Space... Out

Space Mountain is considered by many the quintessential Disney thrill ride. Originally conceived in the 1960s as an expansion to Disneyland called "Space Port," early renderings clearly show that Space Mountain was to be Tomorrowland's answer to the Matterhorn. In this painting by Imagineer John Hench (©Disney), one can even spot points on the mountain at which the rockets would have zoomed around the exterior, just as the bobsleds do on Fantasyland's Swiss peak.

Technology wasn't quite ready to handle Space Mountain, however, so the 1967 redo of Tomorrowland at Disneyland moved forward without it. A few years later, in Florida, the Magic Kingdom opened its doors with a barely-there Tomorrowland and no thrill attractions whatsoever. The Imagineers of the day didn't think Florida's retiree population would be interested in such things. They couldn't have been more wrong - about who would end up coming to the park... or about what they would be looking for once they got there. The Space Mountain project was quickly turned on, but for the East Coast with RCA as a sponsor to help Disney hammer out the technological requirements.

The grand opening of Space Mountain at Walt Disney World (above photo ©Disney) was held January 15, 1975. Since that time, Space Mountain attractions have been added to all the Disneyland parks around the world - Disneyland (1977), Tokyo Disneyland (1983), Disneyland Paris (1995), Hong Kong Disneyland (2005). In recent years, each Mountain has been upgraded with the latest technology and special effects. Each one, that is, except the original. Now, it's Florida's turn.

Tonight at midnight, Space Mountain closes for a 7-month-long refurbishment to add some "new magic" and bring the attraction into the 21st century. I had the opportunity to visit the Magic Kingdom today, for my last chance to experience Space Mountain "classic." While many of the details of just what will be enhanced remain under wraps, I tried to capture images of those elements which seem likely candidates for improvement, replacement, or removal.

This star map and arrival/departure board date back to the Federal Express sponsorship of the attraction in the 90s, a time when the interior queue space featured television monitors broadcasting non-stop to waiting Guests. The monitors are long gone, but other remnants of the FedEx days linger.

Next are the Star Corridor and "holographic" windows (neither of which photograph well). Also in this area are a series of images of galaxies, nebulae, and other outer space phenomena.

Once in the main interior queue, the ceiling opens up to reveal a star field above and the occasional glow-in-the-dark rocket or giant meteor projection floating by. By the way, contrary to popular urban legend, those meteors are not images of chocolate chip cookies. They may not be the most realistic by today's standards, but an Imagineering artist once worked really hard to make them look as meteor-like as possible.

Here comes our rocket. The individual seats with lap bars showed up in the 1990s. Before that, the rockets had bench seats (like those on the Matterhorn) and seat belts. The newer configuration proved safer and more efficient.

Space Mountain at Walt Disney World is unique in that it is the only one to feature two tracks. Alpha and Omega are essentially mirrors of one another. When Space Mountain was finally added to Disneyland, there wasn't room for more than one track. The capacity issue was resolved by building rockets which seat Guests two across, side by side. It's this configuration which was duplicated around the world.

"Space Shuttle, this is Flight Safety. Keep your hands on the handrail or inside the vehicle, and remain seated while in motion. Prepare for launch."

Where's Michael Giacchino when you need him?!

Space-walking astronauts working on the CMB-2000 as its docked at the space station... and the rest is too dark to photograph. Besides, who takes pictures on a roller coaster ride? Honestly! (This one is actually from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, which also closes tomorrow, reopening in August)

Finally, we make it to the exit corridor. It's another plug for FedEx which has been slightly modified to avoid directly mentioning the company, since they no longer sponsor the attraction. The basic theme seems to be that one day rocket travel will be obsolete, because we're already simply beaming cargo across the galaxy. Beaming people can't be far behind...

In the future, everyone will be on TV...

So there you have it, the final day for Space Mountain classic - the 1975 original. Now, it's makeover time. If the enhancements made at Disneyland are any indication of what to expect, I can't wait! See you November 22, old friend...