Your first Space Mountain experience:

[hogwartsdropout]

I remember the first time I rode it, I was wearing a bandana, and during the ride I decided I really should take it off because it was feeling loose. So I spend the entire ride trying to remove my bandana which was somehow stuck ON my head! Apart from that, I did like the ride.

 

[HollyH]

Shudder...... OP has no idea what memories you're bringing up.


When it first opened I was a CM. Prior to opening to the public there was a time frame where CMs could test the ride for the engineers. Back then two people sat tandum in the car, front rider sitting between the legs of the back rider and both of you were seat belted in. I think the entire car held 4 but that I don't remember. My seatbelt came undone during the ride and the CM I was riding with literally held me in and kept me from falling out.

It wasn't until years later when I was married with a very convincing teenage daughter that I returned to conquer my fears. I did it. I survived the return just to prove to myself that I could, but I'll never ride it again.

 

[pilgrimr]

My first time was around 1978 in DLR. I was 10 and was excited because I could ride a big ride. I was with my father and I remember that I was not to excited afterward. I remember it was around 79, because they were advertising the movie "The Black Hole" on the way out.

It was not until 84 that I went on SM in WDW. I went a couple of times in a row because everyone watching the parade and I did not care to watch it.

 

[thumbalyna]

the first time i rode SM i was 4. It was the old style cars that everyone mentions and i sat between my mom's legs. My mom thought it was a ride through space not a coaster so she let me unfasten my seatbelt when we pulled out of the station. well before long i was airborn and so were my mom's glasses, so had to hold on to her glasses with one hand and me with the other. my mom HATES coasters and i know now if she knew then it was a coaster we would have never went on it that day. this was back in 1984 and i have loved it ever since. i am lucky that i was even allowed to go back to disney after that trip because before we even got to florida i jumped backwards off the diving board at the pool at the hotel we stopped at on the way down and smashed my mouth opened. sitting here writing this is making me think who made the rules for me as a child....lol

my daughters first time on space mountain was when she was 4 also but she had been riding coasters for almost a year before we went on SM

 

[sandybobandy]

My first Space Mountain experience was a disaster. I can laugh about it now...

I literally thought I was going to die within the first 5 seconds. I cried, I hollered, I SCREAMED. When the ride stopped, I unloaded, and BURSTED into tears. I was absolutely terrified the entire time and it took me a while to calm down. Then I threw up outside in a garbage can.

Sooooo while SM isn't my favorite, it certainly holds a special place in my heart

 

[cwf1028]

My first time riding was back in the 70s when I was a kid. I was a complete chicken when it came to roller coasters and thought I was safe at Disney World since all of the rides were so slow and tame. It was my kind of park until we went into this really neat building with this really long line. When we got to the top, my dad had to pick me up and throw me in the seat with him. I was pretty sure that my parents were determined we were all going to ride it if we waited in line as long as we did. I remember my eyes were shut tight and I was completely terrified. When we pulled up to the landing at the end, I flew out of the seat before it was time to get out. I was afraid that it was going to go again! I thought I was crazy having that memory until I read about other people being able to undo the seat belt.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I rode for the first time last year after being a chicken for 28 years...keep in mind I had been on ToT, EE, etc and did fine...just had a block about Space Mountain.

When it was over, I actually said out loud, "That's it??" LOL, everyone in my car cracked up.

It's one of my favorites now..

 

[MicheinMA]

My first visit to MK I was too small to ride and this was the very first thing I wanted to do when we went again 4 years later. It was still the old style cars where you rode between someone else's legs. Being as small as I was I hit one of the bumps came up in the air and smashed right directly between my Uncle's legs. I screamed the entire ride with my eyes shut (still keep them shut at least part of they way but I don't scream anymore). When the ride stopped I was still a mess and my poor Uncle couldn't get out of the car from my crash landing on his lap.

 

[sunsprinkle24]

My first time on SM I was scared to death but determined I was going to ride it. See, we had been to Disney before and DH and the boys rode it but I was too chicken. So on this last trip I decided I was going to ride on everything that scared me. Well, DH, myself, and DD6 are all in the same - rocket, is that what it is? - and off we go. I was really scared but DD6 was even more so. She screamed and yelled "Get me off this!" the whole ride. So I was trying to reach in front of me to touch her shoulder and I was yelling, "it's ok! It will be over soon!"

Now DH's first time on SM was different. It was back in the 70's when you could put your child in front of you. So he sat with his dad and his mom and sister sat together. They had no clue it was a roller coaster when they got on it !!! Can you imagine their surprise! When it ended his sister had slid down and her chin was resting on the bar!

