How scary is Space Mountain?

[Bethany]

I've never been on it and somewhere I read that it's single seating, so kids can't sit next to parents. Also read that there's nothing that holds you in. Is that true?

How do you feel about your kids (around age 5) on space mountain?

I guess I should specify that the title is more so for How scary is space mountain for the parents of the kids riding? Just reading about one mom's account of her kid on space mountain, out of her reach, with nothing holding him in had my heart racing!

 

[all4fun]

Single seating: True
Nothing holding you in: False


It has a T-bar that comes down over your lap. This is NOT a looping roller coaster. It's "old school" metal tracks, so kind of bumpy (in comparison, RnRC is a much smoother track). The seating is single file. Each car has four seats, they are configured in 2 car trains (so 8 people total can ride in one "train" if that makes sense).

It is a very dark ride. For the most part, you can see very little. I told my nephew once, it's like flying thru space. He was petrified to try it but once he did it, it was his hands down favorite ride (he was 9 at the time).

The height requirement on Space Mtn is 44". My four year old could have ridden it on our last trip in October (he was 4-1/2) but we chose not to let him because he still seemed so small to me (he was only about 35lbs). He is just over 40lbs now, and is begging to go on it, so we are going to let him ride it on our next trip (he will be almost five). He is really excited about it.

eta: Oh btw, on our last trip we were still debating on whether to let him ride or not. My parents were with us so we let them watch ds while dh and I went on it together just to see for ourselves how rough it was and make a final decision for that trip whether we were going to allow him to ride it or not. After riding it once, we decided at that time, it was too rough a ride but more than that there are some sudden drops (not huge ones though, but for a 4yr old might seem dramatic) in the dark and I was concerned because I wouldn't be able to touch him he might get freaked out. The restraint is built so it will hold a smaller body well. I did see several young children riding it that looked like they were about his size. My concern at the time was more about how scared he would be than his physical safety after seeing the other smaller kids riding it.

I also wanted to add, he is normally a bit of a dare devil. This is the only ride he hasn't ridden yet that he meets the height requirement on.

hth!

 

[Colinsmom]

My older DS (5.25yrs on our 12/07 trip) loved, loved, loved Space Mountain! We rode Thunder Mountain first since it is kinda along the same lines but not in the dark, and he did great, so we told him all about SM, and he wanted to do it. First time, I had DH take him on since DH has long arms that could reach forward to comfort DS if necessary. Plus, they sat in the back of the car (even though it is dark, you can anticipate what is happening by watching the people in the front of the car).

I don't know if your child would enjoy it, but ours did!

 

[Kris10luvsDisney]

My DD is 5 and wouldn't go near Space Mountain! But she's a more cautious kid and doesn't even like the Barnstormer! Having said that I went on it w/ our friends DD who was 6 and she sat in front of me and she held on to the lap bar w/ one hand and held onto my hand by reaching back so she wasn't so nervous. Needless to say, on the 2nd trip she didn't need to hold my hand, she was a pro by then!

 

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

not scary at all. Last visit, my 4 year old and my 7 year old both adored it. "Let's do that again! And Again! And Again!"

Thank god for baby swap. I went once with my kids ,then we used to baby swap so my husband could go with them. My kids got to ride twice. Lucky brats.

 

[Disney1976]

I agree with most of what was said here, though not everything. Space Mountain is dark, but not pitch black. SM in DL, maybe, not here. It's light enough in fact for you to see the track in front of you for most of the ride while on board.

Oh, and the top speed is only 23 mph, though it can feel faster. I've been on it with a 5 year old, and they loved it, and probably would have ridden it all day if I had let him.

 

[scrapquitler]

I've been on the Wedway and been inside the space mountain building while the lights were on. To me, space mountain looks exactly like the "Wildcat" roller coaster that I remember at Riverside Park in MA from when I was growing up. There are no loops upside down or anything like that, and there are no huge drops...overall it is pretty mild but goes around and around, only seems scary because it is pretty dark, though not completely. SOmetimes it seems darker than other times.

 

[sunlover13]

My DD was two weeks shy of 5 yrs old, but just tall enough to ride. She sat right in front of me. It was both of our 1st times riding it. Towards the end of the ride, I reached for her just to be sure she was still there and my heart stopped b/c I felt nothing!

I reached again and hit her head, she was slumped way down in the seat. Whew!

When we got off, she didn't like it b/c she said she kept hitting her head around.

This was coming from a girl who loves Expedition Everest, went on Tower of Terror twice.. (i.e. no fear)

So, every kid is different. I think it would be OK to try if your child is tall enough, but just a warning that they get kind of whipped around and sit by themselves. DD complained that her head hurt after the ride and she doesn't complain about much.

