Thunder Mountain/Space Mountain

[DMLAINI]

Can someone compare Thunder Mountain & Space Mountain? We rode Thunder before & we're going to try Space this time.

 

[ErinsMommy]

IMO Space is faster and is in the dark. Both me and DD love both although she said BTMRR is getting 'too slow' for her.

 

[Klayfish]

I'm not sure what the top speed of the two of them are, you can Google it I'm sure. I'd bet they're fairly similar in speed, but SM may "feel" a little faster because it's pitch dark and there are strategically placed fans to make some wind. SM is more tightly wound, because it's in a small space. It twists and turns all around itself (not upside down, just left/right). They both have a decent amount of up/down jerky motion feeling to them.

IMO, BTMRR is more like a true roller coaster (at a lower intensity level) and SM is more like a wild mouse ride.

 

[hultrain]

IMO, SM is a bit more "intense" than BTMRR, because it is in the dark, and also bc, at least to me, SM feels a lot "jerkier". Mostly it seems more intense to me because the ride cars on SM are so small and uncomfortable! I'm 5'8" and 160 lbs and I find I have a hard time squeezing into those small cars on SM. I have no idea how taller or heavier people could do it. Plus, if you have a bad back, or knees, you will be walking off SM looking like a senior citizen

Personally, we like both rides because we are coaster fans, but I find BTMRR to be more "fun" overall. I'm sure you could find people who would feel the opposite was true.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I'm not sure what the top speed of the two of them are, you can Google it I'm sure. I'd bet they're fairly similar in speed, but SM may "feel" a little faster because it's pitch dark and there are strategically placed fans to make some wind. SM is more tightly wound, because it's in a small space. It twists and turns all around itself (not upside down, just left/right). They both have a decent amount of up/down jerky motion feeling to them.

IMO, BTMRR is more like a true roller coaster (at a lower intensity level) and SM is more like a wild mouse ride.

I thought it was an actual wild mouse ride, just inside and in the dark. I haven't seen it with the lights on, I just know that I feel like I have been jerked up, down and all around, after the ride.

 

[Klayfish]

I thought it was an actual wild mouse ride, just inside and in the dark. I haven't seen it with the lights on, I just know that I feel like I have been jerked up, down and all around, after the ride.

I haven't seen SM in person with the lights on, but I've seen pictures. What has been seen can't be unseen....I'm oh so glad they do it in the dark!!

 

[CAS239]

Space is about 10mph slower than Big Thunder mountain..but Space I'd say majority would say is the more intense ride. It's in the dark and indoors so it feels faster than Big Thunder.

Space Mountain is also slower than 7dmt

Neither coaster is intense but both are fun

 

[glk2009]

We love both of them. Last trip, DD9 discovered Space and was in love. For me, I can handle four or five rides on BTMRR before my heads starts to feel funny. Two in a row on Space is my limit.

 

[DisneyMaleficent50]

If anyone has back trouble--- space mountain is very jerky. Don't know if that will be an issue for you. Thunder only has 2 small jerks when it is getting started.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

We love both of them. Last trip, DD9 discovered Space and was in love. For me, I can handle four or five rides on BTMRR before my heads starts to feel funny. Two in a row on Space is my limit.

I can ride Big Thunder almost endlessly. After one ride on Space and I feel like I have been in a fight.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Space Mountain seems faster (although it is not), and it rattles my bones around noticeably more than does BTMRR

 

[Alesia]

IMO Space is faster and is in the dark. Both me and DD love both although she said BTMRR is getting 'too slow' for her.

BTMRR's top speed is 35 mph. Space Mountain's is 28 mph.

Has your daughter ridden BTMRR after dark? It's a lot more exciting than during the day.

