Space Mountain full ride video and refurbishment report

Upon hearing of Space Mountain soft opening to guests yesterday after a seven-month refurbishment, I rushed over to the Magic Kingdom only to be denied a ride as the roller coaster was shut down for further maintenance and testing.

I returned to the Magic Kingdom today at around 1 p.m. to find Space Mountain once again open for testing with guests. Around twenty minutes later, I finally had a chance to board a vehicle and blast off into space once again. The verdict on the update? The same classic ride experience, but better.

Before I elaborate, let me share a full POV (point-of-view) ride video from the back seat. I’ll warn you now that the majority of this video is nearly pitch black, as the star field projections along the ceiling are too dark for my camera to pick up while zooming by. However, you do catch a great view of the updated launch and reentry tunnels as well as the on-ride photo preview and purchase areas after the ride. Plus the ride portion of the video features binaural audio, so put on your headphones to enjoy it the most.

Space Mountain ride-through after refurbishment / update in Orlando

Other than the overhauled queue, load area, and post-show scenes that I posted video and photos of yesterday, the ride itself is largely the same as it has been for many years. The single-row seating configuration remains the same in the ride vehicles and the seats feel the same as I remember them. The paint scheme on the vehicles is updated with a shiny metallic blue color for the main body and grey replacing the former glow-in-the-dark stripes along the sides.

The launch tunnel features the same blue flashing lights but with all-new sound effects. At the end of the launch tunnel is one of the only major differences during the ride. Just before the sudden U-turn toward the lift hill, a multi-colored star field of sorts appears straight head (it’s slightly visible if you watch closely in the video above). Just as the car takes the hard turn, the on-ride ride photo is taken. It’s an odd place for a photo as the ride hasn’t really started yet at that point, so the resulting photo is less “I’m having fun on a roller coaster” and more “What was that bright flash?”.


Photo preview area just after getting off the ride

The area surrounding the lift hill, like everything else, is improved but basically the same. Everything looks better, with more colored lights along the walls and up and down the spaceship in the center and the upside-down astronauts are new and look modern, not decades old.

Once you reach the top of the hill and begin the ride, it’s the same Space Mountain you remember, but darker. Projections along the ceiling and walls are crisp and brighter but are mainly the same swirling cosmos and shooting stars – nothing new. Throughout the ride, the track is practically invisible due to the lowered light level, presumably as a result of enclosing the load areas. I didn’t notice any difference in the track itself. The layout was the same as I remembered and it was no more or less shaky than before the refurbishment. Some have reported that the ride is a little smoother now. I didn’t think so, but I have a high tolerance for rocky rides. The near-total darkness did enhance the thrill level a bit.

On this second day of guest testing, the Space Mountain arcade and gift shop has now reopened as well. In the center is the photo purchase area with Disney’s usual prices of $18+ for each print. I noticed one retro-style Space Mountain shirt but no any other new merchandise related to the ride.

In the end, Space Mountain is still the same classic attraction you’ve ridden your whole life, but now it has been brought into the 21st century. The average guest will likely notice the changes to the queue and load area (especially the new inability to see the actual ride above) but not on the ride itself. However, most visitors will be happy to be able to once again experience world’s first Space Mountain just as they remember it.

Space Mountain officially reopens on Nov. 22. It is likely to open for guest testing in daily soft openings between now and then, though it may only remain open each day for an hour or two. For a look at the newly-updated queue and post-show scenes, read my post from yesterday’s first soft opening. We also have new photos from today’s trip through Space Mountain added to our photo gallery.

MouseFanTravel

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8 Comments

  1. Good write-up Ricky. I’ll have to admit that I was hoping for more of a Disneyland type refurb after such an extended downtime. Hearing that the track is still just a bumpy bums me out. DL’s ultra-smooth track really contributes to the futuristic space-like feel. I don’t think there are a ton of bumps when flying through space, so as far as the story goes, I think SM should be smooth and fast, but oh well.

    How is the view from the PM/TTA? From the limited photos I’ve seen of the SM queue, it looks like the TTA may no longer have any view in SM other than the blackness and chocolate chip cookies every once in a while?

  2. I’m very disappointed that after all that time they have done NOTHING to the track.

    The Disneyland one is just SOOO smooth it is magic.

    As for Paris…I think that is one of the WORST coasters I have ever been on. If you think the WDW one is rough…you ain’t seen nothing yet. Paris is a disaster.

    Thanks for the post Ricky 🙂

  3. Can someone fill us in on the post-ride “moving sidewalk” that ends in the arcade?

    It was the one that once had all the RCA stuff, then FedEx “the “Lab” retreiver, and the “laser” beaming packages. It also had the TV cameras and the monitors on the right side showing your face.

    Has it been refurbished?