Yesterday, May 27, marked the anniversary of the Space Mountain attraction at Disneyland California, which opened in 1977. I distinctly remember my fear of this ride as a child — for years my Mom wouldn’t take me on it assuming I would throw up like so many other parents warned of. Ironically, as an adult, it’s become one of my favorite attractions (and hers too).
During my travels to each of the Disney Resorts around the world, riding Space Mountain at least once is always on the list. And for the last two years, we’ve had a Disney mascot to enjoy Space Mountain with. In 2008, Tokyo Disney released a set of special cast member outfits for Duffy the Disney Bear to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland. One of our Duffy Bears is donning his Space Mountain CM outfit and we named him Spuffy (or Spaceman Spuff) — a combination of Duffy, Space Mountain, and my favorite — Calvin and Hobbes Spaceman Spiff.
In honor of Space Mountain’s 34th Anniversary, Spuffy and I will take you on a photographic tour of all the Space Mountain attractions at Disney Resorts around the globe.
Space Mountain at Disneyland in Anaheim, California
An iconic image for me growing up in Southern California. Even when we weren’t going to Disneyland, I always remember driving along the 5 fwy and watching for the Matterhorn and the spires from Space Mountain. Back in 2000, one of my longtime dreams came true — we got stuck on the ride! After about 20 minutes, we were the last car they evacuated and since I was with several CM’s that day, we were able to get a pretty good view of what it looks like with the lights on. While there is no legendary basketball court as people say with the Matterhorn, we did get to see a few tables and chairs and what looked like a ping pong table. LOL
In recent years as part of the Halloween festivities, Space Mountain has undergone a slight transformation for “Ghost Galaxy”. This first debuted at Hong Kong Disneyland and became part of the California ride in 2009 and was brought back again in 2010.
Space Mountain at Walt Disney World
This is the Space Mountain I am least familiar with since I have only visited WDW a small number of times. Visually, it is one of the more appealing attractions, especially the way it is lit up at night. A lot of people don’t realize that Walt Disney World’s Space Mountain attraction actually opened before Disneyland’s in California. The soft opening for Space Mountain in WDW’s Magic Kingdom was December 1974 with the official grand opening a month later. This is the only Space Mountain where riders do not sit side by side.
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Space Mountain: Mission 2 at Disneyland Paris
The current Space Mountain: Mission 2 attraction has been delighting European Disney fans since April 2005. The previous name was De la Terre à la Lune, which opened in 1995 and then closed in January 2005 to make room for the refurbishment and redesign. The original design paid homage to Jules Verne’s classic, From the Earth to the Moon. The new Mission 2 is supposed to be a continuation of Verne’s classic, where riders are now taken further into space on a new adventure.
If you aren’t familiar with this version at Disneyland Paris, you will be in for quite a surprise your first timeas Space Mountain: Mission 2 goes upside down! Yup, this is the only Space Mountain attraction that features inversions — three of them in fact. If you think the rides in the US Disney Resorts are fast — this one is not for the faint of heart. I was pretty disoriented the first time I rode this…well, and the second time too. For those who are prone to motion sickness, you may want to sit this one out — or just make it your last ride before leaving. 🙂
Space Mountain at Hong Kong Disneyland
Surprisingly, this is one of the rides you can always pretty much just walk right on at Hong Kong Disneyland — even when the park is crowded. Usually we end up riding this one two or three times, depending on how long we are staying at the Park that day. This Space Mountain is the newest one (discounting other Parks’ refurbishments) and opened in conjunction with the park in September 2005. Hong Kong Disneyland probably has the best queue interior of the ride, despite being the smallest. There are lots of bright colored lights and a virtual solar system hanging above.
You will note in the photos from Hong Kong Disneyland, the entire park is surrounded by mountains — real ones. These are no Disney artist backdrops!
As I previously mentioned in the Anaheim Disneyland section, the Halloween themed Ghost Galaxy started at Hong Kong Disneyland in 2007. It is part of their annual Halloween event that includes actual Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios type maze attractions — the best time to visit HK Disneyland in my opinion!
Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland
Nearly identical to the one in Disneyland California (in my opinion), Tokyo Disneyland’s Space Mountain attraction opened in 1983, when the Resort opened its doors. The ride is nice, but it is one of the most frustrating lines. The only way to ride this one is to do a FastPass, otherwise you can get stuck for seemingly hours while everyone with passes are admitted in masses. The outdoor snaking queue lines remind me of the olden days of Anaheim Disneyland pre-Fast Pass. The only difference is — it can be 100F and humid while you are waiting in line in Tokyo. Uuughh.
Obviously Spuffy likes this Space Mountain the best because his outfit is nearly a replica of the current CM costumes. It’s fun to be in the Tokyo Resort with him, because the Space Mountain CMs get very excited when they see him and other local Duffy fans always acknowledge him because this series of costumes are very sought after, both in Japan and abroad.
One caveat about Tokyo Disneyland’s Space Mountain attraction — there are no photos at the end! While the bright light goes off and it looks like the other rides that snaps your photo — sorry, no luck here. It is the only “professional” photo of Spuffy riding Space Mountain I will never get.
Have you been on more than one Space Mountain attraction? Which resort is your favorite?
A lifelong Disney fanatic and freelance travel and food writer currently based in Belize and the Netherlands. Annual passholder to all Disney Parks worldwide. Bring you Disney Magic from around the globe.
