Space Mountain Testing

[bama106]

This is a good sign. Hoping for it to be open when we are there the first week of December.

 

[jewjubean]

Rumors are around town that its going to open around the 20th of November

 

[pocahontasgal87]

woooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[nicolepdonnelly]

Wow
I hope it's ready in time- we'll be there on the 22nd
I was there for soft opening of Spaceship Earth in 2007 and we rode it at least 2 weeks earlier than the published date, but the "movie" thing at the end wasn't workig properly.
Anyway, I wonder if no one riding it yet means they are behind????

 

[JohnnyLfromCT]

Are the new cars the same seating as the old ones. Only single file or will two people be able to sit together side by side?? DD6 wants to ride but she is barely 40 lbs and I worry that she can't hold herself in all by herself.

Does anyone know??

Another CT person...

SM's lap bars still leave you free enough to get your hands over the seat in front of you. Make sure they put her bar down tight, and then just place your hands on her shoulders. She'll be fine.

 

[FigNewton]

Are the new cars the same seating as the old ones. Only single file or will two people be able to sit together side by side?? DD6 wants to ride but she is barely 40 lbs and I worry that she can't hold herself in all by herself.

Does anyone know??

As long as she meets the height requirement she'll be fine. No need for her to "hold herself in". If passengers had to hold themselves in the ride would not be allowed to operate. I understand your concern for your child but the safety guidelines are there to ensure those for whom it it is unsafe will not ride. She meets the height requirement then there's really no cause for concern.

 

[Rip]

That would have taken about a year and a half. I think Disney did not want to spend the amount of money it would have taken to redo the entire ride. I read somewhere that they would have to have taken the roof off to replace the entire track. I don't know if that is true or not.
It would have been nice though to have the side by side seating.

http://www.screamscape.com/html/wdw_-_magic_kingdom.htm

The latest whispers from the Ultidoors is that Disney fans may be highly disappointed when Space Mountain reopens next month. As we had been hearing for some time now, the scope of the once massive refurbishment project had been scaled back from a proposed total ride replacement, that would have taken 12-16 months, to a more modest technical refurbishment that could be accomplished in half the time. While budget cuts are always a factor in any project like this, the real killer was the refusal of WDW Management to allow for Space Mountain to be closed for the winter holidays. I’ve been baffled for years as to why they hold onto the short winter holiday season as some kind of golden goose that they are afraid or unwilling to close any major attraction during. Meanwhile they are more than willing to disappoint the millions of guests over the busy 3 month long summer season, rather than close anything during the 2 week winter holiday period. Go Figure...
Anyway… this preference, mixed with the recession and falling attendance figures, was enough to turn what was once proposed as totally rebuilt version of Space Mountain into a project where most guests wont even notice the majority of the improvements at all. As we’ve seen from the construction pictures, the track is still pretty much the same old system that has been there since the ‘70’s. Old track sections have been modified here and there, or replaced where needed to take care of the “problem spots” where maintenance has been welding and repairing the stress cracks for years. But once the total track replacement concept was thrown out the window, the on-board audio system went with it.

There's more, but I didn't want to paste too much. I think this is unfortunate, but I'm sure others will disagree. Seems incredibly short-sighted, but that's what I've come to expect from the bean counters at Disney.

 

[realityland]

I would have to imagine that the Space Mountain total refurb. was shelved in favor of the expansion of Fantasyland.

 

[agame2323]

So we're basically getting the same'ol Space Mountain?

 

[FigNewton]

So we're basically getting the same'ol Space Mountain?

Basically yeah. Some tech improvements, maybe some refurbing of track, environment, vehicles, etc. Seems like every discussion I've seen on this refurb ever since the beginning has made it pretty clear that this is nowhere near as extensive as the DL Space Mountain changes were because such an overhaul would take MUCH more time than was committed to this referb.

Personally I'm fine with this. Spruce up the ride without changing it fundamentally. I'm much happier with WDW sinking the
money into park expansion rather than replacing a classic ride which doesn't need to be replaced.

 

[JohnnyLfromCT]

Personally I'm fine with this. Spruce up the ride without changing it fundamentally.

Yes sir.

I rode her first with my dad in '77, and I can't wait to take my son on with me in a few years when he's big enough. I'd love for it to stay basically the same forever!

 

[dgaston]

Darn, I was really hoping for audio. The DL version (whether side by side seating or WDW style) really is superior with the sound track.

 

[Rip]

So we're basically getting the same'ol Space Mountain?

Bingo, and the primary reason they initially made this decision seems to be because they didn't want it closed over the holidays and they didn't want to put the money into it. Like I said, seems very short-sighted.

 

[ma2jr]

How exciting..

 

[diamondpixienc]

Hey as long as it is open during my visit i'm cool Also, my kids will be visiting for the first time next fall so it will be new to them and due to the fact that I have not been to WDW since 1990 it will be new to me too.

 

[realityland]

Personally I'm fine with this. Spruce up the ride without changing it fundamentally.

I couldn't agree more.

Either way, Disney would be villified for wrongdoing. Update the ride completely, and they will be accused of desecrating Walt's vision and destroying people's memories. Only give the ride a technical overhaul, and they will be accused of "counting the beans" and remaining mired in yesterday's attractions.

You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time ... but never all of the people all of the time.

 

[nicolepdonnelly]

yep
well said

 

[DonaldTDuck]

Anyone who is happy with this refurb has never been to DL and ridden the best of all Disney mountains, their Space Mountain. I could have lived without SM for 2-3 trips to get what California has.

 

[lailah]

We'lll be there the 18-25 and I'm really really hoping it will be open! Keeping fingers and toes crossed!

 

[Condorman]

Anyone who is happy with this refurb has never been to DL and ridden the best of all Disney mountains, their Space Mountain. I could have lived without SM for 2-3 trips to get what California has.

You couldn't be more wrong.

I've been on every Space Mountain in the world, and the one in DL is the most pleasant of them all, and I don't mean that in a good way. Smooth handling around each corner, obnoxious music blaring over your shoulder, clean visibility to see where you're going to next -- everything a roller coaster shouldn't be. They took something unique and made it run-of-the-mill. The one in DLP, while quite similar, is far superior with its Jules Verne/Earth to the Moon theme. That's what they should have done in DL and instead half-baked it. Anyway, WDW already has a hybrid between DLP'S and DL's in the RnR, which is technically a little bit of both. There was no need to duplicate it again in the MK. Furthermore, anyone who blasts WDW's SM might as well slam the Matterhorn, as that is the same type of old-school, classic coaster that either you get or you don't. And some people don't, and they couldn't be more wrong.