Photo Friday: Lights on!

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

One of the best things about Space Mountain is what you can't (or aren't supposed to) see -- and that's how compact the attraction really is.  This is a shot from inside Space Mountain during a rare moment when the lights were on.  As you can see, the attraction carefully winds in and around a maze of support beams. 

When you stop to think about it, it's pretty incredible how the Imagineers managed to cram so much into such a relatively small space.

So the next time you're standing by for blast off - you'll have some idea and some appreciation for where you're heading!

Tip Tuesday: Space Mountain tidbits

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

With the recent announcement that new "Starry-o-Phonic" audio now is in Space Mountain at WDW's Magic Kingdom, I thought it would be a perfect time to share a few tidbits about Space Mountain that may help your next trip from Starport Seven-Five go a little smoother.

Three to a car
For those who haven't been on Space Mountain before, the ride vehicles are a bit different that other coasters. Each car can hold three guests, sitting "toboggan" style, meaning guests sit in front of each other as opposed to side-by-side. This really isn't a major issue, except when kids come into play, especially if the kids are a bit nervous about riding.

Here's what I suggest: Have the nervous child sit either in the middle seat (best) or the front seat. Have an adult sit right behind them (middle or back seat). The adult can then keep a hand on the child's shoulder to reassure them throughout the ride. I did this with my younger son and daughter for their first rides on Space Mountain, and they seemed to do just fine. I think it was a bit comforting knowing I was right behind them the whole way.

For those who are dying to get a front row seat, it's best to do a bit of counting. Remember that there are three guests to a car. Usually the cast member assigns guests to rows from front to back. Try to position yourself so you will be the first or the fourth person in the queue when the next cars pull up (remember two cars are connected to each other). If you manage this, you just might find yourself in the front seat (which is a bit roomier than the others!).

Smile!
A new feature added to Space Mountain in late 2009 was on-ride photos. The one major different between on-ride photos for Space Mountain and those of other major attractions (Splash Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Rock-n-Rollercoaster, etc.) is that the angle of the shot is to the side, as opposed to the front. This means you are moving from left to right (or right to left) instead of moving toward the camera. This results mostly in a side-profile (as opposed to a full face) image.

One way to help improve the shot is to turn your head toward the camera when the shots taken. Depending on which track you're on will determine which way to turn (left or right). As you shoot through the launch tunnel (those pulsing blue lights), see which way your car is going to turn. If it turns to the right, you want to look to the left. If it turns to the left, you want to look right. You'll want to turn toward the camera just as your car is whipping around that first turn after the launch tunnel (you'll see the huge flash).

After the shot is taken, sit back and enjoy your trip through the cosmos while you listen to the new audio track.


When to launch
Space Mountain is one of the major attractions at the Magic Kingdom. This means the standby line can get long quickly. If you want to get in a few run on Space Mountain, I strongly suggest being at the Magic Kingdom right at park opening. Once the gates open, head straight to Space Mountain (but please don't run).

As you approach, take a quick glance at the lines for the FastPass machines. At the start of the day, there may be a big line of people trying to get FastPasses. If there's a decent line -- skip it. Head straight into the attraction. You'll likely find it's likely a short wait. By the time you're coming out of the attraction, the initial FastPass lines will have died down - grab a FastPass for later in the day and move on (unless the standby line is pretty short - if so, go again!).

Space Mountain is a great attraction for just about anyone. It really doesn't go that fast -- the speed is mostly an illusion, thanks to the lack of light and other visual references.

Enjoy your next trip from Starport Seven-Five!

Space Mountain - the refurb

During my recent Thanksgiving trip to Walt Disney World, I managed to catch a near walk-on to ride the newly refurbished Space Mountain. So I thought I'd give you my take on the changes.

First, the queue is much, much better, especially for the standby line. Imagineers have added a bunch of interactive games along the main tunnel near the loading area that are similar to the old Asteroids game (kids, that was a game many years ago where a small triangle-shaped spaceship blew up asteroids). There is room for somewhere around 80 people to play. I didn't get a chance to try it out as the line was moving way too quickly at this point.

The loading area is very, well, blue (as you can see in the photo above). There are a series of blue neon lights in the ceiling that casts the loading area in a dim blue light. It's not as bright as the photo appears.

As for the ride itself, Disney said they wanted to make the ride experience darker so guests wouldn't know where they were going and boy did Disney deliver. It is DARK!! It's not completely pitch black, rather you get a much more immersive experience as you race through the stars. You can still see small points of light projected all throughout the attraction, but you can't tell what the ride path is (unless you happen to know it). I should note that the track layout hasn't changed, but it did feel smoother. You still get jerked around a bit as you whip around tight turns, but at least you're not rattled to death like before the refurb.

Disney also gave some significant attention to the ride vehicle itself. It's the same car with three guests riding in single file. The seat cushions, however, are greatly improved, which may account for the overall smoother ride experience.

Something that's new is on-board photos. As you exit the launch tunnel, you come around a turn and are greeted with a bright flash. This is your ride photo being taken. After the ride, there is a bank of monitors to see your photo.

I have to say I'm not impressed with the ride photos for a couple of reasons. First, Disney decided not to include the option to add the pictures to your PhotoPass card, like at TestTrack in Epcot. For me, this is a big disappointment. The only on-ride photos I ever get are those I can include on my PhotoPass CD. I would have thought Disney would have realized the benefits of making the PhotoPass option available.

Second, the angle of the shot is not the best. It's just about from a side view, so you get a profile shot of the guests, which isn't a great angle. I understand this is a three-person single-file ride vehicle which makes for a more difficult shot to take, but I think Disney could have found a better way to take a 3/4 angle shot or shoot from a higher angle or something. As it is now, I won't be purchasing any Space Mountain on-ride photos.

