[Ryan C.]

One of Walt Disney World's iconic attractions is getting a makeover.

Disney said Wednesday that it will shut down Space Mountain this spring for what the company described as a months-long "refreshment" of the 34-year-old Magic Kingdom roller coaster.

The ride will close April 19, just after the Easter holiday. It is expected to reopen late in the year, Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said, though a specific reopening date has not been set.

The timetable means Space Mountain will be closed throughout the busy summer-travel season.

The construction work will include installing new track inside the enclosed coaster, which carries guests in the dark through a series of sudden drops and sharp turns. The layout of the track will remain the same, however.

Other upgrades will include a new enclosure for the ride's queuing area and a new ceiling inside its signature white dome, Finger said.

Finger said the renovations are the first substantial work on the ride since September 1999. The project follows a series of other makeovers Disney has made in recent years to some of its oldest attractions, including the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean in the Magic Kingdom and Spaceship Earth in Epcot.

Disney fans have been swapping rumors for more than a year that the company was planning a sweeping overhaul of Space Mountain. In 2005, the Walt Disney Co. completed an extensive, two-year makeover of the Space Mountain at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

But the changes to Orlando's version of the ride -- it's the original Space Mountain, having opened Jan. 15, 1975 -- are likely to be more modest.

"We're retaining many of the classic elements that made Space Mountain a rite of passage at the Magic Kingdom that's been enjoyed by generations," Finger said.

Orlando Sentinel

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[Winkster]

Originally Posted by Ryan C.

"We're retaining many of the classic elements that made Space Mountain a rite of passage at the Magic Kingdom that's been enjoyed by generations," Finger said.

I'm so glad they made that decision.

I'm all for change and improvement and I'm usually one of those wanting more coaster rides at WDW but SM is a classic that really shouldn't be changed too much from it's original design.

They messed with the concept at Disneyland Paris and made a right hash of it.

I'm looking forward to the new SM and hopefully not noticing any changes (well, maybe the odd subtle improvement).

[Team Disney]

I wish they would spend more time renovating rides that really need it... like Stiches Great Escape.

Don't get me wrong... I am happy they are always improving and it will be very exciting to see the new features in SPace Mountain... but does Disney think that Stich is a good ride? Someone please help that thing! LOL (just my opinion!)

[friendofigment]

They messed with the concept at Disneyland Paris and made a right hash of it.


I guess that means it's no good? it looks awsome on the videos and i had read that the imaganiers were very proud of themselves on that one.
anyway, I am excited about any changes to this attraction. I was hoping for a rehab closer to the one at disneyland but I am ok with the current track layout and speed of the cars. A new queue line will be great since the current one is the worst of any major atraction.

[Winkster]

Originally Posted by friendofigment

They messed with the concept at Disneyland Paris and made a right hash of it.


I guess that means it's no good? it looks awsome on the videos and i had read that the imaganiers were very proud of themselves on that one.

It does look pretty impressive from the outside, even if the theming is a put odd.

DLP doesn't have a Tomorrowland. They have Discoveryland, much of which is Jules Verne themed. Disney gave up on the idea of trying to create a future-themed section of the park as, before you know it, tomorrow becomes yesterday and suddenly looks outdated.

Although Futureworld has become very outdated, it is now a great example of what people used to think "tomorrow" would look like. I think this is a major part of the charm for me.

DLP's Discoveryland is just a bit too whizzy and newfangled. Space Mountain is a great ride - fast, modern, all set to it's own specially written musical score but in doing that, Disney lost all the charm of the original ride.

On it's own, if I were to ride DLP's Space Mountain, I'd love it - but in comparison to WDW's, DLP's just doesn't compete. They're so different but WDW's is so much better!

Originally Posted by Team Disney

I wish they would spend more time renovating rides that really need it... like Stiches Great Escape.

Don't get me wrong... I am happy they are always improving and it will be very exciting to see the new features in SPace Mountain... but does Disney think that Stich is a good ride? Someone please help that thing! LOL (just my opinion!)

LOL! I know exactly what you mean Team Disney. Sometimes Disney does seem to have complete lapses of judgement.

I mean, look at the Tikki Rooms - and that's after the refurb.

What were they thinking???

I'm hoping for lots of subtle improvements - like they did with the Haunted Mansion refurb. They did a fantastic job there - retaining all the charm of the old ride but adding lots of minor (and one or two major) changes that really improved it - but in a way you had to look out for!