WDWMagic is reporting Space Mountain may be next in line for a major rebuild in the Magic Kingdom.
My friend and I were talking about this last week. SM is still my favorite coaster in the MK, but it’s getting harder to ignore that it is, in fact, a 50-year-old roller coaster. As painful as it would be for it to be down for maybe even a couple of years, I think it needs to be done.
I wonder if they will wait for the Cars area to open? Maybe this will be part of a Tomorrowland refresh. We’ve got Stitch, Autotopia and posisble Monsters Inc Laugh Floor all available…
They’d have to, right? They’ll need something to handle the reduced capacity.
That’s what I was thinking. I am looking forwars to a refurbishment. This ride is so iconic, but I am getting old!
This is a double edged sword. Once Cars Land opens, demand for MK overall will increase and they’ll need Space Mountain’s capacity. It might be that they would get Space Mountain moving now with the possibility of it being done before Cars Land, or not long after.
But the conventional wisdom seems to be wait till the new land opens to maintain the same general level of ride capacity over time.
They do have Tron though, which has added capacity.
I kind of hope not. I would like to see not just refurbishment, but a complete new coaster. Not like what they did for BTMRR.
Some, but SM handles almost 1000 riders per hour more than Tron.
Hard agree! Space Mountain needs to be in line with current E-ticket coasters. If they’re going to open up the building and work on the track, go all the way with it!
I would be interested in a middle approach. Keep the external structure, theme, vibe, etc. but rebuild the track to be more comfortable and exciting. But not diverge too far from the spirit of what it is. Since hardly anybody sees the actual track, I’m sure most people won’t miss it if it’s replaced. But they don’t need to make it GotG or something completely new.
I agree that it doesn’t need to be like GotG. Keep it as a low tech, indoor coaster. Hopefully they keep the theme.
I’m not sure how much better the track can be if they don’t expand the building, I think the thrill factor needs to be exponentially increased. Maybe an inversion or two.
I agree with you on that. Just meant to not just do a re track, but replace it with a similar intensity coaster that is modern, and possibly with a real launch and not a simulated one.
No inversions, IMHO. It needs to be just as accessible as it is now. Inversions would make the ride far less tolerable for many riders. I don’t think it needs them. There is still a lot of space to work with inside the ride building as it is, even keeping with dual tracks. The mirror image design could be maintained, just a different layout and train/track/ride system.
In fact, I will just wait for Disney to consult with me on the matter. 
Do you think they could do a single track that would be longer and allow for longer trains, side by side riding, etc? It might actually increase capacity if they can dispatch 12 in a train on one track vs 6 on two tracks.
Possibly, but I think something like an Intamin blitz coaster might be better. Longer trains take longer to load and check.
Disney has been working with Mack Rides, so maybe one of their family coasters with a launched custom layout, a shorter train, but designed to have more running on the track at a time. Shorter trains also allow for a more compact layout with tight turns, etc.
One thing to also think about is that the current Space Mountain design doesn’t fully utilize the space inside.
A single track design with shorter trains could still work if they had several block brake sections.
I feel like in general they’ve gotten so good at making smooth inversions that it isn’t nearly the deterrent that it used to be. But now that I think about it, for a compact coaster like SM you’re absolutely correct!
Absolutely no inversions. What we love about Disney is it’s not a coaster junkie park. Thru have so many rides that appeal to all ages that aren’t just carnivals rides. If you want a thrill coaster go to a different park.
I think there’s a middle ground to be had there. I don’t expect Disney to have the most extreme rides in the world, but I think they could fare well to have a few more exciting options.
But look at what Disney did with Expedition Everest and GotG. They are world class, but entirely accessible, coaster experiences. Thrilling, but not only for thrill seekers. First time I ever road SM, I was about 9. Whatever is done, let keep it accessible to riders in that age category.
Also keep in mind that once a ride involves inversions, the loading/unloading will become more complicated because they have to have more restrictive restraints.
A coaster design that has an easy safety mechanism will help dramatically with throughput.
Yes EE and GotG is a perfect example of the middle ground I’m talking about. I don’t think MK currently has anything near to that level of excitement, and I think SM could be that ride.
And again, you’re right about the inversion (and lack thereof) on Space! 