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Space Mountain is Cleared for Launch

November 13, 2009 1:24 pm

The Disney Parks Blog posted more information on Space Mountain’s on-going refurbishment this morning:

Space Mountain
We have more details to share about the Space Mountain attraction at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park as renovation work wraps up.

As you know, the classic Space Mountain experience still exists — it’s just being updated with new technology and 21st century gadgetry. Inside the attraction, there’s new lighting as well as special “darkening” effects. And you’ll see updated color schemes for rocket capsules, line and load areas. Imagineers worked with Walt Disney World Facilities Asset Management for even more enhancements, including new paint, carpet, seat fabric and other décor elements.
Space Mountain
But what caught my attention during a recent walkthrough were details about track upgrades. It’s the same track layout and overall look and feel but workers integrated new technology into the track while not changing the classic Space Mountain ride experience. “As technology evolves, it helps us enhance those elements without losing any essence of the attraction,” Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Show Designer Alex Wright says.

You should also know that a ride photo system will capture guests during their space flights on Space Mountain. It’ll utilize Disney’s Photopass, allowing you to access, share and purchase photos during and after a visit.

Alex says he thinks you’ll be “pleasantly surprised” with the enhancements.

In an update to yesterday’s confirmation of on-ride photo being added to the attraction, it now appears Space Mountain will utilize a similar system to Test Track at Epcot, where guests insert their Photopass cards into a machine to retrieve and save their photo.

Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as we get more information on Space Mountain’s imminent re-launch.

Topics: The Magic Kingdom |


Latest Forum Replies:

  1. Very cool! Glad to know that the on-ride cameras will use the Photopass. It seems no other attractions do. It's great to hear that it will be darker. I cant wait!

    T-minus 8 days and counting!      by Imagineer2017
  2. There has been an update to the blog post saying it wont use Photopass like test track does...

    sounds like they got info crossed and it's a normal system like the other On Ride Photo attractions.      by figment1986
  3. Quote Originally Posted by figment1986 View Post
    sounds like they got info crossed and it's a normal system like the other On Ride Photo attractions.
    too bad....
    I heard it soft-opened today!      by Imagineer2017
  4. I'm sorry, but I'm really unimpressed by WDW's Space Mountain re-do. Aside from general touch-up (with projections and all), all that's new are the games, a roof, and a couple of new things in the exit ramp. It's the ride that really counts, and Disneyland definitely has WDW beat. No competition.      by dlnewstoday
  5. Quote Originally Posted by dlnewstoday View Post
    I'm sorry, but I'm really unimpressed by WDW's Space Mountain re-do. Aside from general touch-up (with projections and all), all that's new are the games, a roof, and a couple of new things in the exit ramp. It's the ride that really counts, and Disneyland definitely has WDW beat. No competition.
    Luke, ours is better period. There is no competition because ours is the largest, longest, the first, and the best, something you cannot beat.
    The games will make the wait less boring, and layer a new story. There's something else we have over you, story.All your story is is just "Space Venture, prepare to copy....Switch cameras to monitor space craft umbilical". Our will be something like "Flight 089, prepare for boarding at launch bay Bravo...Your attention please, flight 095 has been moved to launch bay Foxtrot due to comet debris on launch bay...."
    The ride will be much smoother no doubt, and is longer than DL's. Yours is about 1 minute of lift hills and 1 minute of ride, whereas ours is 30 seconds of lift hill, and 2 minutes of ride.
    We may not have SOBAT, but the thrill is all that is needed.
    Star Port 7-5 beats out SS77 any day.      by Imagineer2017
  6. Quote Originally Posted by Imagineer2017 View Post
    Luke, ours is better period. There is no competition because ours is the largest, longest, the first, and the best, something you cannot beat.
    I think I can say about all this, because I've been on both versions of the ride.

    Yours may be bigger, but that's only because you have two tracks. We still have the same capacity as you, because our vehicles fit double the people. The rides lengths are pretty darn similar. There's no way you can say yours is that much longer than Disneyland's.

    Quote Originally Posted by Imagineer2017 View Post
    All your story is is just "Space Venture, prepare to copy....Switch cameras to monitor space craft umbilical". Our will be something like "Flight 089, prepare for boarding at launch bay Bravo...Your attention please, flight 095 has been moved to launch bay Foxtrot due to comet debris on launch bay...."
    Doesn't sound like that much of a difference to me...

