Difference between revisions of "Space Mountain"

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Space Mountain is an attraction located in Tomorrowland.

Space Mountain
The exterior of Space Mountain
Magic Kingdom
Land	Tomorrowland
Theme	Space travel
Opening date	December 15, 1974
Vehicle type	Rocket train
Ride duration	2:30 minutes
Length	3186-3196 ft (2211.9 m)
Total height	183 ft (55.8 m)
Track height	65 ft (19.8 m)
Maximum speed	28 mph (45.1 km/h)
Height requirements	44" (112 cm)
Sponsored by	RCA (1975-1993) Fed Ex (1994-2003)
Fastpass Available	Yes

Attraction History

The idea for Space Mountain came from Walt Disney himself. After the successes of the Matterhorn attraction in Disneyland, Walt was convinced that "thrill-rides" had a place in his park. In 1964, With this in mind,i Walt approached designer John Hench with an idea for a new Tomorrowland attraction. Walt called the idea the "Space Port", a roller coaster in the dark that would feature lighting and other special effects.

Concept art for the attraction was created by Hench, Clem Hall, George Mcginnis and Herb Ryman. Early on, the attraction's name was changed to "Space Voyage", and ideas for it continued to be refined. To help make the attraction a reality, WED partnered with the Arrow Development Company, who had helped design the Matterhorn track. In June of 1966 WED employees voted, and decided to change the name once again, this time to Space Mountain. Plans for Space Mountain were put on hold indefinably however, in 1966. After Walt Disney's death, a new company wide focus was put on completing Walt Disney World. This, combined with the spacial and technological limitations of Disneyland made the construction of Space Mountain unfeasible.

Although the Space Mountain idea was dead in Disneyland, it soon found life in the newly constructed Walt Disney World. The popularity of the new park surpassed even Disney's expectations, and Disney World proved to be expecially popular with teenagers and young adults. Almost as soon as the park opened plans were made for a new thrill ride.

Although Disney's first choice was a version of the Matterhorn, Walt Disney World's Fantasyland was not big enough to house the attraction. It was decided however, that Disney World's Tomorrowland would be big enough to construct the tabled Space Mountain idea. With this in mind, Imagineers back to work on the development of the coaster. It was decided that instead of using the Arrow Development Company and their track ideas, Disney Imagineers would design the track themselves. The idea they came up with was to make the coaster a "pure gravity" ride. This meant that Space Mountain features no boosters or retarders.

One of the major contributing factors to the creation of Space Mountain was sponsorship. Disney gave RCA the opportunity to sponsor the attraction, which the chose to do. RCA payed 10 million dollars to help construct Space Mountain, and because of this sponsorship the queue and post show were designed to feature RCA products.

The final designs of the interior structure, queue and post show all changed various times before Space Mountain was built. The shape of Space Mountain was also a topic of debate amongst Disney Imangineers. Some, wanted Space Mountain to look like a dome, while others wanted to use a "cone" shape. The cone shape idea eventually won out, and on January 15, 1975 Space Mountain officially opened.

Building Structure and Track Details

When Space Mountain was constructed, it was seen by many a a technological marvel. The attraction was the first indoor roller coaster, the first roller coaster to take place completely in the dark, and the first coaster to be operated by computers.

Space Mountain has the distinction of being the second highest building in Walt Disney World. At 183 feet tall, Space Mountain is just 6 feet shorter than Cinderella's Castle. The supports for Space Mountain are also unique, in that they are located on the outside of the building instead of the inside. This was done so that the inside roof would be flat, and projections of space, would be able to be shown on it.

To create the illusion of stars above the riders, 20 mirrored balls are hit with a spotlight. When the light reflects off the balls hits the roof, it gives the allusion of stars. Other projections include The "shooting stars" which are created by a moving spotlight, and the asteroids and galaxies which are emmited from a dimmed down projectors. In tootal the construction of Space Mountain required 4,000 pieces of steel, and 12,000 feet of electrical wire. Since every piece of steel had to be accessible by stairs, the inside of Space Mountain resembles a metallic maze.

Original Attraction Plot Attraction Plot

Space Mountain is a roller coaster that allows guests to travel through space.

Preshow

From 1973 until 1994 Space Mountain was sponsored by RCA. Guests entered Space Mountain through an entrance building located in Tomorrowland which featured three large RCA logos as well as a original "four seat" ride vehicle, encased in a clear case. Inside the vehicle sat a family consisting of a father, mother and two children. Before guests entered the "entrance portal", they would pass a large quote on the wall which read:

"ONE GIANT STEP... Dedicated to the men and women whose skills, sacrifice, courage and teamwork opened the door to the exploration of man's exciting new frontier...outer space. Because they dared to reach for the stars and the planets, man's knowledge of his universe, earth and himself has been greatly enriched. Presented by missile, space and range pioneers. January 15, 1975."

