Space Mountainis a space-themed indoorroller coasterattraction located at five of the sixDisneyland-styleDisney Parks.Although all five versions of the attraction are different in nature, all have a similar conical exteriorfaçadethat is a landmark for the respective park. The original Space Mountain coaster opened in 1975 atWalt Disney World ResortinFlorida.There are two tracks within this attraction, Alpha and Omega, which passengers can choose from. Other versions of the attraction were built at all other Disney parks except forShanghai Disneyland.
| Space Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Space Mountain entrance in theHong Kong Disneylandversion prior toStar Wars"Hyperspace" retheming | |
| Magic Kingdom | |
| Area | Tomorrowland |
| Coordinates | 28°25′09″N81°34′38″W/ 28.41917°N 81.57722°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | January 15, 1975 |
 Lightning LaneAvailable | |
| Disneyland | |
| Name | Space Mountain |
| Area | Tomorrowland |
| Coordinates | 33°48′40″N117°55′03″W/ 33.811°N 117.9174°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 27, 1977(original) July 15, 2005(reopening) |
| Closing date | April 10, 2003(original) |
| Website | [1] |
| Lightning LaneAvailable | |
| Tokyo Disneyland | |
| Name | Space Mountain |
| Area | Tomorrowland |
| Coordinates | 35°37′56″N139°52′40″E/ 35.632339°N 139.877753°E |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | April 15, 1983 |
| Closing date | July 31, 2024 |
| Replaced by | Space Mountain (2027)[2] |
| Disneyland Park (Paris) | |
| Name | Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain |
| Area | Discoveryland |
| Coordinates | 48°52′26.69″N2°46′45.30″E/ 48.8740806°N 2.7792500°E |
| Status | Temporarily closed for exterior reimagining. |
| Opening date | June 1, 1995(De la Terre à la Lune) May 7, 2017(Hyperspace Mountain) |
| Replaced | Space Mountain: Mission 2 |
 Disney Premier AccessAvailable | |
| Hong Kong Disneyland | |
| Name | Hyperspace Mountain Tinh chiến cực tốc xuyên toa |
| Area | Tomorrowland |
| Coordinates | 22°18′50.4″N114°02′28.2″E/ 22.314000°N 114.041167°E |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | September 12, 2005(as Space Mountain) June 11, 2016(as Hyperspace Mountain) |
| Replaced | Space Mountain (2005) |
| Disney Premier AccessAvailable | |
| Ride statistics | |
| Manufacturer | [[Arrow Dynamics(Florida,Tokyo);Dynamic Structures(California);Vekoma(Hong Kong,Paris)]] |
History
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The Space Mountain concept was a descendant of the first Disney "mountain" attraction, theMatterhorn BobsledsatDisneyland,which opened in 1959.[3]The Matterhorn's success had convincedWalt Disneythat thrilling rides did have a place in his park.[4]
WEDpartnered withArrow Development Company,the same company that had helped design the Matterhorn's roller coaster systems years before.[5]The initial concept was to have four separate tracks, but the technology available at the time, combined with the amount of space required versus that which was available within Disneyland, made such a design impossible.[5]
By 1969, the concept was moved to Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland had the right amount of available land, and computing technology had improved significantly since the initial design phases.[6]However, it was decided the mountain would be built outside the park, on the opposite side of the train tracks that act as the perimeter of the park. To help cover the cost of developing and building Space Mountain,Card Walker,theCEOof Walt Disney Productions, convincedRCAchairman Robert Sarnoff to sponsor the new attraction; RCA was contracted by Disney to provide the communications hardware for the Walt Disney World Resort, and their contract stated that if Disney presented an attraction of interest, RCA would provide US$10 million to support it.[7]Space Mountain then opened on January 15, 1975.
