Space Mountain....underated?

[Redarrow5150]

The ride at Disneyland is much much much much much much smoother. Also I didn't feel like an adult climbing into a childs ride.

Never been to Disneyland. What’s different about space mountain there that many thinks make it better?

 

[alan68]

I rode it for the first time 3 years ago and was totally blown away by it. I'm NOT skipping it when we go back in June. And I'm pushing 50 myself. Now, I can see how someone can get the "ho-hum" vibe if they ride it several times and the novelty wears off, but we live in Texas, and I can't see us visiting WDW often enough for me to get tired of SM, unless Disney buys my trilogy of sci-fi ebooks and makes me insanely rich. Don't see that happening, though.

 

[cel_disney]

I wish it was like the one at DisneyLand and could be themed easily - like for Halloween or Star Wars etc!

 

[mckenk]

The first time I went on it I was 10 years old, and I thought it was the best ride ever. Fast forward 31 years to this week - I went on it and the entire time I was thinking “Never Again!!!” It was way too jerky for my middle aged prone to montion sickness self.

 

[bumbershoot]

Never been to Disneyland. What’s different about space mountain there that many thinks make it better?

At Disneyland you're sitting in normal seats side by side. No whiplash. Smoother. Fun. Not painful.

WDW's version is more like DL's Matterhorn, which HURTS.

 

[Haley R]

It’s a must do for us. I love the classic disney rides. Pandora is cool and Star Wars land will be worth checking out, but, to me, Small World, POTC, Haunted Mansion, The Mountains, etc are DisneyWorld.

I couldn’t agree more with this. I love the classics so much more than the new rides. I’ll take the mountains, cop, pirates, and Tom Sawyer island over fop or 7dmt any day.

 

[Davey Jones II]

The ride at Disneyland is much much much much much much smoother. Also I didn't feel like an adult climbing into a childs ride.

Many years ago, the track in the Disneyland version was entirely rebuilt. I think they will eventually have to do the same at MK. That would make it smoother, but would also mean that the ride would be closed for a couple years. Maybe when the new TRON coaster opens (pure speculation on my part, mind you).

 

[CarrieR]

Definitely not. I think it’s vastly overrated. I am a theme park nerd and roller coaster lover, but as I go through my chiropractic adjustment... I mean Space Mountain, all I can think is “This hurts!” It’s not fun like BTMRR, it’s just a couple minutes of trying to endure with the least damage possible.

 

[Redarrow5150]

They closed SM for nearly two years to rebuild?

Many years ago, the track in the Disneyland version was entirely rebuilt. I think they will eventually have to do the same at MK. That would make it smoother, but would also mean that the ride would be closed for a couple years. Maybe when the new TRON coaster opens (pure speculation on my part, mind you).

 

[Disney Khi]

Nah, I agree with all who think it’s overrated. The theming is cool, but it is so jerky and rough that I won’t ride it anymore. DH rode it by himself on our last trip and he now says he doesn’t want to ride it again for the same reasons.

 

[dreamscometrue47]

One of my family's favorites...Many times my son sat in the first seat, me right behind me, hitting him off the head to make sure he was still there! I am now 62, he is 24 and on our family trips, he still sits in the front, me behind him...but i only hit him off the head once...for memory's sake! Love this classic.

 

[2hapykdz]

Why do you think that? Lines are always really long for it.

It never makes top ride lists? I think the lines are still long because there's not much in TL.

 

[PSUGuy]

It's a 'Must Do' for us every time in MK but it's just another iconic Disney ride that's been eclipse by newer technology over the years.

Bill From PA

 

[bumbershoot]

They closed SM for nearly two years to rebuild?

Yep. More than that. From wiki.

The ride closed suddenly on April 10, 2003, with an announcement that it would remain closed until Disneyland's 50th anniversary. The ride had become unstable and would need a complete track replacement. On June 25, 2005 Disneyland surprised its guests by announcing that the reopening of Space Mountain would open early on July 15, instead of the projected November date.

On July 15, 2005 (with "soft openings" starting July 1), only two days before Disneyland's official 50th Anniversary

But I think it’s always been the same ride vehicle that it is now, which isn’t like the ride vehicle at Mk.

 

[WhathappensinDisney]

I haven't ridden it in 15 years.. Well I hadn't been to Disney in 15 years and when I went last summer I waited in line for an hour for it and it ended up breaking down lol, so the ride currently has left a bad taste in my mouth.

That whole Magic Kingdom Day was a disaster.. The monorail broke down, Space Mountain broke down, Seven Dwarves Minetrain broke down...

Hopefully I will have better luck and be able to ride it when I go again this year. I remember being terrified of it as a kid but I am a lot older now.

 

[maltdizzy]

Moving to L.A. and living so close to Disneyland ruined a lot of the magic Kingdom's rides for us.

We can take or leave SM at MK. While it has more sudden dips in the dark, it feels slower, jerkier, and it lacks the in-ride music that is piped into the Disneyland headrests that invoke a feeling of speed and excitement.

They closed SM for nearly two years to rebuild?

Yep. They were going to do a similar lengthy closure and overhaul for the MK's SM, but they cancelled that and went with a milder, less intensive refurb.

Remember, DL also shut down their BTMRR for well over a year (Jan. 2013 to March 2014) to replace its track as well. Plus, shutting down the DLRR and other things for as long as 18 months to fit Galaxy's Edge.

 

[odd man out]

We are not frequent visitors to WDW (4 trips in 20 years), plus most in the family are not into thrill rides. Thus it wasn't until visit #4 (a couple of weeks ago) that I got to ride SM for the first time. My wife did Carousel of Progress (her speed) while I did SM with a FP+ (both about 20 minutes). We did something similar with EE at AK the previous day. I would say I enjoyed EE much more. I was not prepared for how cramped the rockets are at SM. I could barely fit and I'm not that large (6'0", 215 lb). So I would agree that if anything, SM is overrated.

 

[Texans_loyal]

Space Mountain forever will be top 3 in my family. Maybe it's just nostalgia?

 

[loves to dive]

We rarely ride it any more, it tends to break down every single time we ride it. It is way too jerky for us, my son has spinal cord nerve damage and I have old bones, it kills my neck.

 

[tommygunn]

Agree with OP. I think it's the best ride in MK. Certainly some of that is nostalgia, but my 13 year old son agrees with me.