Rocket Jets

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Rocket Jets was an attraction at Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the third-generation spinning rocket attraction in Tomorrowland. It opened in 1967 for the new Tomorrowland and closed in 1997 for the 1998 New Tomorrowland. Upon the decision to redo Tomorrowland for 1998, the Rocket Jets, three-stories above the ground, would be replaced by a newer attraction, based off Disneyland Paris' Orbitron, at the entrance to Tomorrowland. The Rocket Jets are still in their place above the PeopleMover station, as the Observatron, a sculpture that would spin around and play music every fifteen minutes, with the rockets replaced by satellite dishes, and the Saturn V rocket in the center replaced by a laser-beam. The Saturn V rocket in that the rockets were attached to was sold on eBay by Disney Auction in 2005.

Now, the Rocket Jets' replacement, the Astro Orbitor doesn't fit in with the new 2005 Tomorrowland, in which much of the land was repainted as a mixture of its 1967 and 1998 color scheme, mostly towards the 1967 colors, leaving most of the gold gone, so many have theorized that it will be removed and a new version of the Rocket Jets will open up where the skeletal remains of it are now.

The Observatron, the Rocket Jets without the NASA decorations and rockets, the centerpiece of the new Tomorrowland in 1998, would rotate along to music every 15 minutes, but often malfunctioned, as the machinery was built for more than four uses per hour, and it was built to handle the rockets, not satellite dishes. It was fixed in summer 2005, and although it has occasionally broken down (e.g., September 2005), it was working in December 2005.

Attraction facts

Grand opening: July 2, 1967
Closure date: January 6, 1997
Designer: WED Enterprises
Vehicle theme: Saturn V rocket
Previous attraction: Astro-Jets (1956-1966)
Future attractions:
* Astro Orbitor (Design)
* Observatron (Location)
Required ticket: "D"
Ride system: Rocket Spinner

Attractions at Disneyland-style parks

Frontierland: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Country Bear Jamboree | Pinewood Indians | Rivers of America

Adventureland: Indiana Jones Adventure | Jungle Cruise | Pirates of the Caribbean | Raging Spirits | Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

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