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Introduction.
This Space Mountain, designed
by Tim Delaney of Walt Disney Imagineering and built by Vekoma,
was the first one to feature sound and the only one to include inversions.
Virtually everyone who has ridden it declares that this one is superior
to all other Space Mountains out there.
In 2005, the ride underwent a major revision for the Happiest Celebration
on Earth initiative. Gone would be the Jules Verne theme and look,
gone most of the show elements in the dark, and in its place would
be "Mission Two" - rather than travel to the Moon, our
rockets travel the cosmos. New music by Michael Giacchino (replacing
Steve Bramson's original score) accompanies each rocket. New themed
elements light up inside the ride, too.
This article was originally
posted at miceage.com and has been reposted with the author's permission.
Alain has also graciously provided many of the newer images in the
pictures section of this website dedicated to the Paris mountain. The original project
was not even called "Space Mountain," but "Discovery Mountain."
Partly because the attraction was located in Discoveryland, a
land which pays tribute to great visionaries, but maybe also because
there were really going to be a lot of things to discover inside!
Those of you who've
read my previous article about the Nautilus are aware that the
original Discovery Mountain project was a big tribute to Jules
Verne and some of his novels. Part of the story was inspired by
Nemo's mysterious island "Vulcania," and the whole thing was (in
the attraction's mythology) supposed to be located inside a volcano,
which at the same time, was a source of energy. Lot of different
renderings had been created, but in an early one we can clearly
see the "volcano" concept. Discovery Mountain
would have been huge too; 100 meters wide, nearly twice the size
of the Space Mountain building that was ultimately built. With
all that was supposed to be inside, it sure would have needed
all that extra room. Not only would
there have been the regular roller coaster (based on the Jules
Verne "From the Earth to the Moon" story including the gigantic
exterior Columbiad canon), but one would also find Nemo's Nautilus
submarine floating in a huge interior lagoon, complete with the
walk- through that currently exists, and even a Nautilus "undersea"
restaurant where visitors would enjoy a dinner in Nemo's grand
salon. What a dream. But that's not
everything you would have found. In the rendering of the Discovery
Mountain interior below you can clearly see a volcano, and inside
(rising and going inside of it in the same time), there would
be a huge red metallic structure. What for you ask? Well in a
kind of a way, this would have been a sort of a Tower of Terror
"ancestor." It may have been the first free-fall ride concept
designed by Imagineering (WDI), where an elevator would suddenly
fall into the depths of the volcano. As the Imagineers
were well aware that Paris weather was not the same as Florida's,
they had planned that visitors - even if they were not going to
actually "ride" anything - would have been able to walk through
the inside of the mountain, and from there would have an covered
access to "Videopolis," "Star Tours" and the former "Cine-Magique,"
avoiding any inclement weather. Now you all know
by now that this kind of concept is not very cheap to build. Yes,
it was a wonderful project indeed, but it was not inexpensive
at all. As a result it was first decided by the powers that be
to keep it for the "phase two" of the park. But when time came
for the phase two, DLP was already suffering with its financial
problems. Let me stop here a little bit to fill you in about these
fiscal problems you've all heard about ten years ago. Many of
you probably think that the park didn't do that well at the beginning.
Well, that's not true. The attendance has always been great from
the get go. In its first year, DLP was not only the most visited
locale in France, but also in Europe with nearly 12 millions visitors
going through the turnstiles. Which for a country that didn't
even know what the term "theme park" meant five years before is
quite remarkable, isn't it? So what was the
real problem? Well, too many hotels were first built, and although
they can now be quite busy, in 1992 the 7000 rooms were too much.
And guess who insisted on all this? Michael Eisner of course.
The hotels were his big toys, and we all know that when the boss
decides on something, well... you have to do it! If only he could
have admitted his mistake, instead of blaming the Imagineers.