 

[attackwithnorth]

My first experience on SM was in the mid 80's. I was 4, my brother was 3 and we were both scared of the idea of this ride. My parents "tricked" us into riding by simply calling it The Rocket Ride. They convinced us that the line we were in, despite the darkness and foreboding videos and music, that this was NOT the line for Space Mountain. After a long wait, we rode and loved it. The ride had seat belts then rather than lap bars so it was a little different. My brother and I both grew up to be roller coaster enthusiasts, probably due to our early exposure to Space Mountain!

 

[ms*mountaineer]

We went to WDW the summer that Space Mountain opened in the 70's - I was about 12. This was the only reason we went to WDW that day! We stood in line for at least 2.5 hours - I remember passing the sign that said "from this point, your wait is 2 hr 30 min".

Yes, the cars held 4 people - 2 in each section, the front person sat between the legs of the back person in each section. I rode with my older brother (he's the one that wanted to see Space Mtn) - and MY PARENTS rode in the back section. This is completely unheard of! My parents NEVER got on rides! I don't know why they decided to do this - I guess my brother really talked it up. My dad said he just buried his head in my mom's back the whole time!

This was really the first roller coaster I ever rode. I remember screaming the whole time - I think I yelled something about "I never want to be an astronaut!!!!"

 

[UAB master]

The first time I rode was on a high school band trip on New Year's Eve- 1989. I had been to WDW many times before this, but my parents never forced me to ride. I rode it only because I didn't want to look like a chicken in front of my friends. I don't like roller coasters and was scared to death. I, however, found out that I love Space Moutain!! I have been back several times since that and have never missed riding it again.

 

[bubba73]

My first experience was that I had finally gotten my nerve up to ride my first rollercoaster. I was in line with my brother. We had finally made it inside, against the backwall, when they turned the lights on. So I got to see how the ride worked. Then, they closed it down for the rest of the day. Scared me to death and I didn't ride it until 5 years later.

 

[tinkgurl]

Okay, I saw this thread and HAD to share my story, even though it's not about me..
My grandparents took my uncle, 10 at the time, and my mom, 15 at the time, and my dad (they were dating) to WDW the same year that Space Mountain opened up. My uncle had somehow heard about it, but he was the only one in the family that knew what it was. So, he convinces everyone else to go on it with him. My grandfather was having some back problems before the trip, but the ride put it back in place and he was feeling good as new when they got off!

 

[AladdinsPrincess]

The first time I rode SM it must have had different cars because I remember that my Dad and I were sitting together and I was leaning against him. This was probably the early 80s. At some point, I jerked backwards and I cracked my Dad's rib! It was all we heard about the entire drive back to NY!

 

[Figment's Friend]

Okay, I saw this thread and HAD to share my story, even though it's not about me..
My grandparents took my uncle, 10 at the time, and my mom, 15 at the time, and my dad (they were dating) to WDW the same year that Space Mountain opened up. My uncle had somehow heard about it, but he was the only one in the family that knew what it was. So, he convinces everyone else to go on it with him. My grandfather was having some back problems before the trip, but the ride put it back in place and he was feeling good as new when they got off!

Awesome story, that's funny!!
Haha, what are the odds? See, Disney really is magic.

 

[Lynn5700]

Ok I'm a goof ball...I had to edit because I thought that it was a mission space thread lol...

First time I road SM I thought it was fun and I thought that it must have been the coolest ride when it first opened up.

 

[carmiedog]

My first memories are from dreams. I was 3 my first ride and had nightmares for YEARS about Space Mountain. And I do mean literal nightmares.

Rode again 20+ years later. It was still scary - by the end of the ride you couldn't hear me scream anymore because I'd gone hoarse - but I survived and would do it again if one of the kids asked me to.

 

[monty]

I finally gave in to my DS's pleas and rode it on our last trip to WDW. I hated it!! But not as much as my DF, she bawled her eyes
out
MY DS said I should have done it on our previous trip to DL: apparently, according to him, a much better ride there.

 

[isma]

When I was 10 my parents took me to MK for one day. Being from Germany we didn´t know anything about the attractions. I guess my parents just thought that every attraction at MK would have the thrill level of IASW or BTMRR. They sat me in front and I thought I would fall out the vehicle the whole time. We hated it!
But now that I am a real coaster fan and love SM at DLP where it has inversions and loopings I am really looking forward to try it again this year because I am sure I will love it!