Inside WDW new space mountain 11/10/09

[hack2112]

Yes. But people can't agree on facts. And when some folks have access to them and others don't, you get the typical online fun. Plus, there are a lot of kiddies here (doesn't anyone go to school?)

School is for squares.
And for people who just finished their free response questions for their Calc test. :lookaroun

Wheels, and track. The two best options at making a coaster smoother.

They put in new wheels and sanded down the track on one of the sides right before the refurb. Smoothest WDW SM ride I had ever been on.

- Where's the incredible theming??? It's on par with WDWs IMO.

There's a freaking GIANT spaceship over your head. Plus, they made a small anti-camber right before the load room and right after the "line tunnel" that I find to be an amazing small touch.

- Yes, incredible lighting makes a coaster.

Lighting can make or brake a show of any kind, whether it is an attraction, mood lighting around a park, or lights for a stage show.

- I still fail to see this light bleed everyone was always complaining about.

It basically comes down to this. You can see the supports and track in WDW's SM. You can't in DL's.

- Yes, the music is nice, but hardly ride altering.

See the above statement on lighting

- And in thirty years it'll not be smooth. Ride RnRC. You'll see how well Vekoma track holds up, even with Disney standards for maintenance.

DL has great maintenance standards, as does UOR. TDO is just realizing that keeping their rides looking, sounding, and performing well just might want to be a priority of theirs.

Look, if we're going on coasters alone, WDW's just barely edges out DL's, but it's about the experience as a whole, and that's where DL's completely outshines WDW's.

 

[jt04]

Nah, it's just lit up.


:hurl:


And you say HE is full of himself? You are delusional...:lol:


Spill on SM if you have anything...(doubt it!)

Grasping satire is obviously not your stength :lol:

It's not like I was being subtle. :hammer:

PS, See the pics Steve just posted with the internal walls down (speaking of subtle).

 

[jt04]

74, I love your posts, and think you're awesome, yadda yadda - but this post above is just flat out ridiculous.

How can anything be meatier than an SM refurb? :ROFLOL:

That's okay, we'll live with your friendly(?) forum jabs. You should hear what we say about your forum behind your back. :wave:

The spirit aka wdw74 just likes to use the word "meatier" :lol:

 

[hack2112]

The spirit aka wdw74 just likes to use the word "meatier" :lol:

Mmmmmm... Meatier...

That reminds me of Meetz Meatz somehow... That Samuel Meetz was some character!

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Its as someone else stated, how much stuff is left cut on the blue sky floor? Where do the "what ifs" stop? I have no problem with Lee or Martin, hell I don't even know them, there just two dudes who post on a message board that I visit. My issue is just that I disagree with the way they seem to look at things. Maybe I'd be the same way if I kept hearing about all the ideas that were planned and then cut. You have two groups of people on this board, glass half empty, glass half full. I'd be excited if SM had gotten new track and onboard audio and whatever else Imagineers would have added, but just because it didn't happen I have to look at what we did get and make a decision about it. Disney NEVER publically said any of that was happening, so I can't fault them for not doing it. Everyone just has to agree to disagree because you'll never get to a point where everyone from one point of view changes their mind and we end up with 100% agreement. Theres too many people who post here just to complain and stir the pot.

There you go lumping people into groups.

My glass is just twice as big as it needs to be. :lookaroun

:lol:

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I dont remember reading that. On here I remember some people saying dont expect much to look different. And I was honestly upset that it would close down for the months it did without nothing on the que being done. After seeing the pics, Im glad thats not true.

And it seems that you are the one who is focusing on the negative. Are you the same poster that said SM was/is the same bumpy crap since the 70s? If not I apoligize. But either way, I detected negativity over this rehab from you from the jump.

Nope. Not me. In fact, I don't believe I've said anything about the roughness of the ride, ever.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Why not just keep a classic a classic and build other next gen e tickets. :shrug:They have the space to do that in MK or some other WDW park. To me, thats almost like saying, "Well lets completely change Pirates to be exactly like the movie. Add in Will Turner, Elizabeth, all the characters. Because then it would appeal more to the next generation etc." They're both classic MK attractions/experiences. They could still advertise it nationally like that.