(And blame them for what by the way - building the nicest "Magic
Kingdom" in the world?) Well, we can hope that after Sept. 30th
this kind of absurdity will end forever. OK, back to our
Discovery Mountain story! So anyway the project became suddenly
too expensive, and the Imagineers had to go back and revise their
blueprints! It was decided to keep the From the Earth to the Moon"
coaster concept, and the Nautilus would now be located outside
a smaller building - the size reduced from 100 to 62 meters wide.
The beautiful Columbiad
cannon remained though, and even some visual tributes to the first
"volcano" concept were made with the rocks emerging from the Discoveryland
lagoon that you can see today. The "Columbiad"
canon is not only perfectly themed in a Victorian way, but it's
also doing a lot of other things. The Imagineers
could have designed this 22 meter long canon to only be a decoration,
but they did better than that. In fact when the ride vehicle is
"catapulted" out of it, steam is projected from the front and
back, just like a real cannon. The upper part
of the canon also has a "backing up" movement, and when the train
enters it before launch, a kind of trap door opens, allowing the
outside visitors a glimpse of the arrival of the train inside
the Columbiad. At the same time, a stylized sun icon on the side
of the cannon turn right and left, and when all these elements
work together, it makes the whole thing much "richer" in terms
of "show." The name "Discovery
Mountain" remained in use until two months before the 1995 opening.
Basically the change was for marketing reasons, at that time the
executives thought that the word "Space" would have been understood
as a clearer term for a "space roller coaster" by visitors instead
of "Discovery." This is also why the initials "D.M" were still
visible on the side of the trains as it was too late to change
them, and the Imagineers as well also liked to keep a little bit
of the history of the ride in place. Space Mountain's
first "From the Earth to the Moon" theme was in place until last
January, and since its debut was a big hit. A great storyline,
along with solid theming by Tim Delaney (the show producer), and
his Imagineers insured success. For the first time inside a Space
Mountain riders could directly walk in through the middle of the
attraction, and watch the trains going by at high speeds between
the meteorites. The ride's boarding
area was designed as a Victorian station, celebrating the "Gun
Club's" first flight to the moon (the name came from the Verne
novel) and the "bronze" color of the trains was perfectly chosen.
For almost the first time ever, (in '95), the trains had on-board
audio. (I have to say "almost" because the first time WDI utilized
this unique system was the year before on the DLP Fantasyland
"Casey Jr. Train.") The cannon launch
worked perfectly and the ride was (in '95), the fastest ever in
a Disney park, along with loops etc. All that of course at 70
km per hour. The theming in
the ride was totally inspired by Verne's novel: The train entered
at high speed the "Lunar Mining Co.," then went past a huge meteorite
before approaching the Moon, which was designed as a tribute to
the famous Georges Méliès "Trip to the Moon" silent movie. Méliès by the way,
was a genius. He was a magician before he became a film director,
and was really the first to create movie special effects. If you've
never seen a Méliès movie, I suggest you catch up on his work
right now! You can find a DVD with his best films ("Méliès the
Magician" including "The Trip to the Moon") on Amazon. Here's
a link to it: After a race through
meteorites, the train came back into the station, passing through
the "electro-de-velocitor," yet another item inspired by the novel.
Once thing I haven't
touched on yet is the exterior lighting. Designed by Joe Falzetta,
one of the best WDI lighting experts, his work is stunning. It's
so beautiful that it becomes hypnotic, you can't take your eyes
off of it. The mix of theatrical lighting and neon that transforms
the exterior at night into a kind of huge "space ship" is really
a wonder! So what more can
we say? The "first mission" was great, as was the music, and the
theming was terrific! Space Mountain was an instant hit and helped
with the park's economic situation. Personally, I only regretted
the "thousand stars" projection effect (which the stateside versions
have inside the dome), and that the ride track over time became
"hard." Vekoma, one of the bigger coaster companies in the world
built the track, and they usually do best when there are no inversions
(loops, etc.) on the ride. There are other builders who are better
for these kind of rides - like Intamin - but the park unfortunately
choose Vekoma. As you can probably guess by now, the main reason
was that Vekoma was about half the price of Intamin. However, all this
didn't stop Space Mountain from becoming DLP's biggest hit with
huge lines most of the time, until the last January when the attraction
was closed. It was time for the Imagineers to create a new adventure
which will lead the visitors "Beyond the Moon" on "Mission Two."
