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For millennia, mankind has been fascinated and often bewildered by the night sky. Mapping
distant stars and planets while postulating otherworldly realms in the far apogees of
the universe. Feeding this natural hunger to explore, mankind sought out to answer his
queries by asking the age-old question; “What’s out there?”. Scientific innovation was the
key to that answer. The mid-20th century was the crux of human fixation with outer space.
Entertainment outlets were inundated with science fiction media. Films featuring space
trips, extraterrestrial encounters, and even apocalyptic alien invasions were all the rage
in the 1950s. As the ‘50s led into the ‘60s, mankind’s passion for outer space had entered
a new age; an age of space exploration. Satellites orbited the Earth. Rockets propelled themselves
outside the planet’s gripping atmosphere. Humans found themselves stepping foot on another
celestial body. A new milestone in human achievement had dawned. So naturally, Walt Disney, a man
obsessed with putting storytelling and innovation together, decided to take that notion of exploring
the frontier of outer space and bring to life.
The idea for such an interstellar trip started in the Alps. The Disneyland Alps. The Matterhorn
to be more precise. The Matterhorn Bobsleds, the first in the great dynasty of Disney mountains,
opened in 1959 at Disneyland and, well, you’re just gonna have to wait until the Matterhorn
episode to find out more about it. But, I’m mentioning the Matterhorn because that attraction
was pivotal in the creation of Space Mountain. Thrill rides, like the Matterhorn, in addition
to the blossoming Space Age, reassured Walt that the idea was perfect for his park. He
spoke to designer John Hench about the idea of creating an indoor dark coaster that would
have guests travel through space. The Tomorrowland project, known then as Space Voyage would
be consistently worked on over the years by other designers including Clem Hall , Herbie
Ryman, and George McGinnis, and by 1966, the attraction was renamed as Space Mountain.
The designers wanted to have four separate tracks but the available space in Disneyland
was limited. Further complicating things was Walt’s untimely passing in December of that
year and the company’s concentration on the Florida Project. Space Mountain was put
on hold. When the Magic Kingdom park opened in 1971 at Walt Disney World, Imagineers found
themselves needing another major E-ticket attraction to accommodate the immense crowds.
Their first thought was an eastern cousin of Disneyland’s Matterhorn. Unfortunately,
the design for Disney World’s Fantasyland made the Matterhorn difficult to incorporate.
Therefore the plans for Space Mountain were revived after Disney determined that Disney
World shouldn’t be a clone of Disneyland and that it should feature its own unique
attractions. Card Walker, the then CEO of the company, managed to assign RCA as the
attraction’s sponsor, since both companies had a signed a mutual contract years before
stipulating that RCA would have to provide $10 million in funding for any attraction
Disney was willing to develop. Space Mountain was designed as a dual-track coaster, meaning
that both tracks are mirrored from one another. The track itself was given a steel tubular
design to allow for sharper turns and sudden dips. The cars were also given polyurethane
wheels in order to simulate a smoother ride experience, to avoid the loud, rollicking
noise heard on conventional coasters. The original location for Space Mountain would
have been near where Carousel of Progress stands today, but Imagineers wanted to take
full advantage of the space at Magic Kingdom. Thus, it was decided that the attraction would
be built outside of the park’s earthen berm, with a tunnel traveling underneath the Walt
Disney World Railroad for guest access. Space Mountain broke new ground when it opened on
January 15, 1975. It was the first roller coaster to open at Walt Disney World, the
first coaster to be controlled by a computer system and the first to be completely enclosed.
Space Mountain is also the oldest operating roller coaster in Florida. Fueled by the success
in Florida, Disneyland’s Space Mountain was instantly greenlit. The only space left
inside Disneyland’s Tomorrowland was in the southern portion, but the location would
mean that Space Mountain’s iconic domed roof would tower behind Main Street’s meticulously
scaled buildings. To solve this issue, the building’s foundation was constructed 15
feet underneath and then built upwards. Just enough to conceal it from guest view on Main
Street. However, the dilemma of the building's small interior space still needed to be tackled.
Imagineers decided that the roller coaster would only have one track, instead of two,
but that one track would hold two-seater cars instead of a single seater car, to make up
for the loss of capacity. The attraction's opening day ceremony was held on May 27, 1977.