A musical-variety episode of NBC'sWonderful World of Disneycelebrated the opening on March 23, 1975. Starring actorLucie Arnaz,it was the first Walt Disney World network special, the previous one being syndicated.[8]
Ride changes
edit- When the Walt Disney World version first opened, the post-show featured new home technology created by its then-sponsor, RCA. One of the innovations was a laser disc home video system, seen playing a clip ofKurt RussellsingingThe Archies' hit song, "Sugar, Sugar"in a clip fromThe Wonderful World of DisneyHaunted Mansion preview episode. Russell had also recorded "Sugar, Sugar" for his own Capitol Records LP. The RCA mascotNipperwas originally part of the ride as the iconic dog listening to a gramophone but inside of a space ship; after the end of the RCA sponsorship, Nipper was made into a robot dog.[9]
Disneyland
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The success of Walt Disney World's Space Mountain prompted designers to revisit their original plan to build one for Disneyland. After two years of construction, the $20 million complex opened on May 27, 1977, including the roller coaster, 1,100-seat Space Stage, 670-seat Space Place (fast foodrestaurant) andStarcade.[10]
Six of theoriginal sevenMercuryastronautsattended Space Mountain's opening:Scott Carpenter,Gordon Cooper,SenatorJohn Glenn,Wally Schirra,Alan Shepard,andDeke Slayton.The lone exception wasGus Grissom,who had died in theApollo 1fire ten years earlier.[11]Due in part to the opening of Space Mountain, theMemorial Dayday attendance record was set, with 185,500 guests over the three-day period.[10]Space Mountain at Disneyland was designed by Bill Watkins ofWalt Disney Imagineering,including a tubular steel track design awardedU.S. patent 4,029,019.Due to space limitations, Disneyland's Space Mountain consists of only one track as opposed to the Magic Kingdom's two, and is of a completely different layout than either track of the latter park's.
Tokyo Disneyland
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Space Mountain atTokyo Disneylandopened with the park on April 15, 1983. It was the first version of Space Mountain to open concurrently with the park. From its opening in 1983 and until late 2006, Tokyo Disneyland's Space Mountain was an almost exact clone of Disneyland's Space Mountain. The ride was then redesigned to have a more sci-fi futuristic look to it similar to refurbished Walt Disney World version, with new effects, and a new spaceport which features a futuristic spaceship hanging from the ceiling. Like its Walt Disney World counterpart, there is no ride audio to the seats.
On April 27, 2022,The Oriental Land Companyannounced that the current version of the attraction will close in July 31, 2024, in order to be completely rebuilt as part of a wider redevelopment of the park's Tomorrowland area. The new version of the attraction is expected to open in 2027.[2]
Disneyland Paris
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The version atDisneyland Parisopened on June 1, 1995, three years after the opening of the park.[12]It was originally calledDe la Terre à la Lune,and was originally designed as a view on space travel from aJules Verne-era perspective, based on the novelFrom the Earth to the Moon.The track is significantly different from the other four, as it's the only one to include a launch and 3 inversions (Sidewinder, Corkscrew, Horseshoe).
The ride was praised for its unique storytelling and theme, its cutting edge visual effects, and honoring the legacy ofJules Verne.It was also the first rollercoaster to feature music synced to the ride, which allowedWalt Disney Imagineeringto feature the same system on future rides, such asRock 'n' Roller Coaster.Furthermore, the success of the ride allowed Disneyland Paris to see its first profits, after the financial troubles the company had run through shortly after opening the park.[13]
It underwent modifications in 2005 and became Space Mountain: Mission 2.[14]This journey was slightly different from the first as it took riders beyond the Moon, to the very edge of theuniverse.In January 2015 the ride closed for yet another refurbishment and was reopened in August 2015. The ride temporarily closed on January 8, 2017 and was replaced withStar Wars:Hyperspace Mountainon May 7.
Hong Kong Disneyland
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Space Mountain atHong Kong Disneylandwas based on the refurbished Space Mountain at Disneyland, with a similar soundtrack and the same layout. It also featured new show elements not presented in the refurbished California version (i.e. a "hyperspeed" tunnel). It did not feature the Rockin' Space Mountain configuration that was featured in Disneyland's Space Mountain in 2007.
Unlike most Space Mountains, the boarding area for the attraction is quite small. Not present is a Space Station of its two most similar counterparts at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. Instead, a dark queue featuring neon earth-tone colored planets along with star patterns decorate the area. Lining the walls of the station are colored neon light bars that are used for lighting and decoration.
Similar to the Disneyland Paris version of the ride, itsStar Wars"Hyperspace Mountain" overlay theming, originally meant to be temporary, has become the permanent theme of the ride. The queue area has been fully refurbished with the addition of a full-sized replica X-Wing, a character meeting area as well as a grey and whiteStar Warsqueueline theme, although some elements of the original queue have also remained intact such as the planet models and star patterns. The ride's storyline is identical to the Disneyland Paris version.
