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Space Mountain trains cycling today (Sat 26 Sep) - photo
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Jasonflz
Well-Known Member
I never got that "right turn thing" while riding Space Mountain at Disneyland. I never bothered to think about which direction the rocket was turning.
So I found a Youtube video of it with the lights on, and there are more right hand turns than left ones; 12 right turns and 5 left turns. Here's the video, it's fun to watch, and appears to be a Cast Member party where they ran the ride with the lights on for them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXPFgtfW_yM
I've been through both Space Mountain queues, actually in real life instead of via YouTube, and both have similar spacey "ambiance", although Disneyland's looks and feels far more 21st century modern instead of Gerald Ford disco modern like WDW's still does.
Out of curiosity, if they replace the lighting in the WDW queue to the LED's and hi-def projection screens that Disneyland has, will you be sad that WDW's Space lost its 1975 "ambiance"? If they brought the digital projection exterior dome shows from Disneyland to WDW's Space Mountain, will that ruin the night-time look of the dome for you?
What if WDW's Space Mountain dome looked and sounded like this at night and you could see it from throughout Tomorrowland?... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COTUDNB7sWU
Is that good technology and a plus of the show, or bad technology that never should have replaced the white flourescent lights from the 1970's?
It does look like a good ride. I just feel like it wouldn't fit with the theme of our Tomorrowland as well as it does now. I do hope we get some nice visual upgrades though. The queue is fine as is.
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
TP2000
Well-Known Member
It's just for five weeks for the HalloweenTime promotion. It goes back to regular Space Mountain in November. This is the first year for it in Disneyland USA, after debuting in '07 at Hong Kong Disneyland's Halloween promotion, and it's getting rave reviews and is wildly popular in Anaheim this year. The exterior dome shows at night are a surprise hit.
And for those keeping score at home, I just watched a YouTube video of WDW's Space Mountain and counted 8 left turns and 6 right turns, at least on the right hand track. :lol:
It's an interesting video to compare/contrast with the Disneyland version with 5 left turns and 12 right turns. Here's WDW Space Mountain with the lights on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoEd8rGhKEM
WDW1974
Well-Known Member
You mean Disney ISN'T infallible?!??! Shocking.
As to passing judgment, I do believe anyone can offer an opinion. I don't care if you have no inside knowledge or not, but if you visit the MK and it is in much worse shape than on a visit a decade ago it isn't unreasonable to look at the top execs who run it operationally day-to-day ...
And some of us may have a bit more knowledge as to why things happen. I feel very safe in offering up critical opinions because I don't pull them out of my or out of a bag of pixie dust.
Better not see that evil Commie Michael Moore's upcoming film ... I'll be in line.
My faith in capitalism has disappeared. It is failing miserably and lowering the quality of life for Americans. Oh, and it is NOT Democracy. People seem to feel the two things go hand in hand. Not that we have a true free market anyway ... but ... moving on .
Agree 100%.
That's been the problem with Disney since the mid-1990s. They've had this absurd notion of being lean and mean and cutting 'fat' ... what they've been cutting for years now is muscle and bone and calling it 'fat' ... and that damages the company long term. But it makes Wall Street happy in the short term and that's what our version of capitalism has become.
All about short term gains regardless of whether they are even based in reality or a giant lie like our economy has been for the last decade.
I am cynical by nature, but I'd say that many Disney execs are interested in their own self-interests first and foremost ... and that the company and the guests/fans/cast come way later.
That's absolutely accurate.
If TDO was interested in exceeding guests expectations then they wouldn't be delivering a cleaned up 1975-era Space Mountan in 2009. OTOH, at least Phil and Erin and Meg will have the attraction up and running as quickly as possible. So what if it isn't what it could be or should be?
I believe "insiders" who say this rehab will be minimal.
But I want to ask all of you -- WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM A SM REHAB?
Obviously on-board audio would be number one, and it sounds inexcusable that it's not being added. But other than audio, what more do you want?
Many have talked about a fully replaced track. To me, if the track is smooth, I don't care what it looks like in the dark. Everyone is assuming a brand new track would automatically be a better ride, and an old track cannot be smoothed out. I'm withholding judgement on this one until I ride it. I am open to the possibility that the old steel can be altered to make it feel like new steel (same with the trains).
Everyone is upset WDW is not getting an extreme makeover like DL. But if you get over the on-board audio issue and believe it's possible for WDW to have a smooth ride, what else is left? The queue and the special effects.
DL's new "Mission:Space"-inspired queue may seem like a huge improvement, but keep in mind, DL's original queue was much more lackluster than WDW's ever was. When you break down the parts, DL got a few new wall panels, airgates, some new video monitors, and lots of wonderful new lighting. I guess I just assumed that WDW would be getting the same type of minimal--yet effective-- queue improvements. And with this "interactive queue" or whatever it's called, I find it hard to believe WDW's new queue will be terrible.
