Stressing Over Space Mountain

[Meriweather]

This is it EXACTLY. It isn't fun for me anymore. I feel beaten up every time I ride.
I'm fine with all the others. Love California Screamin' and Space Mountain in Hong Kong.

Space Mountain at Disneyland is much better too. Smoother. DGD (4) loved it

 

[Airship Ariadne]

as someone posted earlier, it is one of the slowest rollercoasters at WDW. It is about the speed of the Barnstormer (though our Disney Institute tour guide said SM is actuallly slower than Barnstormer) it is just in the dark so feels faster...this is why I love rollercoasters at night, they fell faster.

 

[HopperFan]

 

[NikkiDP]

Space Mountain isn't my favorite but I still rode it multiple times our last trip. I don't like the drops either but I found that sitting in the front car helped me a lot. While you can't really see, if you sit in the front you can see just enough to anticipate when the track takes a dip. I sat one ride in the middle seat and hated it because I felt even more disoriented.

 

[Minnesota!]

Small, fast drops in the dark. It is over quickly.

Just do it

 

[magicalcouple]

I was scared to death too! Just rode SM 2 weeks ago for the very first time and it wasn't bad at all. The worst part is the jarring neck pain I had after b/c that ride is not smooth! But it was fun and just fast. I may have been a little bit lucky b/c the lights were on just a little and I could semi-see the twists and turns before they happened....

 

[IndianaRRT]

I am a Grade A weenie. Space Mtn isn't scary to me at all, but either I am getting older or a refurb is due because it is MUCH jerkier than in the past.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

I am NOT a coaster person but on my first day in the parks during my CP my friends made me go on Space and i'm glad that they did. I had been dreading it for the first 21 years of my life but it's truly not that bad imo. (I wish I could show the picture that we took- I am literally twisting my friend's arm off and look TERRIFIED).


There aren't any huge drops that give you that stomach-dropping feeling (that's the worst part for me). It's fast but not too fast. It can be physically uncomfortable as others have said but it's not that terrible for me. If you enjoy thunder and 7D I think you'd be ok. I recommend just forcing yourself on and having a good ride partner who doesn't mind if you hold their hand for a minute!

 

[gap2368]

Hola friends!

I need someone (or a few someones) to ease my fear of Space Mountain. I am a seasoned Disney World veteran and a college program alumni but this is one attraction I have never been brave enough to try. I love Big Thunder Mountain as well as the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (minus the big drop). My goal is to finally try Space Mountain on my trip next month but I'm stressing myself out over it. I reallyyy don't like big drops which makes Big Thunder the perfect roller coaster for me. Am I working myself up over nothing?

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom!

a very good video of space with the lights on.

 

[North of Mouse]

Hola friends!

I need someone (or a few someones) to ease my fear of Space Mountain. I am a seasoned Disney World veteran and a college program alumni but this is one attraction I have never been brave enough to try. I love Big Thunder Mountain as well as the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (minus the big drop). My goal is to finally try Space Mountain on my trip next month but I'm stressing myself out over it. I reallyyy don't like big drops which makes Big Thunder the perfect roller coaster for me. Am I working myself up over nothing?

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom!

Sorry, I can't ease your fears! It's not that the coaster would be such a big deal, but it's dark!! That, to me, makes it very jerky, and seems to go faster than it does because you can't see what's coming!! I rode it a couple times several years ago, but that was enough for me. I gladly pass on it now. I 'do' enjoy the 7DMT though.

 

[SL6827]

Where is the big drop on SDMT?

 

[wendow]

I hate WDW's Space ......way too rough.
I won't ride it anymore.
I can ride Everest with no problem, RnR is okay. Big Thunder is a breeze as is Seven Dwarf

Same! From someone who has been riding Space from the age of 9yo, it's just too rough now. I got whiplash last time I rode it in Sept 2016 and have not ridden it since. I can ride everything else, including RnR, with no problems. And I have no fear of coasters. Space is just plain rough and sadly, I'm done with it. I have to be. My whiplash took 3 mos to recover from.

 

[wendow]

Sorry, I can't ease your fears! It's not that the coaster would be such a big deal, but it's dark!! That, to me, makes it very jerky, and seems to go faster than it does because you can't see what's coming!! I rode it a couple times several years ago, but that was enough for me. I gladly pass on it now. I 'do' enjoy the 7DMT though.

The fact that it's dark is exactly the problem. You cannot see what is coming up and adjust your body (lean into the turn) so it causes extra jerkiness and that is what makes it so rough. I pass on Space now also and love SDMT.

 

[to be tink]

Just avoid the rear car and you should be fine.

 

[Tattylou]

It's not bad....it is awesome. It is my favorite of the mountains. If you can do BTMRR then I think you'l like Space Mountain. Maybe it will make you feel braver if I tell you my son rode it for the first time when he was 4 years old (a week shy of turning 5) and he loved it.

@DaisyDuck001 and @Meriweather I agree that the California one is smoother and just generally better. The way the music is on the California one sounds better and I like the seats side by side. There's a few rides that are much better out west, but that is another thread, lol.

 

[SL6827]

Same! From someone who has been riding Space from the age of 9yo, it's just too rough now. I got whiplash last time I rode it in Sept 2016 and have not ridden it since. I can ride everything else, including RnR, with no problems. And I have no fear of coasters. Space is just plain rough and sadly, I'm done with it. I have to be. My whiplash took 3 mos to recover from.

Your right. It is rough. But I honestly think it wasn't as rough before it went down for a while a few years back to be tinkered on. After they got it going again, me and my husband both agreed, it was rougher than before.

 

[Babsy]

My 7 year old Grand daughter explained her experience on Space Mountain as really SLOW - not even a little bit scary. She claims to not like drops, but that there aren't really any drops in SM.

She is usually very timid so only went on the 'mountains' for the first time last October.

I think that you will be fine, unless the jerkiness of the ride will be a problem. Enjoy!

 

[wendow]

Your right. It is rough. But I honestly think it wasn't as rough before it went down for a while a few years back to be tinkered on. After they got it going again, me and my husband both agreed, it was rougher than before.

Do you remember what year it went down? I don’t remember it being as rough in the past either.

 

[Lyons Family]

We also had the opportunity to ride SM when the lights were on the surrounding ride, PEOPLE MOVER. It lit up the inside of space mountain just enough to take the anticipation of the drops and turns away.

I have ridden SM since the early 80's and whether it is me getting older or the ride getting older but it is definitely more bumpy now than in the past.

Also we enjoy the right side of the ride more than the left.....to us seems less jerky.

Who knows it could be just us.

Enjoy

Ride it, not too painful.

 

[SoKatriotic]

Thanks guys! I think I am going to make myself try it! I have ridden Big Thunder at night a few times and been fine so maybe the darkness and the unexpected twists and turns will be okay for me. You always hear that Space Mountain is the next step after Big Thunder for emerging roller coaster riders so I think that just knowing it is considered more intense makes it more daunting.