Space Mountain at 50: The Attraction Goes Global
In case you haven’t heard, Space Mountain is celebrating its 50th anniversary today, and we here at MickeyBlog could not be more excited!
Earlier this morning, we shared our look back at the attraction’s development and history in Walt Disney World. Now, I want to tell you the story of Space Mountain at Disney’s other parks!
So, let’s get started, shall we?
Disneyland
As soon as the Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain proved to be immensely popular, Disney began to look for a way to bring the attraction to Disneyland.
If you remember, Walt Disney originally envisioned Space Mountain as a Disneyland attraction. However, the idea was shelved due to the park’s spatial restrictions and technological hurdles that could not be overcome.
Thirteen years after Walt tasked John Hench with developing the concept, Space Mountain finally opened in Disneyland on May 27, 1977.
Photo: D23
The West Coast version features a single track with larger trains, which helped fit the attraction into Disneyland’s Tomorrowland.
Tokyo Disneyland
When Disney set out to build Tokyo Disneyland, they knew the park needed to include versions of their most popular attractions, including Space Mountain.
Photo: Disney
The first international version of Space Mountain opened on April 15, 1983. The Tokyo Disneyland version of the attraction was nearly identical to Disneyland and proved to be just as popular.
Euro Disneyland (Disneyland Paris)
By the time Tony Baxter and his team began working on Euro Disneyland, Space Mountain had solidified itself as one of the world’s most iconic roller coasters.
Photo: Disney
Unlike its peers, however, Euro Disneyland did not have a Tomorrowland. Instead, the park had Discoveryland, a place dedicated to history’s great visionaries.
To fit the theme of the land, Imagineers created Space Mountain: de la Terre a la Lune. This version of the attraction was inspired by Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon and would shoot guests to the moon by cannon. It was a new twist on a classic attraction.
Unlike other versions of the attraction, Euro Disneyland’s Space Mountain uses the first-ever catapult launch system to start the action. The ride also goes twice as fast as the Disneyland Space Mountain and flips guests upside down!
Photo: Disney
Finally, Space Mountain: de la Terre a la Lune includes the first onboard audio system synced to attraction music.
Hong Kong Disneyland
This feature would later be added to the Disneyland version of Space Mountain and later included in the Hong Kong Disneyland version of the ride when it opened on September 12, 2005.
Photo: Disney
The Future of Space Mountain
50 years after the attraction first made its Walt Disney World debut, Space Mountain is continuing to evolve. Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong are currently home to Hyperspace Mountain, a Star Wars-themed version of the classic Disney ride.
Photo: Disney
Hyperspace Mountain will also return to Disneyland Park for this year’s Season of the Force.
Finally, Tokyo Disneyland is currently developing a new Space Mountain that will debut in 2027. While this version of the attraction will retain the ride’s basic concept, it is expected to feature new technology and enhanced performance.
Photo: TDR Explorer
Five decades after the world was introduced to Space Mountain, the attraction remains as popular as ever. I can’t wait to see what the next 50 years bring!
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below. One of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon! Also, thanks for reading!