 

[djc9699]

We rode space mountain for the first time last year. It had been under refurb or down every time we had been prior to that. Every. time. Even when we went to Disneyland. I was beginning to think it was on purpose. We enjoyed it and rode several times over the course of our trip, but had to space it out by a few hours because it made my neck hurt. Thunder is not as jarring. We often rope drop that and ride it as many times as we can until the line builds. I think if you like thunder, space will be fun.

 

[ErinsMommy]

BTMRR's top speed is 35 mph. Space Mountain's is 28 mph.

Has your daughter ridden BTMRR after dark? It's a lot more exciting than during the day.

I think it also differs from what car you're in. They said the front cars of BTMRR are slower because as it comes around the first bend/dip the fronts cars go down more slowly. I never would've guessed that BTMRR is faster than space. and yes at our last xmas party we did it at night, and loved it!

 

[glk2009]

DD always asks to sit in the last car, even if it's a longer wait. She wants to go as fast as possible! The difference between the front and back on BTMRR feels pretty significant to me. For Space, every seat was just fast!

 

[BrianL]

I think it also differs from what car you're in. They said the front cars of BTMRR are slower because as it comes around the first bend/dip the fronts cars go down more slowly. I never would've guessed that BTMRR is faster than space. and yes at our last xmas party we did it at night, and loved it!

Actually all the cars move at the same speed. They have to. It's a train. However, the difference in the front and back is on which part of the track you will be on when the train reaches top speed. The front of the train is going down a hill while the back is still going up and it's the same when the front starts a climb while the rear is still coming to the bottom of the last one. If you are in the front, you will be going faster UP hills (the ones without chain-lifts anyway, so more like bumps), thus pressing you downward a bit. If you are in the back, you will be going faster DOWN hills, thus more "air time" which a lot of people like. The train's speed though is the same for every car at any given moment.

Sorry for the physics lesson. Someone can probably explain it better than I can.

 

[IrishNYC]

Space is way more jerky and disorienting

 

[ErinsMommy]

Actually all the cars move at the same speed. They have to. It's a train. However, the difference in the front and back is on which part of the track you will be on when the train reaches top speed. The front of the train is going down a hill while the back is still going up and it's the same when the front starts a climb while the rear is still coming to the bottom of the last one. If you are in the front, you will be going faster UP hills (the ones without chain-lifts anyway, so more like bumps), thus pressing you downward a bit. If you are in the back, you will be going faster DOWN hills, thus more "air time" which a lot of people like. The train's speed though is the same for every car at any given moment.

Sorry for the physics lesson. Someone can probably explain it better than I can.

At the very beginning of the ride the first car goes VERY slowly down that first slope, as it reaches the bottom it picks up speed and the back cars IMO dont feel as much of the slowness as the first car does. Maybe what you said is the same as what I'm saying, but when we rode for the first time and were chickens, they said go to the first car because of that. Now we only want the back car.

 

[BrianL]

At the very beginning of the ride the first car goes VERY slowly down that first slope, as it reaches the bottom it picks up speed and the back cars IMO don't feel as much of the slowness as the first car does. Maybe what you said is the same as what I'm saying, but when we rode for the first time and were chickens, they said go to the first car because of that. Now we only want the back car.

You are right, the back is going faster DOWN the hill, but at that moment, the front car is going just as fast as the back. If it weren't, the back would run into the front, which cant happen. The front is going the same speed, only over a flat or a bump so you don't feel as much air time as you do in the back that is still going down the hill. It may feel "faster," but it isn't.

The back is the preferred spot to ride Big Thunder from, at least if you like that air time/little tingle in your stomach feeling. It doesn't matter so much on Space Mountain because the train is so short. Also, on a corkscrew type ride like Rock'n Roller Coaster, there are not big hills so the position in the car matters less.

 

[ErinsMommy]

Also, on a corkscrew type ride like Rock'n Roller Coaster, there are not big hills so the position in the car matters less.

That's interesting because the CM at RnRC suggested we sit in the front car (DD was very scared) because the 'force' will be felt less? Maybe this year will be the year we try the middle and back.