News Space Mountain exit being worked on

[Rodan75]

Both the Florida Building Code and the EPCOT Building Code categorize renovations into three levels. In short, Level 1 is when you replace stuff like-for-like but are not reconfiguring spaces. New materials have to meet Code (eg. no replacing asbestos with asbestos) but you don’t have to do much else. Level 2 is when you start reconfiguring space, but only the areas of work have to meet current Code (eg. an old office building can knock down a wall to combine two office spaces into one and doesn’t have to redo the bathrooms). Level 3 is large scale renovations where everything in the building must be brought up to code. Under Florida Building Code this is when work covers over 50% of the building area and under EPCOT it is when a project exceeds 50% of the value of the project. Even then, exceptions can be made based on individual circumstances at the discretion of local authorities.

Maybe they were going to have to make this change at some point regardless? Could this really have been the beginning of major renovations on SM and for reasons they couldn’t control were forced to do this part first. I realize that is likely wishful thinking. But also something we know is inevitable at some point.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Maybe they were going to have to make this change at some point regardless? Could this really have been the beginning of major renovations on SM and for reasons they couldn’t control were forced to do this part first. I realize that is likely wishful thinking. But also something we know is inevitable at some point.

That more work might be done in the future sort of negates the whole point of different requirements.

 

[aladdin2007]

Is there a much longer exit at the Orlando parks than SM? I only remember feeling a burn in my legs walking through that exit, personally.

The exit/ramp was due for change, but the lack of a moving walkway is a pretty bad downgrade considering the walk. It's not a bad walk on its own, but you already walk/stand enough in one day at Disney, why increase that? I know why, the question's rhetorical.

I don't understand why some are treating the exit much different from the queue. Sure, the queue has a more important job of transporting you into a setting, but you're still not out of the attraction when you're in an exit, particularly in an exit this long. It's still a part of Space Mountain, and the Disney standard (as well as common sense) wills that it should look and feel like Space Mountain. Seeing the atmosphere dulled into an ugly plain white hallway with bright lights reminiscent of a present-day airport (rather than a spaceport of the future) is a downgrade and it looks cheap, I don't care how much it cost. Some exits are supposed to be "here's a lot of nothing, get out" but when yours is dragged out like Space Mountain's is, that shouldn't cut it. Unfortunately it apparently does.

well said! it just about matches the route the resorts and room designs are taking, bland and generic.

 

[JohnD]

Sometimes an exit is just an exit.

 

[jencor]

Pushing my wife in a wheel chair (she does not use a scooter cause she would hit everyone) I always found getting out of SM was an adventure. I would have her hold the brakes down and then release the brakes as i picked up speed going back up the hill until I got so far and then put the brakes up the rest of the way. One problem we had was no one could pass us and we could not pass anyone with the wheel chair. How steep is this now and is it a large down hill before going back up hill? Seemed wider. After pushing a wheel chair for hours, I never look for more work in pushing.

 

[janoimagine]

I like the vibe but hope they add laser FX because those are Tomorrow -y.

My only real complaint are the light fixtures. There very nice but aren't they off the shelf purchases?

An E-Ticket should have all custom designed elements. By actual craftspeople and artists. IMO.

Yes they are ... I can send you a link to them ... we own two ... They are not on the cheap but for what they are charging people I would at least expect something original.

 

[jt04]

Yes they are ... I can send you a link to them ... we own two ... They are not on the cheap but for what they are charging people I would at least expect something original.

Exactly. I usually give them the benefit of the doubt but E tickets should be custom made. All attractions really but especially E.

It is possible they plan to change everything after Tron opens. In that case it is cool IMO.

 

[Walt d]

I worked and lived there for 8 months last year. Rode once a week, maybe once every other week. I never saw it out once. Pretty much every aspect of the ride itself I saw out at some point. But the exit ramp never had issues

So how dose this exit relate to the new Tron Bobby i will re do it agan? As we no how he likes building new stuff .

 

[WondersOfLife]

Am doing a sad.

 

[flynnibus]

New exit has opened.

So now we have confirmation... It takes Disney 4 months to build a hallway, in an existing hallway. Well done Disney... well done.

How long before guests are jumping into those show scenes and taking selfies?

 

[flynnibus]

Does anybody think the corridors of the spaceports of the future are going to be more interesting than the corridors of airports?

Yet we see how a simple image like this...

Can invoke all kinds of emotions and giddiness. They could be playing futuristic soundtracks from artists like this...