Riding
the Comet So, the press opening
event of what is now called "Space Mountain, Mission Two" was
held last Wednesday, April 6th, and the attraction is now open
to everyone as of April 9th. I'm not going to make you wait to
answer the question: "So, how is it? Is it good?" Yes! Mission Two
is good... it's very good... It's even more than just that, as
we probably now have here in Paris the best Space Mountain version
in the world! No kidding here, I'm serious. The Imagineers have
done a wonderful re-theming, and we're going to talk about it.
But since there was also a press event held to launch the made-over
attraction, why not come along with me so I can both show and
tell you everything that happened that day, just as if you were
there yourself! OK? Everything began
last Wednesday with an arrival at the Newport Bay Hotel. From
there, you walked on over to the park entrance, and on the way
one could admire the huge balloon on "Lake Disney" (this is also
new) - supposedly the biggest "captive" balloon in the world.
("Captive" meaning that it doesn't "fly" anywhere, it just goes
up and down.) Then you go under
the beautiful "Disneyland Hotel" and arrive at the entrance to
the park. Unfortunately, the weather that day was poor - although
the park had some good luck in that it didn't rain during the
opening ceremonies. As a result, some of the photos you'll see
here today are going to be a little bit less than optimal, although
I did find a few clear "blue sky" shots in the CD press kit. As you approach
Discoveryland you'll see a refreshed Space Mountain silhouette
- since last summer the whole building has been completely re-painted,
down to the smallest of details. Even the trains
are a new color. Instead of the original "bronze" they are now
what I would call a "creamy silver." I say "creamy" because it's
not a totally flashy silver metallic look, but a "silver" with
just the tiniest little bit of "bronze" in it. The end result
is nice. They also changed
the huge attraction poster on the side of the ride building. The
"Victorian" design has been replaced by a more modern painting,
but to my eye it looks a little bit too much like a "PhotoShop
montage" what with all the different "space" elements. I guess
the new poster is OK considering the new story line, but artistically
speaking the previous "From the Earth to the Moon" design was,
artistically speaking, much better. At the entrance,
for the opening ceremony today the newly themed Space Mountain
"arch" was surrounded with giant LCD screens. During the afternoon,
European celebrities were all around the building for some photo
sessions. Around 8 o'clock
the presentation began with a few NASA/ESA (European Space Agency)
short films about the conquest of space. Then, after some "break-dancers"
did their thing (don't ask), André Lacroix, the Euro Disney CEO
(a very kind man, by the way) arrived. Just before Lacroix made
his appearance, an actor costumed as Jules Verne made a little
speech, announcing the "imminent" return on earth of three "exploronauts"
(Disney-speak for Space Mountain travelers). So, Lacroix called
them, and three famous "people" arrived on stage; one from France
and one from Italy (both of whom you never heard of stateside),
and a third person that you do know, action-movie-star Vin Diesel,
who then proclaimed Mission Two "open." Diesel was also
asked what he thought of "Mission Two." "It needs more women!"
was his succinct reply, which of course made everyone laugh. Anyway, during
all this, night fell, and the attraction (beautifully illuminated
by Imagineer Joe Falzetta) was at last open, and everybody rushed
in. OK, now let's get
to the serious stuff: What's new here? The first thing we see
is that the inside "walk through" (from which it was previously
possible to look inside the attraction) is now "blind," in other
words it was all closed in. Why? Well, the biggest reason was
to be able to provide total darkness inside, necessary for the
new theming mostly due to the new "projection" effects. To dress
up what is now a boring long tunnel, giant space photos of galaxies,
comets, etc. have been placed all along the way. This part of the
queue is not the best part of the attraction, that's for sure.