As for the post-show, nearly everything is new. There are some nice references to old Disney attractions including a sticker for Mesa Verde (remember Horizons?) and what looks like a hidden Spaceship Earth. Also, the final part of the moving sidewalk includes a portion where the tunnel is painted a vivid green. This is obviously for some sort of chroma-key (or green screen) effect that hasn't been unveiled yet. The right side is just covered with a banner that reads "Thanks for Flying With Us."

All in all, the newly updated Space Mountain was worth the wait. It's a better, more thrilling attraction that purist fans will still enjoy and appreciate. So on your next trip to Walt Disney World, be sure to check out Space Mountain!

Disney offers a sneak peek of Space Mountain

On the official Disney blog, Imagineers gave a little sneak peek of some of the changes taking place inside Space Mountain. Based on some of the images Disney released today, the changes to Space Mountain look incredible! I especially like the blue lighting of the queue lines. It is reminiscent of the Soarin' queue at Epcot.

In another image, an Imagineer is seen working on one of several interactive game screens located along the queue.

According to the official Disney blog,
Passengers will be able to immerse themselves in unique game play as they prepare for blast off, becoming part of the space station adventure. During a recent walkthrough, we deflected asteroids to keep runways clear as part of the story. The interactive experiences are based on duties you’d find on board a long-traveling space craft, according to Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Show Designer Alex Wright. Each game lasts about 90 seconds with a 90-second interval and the games can accommodate 86 players at one time.

This should help those long queue go by a little faster. I'm glad to see that the games can accommodate a large number of players at one time. That should help cut down on competition for play time.

There also are some hidden treasures and tidbits included in the refurbishment. According to the official blog,

As you move along on your journey, there are “insider” touches typical in projects created by Imagineers. For example, if you’re up on your Disney trivia, you’ll recognize a sign bearing the logo “H-NCH 1975″ as a tribute to late Imagineer and Disney legend John Hench. There are also other “Disneyphile” references hidden throughout the attraction.Space Mountain celebrates the Golden Age of Rocket Travel – inspired by the jet age of the early 1960s. The attraction highlights excitement around the endless possibilities regarding space travel. It did back when it opened in 1975 and I think you’ll agree it still does.

I, for one, can't wait to see all the changes at Space Mountain. One thing's for sure - Walt would be happy to see that his dreams continue to evolve, grow and get "plussed."

Space Mountain major refurbishment starts today

Today marks a sad day for some Walt Disney World fans, especially those planning to head to WDW this summer and fall. That's because, starting today, Space Mountain has officially closed to begin a major refurbishment project, slated to be completed around Thanksgiving.

As part of the refurbishment, updates will be made to the queue, the track (though it will still follow the original layout) and the effects that are projected on the dark ceiling of the attraction, among other things.

This is the most significant refurbishment to Space Mountain in ten years.

In addition to Space Mountain, the popular Tomorrowland Transit Authority (or TTA), also known as the WedWay People Mover, closed today for a refurbishment. The TTA is expected to reopen sometime in the fall. This is no surprise as the TTA runs through Space Mountain, so there really was no way for Disney to keep the TTA open while major work takes place at Space Mountain.

With a major attraction (Space Mountain) and a minor attraction (TTA) now closed at the Magic Kingdom, it will be interesting to see how Disney attempts to deal with the expected increases at other major attractions like Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, which is the only real attraction left in Tomorrowland right now. I don't consider the Tomorrowland Speedway a significant attraction, and don't even ask me about Stitch's Great Escape. Tomorrowland's going to be a barren place this summer.

Hopefully these two refurbishments will go as planned and not go beyond Thanksgiving. We will have to wait and see.

By the way, guests may experience some additional temporary closures at times this summer, especially for the Walt Disney World Railroad as it may have to close to allow heavy equipment in and out of the Space Mountain area.

Some details emerge about Space Mountain refurb

An Orlando Sentinel report about the coming refurbishment of Space Mountain included some new details about what the refurbishment will entail.

According to the report, a new track will be installed, though the track will follow the same layout as before. Some changes to the queue are in the works as well as a new inside ceiling.

While this might not appear to be as major a renovation as some may have hoped, it's nice to see Space Mountain getting some TLC at last. It all starts April 19 and hopefully will be complete by sometime late this year, though Disney has not announced anything more specific about a completion date.

Space Mountain update: April refurb confirmed!

The operational updates page of Disneyworld.com now has confirmed Space Mountain AND the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA) will both be down for refurbishment starting April 19. So far, the operational updates page only lists closures through July 2009. The Space Mountain refurbishment is expected to last until sometime in late 2009, though a more specific completion date is not known, which is no surprise.

What I find most interesting is the length of time for this refurbishment. At only about 8 months, I'm not sure the Imagineers have the time to make huge modification as had been hoped for - modifications that might make the WDW Space Mountain more like the Disneyland version. Keep in mind that the Haunted Mansion was down for three months, and in that time essentially only one new scene, enhanced audio and some fresh paint were added. Nothing too major, yet that took three months. IF some major overhaul of the interior ride system were planned, I'm not sure eight months is enough time. Maybe the Imagineers will have crews going 24/7 to complete such a major refurb in a short amount of time -- Space Mountain is an anchor attraction after all and I can't imagine Disney wants to have it down any longer than they absolutely have to.

For now, anyone headed to Walt Disney World after April 19 will only have two Magic Kingdom mountains to scale - Splash and Big Thunder. Trips into Space have been grounded.

I'm sure we'll start to hear more about the nature of this refurbishment in the months to come, so stay tuned!