Golden Zephyr

Golden Zephyr is an attraction at Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Themed to the Buck Rogers and the Flash Gordon style rocket ships, it takes park guests on a relaxing trip. Unlike its cousins Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Astro Orbitor in Disneyland, the Golden Zephyr rockets are controlled by centripetal motion over Paradise Bay and cannot be automatically controlled to go up and down.

The Golden Zephyr's design comes from the Harry Traver Circle Swing rides of the early 20th century, specifically the Aerostat / Strat-O-Stat ride that operated at Park (Chicago) Riverview Park in Chicago, Illinois. In designing the ride, Disney engineers visited Beach Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Blackpool, England to examine the Captive Flying Machines, a similar (but much larger) ride designed by Stevens Maxim Sir Hiram Maxim, and which has operated there since 1904.

Unfortunately, the ride cannot operate at constant wind speeds over 10 miles per hour (16 km/h), or gusts over 15 miles per hour (24 km/h). This attraction, along with Jumpin' Jellyfish will not be removed nor charged as part of the ongoing billion-dollar expansion.