But as riders would be normally rushing past all this to get to
the trains, it's best not to be too hard on the Imagineers for
this simpler theming. (Personally, I think they could have used
some 3-D effect/"lenticular" photos even if it cost a little more
- they used to have a few in Anaheim's version of the ride at
the exit. It certainly would have made for a more "futuristic"
look.) There is also another
change you'll notice here, a new ride "warning" movie, complete
with a new "hostess" to alert you about the speed, loops, and
such of "Mission Two." It's good to also note here that all the
plasma screens have all been "framed" with a well-done Space Mountain
theme. Before you reach
the boarding room, you still go through the "Baltimore Gun Club"
room where the paintings have been changed. They now show the
Columbiad canon and a "scientific" drawing of the journey to the
"super-nova". Nothing really
has been changed in the actual boarding area itself, except that
the flags which were hanging before are gone, and the control
board at the end of the area has been re-painted and themed with
the new "Mission Two" logo. OK, now it's all
aboard the new trains for a mission to the end of the galaxy.
As you climb in the ride train, you'll notice that the "DM" letters
(for "Discovery Mountain") have now been removed from the cars,
replaced by "Mission Two" logos. One of the major
changes made in the attraction is a newly re-calibrated catapult
system. Previously, the train entered and stopped higher up inside
the Columbiad cannon. Now it stops lower inside the cannon before
it is catapulted. This results in
a little bit more "G-force" (1.5G) and the launch is a few seconds
longer (always a pleasure) before you zoom inside the building.
Your first impression
will be that it's a lot darker inside than before, and you'll
be right. In fact, the storyline for "Mission Two" is that after
you've been to the moon in the first version, the space travelers
are now supposed to go beyond. This time visitors will be venturing
through the universe for an encounter with a giant "Super-Nova."
The attraction also features a new ride soundtrack composed by
Michael Giacchino, who also scored Pixar's "The Incredibles."
So the first show
elements seen are the meteorites (just as before), but now they
have a very clever "moving" or "rolling" projection effect added.
The next visual
effect is one of the major new additions, and it's one of my favorites:
An encounter with a huge "Comet." This is simply
an extremely well done large projection effect, but the genius
in this idea is that when you first spot the comet from the train,
you see it from a distance, while the train is still on the other
side of the building. As the train moves in, the comet approaches
in the same direction - giving you the feeling for a few seconds
that you're going to collide - until finally the train goes over
the comet. The whole effect is perfectly done, especially with
the new addition of the "star field" (similar to the U.S. versions
of the ride), projected onto the dome of the building. Right after the
first loop, you'll then spot a "galaxy, just before the train
enters the giant asteroid," which was there before but now features
a good mix of both a fog and light projection effect. The train
then goes down again, going through a "corkscrew" with another
very good new show effect, "flaming" meteorites (yet another projection
effect). This is also very well done, and it appears as if you
are going to hit them. At the top of the
next train lift is a "super-nova explosion," again a projection
effect on an invisible screen. It's quite good, but in my opinion
it could be improved with a more "powerful" or "devastating" explosion,
and we also miss hearing a louder "explosion" sound. Hopefully
there will be some improvements made on this effect in the future,
as most of my fellow "travelers" seem to share the same opinion.
As the train goes
into its final fall of the ride, there's another visual treat
before the arrival: you experience a long red-neon "vortex," followed
with a blue-"flash" effect. The idea here is to bring back the
train to earth through "hyper space" at light speed - before entering
the "electro de velocitor," the one design element remaining pretty
much intact from the first version. It's of course
difficult to describe with just words the whole new show here
- because it's such a visual and physical experience (and of course,
it's impossible to take any real photos because of the darkness
and speed of the ride). But it's really a stunner, a real fun
high-speed coaster, as the track itself remains exactly the same
with the originals 360-degree loop, cork screw, etc. And yes,
the ride still "knocks" a bit, the best seats being in the middle
of the train. The new music goes very well with the new show,
although I think the previous recording was probably a little
more "emotional." Where you can tell
if a ride is really good though is if the experience was so exhilarating
that you'll want to ride again right away. Not only are there
are a lot of new things you want to see again here, but it's all
such a surprise, turning DLP's Space Mountain a real "E+" Ticket.
