Space Mountain (Disneyland)
| Space Mountain | |
|---|---|
Exterior at daytime
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| Disneyland | |
| Park section | Tomorrowland |
| Coordinates | 33°48′40″N 117°55′03″W / 33.811°N 117.9174°WCoordinates: 33°48′40″N 117°55′03″W / 33.811°N 117.9174°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 27, 1977 (original) July 15, 2005 (reopening) |
| Closing date | April 10, 2003 (Original) |
| Hong Kong Disneyland | |
| Park section | Tomorrowland |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | September 12, 2005 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Enclosed |
| Manufacturer | Dynamic Structures |
| Designer | WED Enterprises |
| Height | 76 ft (23 m) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Height restriction | 40 in (102 cm) |
| Trains | Several trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 12 riders per train. |
| Theme | Spaceflight |
| Music |
Michael Giacchino (2005–present) Dick Dale (1996–2003) |
 Disney's Fastpass Available |
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 Single rider line available at Hong Kong only |
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 Must transfer from wheelchair |
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Space Mountain at RCDB Pictures of Space Mountain at RCDB |
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Space Mountain (currently called Hyperspace Mountain) is a space-themed indoor steel roller coaster in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Opened on May 27, 1977, it was the second roller coaster built at Disneyland, and was the second of the five versions of Space Mountain built by The Walt Disney Company. Its exterior façade is one of Disneyland's four "mountain" structures that serve as park landmarks.
Walt Disney originally conceived the idea of a space-themed roller coaster for Disneyland following the success of the Matterhorn Bobsleds, which opened in 1959. However, a number of factors including lack of available space, Walt Disney's death, and the Disney company's focus on building what would become Walt Disney World led to the project's postponement in the late 1960s. After the early success of the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World, Disney revived the Space Mountain project and opened the first Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom in 1975. Soon after, Disney began plans to build a smaller version of Space Mountain at Disneyland, and opened Disneyland's Space Mountain in 1977. The design of Disneyland's Space Mountain was replicated at Tokyo Disneyland in 1983 and Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005; the Tokyo version was significantly changed in 2006.
Space Mountain has undergone a number of major upgrades and refurbishments over the years, including the addition of an onboard soundtrack in 1996, repainting of the exterior in 1997 and 2003, and a complete replacement of the original track and ride vehicles from 2003 to 2005. It has also been given a third roof up the mountain during late 2013 and early 2014. Every September during Halloween Time at Disneyland, the mountain is given projections for the Ghost Galaxy event. Most recently in November 2015, Space Mountain was given a new overlay and theme in anticipation for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The attraction takes the name of Hyperspace Mountain during Tomorrowland's Season of the Force.
The early success of the Matterhorn Bobsleds – opened in 1959 – convinced Walt Disney that thrill rides did have a place in Disneyland. In 1964, Walt Disney first approached designer John Hench with an idea for an indoor dark roller coaster. The roller coaster's design evolved over the next couple of years, and the name "Space Mountain" was first used for the concept in June 1966. The design was later deemed impossible due to technological limitations as well as the limited space available at Disneyland. Walt Disney's death in December 1966 as well as the company's focus on the Disney World project led the company to shelve the Space Mountain project.
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Wikipedia