Ghost Galaxy
edit| Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy | |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong Disneyland | |
| Area | Tomorrowland |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | September 24, 2007 |
| Closing date | October 31, 2013 |
| Disneyland | |
| Area | Tomorrowland |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | September 25, 2009 |
| Closing date | October 31, 2018 |
| Replaced | Space Mountain: Nightmare Nebula |
| Ride statistics | |
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering |
 Must transfer from wheelchair | |
Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy(Traditional Chinese:Kinh tâm động phách thái không sơn ) was a seasonal Halloween overlay of Space Mountain at Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland. It first premiered atHong Kong Disneylandin 2007, and premiered atDisneylandon September 25, 2009, as part of the Halloween season at the parks.[15]The latter made use of effects previously used for the Rockin' Space Mountain overlay in 2007.
Inside the space station, the planet screen at the front of the station had been changed to reflect the overlay, as well. While viewing the planet, a green "storm" appeared over the planet, causing interruptions to the video feed. Static appeared, then a blue screen, reminiscent of the WindowsBlue Screen of Death,saying "LOSS OF SIGNAL...," "SEARCHING..." and "SIGNAL ESTABLISHED". Outside on the dome, five projections played, with several Halloween-themed color schemes appearing between these projection shows:
- The first projection showed the dome becoming a dull grey, with cracks and breaks forming on the dome. Suddenly, the dome seemed to crumble and fall into nothingness. Then, a green grid appeared at the top section of the dome, accompanied with a loud humming sound.
- The second projection showed an alien arm resembling that of the nebula ghost running, pushing against the dome from the inside.
- The third projection showed yellow scratch marks appearing on the dome.
- The fourth projection showed lightning bolts shooting up the left side of the dome, then the right, the middle, and finally the entire dome itself.
- The last projection showed the dome being turned into a bluish-purple radar, with explosions that appeared on the dome, resembling activity of the nebula ghosts.
Ride changes
editWith the refurbishments to Space Mountain, Ghost Galaxy had some significant changes.
- The soundtrack echoed the attraction
- The red lights at the top of the first lift hill were an eerie green.
- The flashing blue light tunnel between the first and second lift hills were pitch black.
- Instead of the spinning galaxy beyond the second lift, a giant ghost nebula electrified the lift.
- Projections of otherworldly wisps could be seen before the final lift, along with the ghostly nebula.
- The ghosts popped up unexpectedly. Two places that were notorious for this were at a steep drop near the end as trains narrowly avoided being "clawed" by an unseen arm. The other spot was a ghostly head that popped out of the wall after the onride picture is taken when the train makes the final right turn to reenter the station.
Star Wars:Hyperspace Mountain
editStar Wars:Hyperspace Mountainis a seasonal version of Space Mountain atDisneyland.TheStar Warsthemed overlay of the ride first made its debut in Disneyland on November 16, 2015 at the "Season of the Force" event held at the parks to celebrate the release of the newStar Warsmovie,Star Wars: The Force Awakens.TheStar Warstheming of the ride then became the permanent main attraction at bothDisneyland ParisandHong Kong Disneyland.The parks will periodically re-theme Space Mountain back to Hyperspace Mountain for a select few days of the year in the instance of special events at the parks. The ride becomesStar Warsthemed again with the release of everyStar Warsmovie sinceThe Force Awakensand for special events held at the parks such as Disneyland After Dark: 80s Nite.
Ride changes
edit- The line queue has specialStar Warsthemed lore and safety videos.
- The launch tunnel includes voiceovers of pilots speaking and a projection of stars.
- The car accelerates at the end of the launch tunnel to simulate entering "lightspeed".
- John Williams' music fromStar Warsplays throughout the duration of the ride.
- A projection is displayed of a journey to the planetJakkuwhere the riders encounter TIE fighters and X-Wings.
Rockin' Space Mountain
edit
Rockin' Space Mountain was a version of Space Mountain in Disneyland that was first presented as part of the "Year of a Million Dreams"Celebration at the parks in 2007. The ride was designed to transform from the original version of Space Mountain to this special edition at night time only. The concept was created by Disney Grad Nites which were private events not held for the general public. These special events are where they first began the concept of re-theming rides.