 

[gabriellyn]

My today's-his-birthday-just-turned-7-DS absolutely LOVED SM!!! It is his hands-down favorite ride! He was not scared at all - this is soooo shocking to me because it used to take this guy 30 minutes just to check out the McDonald's PlayPlaces! He has definitely bloomed in the last year. I saw plenty of smaller children riding without any problems and none of them were crying, unlike the Dinosaur ride where MANY young children were crying! It's true that it's not that dark - you really can see where you are going, if not perfectly then well enough. Thrilling, but not terrifying for our DS. For the record, he didn't like Dinosaur either - too rough - he got a headache from it.

 

[lntsmom]

up to Big Thunder, and if your little one loves both, give Space Mountain a try.

I haven't ridden Space Mountain for a long time, but my memory was that it was a fairly intense ride due mainly to the fact that you can't see where you're going.

 

[Scuttle]

I always loved roller coasters and will ride, and rode any that I can when we go to WDW. But this last trip, Dec 07, I went on Space Mtn, and I never remember it being so rough! I felt like I was being jerked all around. I can't imagine putting a child on it! I said to myself - "self - you never need to ride that one again!" LOL

Although, as a child, when you used to sit straddling the bench type thing in the middle, I rode it millions of times and LOVED it! LOL I never remember it being so rough and jolty. Did they alter it any in the past 20 years?

I also hate that they did away with all those cool scenes as you exited the ride. You know, the ones predicting what future life will be for humans??

So to answer your original question, I really do feel that it would depend on your kids, and if they like that sort of thing! LOL

 

[PiperPizzaz]

I ride everything but, SM to me is the roughest. It is the only one that makes me sick (motion sickness) and every time I go on it I say it is my last. I am 33 now and don't think I have too many more years of it. Of course, I loved it when I was a kid. All the other coasters, bring them on!

It is really neat in there so that is why I keep doing that to myself.

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

I rode expedition everest yet I am still too afraid of space mountain.

Plus, I have a phobia where I imagine things worse than they really are.

I'm going to try it when I go in march though

 

[hmerritt]

There is a bar holding you in but as a parent of a child who has just reached height status to ride, I was terrified not being able to sit next to her. I had her older brother sit in front, her in the middle and I sat behind her leaning forward with both hands on her shoulders the first year she was tall enough to ride. Now that she's 6, I feel a little better. But it doesn't do anything crazy like upside down or anything.

Heather

 

[PiratesRock]

DD8 is a rollercoaster Freak and will give anything a try. Can't wait to see how she likes Space Mountain!

 

[hmerritt]

DD8 is a rollercoaster Freak and will give anything a try. Can't wait to see how she likes Space Mountain!

Then wait until she tries Rockin Rollercoaster at MGM or Expedition Everest at AK. She will FREAK out!

Heather

 

[jenrein]

All I remember is thinking I was going to smash my head on a bar that I couldnt see and I felt uncomfortable with just the T thing...but I am also a fraidy cat and dont like roller coasters.

 

[tink2]

Just got back two weeks ago with dd8 and ds6 (who is small for his age). dd8 thought sm was too jerky - she LOVED RNR and EE, but ds6 loved it and rode it over and over and over! Yep- the first two times, I was very nervous about it. DH rode behind him the first time and put his arm on his shoulders to make sure he was ok. DH doesn't like the jerkiness of it either and didn't want to ride again. So, I rode with him and held on to him once, but then realized he was absolutely fine and there was no sense in jerking my arm off to 'hold' him. He loved it! But, I think the ride is so much jerkier than it used to be- I hope the rumors of them 'refurbishing' it are true.
So, it depends on the child. It is not pitch black dark- TOT is pitch black! Yes, I think it was much scarier for me to let him ride it than it was for him-I know it was! If he meets the height requirement, he will be fine safety wise. I agree with a previous poster- I built ds up to SM. We rode Goofy's coaster first (had ridden that before) and then Big Thunder Mountain. Then rode SM. Then EE and TOT- he was too short for RNR, but DD8 rode it a gazillion times!
It is scary putting your child on their first 'real' coaster. DH and I love roller coasters, but it is completely different when it comes to putting your child on one. But, once you do and relax about it, it is so much fun to share rides with them!
Good luck to you...

 

[ljmetro]

My kids rode when they were 5 and 7. We rode at least 4 or 5 times. All was well until we put the 5 year old in front and he freaked! When he was able to see someone in front of him he was fine. The 7 year old loved it, and he was afraid of alot of rides.

 

[TeamTinkerbell]

My DD8 (at the time) rode Space Mountain and screamed....for joy the entire time. My DGN5 (great nephew) screamed too, but out of horror. Actually, his words were, "get me off this ride" over and over. He was very proud of himself when it was over, but wouldn't get back on. DD rode it 4 times in a row during MNSSHP. It really depends on the kid I think. DD love Rockin' Roller Coaster, more than I did. I sat out and DH went with her on the 3rd trip.