Space Mountain closing for short refurbishment in January 2016

[lnsemsf]

These dates come direct from Disney and are subject to change. This is one of many newly published refurbishments and I want to get the information out there for all planning their trips.

Space Mountain is scheduled for refurbishment from Jan 11-15, 2016. Being this far out, dates are subject to change or cancellation. Just a heads up to all.

 

[Tip Top Club]

This needs more than a "Short" refurbishment.

 

[Bairstow]

This needs more than a "Short" refurbishment.

Yeah, it's entered "tear down and rebuild" territory.

The 2010 refurb pretty well ruined it.

 

[ShoalFox]

It needs a 2005 Disneyland Space Mountain style makeover.

 

[ShoalFox]

Although I'm not sure how MK management feels about losing their most popular thrill ride for an extended time period...

 

[invader]

Am I the only person who prefers WDW's Space to DL's Space?

 

[Bairstow]

Although I'm not sure how MK management feels about losing their most popular thrill ride for an extended time period...

Well if there's any park that can absorb it, it's the Magic Kingdom.
It probably wouldn't hurt as badly as you might think, since Space Mountain doesn't drive associated merch sales like Pirates or Mansion.

I say gut it and have Gerstlauer install a pair of infinity coasters, one looping and one not.

 

[Bairstow]

Am I the only person who prefers WDW's Space to DL's Space?

Kinda.
I prefer the 1994-2010 version of WDW's version to either of the current US ones.

 

[ShoalFox]

I like WDW's better than DL's, but Paris's version trumps both of them.

 

[Rinx]

Just the right amount of time to add more trim breaks

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

I like WDW's better than DL's, but Paris's version trumps both of them.

Haven't been on DL's, but you can't even compare Paris to WDW. It's a totally different coaster, more like RnR.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Am I the only person who prefers WDW's Space to DL's Space?

Well, I prefer our layout, not ride experience. Our track, rebuilt, with DL's effects, would be incredible.

 

[jprieur]

Am I the only person who prefers WDW's Space to DL's Space?

Nope, I do as well! I appreciate the smoothness of the DL version, but its far too predictable with only one direction of turn, no decent drops and I don't like the side by side seating arrangement. Its too much of a giant downward corkscrew, less of a coaster.

The WDW version can be so much more if they just took better care of it. I swear the starfield projections are different everytime I ride with sections that are barely noticeable, missing, etc. . . The star tunnel is in horrendous shape and needs a total redo and they need some updating on the lift, both cosmetic and mechanical - either go silent lift or use LSM launch tech. They could probably do wonders with fiber optics for simulated star fields in spots where the projectors just can't reach and imagine what LED screens or an omnisphere projecter could provide for the red re-entry tunnel.

While there at it they need to just go ahead and enclose the entire portion of the peoplemover section and just make it a planetarium style tunnel, with accurate projections and maybe even some commentary on certain stars and constellations so its not just a silent ride through the darkness. This would also keep peoples phone backlights from being visible during the ride, which it is now.

 

[Bairstow]

Question: what's more effective for an enjoyable ride experience? A static starfield or the swirling one? To my way of thinking, having the starfeld moving crazily with no relation to the ride vehicle may be complex, but doesn't necessarily enhance the ride. Maybe a lower-tech solution, like having thousands of LEDs hanging down wherever possible would provide a better "traveling through space" sensation.

 

[Magenta Panther]

This needs more than a "Short" refurbishment.

I'll say. Replace the frelling track so you don't walk out of the ride with a Quasimodo spine.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Am I the only person who prefers WDW's Space to DL's Space?

I think WDW's Space Mountain has better "bones" - more interesting queue layout and track layout, the structure of the Mountain is more impressive than Disneyland's smaller version (which had to add a weird third ring on top, which totally ruins the look of the Mountain, IMO), and the queue music is really evocative of a by-gone time at Walt Disney World. There's something about it that it timeless and ethereal, and really changes my brain state. Gets me ready for a big, exciting cosmic adventure.

Disneyland's Space Mountain, though, has been given surface treatments that make for a more exciting ride. The on-board music, the effects, the architecture of the queue, and then that slick-as-anything smooooth track. It warms my heart, whereas WDW's rattles my brain.

If WDW rebuilt its layout with a new, smooth track, added on-board music, updated all the special effects, cleaned up the queue and repainted the mountain, it would make a world of difference. WDW's "bones" with Disneyland's show quality standards would probably make it the best in the world.


Disneyland Paris' is so different I almost hate to compare it to any of the others. It's closer to Rock N' Roller Coaster than anything else stateside. That said, it is amazing inside and out. That facade . . . that re-entry tunnel . . . . . . but there's very little there can could be shared with any of the other Space Mountains. It's singing its own tune in almost every possible way.

 

[DisneyJayL]

Kinda.
I prefer the 1994-2010 version of WDW's version to either of the current US ones.

Is that the one with the loop? The newer ones kinda suck.

 

[Bairstow]

Is that the one with the loop? The newer ones kinda suck.

Same track layout, but it was much faster because the trim brakes weren't being used like they are now. There was no ceiling over the queue, so you could watch the track and the trains, which had glow in the dark decals along their sides. There was no onboard or offboard music, but the queue had a really amusing video loop called SMtv composed mostly of repurposed B-movie clips and old NASA stock footage. It was chaotic and way more fun back then, in the Alien Encounter years.

 

[DisneyJayL]

Same track layout, but it was much faster because the trim brakes weren't being used like they are now. There was no ceiling over the queue, so you could watch the track and the trains, which had glow in the dark decals along their sides. There was no onboard or offboard music, but the queue had a really amusing video loop called SMtv composed mostly of repurposed B-movie clips and old NASA stock footage. It was chaotic and way more fun back then, in the Alien Encounter years.

See, that's what I remembered from my first time going to MK. You could actually see all that which made it very cool. I looked forward to that in 2011 but they shut all that down and I still don't know why to this day. Alien Encounter I'm still deathly afraid of, lol!!

 

[ToTBellHop]

See, that's what I remembered from my first time going to MK. You could actually see all that which made it very cool. I looked forward to that in 2011 but they shut all that down and I still don't know why to this day. Alien Encounter I'm still deathly afraid of, lol!!

They encloses the roof of the queue to make it darker in the ride area.