Five Things to Know About Space Mountain

Space Mountain has become an iconic symbol of the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. It proved so popular that it gave rise to Space Mountains at every other Disney Park worldwide, except one. But today we’ll confine our conversation to the original, so strap in and get ready to take off on a wild ride (with apologies to Mr. Toad). If you want to avoid the launchpad and head straight for the whys, wheres, and whats, here’s your shortcut.

1. Queue up to blast off.

The queue is mostly indoors, although on really busy days it may extend outdoors. It’s a long, long, winding interior hallway. As you enter, you pass a large, illuminated sign reading, “Welcome Space Travelers, Starport Seven-Five, Your Gateway to the Stars. To the right is a three-paneled lighted sign that’s often bypassed as you rush to board.

You’ll see lists of “Active Lunar Stations”, with the names of real star systems, scientists, and astronauts. And another list is labeled “Active Earth Stations,” but it’s a listing of all the Disney Park Space Mountains: Tomorrowland Station MK-1 (Disney World), TL Space Station 77 (Disneyland), Discovery Landing Station – Paris (Disneyland Paris), Ashita Base – Tokyo (Tokyo Disneyland), and HK Spaceport E-TKT (Hong Kong Disneyland).

The queue takes you into the Star Tunnel, past “windows” affording you views of stars, planets, and galaxies; then past star maps displaying a number of space routes.

The next room has more “windows,” and one shows space walkers fixing a satellite. This portion of the queue had interactive games from 2009 to 2018; they were eliminated when the Play Disney Parks app was introduced. At the end of the queue is the loading area where you’ll be directed into line for one of the two tracks to board your rocket.

2. In Space Mountain, everyone can hear you scream.

Space Mountain is an enclosed roller coaster ride in the dark – the darkness of outer space. So, thrills come from not knowing what’s coming next! As your rocket leaves the station, you’ll enter a tunnel of flashing lights, then go up a ramp, passing by spacewalking astronauts.

And then your ride really begins. You’re launched into space! For the next two and a half minutes, you’ll experience quick turns and small drops. It’s more of a “rattly” ride than a jerky one, but there are plenty of rapid changes of direction – so thankfully there’s a handlebar. Your re-entry back to earth is through a red tunnel; then you land safely at Tomorrowland. Frankly, if you’re prone to motion sickness, this ride isn’t a great choice for you. And if your littles don’t like the dark, this probably won’t be their favorite, either.

One thing that takes some people by surprise is the walk back to Tomorrowland once you get out of your vehicle. It’s pretty long … long enough that Disney has themed it extensively, just as if it were a queue! The exit walkway features several space-and-future-related vignettes.

3. The ride was inspired by another mountain…and a mouse.

The idea for Space Mountain came to Walt Disney after he saw how successful the Matterhorn Bobsled ride was at Disneyland. The Matterhorn is essentially a Wild Mouse ride, a type of coaster that relies on sharp, jerky turns for its thrills instead of big drops or inversions. (Picture a mouse trying to get past a cat that has it cornered, and you’ll see where the name comes from.) Walt envisioned a version of the same type of ride, with a space theme – and in the dark.

The initial design was for four separate tracks, but that turned out to be way too challenging for the technology of the time. Then Walt died and the idea for Space Mountain (or Space Voyage as it was referred to then) was shelved until the opening of the Magic Kingdom.

Construction on Space Mountain at Disney World started on December 15, 1972. The iconic conical building – 183 feet tall, 300 feet in diameter – was the work of Disney Imagineer John Hench. Its unique appearance is the result of putting the support beams outside the structure, instead of inside.

Space Mountain was notable for several “firsts” it accomplished.

• It was the first mountain at Walt Disney World.
• It was the first roller coaster in the world to be completely enclosed in a building.
• It wasn’t the first roller coaster in Florida, but it’s the oldest one that’s still operating.
• And maybe most importantly, Space Mountain was the first computer-controlled coaster in the world.

The Imagineers designed a computer-operated tracking and braking system that knows the position of each ride vehicle. This allows it to safely determine when to launch the next vehicle. It also controls the distance between each rocket. And it knows when to shut things down, making it one of the safest coasters you can ride. Today, most coasters employ a similar system, but Space Mountain was the first. So you can understand why building the attraction took a while!

After two years of work, Space Mountain opened at the Magic Kingdom on January 15, 1975. In attendance at the opening were astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, and Jim Irwin. In 2009, it underwent a major refurb, replacing some track, adding new space rockets, and adding “Starry-O-Phonic” music to the fun.

4. The secrets of space!

⭐ Space Mountain cost around $20 million dollars to build. By comparison, Disney spent $17 million to build all of Disneyland.

⭐ The top speed for Space Mountain is 28 miles per hour, making it the second slowest coaster at WDW. For comparison, the top speed over at Goofy’s Barnstormer is 25 mph; the next fastest coaster is 7 Dwarfs Mine Train at 34 mph.

⭐ There are two practically identical tracks in Space Mountain, essentially mirror images of each other. However, the “Alpha” track is about ten feet longer than the “Omega” track. This is due to the circular shape of the building and complex internal layout, which made it unworkable for them to perfect mirrors.

⭐ Near the entrance of the ride a sign reads, “Welcome Space Travelers. Starport Seven-Five, your Gateway to the Galaxies”. Starport was the working name for Space Mountain, and 7-5 is the year Space Mountain opened at the Magic Kingdom.

⭐ Further along in the queue, there are seven lighted celestial charts. The second one, Titan Stations Sector Two, marks the location of “Disney’s Hyperion Resort” in the upper right. Hyperion Avenue was the street where the Walt Disney Studios moved in 1926.

⭐ After the ride, you’ll exit past a baggage claim and a Lost and Found station labeled TLS MK-1. This stands for Tomorrowland Station, Magic Kingdom, first Space Mountain.

5. The Nuts and Bolts.

Space Mountain is located inside Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. It’s an indoor ride, so the weather doesn’t affect its operation. It has a fairly long indoor queue, but if the line extends outside the building, guests waiting to ride will be exposed to the weather.

The ride vehicle for Space Mountain is a 3-seater rocket, with two rockets in each train. Seats are positioned front to back, so you’ll be pretty much riding solo, which can be scary for younger kids who would prefer to sit next to a parent.

Guests must step over a small wall and then step down before sitting down in the rocket, and the seats are very low to the floor. You’ll need to sit with your legs extended in front of you, and guests with longer legs can find it awkward getting in and out of the seats. (Pro tip: press your feet to the sides of the car for stability during your ride.) The restraint is a T-bar, which some larger guests may also find uncomfortable. Those using wheelchairs must transfer to a standard wheelchair and then to the ride vehicle.

Guests must be 44 inches or taller to ride; as with all rides that have a height requirement, Space Mountain offers Rider Switch. Disney advises that for safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride. Guests with a sensitivity to flashing lights, loud noises, or sudden drops may want to sit this one out as well. You will probably not be surprised to hear that service animals are not permitted on this attraction.

As one of the most popular rides in the Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain is open for Early Theme Park Entry and also for Extended Evening Theme Park hours. It’s best to visit early in the day or nearer to park closing time. Alternatively, you can purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Premiere Pass.

The Bottom Line.

We rate Space Mountain as not-to-be-missed. Despite the absence of loops, inversions, or long drops, it’s an intense ride, as my wife will attest. The first (and only) time she rode, she held on to the handlebar so tightly, the ring she wore had been bent into an oval shape!

Have you ridden Space Mountain? Do you consider it tame, thrilling, or not-gonna-do-it? Let us know in the comments.