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Introduction.
The popularity of Florida's Space Mountain made the addition of
one to California an obvious expansion. However, the ride in Orlando
was loosely patterned after the Matterhorn in Anaheim, and Disneyland
would not want two such similar rides. Therefore, the California
Space Mountain would feature a single track and a completely different
track layout, focusing more on speed and the sensation of flying
through darkness than on exciting and unpredictable turns. Walk Through the Queue.
You approach Space Mountain from a long corridor
adjacent to Redd Rockett's Pizza Port (previously, you would ascend
a flat escalator - inclined speedway - straight toward the Mountain).
You follow the winding course of the concrete upramp, where the
queue is still relatively wide. Then, in the previous home of the
1995 Toy Story Funhouse, you encounter rope switchbacks (fortunately
shaded from the sun). From there you make your way to permanent
steel switchbacks, and finally enter the mountain itself, where
the theming begins.
The metallic corridors harken
back to a plan for Tomorrowland, never realized, called "Tomorrowland
2055" - a vision of gleaming chrome that lives on only here.
Keep your eyes on the ceiling. You'll find a hatch dedicated to
John Hench, a prime Imagineer in Walt's Day who helped design Space
Mountain.
Around a couple of corners,
and you're in the loading dock. The ship dangling from the ceiling
has a new look, and now carries the appellation "DL 05",
in reference to the 2005 refurbishment.
Mock Ride-Through. Space
Mountain is a roller coaster in the dark, but the lift hills are
not in pitch blackness. After your rocket is dispatched, you'll
go up a small lift hill with futuristic lights whizzing past you.
Then, turn another corner and it's the big lifthill, with lights
around the outside calculated to make riders feel as though they
are turning upside down in a giant cylinder (if you've ever been
on a walkway in a movie studios park with a rotating barrel overhead,
you'll know what effect they were shooting for here).
As the ride starts, you rotate
past a dark meteor (this is used in the Rockin' Mountain version
of the ride, and is otherwise dark and inert). There is a new soundtrack,
created by Michael Giacchino, in the normal running of the ride,
and the roller coaster follows the same track it has since 1977
(about 17 turns to the right, and only a few to the left). The idea
is to simulate the blackness of being in space, and really highlight
the sensation of flight.
Rockin' Space Mountain.
Part of the 2005 rehab was an installation of some show elements
in the dark, such as the meteor at the beginning of the ride, that
could light up as riders zoomed by. In this sense, the Anaheim Space
Mountain was borrowing ideas from its cousin in Paris. A soundsystem
was built into the rockets with the ability to have two soundtracks,
one for daytime and one for a nighttime version of the ride, to
be named RockIt Mountain (get the pun?) It premiered only for Grad
Nite in mid-2006, with a soundtrack by Hoobastank. It will be rolled
out for widespread use, using the new name Rockin' Space Mountain,
in the 2007 promotion of a Year of a Million Dreams.
Welcome aboard, rockin' rockers! This is your Uncle Joe Benson, broadblasting live from across the universe! The blue strobe tunnel borrowed from WDW's Space Mountain remains unchanged. Uncle Joe Benson clears us for launch, and announces that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are on the space stage. No matter which planet you're from, we are about to rock your world! And it's all going to happen in 5…4…3…2…Rock 'n' Roll! Thanks to the opening of Space
Mountain, a Memorial Day Weekend attendance record was set at the
Park, with Disneyland hosting 185,500 guests over the three-day
period.
After two years of construction,
Space Mountain opened May 27 in Tomorrowland along with the 1,100-seat
Space Stage, the 670-seat Space Place fast-food restaurant and the
Starcade electronic arcade. The total cost of the complex was $20
million. Here is a letter dated October
25, 1977 from Ron Dominguez:
Dear Disneylander:
As the busy summer
of '77 is now behind us, we can reflect upon the challenges and
accomplishments of the season. While Space Mountain and the new
Main Street Electrical Parade were fabulous additions to our show,
the primary contribution was made by you, the members of our permanent
Disneyland Cast. I'm sure our memories of the summer will remain
with us for some time to come. The enclosed issue of Backstage magazine
and the colorful Space Mountain photograph will, hopefully, summarize
some of the highlights. As we look forward to the new year at Disneyland
and the many challenges ahead, it is gratifying to know we have
a team of people who continue to make Disneyland the finest in family
entertainment.
Thank you once again
for your continued cooperation and support.
Sincerely,
Ron Dominguez
Meanwhile, the ride closed
suddenly on April 10, 2003 and Disneyland announced it would remain
closed until Disneyland's 50th anniversary. Apparently the ride
had gotten rickety and would need a brand new installation of the
same track layout - but with new effects, new rockets, and a new
soundtrack - when it reopened in 2005.