That leaves special effects. From my recent DL trip, I remember very few special effects. There was the new blue "speed tunnel" which was copied from the WDW original. The "rotating lift hill" is much better than the spinning lights DL used to have, but I can't say it's necessarily better than WDW's space station, with another train riding up next to you as other trains zoom by in the opposite direction. Apples and oranges.
As for effects in the mountain, I found DL to be wonderfully dark---again, something that sounds like it's being addressed at WDW.
I recall only one or two "galaxy" projections on the DL dome, which WDW had always had, albeit with crappy projectors. Does anyone know for certain that WDW is NOT getting new image and star projectors?
Then there's the "re-entry" tunnel. With the lights on, the new DL tunnel appears very cheap to make. I cannot see why it won't be replicated in Florida, especially with rumors of on-board photos. Does someone know if that's not happening?
I think I've touched on everything.
Other than audio and a brand new track, what does DL have that WDW cannot have?????
But I want to ask all of you -- WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM A SM REHAB?
Obviously on-board audio would be number one, and it sounds inexcusable that it's not being added. But other than audio, what more do you want?
Many have talked about a fully replaced track. To me, if the track is smooth, I don't care what it looks like in the dark. Everyone is assuming a brand new track would automatically be a better ride, and an old track cannot be smoothed out. I'm withholding judgement on this one until I ride it. I am open to the possibility that the old steel can be altered to make it feel like new steel (same with the trains).
Everyone is upset WDW is not getting an extreme makeover like DL. But if you get over the on-board audio issue and believe it's possible for WDW to have a smooth ride, what else is left? The queue and the special effects.
DL's new "Mission:Space"-inspired queue may seem like a huge improvement, but keep in mind, DL's original queue was much more lackluster than WDW's ever was. When you break down the parts, DL got a few new wall panels, airgates, some new video monitors, and lots of wonderful new lighting. I guess I just assumed that WDW would be getting the same type of minimal--yet effective-- queue improvements. And with this "interactive queue" or whatever it's called, I find it hard to believe WDW's new queue will be terrible.
That leaves special effects. From my recent DL trip, I remember very few special effects. There was the new blue "speed tunnel" which was copied from the WDW original. The "rotating lift hill" is much better than the spinning lights DL used to have, but I can't say it's necessarily better than WDW's space station, with another train riding up next to you as other trains zoom by in the opposite direction. Apples and oranges.
As for effects in the mountain, I found DL to be wonderfully dark---again, something that sounds like it's being addressed at WDW.
I recall only one or two "galaxy" projections on the DL dome, which WDW had always had, albeit with crappy projectors. Does anyone know for certain that WDW is NOT getting new image and star projectors?
Then there's the "re-entry" tunnel. With the lights on, the new DL tunnel appears very cheap to make. I cannot see why it won't be replicated in Florida, especially with rumors of on-board photos. Does someone know if that's not happening?
I think I've touched on everything.
Other than audio and a brand new track, what does DL have that WDW cannot have?????
hpyhnt 1000
Well-Known Member
Well said. :wave: I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this way and keeping positive thoughts.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy five weeks per year? :lol:
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...w-attractions-ghost-galaxy-at-space-mountain/
_Scar
Active Member
A more intense ride. It actually is a roller coaster on the level of other Orlando coasters.
the-reason14
Well-Known Member
Uhm, no its not. DL space mt. is very tame, and other than the cool effects, really really boring. Its a cool ride, yes. But its a very tame and boring coaster. I def. wouldnt put it up there with Everest, or Rnrc.
Hoop Raeb
Formerly known as...
Totally agree. Matterhorn is still one of the most popular rides at DLR and it's bumpy as hell. People like nostalgia. Don't think for one minute that if they tore out every single piece of track and replaced it with ultra smooth, onboard audio, blah, blah that some guests wouldn't be disappointed in the change. SM is a right of passage for some. Parents rode it with their parents and want to do the same with their kids.
Add me to the list of ones that are happy if they kept it the same.
the-reason14
Well-Known Member
Same here, but with the amount of time its been closed, I think they could do a lot more.
the-reason14
Well-Known Member
So so true. As a roller coaster, DL's Space fails on so many levels and is nothing special. I was expecting to come off with a changed mind after hearing people here and other places rave about how much better it was than the MKs. Aside from the cool effects, it is a boring roller coaster.
Mansion Butler
Active Member
Strongly disagreed. Especially with the second part.
_Scar
Active Member
Difference of opinion. :shrug:
Silent lift? Awesome!
Does he know if everything's on schedule for nov 22?