Of course all of this makes you want to get right back on. It will be very
interesting to compare the upcoming Anaheim revamp and new Hong
Kong version to the Paris makeover, I wouldn't be surprised if
some of the effects seen here might also pop up in the other versions.
(I sure hope you get to see them!) Back outside, the
party wasn't over yet. After dinner at your choice of either the
Plaza Gardens or the Hyperion restaurants, the famous D.J. Tiesto
played an hour of music from his transparent dome located over
the entrance arch, accompanied by a laser show from the top of
Space Mountain. Of course, as we've
all come to expect in Disney's Magic Kingdoms, the evening always
ends with fireworks, which that night featured a giant "super-nova"
explosion to perfectly cap it all off. As I wrote at the
beginning of this piece, the "Mission Two" makeover of DLP's Space
Mountain is a real improvement, and at this time, probably the
best version of this classic attraction ever. There's no doubt
it will be hugely successful, so my tip here is that the next
time you visit, it would be best to rush right on over to the
Space Mountain Fastpass and get a ticket, so you can be sure to
get on the ride. As we say in France:
you'll thank me forever for this good advice. But to be honest
here, you better thank the Imagineers for the wonderful work they
did on this attraction. They really deserve it. 2005 Press Release for Space
Mountain Mission Two.This was the official
press release from Disney in 2005:
Disneyland
Resort Paris launches Space Mountain: Mission 2 Disneyland Resort Paris will
launch Space Mountain: Mission 2 on 9 April this year. The main
attraction in Europe’s foremost tourist destination is celebrating
its 10th anniversary and is set to pursue its saga with a second
adventure. The attraction is being completely reprogrammed to
provide visitors with a totally new experience, where “exploronauts”
will find themselves speeding well beyond the moon towards the
far reaches of the universe… In 2005, Disney Theme Parks around
the globe will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland, California.
This very special event will see a host of new attractions and
shows launched throughout the world. Space Mountain: Mission 2
forms a part of this celebration, as well as Wishes, an all-new
fireworks spectacular that is set to enchant Disneyland Resort
Paris guests from 16 July to August 28 2005. Space Mountain is one of the
most popular and exciting attractions in the entire Resort. Inspired
by Jules Verne’s visionary novel, From the Earth to the Moon,
written in 1865, the attraction’s Columbiad cannon has blasted
millions of space travelling guests towards the moon since Junes,
1995. As of 9 April, 2005, “exploronauts”
will embark on a new, fantastic and unforgettable voyage to the
far reaches of the universe. The Columbiad cannon imagined by
Jules Verne will be recalibrated. The spacecraft will now be catapulted
from the lower part of the cannon where, thanks to the extraordinary
energy of this breathtaking launch and constant acceleration,
adventurers will reach outer space almost immediately following
a brief moment of near weightlessness. Their mission will be to explore
the farthest reaches of space, to go where no one has gone before
and discover the mysteries at the edge of the universe. Along
the way, they will encounter an asteroid belt, comets and a magnificent
supernova. These thrilling adventures will deflect the frenzied
route of the spacecraft, resulting in unexpected twists, turns,
spins and loops, all accompanied by a soundtrack that could be
straight out of a major science-fiction film. Backstage in Space Mountain:
Mission 2 One of the most important modifications
concerns the launch, which will take place from the lower part
of the cannon. As a result, the length of the launch phase will
be increased by nearly 40%. The initial acceleration will reach
a speed of around 14 m/s and passengers will experience a G-force
of nearly 1.3 N.The attraction itself will see guests catapulted
into outer space, where they will find themselves confronted with
a series of cosmic phenomena that will cause the spacecraft to
rapidly change direction as their space vehicle takes evasive
measures. The daredevil passengers will only just escape a spectacular
supernova – a cataclysmic explosion of a giant star that, for
a moment, shines brighter than an entire galaxy – before they
return to earth after travelling through a luminous “vortex”.
