New Rumour Suggests Space Mountain Will Undergo an Extensive Refurbishment

[Crazy_Disney_Fan]

Space Mountain will undergo an extensive refurbishment in 2021 after TRON opens, according to a source I know.

The refurbishment of the E-ticket attraction at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will last approximately two years.

This particular source as a terrific track record when it comes to Walt Disney World rumours. Do you think Space Mountain needs a refurbishment? I’d love to know!

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

I would love if they re-did the entire track to make it a side-by-side seating coaster vehicle instead of the single-file Matterhorn style vehicles. Wider track = smoother ride. I like Space Mountain at Disneyland better because of this.

 

[rteetz]

Can you name/link to the source?

 

[Crazy_Disney_Fan]

Can you name/link to the source?

I would love to but it won't allow me to actually post the link. If you google, "RUMOUR: Space Mountain to Undergo Extensive Refurbishment in 2021", it's the top link on google.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Space Mountain being closed for the 50th seems unlikely, no?

 

[The Pho]

Can you name/link to the source?

Disnerd2003 at WDWMagic is the cited source, so it’s not terribly credible. And the post cited is from October so not sure why it’s hitting an article now.

 

[rteetz]

Disnerd2003 at WDWMagic is the cited source, so it’s not terribly credible. And the post cited is from October so not sure why it’s hitting an article now.

Thanks!

 

[nkosiek]

I would love if they re-did the entire track to make it a side-by-side seating coaster vehicle instead of the single-file Matterhorn style vehicles. Wider track = smoother ride. I like Space Mountain at Disneyland better because of this.

And see, I dislike the side-by-side at DL compared to the old school, less wide "rocket" at DW.

 

[Future_WorldPhonencian]

I love space mtn but its due for some love. Its an engineering marvel and was built to last... I can definitely see an extended refurb in the next 2-3 years but they need as much capacity as they can muster for the 50th. I could see them refurbing each side seperately to limit the down time but obviously the intertwining routes may make this impossible. And this would mean work could only happen at night. I think a side by side layout is all but guranteed since it would double capacity.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

And see, I dislike the side-by-side at DL compared to the old school, less wide "rocket" at DW.

To each his own.

I love space mtn but its due for some love. Its an engineering marvel and was built to last... I can definitely see an extended refurb in the next 2-3 years but they need as much capacity as they can muster for the 50th. I could see them refurbing each side seperately to limit the down time but obviously the intertwining routes may make this impossible. And this would mean work could only happen at night. I think a side by side layout is all but guranteed since it would double capacity.

In order to change it to a wider track, they would probably have to completely dismantle the existing structure (not the building, but the coaster inside) and start from scratch. It might be possible to just add a wider track to the existing support structure, but it seems like that could be problematic from an engineering standpoint.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

Space Mountain being closed for the 50th seems unlikely, no?

My thought as well.

 

[Remy is Up]

A complete overhaul would require a shut down for at least 1 1/2-2 years to gut the existing track and interior of the building and then redo it. I could certainly see it happening as currently SM is an accident waiting to happen. Whether or not they do it on the 50th after Tron opens ( have my doubts) or they wait till spring 2022 and have it shut down till 2024, would seem more plausible. I think the next shut down fix on SM is going to be the big fix.

 

[unbanshee]

Disnerd2003 at WDWMagic is the cited source, so it’s not terribly credible. And the post cited is from October so not sure why it’s hitting an article now.

Yeah, Orlando Theme Park Zone is just a regurgitation site. Nothing to see here

 

[jknezek]

This has been batted around ever since Tron was announced. I think it's likely SM will go down for the long overdue track replacement. They keep slowing the thing down and the track when you turn right just about jarred my teeth out and killed my back while the track where you turn left to get to seemed so much smoother but slower to me last time.

I think it's inevitable. But to be down for the 50th? I think they would have to consider SM close to a hazard to do that. And I'm not sure it has reached that point, it's just not the ride it used to be or is supposed to be right now. I go back to Thunder Mountain. Pre-track replacement, TM was painful. These days it's silky and fun again. That should be the goal with SM. I suspect the ride is less likely to get completely rebuilt in another format and more likely to just have a tear down and rebuild, though I hope small changes like music in the ride vehicles and more flexible lighting along the ride itself will be added as pluses.

Anyway, my guess is SM will go down for a long refurb right after the 50th so long as Tron is running the way it's supposed to. Taking pressure off SM seems to me to be a major reason Tron is being built. I just wish they had gone with an E ticket in Adventureland instead to spread the crowds, but it is what it is at this point.

 

[MaC410]

I vastly prefer Disneyland's Space Mountain. I would be so happy if a refurbishment came that made it more like that one. I'll take a smoother ride and my legs not being crammed into a single file car any day!

 

[sachilles]

Certainly plausible......but also quite similar to the spaceship earth rumor.

How are the two tracks split up in the attraction? Would it be possible to renovate one side without closing the other track, even if it meant working on the off hours?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I do prefer Disneyland's but also like when the attractions on both coasts are a bit different so would prefer they keep the current seating arrangements

I'd love a redo of the track just to be smoother and would also welcome on-car audio and bring in music like at Disneyland and also enable for projections and overlays like at Disneyland

 

[Lumpy1106]

It sounds plausible as I think SM will really be neglected by the guests once TRON opens. If so, I hope they don't just add speakers to it like they did in DL. That added a lot of weight to the cars and that led to a rapid deterioration of the track. They eventually had to shut it down all of the sudden for an extended period to re-track the ride. I was also not a fan of the first-gen soundtrack trains because the speakers were just bolted on and blocked the airflow to the 2'nd row back. You may think, "so what", but when you are zooming around in the dark it makes a big difference. Overall though I do VASTLY prefer the DL version. The loading platform is better themed, the side-by-side seating is better, the layout is more exciting, if it isn't actually faster it feels that way - it's just a better ride IMHO.

 

[mcjaco]

Wider track has nothing to do with smoothness. There's a lot of variables.

 

[J-BOY]

It sounds plausible as I think SM will really be neglected by the guests once TRON opens. If so, I hope they don't just add speakers to it like they did in DL. That added a lot of weight to the cars and that led to a rapid deterioration of the track. They eventually had to shut it down all of the sudden for an extended period to re-track the ride. I was also not a fan of the first-gen soundtrack trains because the speakers were just bolted on and blocked the airflow to the 2'nd row back. You may think, "so what", but when you are zooming around in the dark it makes a big difference. Overall though I do VASTLY prefer the DL version. The loading platform is better themed, the side-by-side seating is better, the layout is more exciting, if it isn't actually faster it feels that way - it's just a better ride IMHO.

I agree that the track system in Disneyland is much smoother, but I disagree about the layout being more exciting. I really dislike the loading platform, too. They basically took theming elements from Disney World's and shoved it in the loading platform instead of having actual theming in the attraction itself.

I'm a Disneyland local and I would kill for the theming of Disney World's Space Mountain. The queue and exit area are both spectacular, and Disneyland's is awfully plain.

I'm all for a refurbishment to update the track and make it a bit less painful, but I'll be so sad if those thematic elements are taken away too.