To me, that example doesn't work.

It's about keeping WDW's SM on par with all the other ones in the world. WDW's is (IMHO) VASTLY below all the others. When I say that, I mean with regard to full immersion and excitement it creates. Not necessarily track layout. That's why I've said a few times that with what I've seen, if they have new launch and re-entry tunnels (like all the other SM's do), I'll call this passable... Because these would greatly inhance the overall experience.

WDW's Pirates or HM, for example, are mostly like all their other counterparts around the world. Sure, WDW's Pirates is almost half the length of the others, and DLP's blows any other version out of the water... But still. There's not a 30 year technology gap between them. I don't get on WDW's Pirates or HM and think "holy cow, they've really let this thing go", for example.

That's my beef.

They could have easily kept the track layout and bobsled config, but replaced the entire track, added on-board audio, and 21st century effects throughout the ride, and marketed the heck out of it nationally... It could have been the one thing WDW really hung its hat on for 2010. They'd have EASILY recouped the costs of the project back in added revenue. But... They just... Didn't.

 

[beyondyou]

This thread is giving me a headache with all the I didn't say this, I said this. Blahblahblah. Does anyone have anymore information about the actuall mountain or some newer pictures?

 

[tirian]

This thread is giving me a headache with all the I didn't say this, I said this. Blahblahblah. Does anyone have anymore information about the actuall mountain or some newer pictures?

1. The concept was originally Walt's idea, but he didn't have the tech to pull it off.

2. John Hench created the iconic structure by moving the support beams outside the skin, thereby creating a smooth surface for projections.

3. At one point, plans included the rockets blasting out of the mountain for a quick spin around the top.

4. When Imagineers realized the outdoor portion would ruin the mountain's forced perspective, they considered having a tiny mechanical rocket train spin around the top. The idea was mercifully scrapped.

5. WDW's SM was originally conceived to be a WDW-original, and Florida's answer to the Matterhorn. That's why the tracks feel similar—but not identical—to the MH. But when Space Mt. was replicated at DL, the track was completely changed to avoid the obvious similarities between the two coasters.

6. Upon opening, Space Mountain was essentially an Epcot-like pavilion. During the time RCA sponsored the attraction, the exit tunnels featured seriously minded scenes of future technologies. Guests were encouraged to walk through Space Mt's queue and take the chicken exit to see the RCA exhibit, even if they were not going to actually ride the coaster.

7. Roy Disney's wife (Walt's sister-in-law) insisted on being one of the first Guests to ride, despite her age.

 

[MousDad]

Oh, yeah. That army of welders that was completely rebuilding the track from scratch inside the mountain.

In a "whisper in each other's ear and what it ends up being by the time it goes around the room" sort of way, is what I meant. :lol:

 

[Buried20KLeague]

This thread is giving me a headache with all the I didn't say this, I said this. Blahblahblah. Does anyone have anymore information about the actuall mountain or some newer pictures?

If I were quoted properly, you wouldn't have had to read any of it. :wave:

 

[Mansion Butler]

Why are people still acting like there was ever supposed to be a fountain?!

 

[ChrisFL]

Why are people still acting like there was ever supposed to be a fountain?!

Because someone posted a picture that showed a logo for "Space Fountain"

ok, that isn't the reason but I thought it was funny

 

[CaptainJackNO]

We have 4 parks. They are the ones who should be demanding the same treatment.

And this thing is great so far. You obviously already had your closed mind made up.

Great quote, JT.

 

[DisneyLeo18]

There you go lumping people into groups.

My glass is just twice as big as it needs to be. :lookaroun

:lol:

I'm just wondering who drank the other half of my beer.. :ROFLOL:

 

[pax_65]

I'm not trying to be a half-empty type guy, or to stir any pot. I'm just not that kind of person. I love Disney and expect the best.

I still remember the first time I went to a Disney park (was actually DL) and I was in AWE. The same thing happened when I went to WDW for the first time. It happened again the first time I rode Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror. These things just BLEW ME AWAY, experiences so far beyond anything you could experience anywhere else.