    Quote Originally Posted by Imagineer2017 View Post
    The ride will be much smoother no doubt, and is longer than DL's. Yours is about 1 minute of lift hills and 1 minute of ride, whereas ours is 30 seconds of lift hill, and 2 minutes of ride.
    We may not have SOBAT, but the thrill is all that is needed.
    From reports I have read, it's still a very bumpy ride. Not quite as bad as before, but still bumpy. You have thrill, while we have thrill and on-ride audio. This whole refurbishment did barely anything to the ride itself, which needed way more attention than the queue or the exit. Having rode WDW's in July 2007, then Disneyland's for the first time the next month, I was absolutely gobsmacked by how much better Disneyland's version truly is.      by dlnewstoday
  7. Quote Originally Posted by dlnewstoday View Post
    Yours may be bigger, but that's only because you have two tracks. We still have the same capacity as you, because our vehicles fit double the people. The rides lengths are pretty darn similar. There's no way you can say yours is that much longer than Disneyland's.
    The SOBAT lasts about 2 minutes, 45 seconds. The fun, not hill climb portion starts at about 1 minute in, and ends at about 2 and a half minutes. This means the fun part is about 1.5 minutes.
    The whole ride on of ours is 2.5 minutes, with the lift hills and warp accounting for about 30-40 seconds. This means the fun part lasts for about 2 minutes.
    I'm not sure how time works over in California, but over here, 2 minutes is more than 1.5 minutes.
    Track length for WDW-3186-3196 ft; Track length for DL-3035 ft. Not a major difference, but still enough.
    One thing you do have is capacity. Ours can hold 6 ppl per train, your can carry double that, 12.
    Quote Originally Posted by dlnewstoday View Post
    Doesn't sound like that much of a difference to me...
    Maybe not, but ours sounds more exciting, and adds a story. You don't play "Switch the Camera" in your queue, do you?
    Quote Originally Posted by dlnewstoday View Post
    From reports I have read, it's still a very bumpy ride. Not quite as bad as before, but still bumpy.
    Just where from? It hadn't opened to the public until today.
    Quote Originally Posted by dlnewstoday View Post
    This whole refurbishment did barely anything to the ride itself, which needed way more attention than the queue or the exit.
    The queue needed it...a little. It was dull and dry. No change since 1975, except for the TVs.
    The ride is now much darker, which was needed desperately.


    Disclaimer-
    I still belie that this is all sectionalism! We think our attractions to be better because they are ours.          by Imagineer2017
  8. Quote Originally Posted by Imagineer2017 View Post
    Just where from? It hadn't opened to the public until today.
    Another forum where people got the chance to ride it.      by dlnewstoday
  9. Quote Originally Posted by dlnewstoday View Post
    Another forum where people got the chance to ride it.
    got a link? Just curious.      by Imagineer2017
  10. Quote Originally Posted by Imagineer2017 View Post
    got a link? Just curious.
    I forgot where I saw it now, but I definitely did see it somewhere.      by dlnewstoday
  11. Quote Originally Posted by dlnewstoday View Post
    I forgot where I saw it now, but I definitely did see it somewhere.
    I believe it. I'm surprised to hear it's rough. Usually Alpha was the rough side, maybe it wont be as rough.      by Imagineer2017
  12. Quote Originally Posted by Imagineer2017 View Post
    One thing you do have is capacity. Ours can hold 6 ppl per train, your can carry double that, 12.
    [/U][/B]
    Just wanted to point out that our SM and thier SM capacity as Luke said is nearly the same we have 2 tracks six riders per car = 12, DL has 1 track 12 people cars = 12. However WDW's having two tracks means we can go 101 on one track and continue at half capacity something DL's can't if you are looking at rider throughput.      by jheyman
  13. Quote Originally Posted by jheyman View Post
    Just wanted to point out that our SM and thier SM capacity as Luke said is nearly the same we have 2 tracks six riders per car = 12, DL has 1 track 12 people cars = 12. However WDW's having two tracks means we can go 101 on one track and continue at half capacity something DL's can't if you are looking at rider throughput.
    Ohhh! Justin's right. How 'bout that Luke?
    Either way, its all sectionalism.
    BTW, saw the new train color scheme, they look brilliant!      by Imagineer2017
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