A Ticket to Tomorrowland Rides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Tomorrowland is a futuristic land located in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. This popular land is home to some of Disney’s most iconic attractions.

This article will take a detailed look at Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World. We’ll cover the attractions, dining options, and shops you can expect to find while touring.

Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland has been undergoing a bit of a makeover the past few years. Most of the makeover has been in preparation for the land’s newest attraction.

Tron Lightcycle Power Run is under construction in the back of the Tomorrowland. Like every other anticipated attraction being built at Disney World, it is expected to open.

When? Who knows?

A few years ago, the bridge to Tomorrowland received new signage.

This article was updated on March 1, 2022.

Confessionally, I admit to spending quite a good amount of time in Tomorrowland. There is just something about the background music and overall vibe of this quirky land.

Then you have the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover. Many of us could spend an entire day on this ride if cast members were allowing re-rides.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason, but this futuristic land has a way of making guests feel right at home.

Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom

Disney World’s Tomorrowland Rides

  • Astro Orbiter
  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
  • Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
  • Space Mountain
  • Tomorrowland Speedway
  • Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
  • Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
  • Tron (Coming Soon)

Character Meets in Tomorrowland

  • Buzz Lightyear
  • Stitch

Dining in Tomorrowland

  • Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies
  • Cool Ship
  • Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
  • The Lunching Pad
  • Tomorrowland Terrace

Retail

  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Photos
  • Merchant of Venus
  • Star Traders
  • Tomorrowland Light & Power Co.
  • Ursa’s Major Minor Mart

Tomorrowland Rides at Disney World

There are several rides and attractions to cover for Tomorrowland. In fact, there are seven total items to experience attraction-wise while in the area.

From the classic roller coaster, Space Mountain, to the theater-style home of Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, there is something for everyone here.

Our first Tomorrowland ride is a true classic, Astro Orbiter. This attraction might be considered the most hidden ride in the Magic Kingdom.

Astro Orbiter is one of those rides you have to look up to see. It even requires you to catch an elevator to access it.

A sign on the ground level indicates the wait time and a few other things.

The majority of the line for Astro Orbiter is on the ground level, so you should be able to gauge how many people are in front of you. You’ll want to remember that it takes a little time to board the elevator, ride it up.

There’s usually one entire ride’s worth ahead of you when you make it up to the top platform.

Once you get to the top and it’s your party’s time to board, you’ll climb into one of these rockets and get ready to blast off in typical spinner-style fashion.

The good news is the views are amazing. The bad news is there’s a lot of forced gravity here as the spinning motion tends to make it difficult to adjust in your rocket.

Our next ride in Tomorrowland is Space Ranger Spin. Most all will want to take a turn on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin during your visit to the Magic Kingdom.

Space Ranger Spin operates on a slow-moving Omni-mover ride system.

For reference, the Omni-mover ride system is also used on other popular attractions in the Magic Kingdom like Haunted Mansion and The Little Mermaid ride.

So, what makes it spin? This attraction has a control that allows you to turn if you desire. The object of Space Ranger Spin is to use the interactive controls to shoot at targets and defeat the evil Emperor Zurg.

Therefore, the spinner helps you make slight or broad adjustments to help hit your target. Or you can use it to throw the person next to you off their game if they are beating you. I wouldn’t know anything about that last part.

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor is another attraction in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom. This attraction comes in the form of a comedy show. Typically, the only real wait time will be however long it is until the next showtime.

Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor has a duration of approximately 15 minutes. My best advice is not to sit behind the seats with lamps in front of them.

The show does ask for audience participation, and the lamps help light up the area for the person they call on during the show. It’s pretty humorous for those who haven’t visited prior, but Laugh Floor is not a must-do attraction.

Tomorrowland is probably most known for its Space Mountain roller coaster ride. The indoor coaster recently celebrated its 45th anniversary at the Magic Kingdom. This attraction is an interior roller coaster where most of the ride is in the dark.

Space Mountain is considered a thrill ride with a height requirement of 44 inches. This attraction meets to long wait times throughout the day.

If you are looking for a ride for children in Tomorrowland, look no further than the Speedway. Almost every child wants to drive their very own car, and that’s the whole idea of Tomorrowland Speedway.

This classic attraction is entirely outdoors, so it won’t be operating in the event of severe weather.

However, the lines can get pretty long during the day, and the queue is almost wholly in direct sunlight. You’ll eventually get down to the two-person vehicle and take off down the tracks.

Parents, it’s easy to reach over and push the gas pedal from the passenger side if your child’s feet can’t quite make it.

There is a 32″ height requirement to drive a car on the Tomorrowland Speedway ride.

While in Tomorrowland, you’ll want to hop aboard the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover. This slow-moving attraction is the perfect place to break from crowds, rest your feet, or enjoy the views of Tomorrowland.

You’ll take a moving speed ramp up. At least, I hope it’s moving.

You’ll enter a small queue up top before stepping onto the moving platform. Seats on the Peoplemover face forward and backward.