Attendees included such dignitaries as Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Wally
Schirra, Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton, six of the original seven Mercury astronauts.
On April 15, 1983, the third Space Mountain, and an exact copy of Anaheim’s, opened at
Tokyo Disneyland. Then it was time for the struggling Disneyland Paris to receive its
own Space Mountain and, man did they get one. Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon
opened on June 1, 1995 and was radically different from the past three mountains. With three
inversions, speeds of over 40 mph and a completely different source of inspiration driving the
story, Space Mountain: Mission 2 as its now known is, in my belief, an attraction large
enough in scope, that I can’t possibly cover it accurately in detail in this episode. So
instead of just briefly touching over it and probably glossing over a few important elements,
I’m actually going to postpone this version of the attraction for a later episode. So
stay tuned for an standalone episode on Space Mountain: Mission 2. Now that we got that
out of the way... On September 12 2005, the original Space Mountain had another incarnation
open at Hong Kong Disneyland. This one was a modified version of California’s attraction.
That same year, as part of the “Year of a Million Dreams” celebration, Disney turned
California’s Space Mountain into Rockin’ Space Mountain. And yes, just as the title
suggests the attraction was changed into having a rock music theme. Of course, the change
only lasted for as long as the celebration did, and Space Mountain was later restored
to its original self. But then in 2007, Disney introduced Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy at
Hong Kong’s version. Ghost Galaxy is a seasonal overlay of Space Mountain that takes place
during Halloween. This version has guests encounter ghostly images as they travel through
the dark corners of the galaxy. The experience is made even more frightening as the trip
is accompanied by chilling music and sounds. So far, Ghost Galaxy has only been introduced
annually in Hong Kong Disneyland and Anaheim’s Disneyland since 2009. Back in the Magic Kingdom,
the original Space Mountain closed on April 19, 2009 for a lengthy $12.3 million refurbishment.
It later reopened in November of the same year, introducing enhancements in lighting,
special effects and decor. The two tracks were also christened as Alpha and Omega. But
Space Mountain’s history hasn’t always been that bright. A few years back, on April
10, 2003, Disneyland’s version of Space Mountain was abruptly closed because the roller
coaster’s track had become unstable and required a complete replacement. On July 15,
2005, only two days before Disneyland's 50th Anniversary, Space Mountain reopened from
its major two-year refurbishment The re-opening ceremony featured astronaut Neil Armstrong
as the rededication’s guest speaker. In addition to the brand new track, the attraction’s
storyline and queue received improvements. Composer Michael Giacchino recorded a new
score to accompany the modifications.
Space Mountain is typically described by theme park goers as thrilling and exciting, which
is no surprise since the attraction is frequently billed as one of the most popular rides in
whatever theme park it may be present in. Although each attraction has some sort of
minor variation in it; the storyline remains virtually the same. The ride experience begins
with guests boarding their rocket cars inside the space station. After a safety check, they
are subsequently sent up a small lift hill where the rocket cars enter the notorious
Flashing Blue Tunnel. Storywise, the warping tunnel is meant to signify the transfer of
power from the space station to the individual rocket cars. After making a 180° turn in
the tunnel, the cars ascend up the main lift hill. Once the riders reach the top, the rocket
cars enter the domed section of the building where they undergo a series of sharp and sudden
drops, turns and lifts. The cover of darkness limits the rider’s abilities to detect what
action their rocket will undergo next, an effect which makes the experience an unpredictably
memorable one. Sound and wind effects are also utilized to heighten the riders’ senses
and make the illusion of speed even more convincing, when in fact, the rocket cars are actually
cruising at a steady 27 mph. With the exception of the original Florida attraction, all the
other mountains travel slightly faster at the 30-35 mph range. After the riders make
their way through the series of swerving turns and drops, they enter a red swirling wormhole
before arriving at the unloading station. As an iconic and enthralling space adventure,
Space Mountain without a doubt exists as the best definition. Energetic in its premise
and pulsating in its execution; Space Mountain is a timeless sensory experience that can
easily be relived again and again without ever having the possibility of losing its
unique charm. A perfect tribute to an era of exploration that is advancing closer and
closer to answering that once ambiguous question.