Just after entering the building, guests boarded a descending, moving ramp. On the right side of the ramp, guests could see RCA's mascot, Nipper the Fox Terrier and a phonograph machine inside a flying saucer. At this point in the attraction, RCA's Space Mountain theme song- "Here's To The Future And You" would begin to play. Further down the ramp guests could look out convex windows and see the Star Corridors, a series different space themed displays. One display for example, showed an astronaut riding his moon buggy in space. On the left hand side of the decention ramp, a series of RCA products were displayed. The reason for the ramp, was to take guests underneath the Walt Disney Railroad to the lot where Space Mountain is actually located. After guests finished descending, they reached the "zig zag corridor". Here windows allowed guests to see out into space. Things that could be seen out these windows included:

• Astronauts fixing a satellite

• Galaxies

• Planets

• Shooting Stars

• And finally, a family riding the Space Mountain ride vehicle in space.

After passing through the Zig Zag Corridor, guests finally reached the loading area. Here they watched a safety video featuring Astronaut Gordon Cooper and then boarded thier ride vechiles on either the Alpha or Omega track. The two tracks were identicle for the fact that Alpha track was ten feet longer.

Ride

Space Mountain begins with guests boarding their "rockets". The rockets then take off passing the Space Port queue and the Mission Control booth. The jets the go up a lift hill and down a small slope. This leads to a circular tunnel lined with blue lights. Here energy can be heard building up, and eventually propelling guests to the other end of the dome. Thee rockets then do a 180 degree turn and go up another lift hill. A mirror positioned at the end of the track, gives riders the illusion that they are about to collide with another rocket. If riders look up, they are able to see projections of Earth, stars, comets, meteors, and asteroids above them. This adds to the feeling that the rockets are indeed flying through space.

As the rockets continue on, they go down a quick dip and then a series of twists and turns. At this point in the attraction, the ride is taking place in almost complete darkness. In the dark, guests then fall down a 38 degree drop, the steepest in the attraction. Space Mountain ends with guests passing through a red, swirling, wormhole before reaching the unloading area.

The blue "launch" tunnel.

RCA's Home of Future Living

From 1973 until about 1985 Space's Mountains post show was known as the RCA Future Living. After unloading from their ride vehicles. Guests would board another moving ramp which took them up. On the right side of the ramp guests would begin to see scenes of how future homes would look. The first scene depicted a father wearing a blue jumpsuit and lounging in his hair. In front of him was a TV the size of a briefcase which showed a female business associate. The man was able to conduct his business meeting while in the comfort of his own home. Continuing on guests saw a model of the house. All of the houses were shaped like hexagons, and each room was connected by stairways.

The next room that guests saw was the nursery. Here, while a baby stood in her crib, a clown with a camera was broadcasting her to the rest of the house. This allowed her family to keep an eye on her even though they were not in the same room. Continuing on, guests passed the family room. Here a unidentified female could be seen taking a pottery lesson over her TV. She was able to talk and communicate with her professor who was being displayed on the TV. The next scene, showed a boy named Billy who was wearing an orange jumpsuit. He was standing outside of his house with a frog and a dog. Billy would talk into a camera mounted next the door saying "Don't you like frogs Mrs. Brown?". The mother would then tell Billy that he would have to stay outside with his pets.

Going back inside the house, guests could then see the recreation room, which was located above the family room. Here a teenage boy could be seen taking a ski lesson from the SelctaVision. His younger brother who was also in the rooom, would be building a model rocket using instructions from the television. Next, to the recreation room was the kitchen. Here, the mother of the house and a neighbor sat in front of a large TV. In this room, the mother was shopping for dishes directly on the televsion. In the corner of her screen, Billy could be seen, still pleading to bring his pets inside. Moving on, guests would come across the teenage daughter's room. Here a teenager was watching a classic SelctaVision disc (usually featuring Elvis, Kurt Russel, or Blondie). While she was watching, she was on the phone with Judy, who she would always tell to come over. The final room of the house, was the entertainment room. This room housed the biggest TV in the post show, which was being watched by a young girl and boy.

The daughter in the Home of the RCA Home of Future Living. Seen here talking on her phone.

After viewing the home of the future, guests would see various RCA products as the attractions theme song played again. Before exiting they would also get one final encounter with Billy, who was now holding a video camera and pointing it at them. A monitor about would show the guests themselves, on TV (this was considered one of the highlights of the attraction). Finally, guests would arrive back in Tomorrowland having completed their journey into space.

Pre and Post Show Changes 1985-2009

In 1985 RCA replaced the "Home of the Future" post show. The new post show, showed guess what it would be like to live on a space colony. Billy and his dog, who once recorded gusts and put them on TV, were replaced with a robot boy and a robot dog. The TV monitors that used to advertise RCA products, were changed to show astronauts in space. Although the story of the post show changed, its main purpose was once still to show and advertise RCA televisions.

