Fifty years ago this week, Space Mountain blasted off into the next great frontier at Walt Disney World Resort, forever changing the world. Creating an experiential phenomenon never before seen, this iconic attraction’s popularity would grow to boast a mountain range of experiences found around the world from Walt Disney World Resort to Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, and beyond.
As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we’re exploring how Space Mountain didn’t just peak at perfection in 1975 but continued to evolve globally for generations.
In five, four, three, two, one…
From One Frontier to the Next
To get to the bottom of the story, we have to start at the first mountain in a Disney park, which believe it or not, wasn’t Space Mountain! It all began in 1958 when Walt Disney first spotted the Matterhorn mountain in Switzerland. Inspired by its breathtaking landscape and lore, the often-recalled story goes, Walt sent a postcard of the famous peak back to Disney Imagineers with the words “BUILD THIS” on the back.
Imagineers went to work developing what would become the world’s first-ever tubular steel track thrill ride for Disneyland. When Matterhorn Bobsleds debuted at Disneyland in 1959, the steel track allowed for sharp turns and weaving in and out of craggy caverns — it was unlike anything guests had ever experienced.
Walt wasn’t ready to stop at just one mountain though and knew there was another frontier out there just waiting to be explored. With aspirations of building an attraction at Disneyland similar to Matterhorn Bobsleds, it was off to space! That’s when the idea for a daring interstellar voyage came along. In order to develop Disney’s first-ever fully enclosed coaster an eye-catching exterior was needed. This sort of task required a special talent and Disney Legend John Hench was the perfect Imagineer for the job.
What eventually came to be one of the most iconic exteriors at Disney parks around the world required developing a new sort of architecture. Hench came up with the design of a conical dome with exterior steel beams which represented the dispersing of energy by lifting a car to a certain height and letting it run out by gravity — it was both practical and visually appealing.
The hoped-for experience would not only feature four tracks blasting in and out, around the attraction, but it would also be bigger and more advanced than its predecessor. There was only one problem: the technology needed to execute this concept wasn’t advanced enough to build it just yet.
Imagineers knew computers would catch up and they eventually did! Following the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971, they went to work bringing to life their most elaborate attraction yet, but this time in Florida as part of a significant expansion at the newly-opened resort.
When Space Mountain opened in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on January 15, 1975, nobody could have imagined the impact this one “mountain” would have on the world. For the first time ever at a Disney park, guests would blast off into space on a coaster-like attraction, dipping and careening past shooting stars. Now fifty years later, Space Mountain remains a must-do on any visit to Walt Disney World and for some, it could be their first time experiencing a coaster-type attraction once they’re finally tall enough!
Bringing Space Mountain to Disneyland Resort
Imagineers hadn’t stopped thinking about bringing Space Mountain to Disneyland Park and following the success of the attraction at the Magic Kingdom, it was finally time to make Walt’s vision come to life in Anaheim!
On May 27, 1977, Space Mountain opened with a grand dedication at Disneyland Resort, including a few of its own unique touches. Rather than two tracks, similar to the Magic Kingdom version of the attraction, they developed a single track with bigger trains, ensuring just as many guests could experience the West Coast version.
Space Mountain Goes International
From Florida to California, Space Mountain was a HIT! And why stop there when you could expand abroad? During the development of the first Disney park outside of the United States, Imagineers knew their “greatest hits” needed to make an international debut and, of course, Space Mountain was in the lineup.
On April 15, 1983, this iconic American experience made its journey all the way to Tokyo Disneyland Park in the form of a nearly identical version to the one in Anaheim — it became a fan-favorite with Japanese guests too!
With three Space Mountain attractions under their belts, Disney Imagineers knew they wanted to do something different for Disneyland Paris, and the attraction was pushed to the park’s “phase two” of development — nearly three years after its opening in 1992. However, one iconic feature needed to remain: the conical exterior. It’s what makes Space Mountain…well…Space Mountain!
For this version, the usual Tomorrowland setting would instead be Disneyland Paris’ Discoveryland, a place dedicated to great visionaries throughout history. Inspired by Jules Verne’s classic tale From the Earth to the Moon, Space Mountain: de la Terre à la Lune in Paris would shoot guests to the moon by cannon. Once again, Imagineers found themselves inventing new technology to bring this otherworldly concept to life.
Developing the world’s first-ever catapult launch system, Disney Imagineers rocketed guests from an incline straight into darkness. This high-caliber attraction was twice as fast, went upside down, and even featured the first onboard audio system synced to attraction music. In fact, the attraction’s composer had to ride the attraction again…and again…and again just to get the music perfectly in sync.
And who doesn’t love to listen to the sweet sounds of Space Mountain playing right into your ears as you zoom through the stars? The immersive feature was also added to the attraction in Anaheim and, eventually, to Hong Kong Disneyland Park with the park’s opening on September 12, 2005.
Space Mountain Continues to Evolve
To continue bringing new experiences to the beloved attraction, Imagineers have even developed limited-time versions of the fan-favorite attraction. Both Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland are currently home to Hyperspace Mountain, a Star Wars adventure through the galaxy. At Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Space Mountain has seen several different overlays through the years, including Hyperspace Mountain, which will return for Season of the Force from March 28 through May 11, 2025.
At Tokyo Disneyland Park, Imagineers are hard at work bringing an entirely new Space Mountain to life. Opening in 2027, this version will stay true to the original concept as a thrilling indoor coaster on a high-speed journey through space, while also featuring added enhanced performance, immersive special effects, and provide a greater connection between Earth and the universe.
Past Influences Present
When it came time to open Shanghai Disney Resort in 2016, Imagineers had more than enough time to plan for another Space Mountain, but just like for Disneyland Paris, there was a desire to try something new. It was important they optimized the experience for Chinese guests, staying true to “authentically Disney, distinctly Chinese” as a resort. An all-new, futuristic-themed attraction would build upon the Space Mountain experiences of yesterday and was to be set in a place so technologically advanced, that it required Imagineers to go beyond our planet. This time, they were heading to “The Grid.”
TRON Lightcycle Power Run would blast guests outside the featured attraction building and back in for the race of a lifetime. Nearly 65 years later, this unique feature would bring Walt’s initial concept for a space-age voyage to life in a whole new way. The debut of a TRON-themed attraction in Shanghai was both an evolution and a next step for Disney parks around the world.
Now, as we celebrate 50 years of space at Walt Disney World Resort, guests can enjoy both Space Mountain and TRON Lightcycle / Run presented by Enterprise in Tomorrowland. Not only was Space Mountain an evolution, but it was also a revolution, encouraging generations of innovators to dream bigger than ever before. As we continue to look to the stars and the future of Disney parks, we can’t forget that without Space Mountain, some of the coasters we love today may not have existed!