Music It goes without saying that music
will play an integral part of the Space Mountain: Mission 2 experience.
Michael Giacchino, the world famous composer whose scores notably
include the music to the Disney/Pixar movie The Incredibles and
the American television series Alias, has created the sonic background
that will accompany passengers along their journey. Completely
synchronised to the “story”, the music will be an essential part
of this new mission, accentuating all the special effects and,
in particular, reinforcing the dramatic nature of the situation
when the spacecraft is confronted with the supernova explosion.
Michael Giacchino has worked diligently to ensure that the music
follows the scenario and visual effects as closely as possible,
plunging guests even further into the heart of this breathtaking
adventure. The Space Mountain vehicles will
undergo modifications for Space Mountain : Mission 2. Like the
“Soundtracker” vehicles on the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring
Aerosmith attraction in Walt Disney Studios Park, all seats will
be equipped with five loudspeakers, one on each side of the head,
two around the hips and one on foot level, to offer an optimal
aural experience. As well as the loudspeakers built
into the seats, a highly specialised team will install a large
number of other speakers in the attraction’s structure to further
emphasise the various sound effects. Visual Effects Unlike Space Mountain - where
the trip takes place in the dark - Space Mountain: Mission 2 is
based on the extensive use of visual effects. In addition to the
large amount of lighting effects used to develop the story, Disney’s
Imagineers have added projections of star fields to give visitors
the immediate impression of being in space, as well as new projections
of comets and meteors and the supernova explosion. Pre-Launch While waiting to board Space
Mountain, guests were provided with glimpses of the attraction
through a number of openings. For this new mission, which goes
far further and deeper into space, the decision was taken that
the part of the attraction leading to the boarding platform would
be enclosed. Waiting passengers will be able to admire a large
number of photos showing the various phenomena to be found in
the universe, such as quasars, novas and comets, and through this
exhibition, prepare themselves for their future close encounter.
Taken from "What's New in Disneyland
Resort Paris - Spring 2005" on disneylandparis.com... Taken from the Space Mountain:
Mission 2 issue of the annual passport magazine "Envie de +",
this is an interview with one of the ride's creators - Peter MacGrath,
Disney Imagineer... Where was the idea of Space Mountain:
Mission 2 created? The concept for this unique attraction
has been created in the USA, by the team who designed the original
Space Mountain. Could you give us more details
on the extraordinary experience? Since your shuttle is now launched
from the base of the Columbiad cannon, your initial acceleration
will be much faster and even more spectacular. Your journey into
space will then be accompanied by projections of comets and a
projected supernova explosion. Who is the creator of the music
to accompany the Exploranauts' new mission? It is Michael Giacchio who has
composed the background score accompanying the travellers on their
tour. He has notably composed the music for the Pixar Animation
Studios film "The Incredibles" presented by Walt Disney Pictures,
and also the popular TV series "Alias". And the level of the sound effects?
Each seat in a Space Mountain:
Mission 2 shuttle has been equipped with 5 loudspeakers just like
the "Soundtrackers" of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith.
Finally, how many people have
worked on the project? Around 100 people, of which 50
for the conception phase. In those 100 people, you'll find engineers,
graphic artists, architects, designers, musicians and even mountain
climbers!