I have this sense of awe less frequently as the years go by. Watching and hearing the cars flying around Test Track for the first time was cool. The pre-show to Mission Space was great (and I still kind of like the ride more than most people do), I thought Soarin' and Toy Story Mania are really clever, maybe not amazing but still pretty magical. The first time seeing Rock n Roller coaster "take off" and thinking, "Holy Crap! I'm about to ride that!". The Haunted Mansion refurb really surprised me and the new section pretty much blew me away. Everest was cool (especially the theme and the Yeti - when he works).

On my last trip (October) there wasn't really anything new that really blew me away (Hall of Presidents was just ok in my book) - and that didn't really surprise me, I'm sort of getting used to that reality these days.

So... on my next trip (April), will the new Space Mountain blow me away and leave me in a sense of awe? I hope it does, I really do, but based on what I've read, I have my doubts. And I already find myself wishing that the original plans were followed. And I'm bummed because I don't think there will be anything else new for me to see on that trip (except maybe construction walls in Fantasyland).

I'm a Disney fanatic, but eventually I'll get to the point where if there's nothing new to see, I'll skip a planned trip to WDW to go see something new somewhere else.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I still remember the first time I went to a Disney park (was actually DL) and I was in AWE. The same thing happened when I went to WDW for the first time. It happened again the first time I rode Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror. These things just BLEW ME AWAY, experiences so far beyond anything you could experience anywhere else.

I have this sense of awe less frequently as the years go by. Watching and hearing the cars flying around Test Track for the first time was cool. The pre-show to Mission Space was great (and I still kind of like the ride more than most people do), I thought Soarin' and Toy Story Mania are really clever, maybe not amazing but still pretty magical. The first time seeing Rock n Roller coaster "take off" and thinking, "Holy Crap! I'm about to ride that!". The Haunted Mansion refurb really surprised me and the new section pretty much blew me away. Everest was cool (especially the theme and the Yeti - when he works).

On my last trip (October) there wasn't really anything new that really blew me away (Hall of Presidents was just ok in my book) - and that didn't really surprise me, I'm sort of getting used to that reality these days.

So... on my next trip (April), will the new Space Mountain blow me away and leave me in a sense of awe? I hope it does, I really do, but based on what I've read, I have my doubts. And I already find myself wishing that the original plans were followed. And I'm bummed because I don't think there will be anything else new for me to see on that trip (except maybe construction walls in Fantasyland).

I'm a Disney fanatic, but eventually I'll get to the point where if there's nothing new to see, I'll skip a planned trip to WDW to go see something new somewhere else.

This is well said. For me these experiences are what make Disney a great trip. There are still plenty of these experiences there, but when the opportunity presents itself to create another one of these opportunities (like what could have been with Space Mountain), it's discouraging. At Disneyland I was blown away by their version of Space Mountain, much in the same way I get blown away by Illuminations with the Holiday Tag, Splash Mountain, Festival of the Lion King, or Tower of Terror. They had the opportunity to do something great with Space Mountain, and based on what we know up to this point, they fell short.

 

[mcjaco]

They put in new wheels and sanded down the track on one of the sides right before the refurb. Smoothest WDW SM ride I had ever been on.

The best rides I've had on it were last February. Can't argue with you there! :sohappy:

There's a freaking GIANT spaceship over your head. Plus, they made a small anti-camber right before the load room and right after the "line tunnel" that I find to be an amazing small touch.

Like the space ship during the lift? WOW. That is amazing.

Look, if we're going on coasters alone, WDW's just barely edges out DL's, but it's about the experience as a whole, and that's where DL's completely outshines WDW's.

You'll never sway me on this one. I do, and always have, thought WDW's was the better of the two.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Not to get off topic here or anything, but I'm a little surprised with haven't heard anything in the past couple of days concerning the status of soft opening.

Steve? Heard anything more about those issues you mentioned? Anyone?

I saw people on the ride on Monday, so I'd expect that they were, or are, really close. :shrug:

 

[ChrisFL]

Tokyo DL's updated their Space Mountain with a really nice ship...I wish we had this in ours:

Edit: better video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUoDj1n52ws