In 1994 Fed Ex took over sponsorship of Space Mountain, and the attraction went through many changes. In 1994 the entrance door received storm shutters, which made the entrance much smaller. The left hand entrance wall, which had previously been used for signage was demolished and the right hand entrance wall now only had only the words, "Space Mountain" written on it. The 'Space Mountain" was written in orange thin ink, representing the "New Tomorrowland". On the outside of the entrance, the spiral which had once read "RCA" was removed and a new spiral which had signs for both Space Mountain (once again written in the orange font) and Fed Ex was added.

The entrance lobby was also given a makeover. The color scheme was changed to orange abd brown, and a large mural of the Milky Way was added. In 1998, the original flooring was removed and a staircase was added to the right hand queue.

With the new sponsorship, parts of the the preshow were changed or removed completely. The windows, where guests could previously look out and see various scenes from space were removed and were left empty for a number of years. The flying saucer which held the RCA dog and a phonograph machine was also taken out (for obvious reasons).

Although Fed Ex did not change much of the post show's props, it did change the story they told. Instead of focusing on a space colony and the technology that could be used there, Fed Ex focused on the future of package delivery. The new post show showed how one day packages could be sent over spacial distances. "Space packages" were also added to the post show, to further promote Fed Ex.

Another major change which came with the 1994 refurbishment, was the removal of the exit building. Now when guests exit Space Mountain, they come out in the Tomorrowland Arcade. In 2004, Fed Ex decided to end its sponsorship of Space Mountain, leaving the attraction sponsorless.

Current Attraction

In 2009 Space Mountain underwent a major refurbishment. Changes were made to the preshow, ride and postshow.

Preshow

When Space Mountain reopened in 2009, various video games were added to the preshow. The games were added to the stand-by line in order to make the ride wait more manageable. In total, 43 videos games were added. The Space Mountain queue includes new warnings signs, a new warning spiel, and a return to classic color scheme of the attraction. The windows that had once showed scenes from space, now allow guests to look out into space itself.

Guests may also notice a large mural consisting of different panels. The Mural reads, "Starport 75", a reference to the year the Magic Kingdom opened. It seems that in the new backstory- at least the preshow, if all of Space Mountain is actually a Starport.

The new mural with the name Starport 75 on it.

The Alpha track is now primarily used for stand-by guests, while the Omega Track is for Fastpass guests. If the line is short (less then 20 minutes), it is possible for stand-by guests to ride the Omega track. After dividing up, guests enter the loading area. Here, the ceiling is open, allowing guests to look into space before getting into their ride vehicles.

Ride

Although the ride is similar to the original version, their have been some changes. The ride still begins with the rockets leaving the loading area, instantly making a 180 degree turn. After taking the turn the rockets come to a stop in a purple tunnel, right before a lift hill. After climbing up the hill the vehicles fall down a slope into the blue strobe tunnel. The tunnel is similar to its previous incarnation, however the lights now flash with increasing speed, as the energy builds up. Also of note, an on-ride photo camera has been added to the tunnel, allowing guests to purchase on ride photos after they exit.

The vehicles continue on towards a blue orb at the end of the tunnel. For a moment, the blue lights shut off allowing guests to see the stars all around them. After exiting the tunnel, the rockets go up another large lift hill. While on thier way up, it is possible for guests to see other rockets, as well as riders on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. After reaching the top of the hill, riders go down a steep drop followed by a series of twists and turns. Like before, it is possible to see various space objects project above the track. The vehicles then go down the attraction's biggest drop (still at 38 degrees) and enter the red wormhole and before hitting the final brake run and reaching the unloading area.

Postshow

The new postshow begins on guest's left hand side. Here a robot is shown manning a station known as the MK-1 Command Center. He is apparently in charge of what guests will see in the post show. Moving onto the escalator belt, guests come across three scenes from space. The first two, are known as the Mercury Peak and the Crater Caverns. These scenes are similar, albeit redesigned versions, of the previous post show. Although anything related to Fed Ex has been removed. The third scene in the new show, is known as "20,000 Lightyears Under the Sea". The name is a reference to the now defunct Magic Kingdom attraction: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This scene also closely resembles the underwater scene on the former Epcot attraction Horizons.

After passing by the three scenes, guests come upon a futuristic kitchen. The kitchen features a circular round booth and a robot who is serving drinks. The next scene shows the outside of a futuristic town, with only blue light emitting from it. Both of these scenes show "the future that never was", the general concept of Tomorrowland.

Fun Facts and Trivia

• The robot in the current post show resembles the robot that formally resided in Horizons.

• Due to the lubricant used on the ride vehicles, Space Mountain is actually faster at night that in the morning. The lubricant solidifies when cooled and is more jelled in the morning.

• Space Mountain cost 24 million dollars to initially construct, and 12 million dollars to update.

• If you want to see the RCA Fox Terrier mascot, in the old Space Mountain preshow check out: http://www.omniluxe.net/wyw/smnipper.jpg

• Space Mountain is the oldest operating roller coaster in the state of Florida.

• Astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper and Jim Irwin took the first ride on Space Mountain.

References

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/space-mountain.htm

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/space-mountain/

http://allears.net/tp/mk/mk_space.htm

http://www.omniluxe.net/wyw/sm.htm