So yeah, I do think the corridors of tomorrowland could be more than just hallways..

 

[flynnibus]

Why are the lights so bright?

Likely guest safety since now people are actually moving around on their own...

 

[flynnibus]

Also, how can one be perceived cheap if they spent money changing the infrastructure of an exit? As someone who runs a commercial general contracting company it wasn’t a cheap renovation.

The cheapness was because they took away amenities. Face it, they spent money here to take something that is a cost to maintain, to make it something static that will require far less upkeep.. and has the benefit of being more accessible. They nerf'd it and have some good justifications they can tell themselves about why its better this way. Because none of it is about show or Disney uniqueness.. it's now about cost efficiency.

 

[flynnibus]

Since it's an exit, maybe they don't want you to hang around? I can think of other attractions with long exits that aren't very exciting:

• TSMM (with the creation of TSL, now you just have a long winding path to get back into TSL
• Soarin (long carpeted hallway back into The Land pavilion)
• M:S
• FEA (okay maybe not that long but a hallway that you leads you to, surpise!, the gift shop)
• POTC
• ST
• SplM
• Safari (Foliage. Lots of foliage)
• FOP
• DINOSAUR

When you think about it, none of these exits has anything worth hanging around to see. They want you to progress out of the attraction as people are coming up behind you.

So what you are saying is... the art of making show out of something as simple as 'an exit' was lost along time ago?

That was the Disney difference... taking something basic and making it into something memorable. When Disney start just building industrial corridors... people noticed there too.

 

[peter11435]

The cheapness was because they took away amenities. Face it, they spent money here to take something that is a cost to maintain, to make it something static that will require far less upkeep.. and has the benefit of being more accessible. They nerf'd it and have some good justifications they can tell themselves about why its better this way. Because none of it is about show or Disney uniqueness.. it's now about cost efficiency.

Cost and efficiency weren’t the driving factors here. This project was the result of safety and accessibility issues.

Obviosuly this will be cheaper to maintain now that it’s done, but that wasn’t why it was done.

 

[flynnibus]

Should we start with the 1” per 1’ rise on an ADA damp?

And the long ramp without rest platforms after 30ft are better how again?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Yet we see how a simple image like this...

Dude, I used the sarcasm font!

 

[flynnibus]

Cost and efficiency weren’t the driving factors here. This project was the result of safety and accessibility issues.

Obviosuly this will be cheaper to maintain now that it’s done, but that wasn’t why it was done.

As martin hinted at... and every subway system in the world knows... escalators have a lifespan and aren't cheap (or necessarily super reliable compared to alternatives).

If it's purely safety or accessibility related, what triggered it now? I'm pretty sure there are egress points BEFORE the ramp for safety exits. Accessibility wise there isn't anything elsewhere that would have triggered a required rebuild in recent times I'm aware of.

I could see someone saying the design couldn't work anymore if it were an escalator... but it's a ramp. And it was a replaced by a floor ramp... that as best I can tell, isn't ADA compliant either (too long of runs without breaks). That's the part that really makes no sense to me... unless somehow the grade is under a ramp limit I'm not aware of.

 

[peter11435]

As martin hinted at... and every subway system in the world knows... escalators have a lifespan and aren't cheap (or necessarily super reliable compared to alternatives).

If it's purely safety or accessibility related, what triggered it now? I'm pretty sure there are egress points BEFORE the ramp for safety exits. Accessibility wise there isn't anything elsewhere that would have triggered a required rebuild in recent times I'm aware of.

I could see someone saying the design couldn't work anymore if it were an escalator... but it's a ramp. And it was a replaced by a floor ramp... that as best I can tell, isn't ADA compliant either (too long of runs without breaks). That's the part that really makes no sense to me... unless somehow the grade is under a ramp limit I'm not aware of.

All I can say is that there were incidents that led to this change being the desired option.

Ever notice that space mountain has special wheelchairs that are slightly different from the rest used around the park?

 

[flynnibus]

All I can say is that there were incidents that led to this change being the desired option.

Ever notice that space mountain has special wheelchairs that are slightly different from the rest used around the park?

to prevent rollbacks or due to the pathway widths? I assumed rollbacks were a problem because people are morons and not walking probably means people don't put on their brakes.. even tho they are going up a ramp.

I considered the old ramp was possibly too narrow for modern standards.. but that leads back to the motivation about now.

If we can't have uphill ramps because of personal mistakes by people... I vote to promote Darwinism and personal liability as a new Make Theme Parks Great again campaign platform