Historical
Section - the ride prior to 2005
Former Walk Through the Queue.The
line for Space Mountain prior to 2005 began
near the fantastic Nautilus, in on obscure crack in the otherwise
impenetrable facade. You are greeted by a host/hostess of the ride,
who is also there to verify that you are tall enough to ride. As
you enter the building you turn almost immediately toward the right,
the center of the building, and you enter a walkway covered by a
half-hemisphere of grating at the top. It's quite see-through; the
same sort of fence you might find on any given softball field. The
fantastic thing is that above you the ride itself is roaring. In
fact, at one point the coaster train screams toward the walkway
and then dives UNDER it. It's called "La Voie Stellaire," or "Asteroid
Walkway" in English. You can hear the music of the Rocketeer or
Krull blaring in the queue, and this music is similar to the ride
soundtrack you'll be treated to shortly.
You then walk along the conclusion
of the ride - the brake run through a "Electro-de-Velocitor" (Re-Entry
De-Velocitor). It's a loud experience every time a train comes through,
and one that startles many guests who don't expect it.
After heading up some stairs
(and leaving the open-air walkway behind), you see the safety spiel
video on a couple of monitors, featuring the 1996 Disneyland Paris
Ambassador. The spiels are given in French and English (alternating),
with alternating-language subtitles.
You briefly enter a small
room themed with the "Columbiad," the giant cannon described by
Verne in his story as the way to get propelled to the moon. The
walls are covered by stylized blueprints of the Columbiad and a
spacecraft necessary to travel to the moon. Here are some phrases
you can see in that room written across the walls: "Ad Luna in flama
Gloria" (En avant vers la Lune, dans un flambloiement de gloire).
You can also spot some sentences exctracted from Verne's book: "Une
détonation épouvantable, inouïe, surhumaine, dont rien ne saurait
donner une idée, ni les éclats de la foudre, ni le fracas des éruptions,
se produisit instantanément." And: "Une immense gerbe de feu jaillit
des entrailles du sol comme un cratère." And: "La terre se souleva,
et c'est à peine si quelques personnes purent un instant entrevoir
le projectile fendant victorieusment l'air au milieu de vapeurs
flamboyantes." There are forty sets of numbers/letters like AG752
and BB942 also on the walls/ceiling, as well as some dates of Apollo
Missions to the moon.
The journey to the station
is a very good teaser, since you have to walk a long and very dark
corridor through the entire building, and you may see some portions
of the ride and sets through large openings in the walls. There
is also a 'chicken' route which allows you to view the pre-show
without actually going on the ride. Mock Ride-Through, pre-2005.
Once inside the station you board one
of the trains (6 cars, 4 seats per car) themed like sci-fi vehicles
designed in the 1900s, featuring over-the-shoulders restraints.
Soon, the soundtrack begins the ride: "Voyageurs de la Terre à la
Lune, bienvenue à bord. Veuillez baisser votre harnais de sécurité,
et garder bras et mains à l'intérieur de la navette, pendant toute
la durée du voyage. La mise à feu est imminente. Welcome on board
space travellers, please lower your harness and keep your arms and
hands inside the vehicle all time. Prepare for blast-off!" The background
music begins and it will continue throughout the ride, timed to
the drops and lifts and turns perfectly; it's a John Williams-ish
type of classical, inspirational music. You depart the station fairly
slowly, and after a long turnaround inside a tube, you reach a sudden
drop that leads you to the bottom of the cannon. A hook attaches
itself under the train and you are pulled into the enormous Columbiad
Cannon.
The train drops suddenly as
you leave the satellite orbit and rushes through some other meteorites.
The train negotiates a "horseshoe" (a flat standing upward turn)
and gains speed as it reaches another downward helix with dark light
effects simulating re-entry into the atmosphere. The train hits
the brakes through a shower of sparks inside the "Electro de Velocitor"
machine - a loud process that can heard clearly (sometimes startlingly)
in the nearby queue - and then goes back gently back to the station.
Right after disembarking,
you can buy the onboard picture taken of you sitting in the train;
called Light Speed Photography. The picture had been taken just
before the cannon blastoff.
Needless to say, this ride
is excellent - the best at the park and the best steel roller coaster
in France. Special effects and sets are superb. The soundtrack (a
bit John Williams-ish) is magnificent, and the onboard audio system
is CD quality.