2005 Rehab. The popular Space Mountain which
existed from 1977-2003 closed in 2003 for needed repairs. Without
ripping out the entire track and installing a brand new version,
the metal was set to fatigue and might even have broken with riders
aboard it. The roller-coaster closed before such a tragedy happened,
and a brand new edition of the same track layout is set to open
on July 15. Here's the press release from Disney:
ANAHEIM, Calif. - March 4, 2005 – As the
countdown begins to May 5, 2005, and the launch of the 50th anniversary
of Disneyland, the “Happiest Homecoming on Earth,” another countdown
is now underway in Tomorrowland for the re-launch of “Space Mountain.”
The anticipation has begun as one of the most popular adventures
at Disneyland gets ready to blast-off into a new era of thrills! “We’re very happy to announce that ‘Space
Mountain’ will re-open on July 15 as one of the many celebratory
festivities leading to our actual 50th anniversary on July 17,”
said Matt Ouimet, president of the Disneyland Resort, during a
State of the Resort presentation today for local government and
business leaders. “Guests will find the classic elements they
love, combined with new technology and special effects that make
the experience even more of a 'wow!" “Space Mountain,” the high-speed interstellar
adventure that has captivated Disneyland guests since its debut
in 1977, re-opens following nearly two years of enhancements and
improvements. As the signature attraction of Tomorrowland, “Space
Mountain” will once again beckon guests to its gleaming white
spires and ominous slopes to experience anew the intergalactic
adventure inside. The attraction will return to its regular
flight schedule with enhanced narrative elements and state-of-the-art
special effects within the attraction and queue area, while retaining
its essential theme and flight path through the dark reaches of
outer space. Ardent “Space Mountain” fans will find
the attraction sporting a new generation of special effects, new
rocket vehicles and a brand-new, custom soundtrack. Through an
all-new queue and hi-tech launch port inspired by today’s era
of space exploration (Mars Rover, Hubble telescope, etc.), guests
will feel as if they have a first-hand look into the cosmos. After boarding their rockets, guests will
be wowed by a feeling of disorientation in the launch tunnel,
hurling them towards a close encounter with a large meteorite.
Following an exhilarating race through space, the experience will
culminate with a new finale featuring a longer re-entry tunnel
filled with spectacular lighting effects. The initial concept for “Space Mountain”
originated with Walt Disney himself back in the mid-1960s, when
it was known simply as “Space Port” and destined to become an
addition to Tomorrowland at Disneyland. The concept became a reality
in 1975 when, after more than a decade of planning, the first
incarnation of “Space Mountain” actually premiered in the Magic
Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. “Space Mountain” had its southern California
premiere at Disneyland two years later on May 27, 1977. The U.S.
Mercury Astronauts, America’s first men in space, were on hand
for the grand opening ceremonies and to christen the 118 foot
tall “mountain.” The re-launch of “Space Mountain” joins
an incredible array of new and exciting adventures, attractions
and spectacular entertainment premiering at Disneyland during
its “Happiest Homecoming on Earth” 50th anniversary celebration,
launching May 5, 2005. Other highlights include the fun-filled
and interactive “Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters” in Tomorrowland,
the spectacle of “Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams,” “Remember .
. . Dreams Come True,” (the biggest fireworks spectacular in Disneyland
history), the engaging retrospective “Disneyland: The First 50
Magical Years” and the energetic “Block Party Bash” at Disney’s
California Adventure.
Historical Notes.
The old queue, prior to the 2005 refurbishment: The walls of the tunnel are painted
rust-brown to match the newly painted exterior of the Mountain.
You descend some twenty yards and make a sharp left U-Turn. Then,
you enter the "pre-viewing" room - where you can see the ride
in action via some giant plate glass windows. However, most people
watch the preshow videos, which are rather horrible. This preshow
is an ostensible broadcast from the future, mainly a news program
interspersed with comical commercials and channel surfing (one
such channel is Space Mountain TV, or SMTV). Some of these commercials
are for actual products, such as the space-themed Fed-Ex ones
- they are the sponsor after all. Three notable things about the
video: Charles Fleischer - the voice of Roger Rabbitt - is a used
satellite dealer in one commercial (Crazy Larry); there is a hidden
Mickey-shape on a satellite when a SM host pops up (mouse ears
on satellite provide for communication with earth); and the liftoff
sequence on one video is pulled directly from the blastoff video
seen in the former Disney attraction "Mission to Mars." Watch
also for the video scenes lifted from Disney's movie "The Black
Hole" and from the movie "Tron." You then enter a blue tunnel
which has monitors on both sides, showing the safety video. That
woman was not Shannen Doherty, as you might think, but the 1993
Disneyland Ambassador Kathleen Mitts. Finally, you make a sharp
left into the boarding area, which you circumnavigate along the
top before descending on ramps on the other side. Hanging from
the ceiling is a fanciful spaceship bearing the ID number DL2000
(Florida's craft is numbered XL2000). As you board your craft,
you notice a Fed Ex robot scanning shipping labels across the
way - the one nice touch from the sponsor. And here is the old ride-through, prior
to 2005: When you get on your rocket,
look for the small red light at the very back of the first car
(facing the second car) - this light, when lit, indicates that
the music is playing in your rocket. After you are safely boarded,
your rocket moves foward to the blacklight area where they perform
a seatbelt check. Once there, the soundtrack kicks on, and with
a final notice from "Mission Control," you're on your way. Historical
note: before the soundtrack in 1995, overhead speakers repeated
this message before your departure: "Space Shuttle, this is Flight
Safety... Keep your hands on the handrail or inside the vehicle
and remain seated while in motion. You are cleared for launch."
This warning *sometimes* plays nowadays still. You begin with a left turn,
and acceleration is very quick. The remainder of the ride is accompanied
by music synchronized with the drops and turns, courtesy of Dick
Dale (renowned for surf-guitar music). Your rocket makes several
turns, mostly to the right side, for the next few minutes. At
top speed, shortly before the big drop, you reach 30 m.p.h., though
it feels much faster. After one sharp turn, you go down a sudden
dip - the highlight of the ride even though it's not a large drop.
The turns become faster, more intense, more g-force-oriented as
you near the bottom. A sudden bump upwards signifies that the
final turn, this one to the left for a change, is about to occur.
Whipping around, you race into the "explosion" ending (a cylinder
lighted blue rotates around your rocket as you brake, accompanied
by strobe effects) and you decelerate rapidly. The music becomes
quieter, more introspective, as your rocket coasts back to the
loading platform.
Why was
the onboard ride music sometimes not working? Statistics
- Construction started: June
1975
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You're confronted right away with a painting of a space station:
Station 77, a reference to the opening date of this attraction in
1977. Look carefully at the image and you'll see elongated space
ships with multiple pods as a "neck"... do they look familiar?
A version of this used to hang above the loading dock (the ship
has since taken on a new look).
History.
Space Mountain opened in 1977, energizing
a decade-old Tomorrowland and providing Disneyland with its second
roller-coaster (and the first one to open after Walt's death). Although
Space Mountain opened first in Florida, the idea for it began in
the mid 60's - during Walt's lifetime - as a way to refresh the
aging Tomorrowland at Disneyland. However, the project was shelved
for a while in California, and it wasn't until Florida's success
that the ride came home to Anaheim. Back then, the Florida coaster
was sponsored by RCA while the Disneyland version was "sponsored" (just a joke really) by DASA - Disneyland Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
The
attraction remained more or less in its original form for several
years. Sponsors would come and go, and minute changes, such as the
addition of the speedramp at the front or the logo used for the
attraction, went largely unheralded. The ride itself was totally
unchanged. However, in 1995, significant changes began. First came
the addition of Federal Express as the official sponsor of the ride,
resulting in a number of alterations. The queue was given a facelift,
adding television monitors and a themed, looping MTV-style video
during the "peek inside the mountain" section of the queue. The
next passageway saw the addition of a safety warning video. Also
present was a new rudimentary Audio-Animatronic, a robot Fed-Ex
worker near the loading dock. Sadly, several of the space telescope
images after the exit ramp were replaced by Fed-Ex placards. In
1996 came the soundtrack, which was inspired by the success of the
soundtrack on the Paris Space Mountain. In 1997/1998, the exterior
of the mountain was painted green-gold to match the new look of
Tomorrowland. However, this color scheme lasted about as long as
enthusiasm did for the revamped land, and in 2003, the spires were
again painted white while a canvas-like covering was laid over all
other parts of the mountain, rendering it again white on the outside.
A turn to the right and up the first ramp you go, accompanied
by music loosely based on Saint-Saens' L'aquarium - specifically,
"Carnival des animaux." You pass through the "electron room"
(it looks like electrons are streaking past your head) and enter
the upramp tunnel: a red light at the end sends out a circle of
white beams which rotate and spiral inward toward the car as you
get closer. Once at the top, you enter "outer space" at last:
mostly blackness with millions of white dots, most moving, alongside
the walls. To your left is the glowing orange planet, garishly
covered since 1995 by Fed Ex's satellite dish. You climb up one
final small lifthill, hoping to catch a glance of the asteroid
projection on the wall (often referred to as the "space cookie").
Finally, as you crest the hill, Mission Control announces "liftoff"
and the music changes as you charge into the coaster!
The music, introduced in 1995, had always been problematic. These
original rockets were never designed to hold a sound system, so
the Disney Imagineers got creative in order to install it. Trouble
is, like any system it needs upkeeping, and the onsite Disneyland
maintenance guys were never told how to fix the thing. As a result,
each maintenance takes longer than you might expect. Adding to
this, the maintenance budget gets smaller and smaller each year,
so that a good amount of rockets are missing music at any one
time. If you're there on a day when NONE of the rockets have the
music running, the reason for this is "operational consistency."
This way, all guests receive the same experience. I guess locals
wanting to wait for a rocket whose music is working can otherwise
cause quite a backup and loading nightmare, so disabling the music
on the working rockets might be the only option in those cases.