Riding Space Mountain with the lighs on question

[SpaceMtnFan]

Over the past few years I have seen Videos of Disney guest riding Space Mountain at Disneyland California. I reciently seen a Youtube Video of guest riding the WDW Space Mountain with the lights on . How often do Disney let Guest ride the WDW Space Mountain with the lights on if they do it at all?
Thanks

 

[wilde_oscar]

rare

 

[techdude]

I can't speak to how often they do it, or why, but I've done it.

Once.

I suppose it was back in the 80's. It was a very interesting experience. The way they've got all that track crammed in there it looked like you were going to lose your head to a girder at every turn.

I don't think I'd stand in line to do it again. The Imagineers designed that to be a dark ride for a reason.

 

[ExBellhop]

To the best of my understanding, if a technical problem arises, and the ride is shutting down, the lights come on.

I have gotten to experience it once. We were just about to hit that last drop (its the biggest one, though none of them are really "big"). The lights came on JUST as we were starting over that hill, and so the first thing we saw was a steel beam, right in front of our faces. We dove under it, of course, but the "oh crap!" thought does quickly cross your mind.

It was awesome.

That ride is really packed in there tight, and to this day it is still one of my favorite coasters out there.

-ExBellhop

 

[stemikger]

I never saw with the lights all the way own, but a year after 9/11, we went to Disney and I noticed all the rides weren't all that dark anymore. Space Mountain, didn't have the lights on, but it was far from the dark ride I remembered, and I could pretty much see the track.

I also remember POTC and Haunted Mansion, weren't very dark. It really took away from the enjoyment of the rides.

I could be wrong, but I remember, reading somewhere, that it might have been done as a security measure. Two years later I went back and everything was darker and the way I remembered it as a kid.

Thank God, that didn't last. The darkness plays a huge part of the illussion for these rides.

 

[timmac]

Over the past few years I have seen Videos of Disney guest riding Space Mountain at Disneyland California. I reciently seen a Youtube Video of guest riding the WDW Space Mountain with the lights on . How often do Disney let Guest ride the WDW Space Mountain with the lights on if they do it at all?
Thanks

From what I understand, they don't "let" people ride it with the lights on, per se, but rather it's something that happens as a matter of good (or bad, I guess) timing that they happen to have the lights on for a short period of time for whatever reason. As a kid/teen, I was at WDW at least once a year with my family, and on one occasion I was in the queue while the lights were on, though I don't think they were still on when I rode. Pretty cool to see.

 

[zulemara]

If you go on the college program, each semester they have a MK college progrma welcome party complete with free food, drinks, ice cream, and the entire park shut down and open only to CPs. There is no feeling in the world like having that park to yourself. Only select rides are open, but it's just the fact that you know there's no tourists(no offense)

Anyway, the first 45 min or so they let the CPs ride space mountain with the lights. After that they shut off the lights and let you ride it normal.

So if you want to ride with the lights on, become a CP and work at MK =P

 

[hannah's dad]

We were at WDW last week and while riding the TTA through Space Mountain saw that the lights were on and the various cars were stopped along the tracks. I agree with a previous poster - there is a reason the lights are off! It looked quite intimidating in the daylight!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

We were at WDW last week and while riding the TTA through Space Mountain saw that the lights were on and the various cars were stopped along the tracks. I agree with a previous poster - there is a reason the lights are off! It looked quite intimidating in the daylight!

It's even creepier riding TTA through it at night with the lights on.

 

[hematite153]

I've also had the experience of riding past on the TTA while the lights were on. It was pretty neat to see, but, I doubt I'd want to be riding it with the lights on.

 

[disneygirlinnj]

The lights came on when we first got on Space Mountain once and i can honestly say that it was the scariest thing that ever happened to us at WDW! They shut the ride down after that for a bit so I'm asuuming it was because of technical difficulties. The track is NOT that far away from your head, arms, etc. I'm sure I would be fine, but I'm NEVER putting my arms up in that ride ever again! haha!

 

[crazydisneyman]

I was riding the Wedway People Mover (TTA) and we got stuck in Space Mountain for about 45 minutes. I think they were watching us on camera because they would come on the intercom every now and then and tell us to stay in the car. Anyway, they turned the lights on right before the ride started to move again, and I actually got it on video tape. That was pretty cool.