Note: special thanks to Nicolas
C. (l'homme qui sait trop de Space Mountain) for helping out with
the details about the Paris attraction!
Statistics
- Unconfirmed reports indicate
that the ride's launch has changed since inception. When the ride
first opened, the trains were launched from the bottom of the catapult
hill, but the ride was too fast. Consequently, the trains now launch
from half way up.
- Despite the great theming,
the roller-coaster world makes its presence known on this attraction.
The ride's maker, Vekoma, has put its name on all the wheels of
each train!
- Construction started March
1993 (Vekoma)
- Ride
opened June 1st, 1995
- Length of track 1 kilometre
- Thrill elements 360 degree
"sidewinder" loop "corkscrew" loop 180 degree
"tongue" loop
- Speed Up to 70 kilometres
per hour at peak speed
- Ride controls Redundant programmable logic controller based
system, employing six main computers and 1,300 impact/output points
- Launch System Electric-motor-propelled catapult (similar to
system used for aircraft carrier launches)
- Seating capacity 24 (6 rocket ships, 4 passengers each) Audio
6 built-in speakers per seat. Digital audio with automatic playback
speed adjustment to synchronize the musical score with key elements
of the show. Music written by movie composer Steve Bramson
Columbiad Cannon
- Launch capacity: One rocket ship every 36 seconds
- Length : 22 metres
- Inclination : 32 degrees
- Weight : 15.5 tons
- Width of barrel : 5 metres
- Diameter 62 metres Vehicles
- Number: 6 trains (with 6 cars each train)
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History.
Space Mountain in Orlando and Anaheim proved so popular that it was
a virtual no-brainer to include one when building the new Euro-Disneyland
in Paris. However, the funds simply weren't there for Space Mountain
at the beginning, and the park opened in 1992 without it. Almost immediately
plans were laid to add the mountain, then titled Discovery Mountain
(the Tomorrowland section of Euro-Disneyland is themed after 
Alain
Littaye's Report on Space Mountain Mission 2.
Alain is the author of Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality.
If you're interested in Alain's book, email him at 
Just as impressive are the props within the mountain. In general
the mountain is dark, and not covered with moving spots of white
light (stars) the way that other Space Mountains across the globe
are. Instead, there are lighted props to look at as you dive through
the mountain, many of which you can see from the queue walkway.
The walkway itself is dimly lit by pale blue lighting: enough that
you can see while walking, but not so much that it distracts you
while riding the coaster itself.
Then, suddenly, you're outside again, maybe 40 feet away from the
start point. You descend steps and enter the loading area - trains
pull up to both sides in alternating fashion (think Big Thunder
Railroad-style). If there are MANY guests, the queue line is extended
before you actually board: you continue the queue line in a mezzanine
(in this mezzanine, you go behind the tower, and you can see a rail
switch). Watch for mention of Space Mountain's original name - Discovery
Mountain - in the tower and in the station.
A very loud detonation is heard, smoke fills the cannon and the
train is catapulted into the circuit. A short drop is followed by
a long downward helix in complete darkness. You dodge some little
asteroids and then you plunge into the looping. Leaving the first
inversion, the train rushes through a huge "space mining" machine
- called the Blue Moon Mining Company - and a series of trim-brakes
which lead you into the core of a melting asteroid (affectionately
known to the CM's as MOM - "mother of meteorite"). Then comes another
sudden drop into the corkscrew. After a 360 degree inversion, the
train "hangs" briefly at a 90 degree angle before a fast section
of track to the second lift. The train climbs the hill very quickly
- a 'road sign' says "to the Moon: 50,000 km" - and you reach the
Moon, which looks like the one in George Melies' 1902 film. Look
for a hidden Mickey formed by three craters in the Moon's smile
(the Moon's face changes to a smile as you get closer). 
- Acceleration Up to 1.3g during the catapult launch (approx. 1.8
seconds to the top of the mountain)