Space Mountain Ride

Unbelievable sights, Indescribable feeling, Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling, Through an endless diamond sky. No, we are not talking about Aladdin. We are blasting into space on Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain ride located in Tomorrowland.

The icon of Tomorrowland (at least for right now) is Space Mountain. It can be seen from the top of the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. Everyone knows about Space Mountain whether they have ridden it or not. But today I will bring you some information that may not be known and let you know if you Space Mountain is the ride for you.

However, as much as others love Space Mountain, I know that it is not for me. I can count the number of times I have ridden it on one hand and that was still probably too many. Granted, I have been able to use excuses such as, “I’m pregnant,” or “I just sit and nurse the baby.” 

FASTPASS:  Available for this ride. A FastPass is almost always needed for Space Mountain unless you get to the ride right after rope drop. This was the destination for almost all Magic Kingdom visitors right after rope drop until the addition of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

HISTORY OF SPACE MOUNTAIN

Location: Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. Entrance is

Opening Date: January 15, 1975

Originally sponsored by RCA from 1975 to 1993. RCA helped fund the construction of Space Mountain. The ride was then sponsored by FedEX from 1994 to 2004.

Walt Disney’s inspiration for this ride was based on the Matterhorn Bobsleds which is designed as a “mountain attraction.” The same company that helped design Matterhorn Bobsleds was used for Space Mountain – Arrow Development. The concept name was Space Voyage, but the name Space Mountain began to be used in 1966. 

To enter the ride, you actually pass underneath the tracks for The Walt Disney World Railroad. The Space Mountain ride is actually outside the railroad loop and once inside the queue you walk through the tunnel under the railroad.

TYPE OF RIDE: Steel roller coaster in an enclosed structure. This is a dark ride (lights out). The style of the cars is bobsled.

POTENTIAL SENSORY PROCESSING ISSUES INVOLVING SPACE MOUNTAIN

This is a roller coaster. However, it is a dark ride – there are no lights on during the ride. You ride a coaster in the dark. Did I mention darkness? 

When entering the queue, you enter into a series of tunnels designed to look like a spaceport. Eventually, you enter the loading area. 

The trains sit three passengers per car with 1 person across. The seats are separate so you cannot hold the person in front of you. There is a lap bar that comes down and sits snugly against you.

Since the majority of the ride is in the dark, you will not be able to see how your child is doing on the ride. There are videos that show the ride with night vision technology, but that is not the view you will have. But besides some flashing lights and a few planets, it is dark inside. 

At the beginning of the ride, there is a Memory Maker ride photo that is taken. 

Additionally, there will be people screaming (because it is a roller coaster). In the beginning, there are flashing and swirling lights, and again towards the end of the ride, the trains pass through a red swirling wormhole. 

HEIGHT REQUIREMENT 44″ If your child is under 44″ they may not ride. 

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE Must transfer from wheelchair/ECV

TIPS FOR RIDING:

Ride first thing in the morning. Many times right before park closing is a great time to ride.

At times the lights may come on. This is an excellent time to check out what the inside of this building looks like. 

Additionally, the PeopleMover travels through the outer edges of Space Mountain. If you are riding the PeopleMover when the lights come on, you will get a rare treat.

Nighttime views from above are spectacular, especially during the fireworks. California Grill offers a wonderful view of Magic Kingdom.

FUN FACTS:

Even though Space Mountain was conceptualized in the 1960s, it could not be built until technology advanced.

Speed is 28 mph. G-force is 3.7 Ride duration is approximately 2 and 1/2 minutes.

Space Mountain is the oldest operating roller coaster in the state of Florida

There are 30 trains with 2 cars on each train. Riders are 1 across with 3 per car (6 per train)

This was the world’s first entirely enclosed roller coaster.

Space Mountain was designed to be shorter in height than Cinderella Castle. This was intentional because the park icon is the Castle, and they didn’t want anything overshadowing it. However, Space Mountain is 300 feet in circumference. 

OTHER TOMORROWLAND RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS:

Astro Orbiter

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Carousel of Progress

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Stitch’s Great Escape

Tomorrowland Speedway

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover