Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom: Sail Among the Stars!
When it comes to iconic Disney rides, Space Mountain soars above all the rest.
Combining the best of both dark rides and rollercoasters, you’ll find yourself zipping through space, hurtling past planets, and swirling into the vortex of a distant wormhole. One of Disney’s most thrilling rides (and perhaps the most thrilling of the Magic Kingdom park), Space Mountain is an absolute must for anyone who enjoys a rush of adrenaline and the thought of racing amongst the stars.
Are you ready to venture past the pull of gravity? Come on, let’s fly!
From Bobsleds to Blast Off
The idea for Space Mountain originated from none other than our own Walter Elias Disney. (He’s kind of a big deal around here if you hadn’t noticed.)
Disneyland California was just a few years old, and Walt Disney World in Orlando was but a blueprint. However, Walt already knew he wanted to incorporate some new-fangled “thrill rides” into the Florida Project.
In 1959, he witnessed the success of the Matterhorn Mountain Bobsleds ride in Disneyland.1 Guests had obviously been bitten by the thrill bug, and Walt was, too. After all, his goal was to entertain the entire family, and such rides appealed to the growing demographic of visiting teens and adults. So, Walt came up with the idea for a space-travel coaster.
As usual, Walt was a man ahead of his time. (Apollo 11 hadn’t even landed on the moon yet!) The technology available to Disney Imagineers wasn’t enough to bring Walt’s vision to life—not yet, anyway. The space project was shelved even as the rest of the Florida Project moved forward.
Sadly, Walt passed away before the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971, but his influence within the park remained palpable. One way in which Walt seemed to posthumously direct park development was the creation of Space Mountain. As Imagineers began to flesh out the newly-opened park with more attractions, they looked back at Walt’s idea for an intense, space-themed thrill ride.
Deciding on a location toward the edge of Tomorrowland, construction on Space Mountain began in 1972. The finished ride opened to the public in January of 1975, roughly a decade after Walt had first conjured the idea.2
Space Mountain was met with grand fanfare: a marching band performed on the tracks of the PeopleMover to welcome the attraction to Tomorrowland, and the opening ceremony was conducted by actual astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, and Jim Irwin!3,4
Over 40 years later, Space Mountain remains incredibly popular with guests. Nowadays, it may not the fastest or tallest rollercoaster at Disney, but the experience is always out of this world.
Preparing for Space Travel
Although it’s housed inside of an icy-white, conical building, being indoors does not cramp this roller coaster’s style! In fact, the track is 65 feet tall and winds on for 3,186 feet (that’s two and half minutes of ride time!).5 Unfortunately, the queue also winds on for quite some time.
Space Mountain usually garners over an hour of wait time, which speaks to the ride’s continued popularity! Long lines are how you know something’s good. However, when it comes to queues, Space Mountain’s isn’t the most immersive. It definitely has some neat lighting and futuristic architecture, but it doesn’t come with a backstory like Expedition Everest or a pre-show like Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run. Nevertheless, the ride is so fun, the wait is definitely worth it. Some guests even decide to get back in line again!
Like most coasters, you’ll want to avoid Space Mountain if you have certain health problems, especially back or neck problems. There are some pretty twisty turns! Additionally, there are strobe-light effects at the beginning as you take off, and again at the end, so if you’re sensitive to flashing lights, definitely keep that in mind!
As rollercoasters go, Space Mountain is truly thrilling, but there’s nothing inherently scary about it. But if your kiddo is uncomfortable with the dark or intense rides, you might want to wait on this one. Top speeds reach 30 miles per hour, which feels much faster in the dark!
With all of that out of the way, it’s finally time to board your ride vehicle—an adorable, single-file, three-seater rocket! (A definite callback to those bobsleds!)
Space Mountain: Among the Stars
If you’ve ever played MarioKart on the Nintendo Switch (or any console, really), then you know all about Rainbow Road. Usually one of the hardest tracks in the game, you’re literally racing among the stars on a free-floating track with no guard rails. Now, imagine performing that race in real life, and that’s what it’s like to ride Space Mountain.
You start off in a hyperspace tunnel (total Star Wars vibes!), which gives the illusion of jumping into space. You’ll find yourself in a space station—complete with weightless astronauts walking upside down—before it all falls away, dropping you into deep space. Honestly, for being an “old” ride, Space Mountain’s effects are still amazing!
This ride truly achieves the feeling of flying with the way you seem to skid past right past the stars. Colorful galaxies and blinking satellites swirl off in the forced-perspective distance. With the wind whipping against your face, you might just forget you’re on a track-bound roller coaster!
There are no overly-steep drops during the ride, but rather it is a series of speedy twists and turns as you dodge around asteroids and make your way through the star system. In addition to being totally exhilarating, Space Mountain is also beautiful, immersing you in a world beyond our own, where every star is an exciting new discovery and gravity can never bring you down.
What’s your favorite rollercoaster in Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!
Cover Image
Photo: Kelly Verdeck via Flickr
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