handle. To make your jet go down, push down on the handle. Please remain seated at all times. And, away we go! Pshshshsh!” Then, “Please remain seated until your jet comes to a complete stop.” (Yes! It was a C coupon then (same as Dumbo), but later upgraded to D when the new Rocket Jets were put in.) All day long and into the night. Our Flight Circle was right next to it. In fact, for the New Year’s Eve Party, each cast member had to volunteer 2 hours of ride operation as your pass to attend. I ran the Jets. It was worth it! Tidbit: It’s well known that The Jets were built by a German company. But few remember that its base was a Panzer tank turret.FROM JUNE 1963: The guy in the center flying the plane is Bart Klapinski and the announcer is me (with one hand behind the back . . . they used to rib me about the “military” stance.) Since it is a two man crew, I would assume it's a week day. Note the lights on at Hobbyland and the “next-show” clock reading that the time was the 4:30 show (we changed the clock AFTER the show). What fools we were thinking that all that fun would go on forever. (Very few aircraft scattered to the left, so I would guess that it was early in the show). The angle is from the Skyway. In July 1963 I went off for basic training in the Naval Air Reserve for three months to Memphis, and then to Los Alamitos Naval Air Station (now the Air National Guard base). By the first part of the following year, the Circle was running a minimal schedule (Wed thru Sun, 12:00 to 5:00) in the winter. I went back to college part time in the AM and worked at the Circle in the afternoons. By the summer of '64 we were back to full time again (10 hours a day, 4 days a week). We had about 10 guys working there, some of which I do not remember the names because they seemed to come and go. Five of us were the main backbone group (Keith Palmer, George Molitor, Bart Klapinski, Don Hatcher, and myself). |
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