Prepare to sit back, relax, and enjoy some pretty remarkable views along the way.

The Peoplemover has a duration of about 16 minutes, often making it a spot where tired kids fall asleep by the end.

One of the attractions you’ll see while on the Peoplemover is Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. This attraction initially debuted at the 1964-65 World’s Fair and later at Disneyland before moving to Walt Disney World in 1975.

Carousel of Progress is a rotating theater where the theater seats move to the next scene. The idea is the story of the progression of time dating back four generations.

At this time, the ending scene is, unfortunately, a bit dated. But hopes are high that eventually this attraction will be refurbished to bring it into more modern times.

Carousel of Progress is an excellent place to break in the event of afternoon rain, crowds, or hot temperatures.

There are two opportunities to meet Buzz Lightyear in the theme parks at Walt Disney World. The first is here in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom.

Additionally, Buzz Lightyear meets over in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios.

Buzz Lightyear meets at intermittent times during the afternoon hours. Make sure to check the times guide on the day of your visit.

Stitch also meets in Tomorrowland. You can find him across the way from Laugh Floor in the home of his former attraction. Or he sometimes greets guests from the Tomorrowland stage.

If you want to learn more, I have a complete Magic Kingdom characters guide.

Additionally, I keep every character meet documented on the Disney World Characters page.

Tomorrowland offers quite a few counter and quick-service dining opportunities. However, there aren’t any table service locations, so nothing here will require a reservation.

Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies is your ice cream shop here in Tomorrowland. They offer sundaes, floats, and milkshakes. Here’s a preview of their menu.

Cool Ship, shown in the picture below, sells churros and soft drinks. (Insider joke-there might be someone in charge of buying churros after you leave Laugh Floor. Just follow “that guy.”)

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe is our favorite counter-service chicken nuggets location of all time. OF ALL TIME! They have burgers, questionable special menu items, and fries. Take a look at the menu here. I know you can’t wait to try the latest!

The Lunching Pad is one of those spots that kind of serves a dual purpose. First, it shares a location with two attractions, the Peoplemover and Astro Orbiter.

You can see what I mean in the picture below. Expect to find sandwiches, pretzels, hot dogs, and frozen sodas on the menu here.

Our last stop for dining is the Tomorrowland Terrace. Below is a look at one of the dining areas, but unfortunately, this location is usually closed.

You might find it open during the holidays or other high crowd times.

It is, however, the location of the “extra-cost” fireworks viewing parties held nightly.

Additionally, you’ll find a Joffrey’s Revive coffee location over toward Space Mountain in Tomorrowland.

And there’s a pretzel and popcorn cart that is usually out and about. It seems the snack carts usually serve pretzels until early evening and then change over to popcorn.

Like the rest of the lands, Tomorrowland offers some specific-themed shopping locations.

We have a complete list of Disney restaurant reviews available.

Related: Disney Restaurant Reviews

Typically, we recommend planning at least one Disney World character dining meal and a Disney signature dining reservation.

When you exit Space Ranger Spin, you’ll find yourself in Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Photos. This is one of those shops where the ride dumps you into it before the actual exit.

They have Toy Story-themed merchandise here and the opportunity to view your on-ride photos at the end.

Merchant of Venus is probably one of the largest shops in Tomorrowland. Expect to find a variety of futuristic items.

Its location is just past the entrance to Stitch’s meet and greet. You might want to note that this is the store you see from above when riding the Peoplemover.

Star Traders sits next door and shares a location with Merchant of Venus. Expect more items themed toward children in this area of the store.

Tomorrowland Light and Power Co. is the retail shop at the end of the Space Mountain exit. This store is where you’ll find items branded specifically to Space Mountain.

Ursa’s Major Minor Mart is an outdoor kiosk carrying pins and other souvenirs. Ursa’s is located next to Cool Ship.

Final Thoughts on Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom

As we near the end of this review, I would like to make one more point. Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland is one of those unique spots that you will probably want to tour not only in the daytime but evening as well.

The entire land lights up differently at night. Newer lands like Pandora at Animal Kingdom and Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios help us recognize much more of this evening appeal.

I guess Tomorrowland was just ahead of its time, but I think that’s the whole idea in the first place.

I hope you enjoyed this Magic Kingdom by land review. We have one more stop at Disney World’s Main Street U.S.A. to make before wrapping up the entire series.

So if you haven’t caught our other stops, make sure to check them out:

Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. Also, make sure to check out some of our resources like the list Disney World Hotel Reviews.

Additionally, if you plan to spend time at Magic Kingdom, you might consider staying in one of the Magic Kingdom Resorts. They are as follows:

Lastly, our most popular reviews include the best restaurants at Disney Springs, and I keep a timeline going of Disney Loungefly mini-backpacks.

So what is your favorite land in Magic Kingdom? Are you a Tomorrowland fan or not? They had me at the Peoplemover!

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Amber

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Amber is the owner and author of Resorts Gal.  She spends over 100 days on average every year visiting the Walt Disney World Resorts and surrounding Orlando area.

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