Space Mountain ready for a makeover
April 19 of this year, after the Easter holiday, Disney will close Space Mountain for a much required overhaul.
Taking a trip down memory lane back to 1967, Disney's imagineer John Hench was challenged to create a concept for a ride that travelled through a mountain. Early designs and concepts of Space Mountain included an enclosed Space Port Tomorrowland complex leading to a mountain housing a roller coaster ride that weaved both inside and outside similar to original Disney "mountain" The Matterhorn Bobsleds.
In 1977, instead of using John Hench original design, the final design would place the mountain east of Cinderella's Castle decided with a "star corridor" passing under the Disney World RailRoad as a port leading to Space Mountain.
The concept allowed guest to board the rockets through the Tomorrowland Port Authority. Guest can also see the Alpha and Omega trains glowing in the dark as they travel on their respective tracks.
A ride completely in the dark proceeds to a lift hill where there is flashing lights and images of Earth and the planets. Energy builds up for propulsion and the rocket takes off in the dark with a series of falls, lifts twists and turns.
Rolling forward to 2009, Disney has finally decide to close Space Mountain after the Easter holiday, for a much required overhaul. Back in 2005, sweeping rumors from Guests had been ciruclating that Disney would complete a series of changes to the legacy Space Mountain ride that opened in Jan of 1975. That time has finally come for a refurbishment of Magic Kingdoms's beloved attraction.
Since then sweeping changes have been made to the Space Mountain attraction in Disneyland Anaheim California. Although the changes in Orlnado will be modest on the original Space Mountain ride, Disney plans on overhauling both the queue and the ceiling in the ride.
Enjoyed by generations, Disney wants to maintian many of the old classic elements that gave Space Mountain a rite to passage at the Magic Kingdom theme park
This means the attraction will be closed during the busy summer-travel season. Space Mountain is expected to open later in 2009 although a specific date as not be established.
Taking a trip down memory lane back to 1967, Disney's imagineer John Hench was challenged to create a concept for a ride that travelled through a mountain. Early designs and concepts of Space Mountain included an enclosed Space Port Tomorrowland complex leading to a mountain housing a roller coaster ride that weaved both inside and outside similar to original Disney "mountain" The Matterhorn Bobsleds.
In 1977, instead of using John Hench original design, the final design would place the mountain east of Cinderella's Castle decided with a "star corridor" passing under the Disney World RailRoad as a port leading to Space Mountain.
The concept allowed guest to board the rockets through the Tomorrowland Port Authority. Guest can also see the Alpha and Omega trains glowing in the dark as they travel on their respective tracks.
A ride completely in the dark proceeds to a lift hill where there is flashing lights and images of Earth and the planets. Energy builds up for propulsion and the rocket takes off in the dark with a series of falls, lifts twists and turns.
Rolling forward to 2009, Disney has finally decide to close Space Mountain after the Easter holiday, for a much required overhaul. Back in 2005, sweeping rumors from Guests had been ciruclating that Disney would complete a series of changes to the legacy Space Mountain ride that opened in Jan of 1975. That time has finally come for a refurbishment of Magic Kingdoms's beloved attraction.
Since then sweeping changes have been made to the Space Mountain attraction in Disneyland Anaheim California. Although the changes in Orlnado will be modest on the original Space Mountain ride, Disney plans on overhauling both the queue and the ceiling in the ride.
Enjoyed by generations, Disney wants to maintian many of the old classic elements that gave Space Mountain a rite to passage at the Magic Kingdom theme park
This means the attraction will be closed during the busy summer-travel season. Space Mountain is expected to open later in 2009 although a specific date as not be established.
posted by michael at
9:36 AM