Ride changes
edit- The soundtrack is changed to the song "Higher Ground" by theRed Hot Chili Peppers
- Colored, flashing lights are along the track
- "Uncle" Joe Benson, a radio disc jockey from the Disney-owned95.5 KLOS,welcomes riders
Film
editScreenwriterMax Landiswrote a feature film based on the Space Mountain attraction, which was developed for a short time atDisney.The film was based in a 1950sJetsons-esque retro-future. This idea of the future wouldn't contain the internet or cell phones but would be powered by many large contraptions and robots. One key plot point of the film involved the idea of people getting sent into hyperspace and, upon their return, realizing their souls had gone missing from them and they would eventually transform into terrifying monsters. The film was ultimately scrapped.[16]
On October 9, 2020, a new film adaptation of the ride was announced to be in development at Disney, withJoby Haroldproducing and writing the film alongsideTory Tunnellproducing under their Safehouse Pictures banner.Dan Linand Jonathan Eirich ofRidebackwill also produce. Unlike the original idea, the film is described as a family adventure.[17]
The Space Mountain building is featured asan "easter egg"in the Disney filmsMeet the Robinsons(alongsideRocket Jets)andTomorrowland.
On April 19, 2024, it was announced thatJosh AppelbaumandAndré Nemechad been tapped to write a script for aSpace Mountainfilm for Disney.
Graphic novel
editIn November 2013,Disney Publishing WorldwiderevivedDisney Comicsas an imprint in the US[18]with the imprint's first publication was theSpace Mountaingraphic novel, its first original graphic novel, released on May 7, 2014.[19]
References
edit- ^"Disneyland Resort: Space Mountain".Disneyland official site.2007.Retrieved2007-08-30.[dead link]
- ^ab"Tokyo Disneyland Attraction Space Mountain and Surrounding Area to be Renovated"(PDF).Oriental Land CompanyLtd. April 27, 2022.RetrievedApril 27,2022.
- ^Surrell, Jason (2007).The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak.New York, New York: Disney Editions. pp. 37–49.ISBN978-1-4231-0155-0.
- ^Surrell 2007,p. 37.
- ^abSurrell 2007,pp. 38–40.
- ^Surrell 2007,pp. 41–44.
- ^Surrell 2007,p. 43.
- ^"Sights & Sounds at Disney Parks: Lucie Arnaz and the Space Mountain Launch".Disney Parks Blog.Archived fromthe originalon January 9, 2015.Retrieved2021-04-04.
- ^Ace, Shannen (3 February 2023)."New Stitch & RCA Dog Space Mountain Pin Lands at Walt Disney World - WDW News Today".wdwnt.com.WDW NEWS TODAY.
- ^abYee, Kevin."The Space Mountain Homepage (unofficial)".Ultimate Orlando.Archived fromthe originalon 2007-08-10.Retrieved2007-08-30.
- ^"Disneyland Resort: Space Mountain".Disneyland official site.2007. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-08-24.Retrieved2007-08-30.
- ^McKie, Robin (May 28, 1995)."Disney moves a mountain to save Paris pleasure park".The Indianapolis Star.London Observer Service.RetrievedNovember 20,2023– via Newspapers.com.
- ^News, Bloomberg Business (1995-11-16)."INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS;Euro Disney Reports Profit for '95, but the Future Remains Cloudy".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2024-08-06.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^"Euro Disney unveils Space Mountain revamp".NBC News.12 April 2005.
- ^Strodder, Chris (2017).The Disneyland Encyclopedia(3rd ed.).Santa Monica Daily Press.p. 449.ISBN978-1595800909.
- ^"Max Landis Reveals Details About His Shelved 'Space Mountain' Movie Script".SlashFilm.2017-09-26. Archived fromthe originalon 2020-10-16.Retrieved2024-04-05.
- ^Kit, Borys (October 9, 2020)."'Space Mountain' Movie in the Works With 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Writer (Exclusive) ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedOctober 9,2020.
- ^MacDonald, Heidi (November 13, 2013)."Disney Expands Its Comics Program".Publishers Weekly.RetrievedJanuary 10,2020.
- ^"Disney Comics Previews SPACE MOUNTAIN Graphic Novel".Newsarama.April 30, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 10,2020.