Why is DL Space mountain better?

[markr09]

I am a big fan of Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. I have never been to Disney Land but all I keep hearing is how much better SM is out there then it is in Orlando. Can anyone tell me what the big difference is? Is it faster, smoother, better themed? I am very curious.

[KAJUNKING]

i think what your hearing is because sm in dl got a refurb, and the one in mk did not, im sure someone who knows dl will be along in a minute to clear this up for you

[Figment78]

Is it faster, smoother, better themed? I am very curious.

Yes, yes, and yes. I'm a WDW veteran who just returned from DL and was really surprised at the difference! DL's space mountain has music (does WDW? I never noticed), it's two seats across (instead of 3 in a row), it's smoother, and you do not see the ride while you are standing in line, so it seems a bit more of a surprise. In my opinion, it was also darker. I did miss looking up at the "sky" and watching the meteors while waiting in line, but the ride made up for it.

Very fun ride. Just seemed to have more energy than the one in MK.

[2Epcot]

Disneyland shut down Space Mountain for what seemed like forever, and completly rebuilt the track. The wait was certainly worth it. The ride is very smooth, great musical soundtrack. I like the side-by-side seating. The entry to the vehicles is nicer then WDW. On a scale to 1-10 I would give Disneyland's Space Mountain a 10, and WDW's only a 7.

[*tinker_belle*]

Never been on the one in WDW but i am so proud of DL Space Mountain! It has come a long way. For years it was shabby looking, the music never worked on the speakers, the queue area needed help and everything needed new paint. 2 or 3 years ago Space underwent major refurb and came out looking like a brand new shiny penny. It's now a better ride, a bit darker, smoother and has working speakers in the headrests. It's a good experience and one of my favorites at the park!

[thrillme]

Hopefully DW will upgrade their SM. DL did a refurb in O5. It's still Space Mountian only they upgraded it. It seemed darker, people can sit side by side and it's a LOT "smoother".

IF DW does upgrade (which I believe is definately in the plans) I hope they don't take off the "chocolate chip cookies" (astroids)...they're just nostaglic.

[scoot241]

Faster: maybe... the dark makes it difficult to determine actual speed... it seems pretty fast though
Smoother: definitely
Better themed: The ride itself? Yeah, for the most part it's better themed. I kinda missed the astronauts working at the beginning. The special effects are definitely better. The queue? No. WDW's Space Mountain has a much better queue.

WDW definitely needs to do a thorough refurbishment of its SM. After experiencing the DL SM, it's abundantly clear that WDW's needs some work.

DL's is practically in complete darkness, but this would be difficult to do at WDW, especially with the TTA running through the building. It also doesn't have the asteroid projections on the ceiling, and the load/unload area is in a separate room from the rest of the ride.

Also, I don't know if it just wasn't working when I was there, but at DL I didn't notice any queue music at all. If/when WDW does a refurb, they really should keep the music they already have. It's one of my top music pieces in all of the parks.

[Chescat]

It seems faster and smoother. At the end of the previous Space Mountain, I would feel a little funny when I got off. Now I can ride the thing a few times in a row again, like I used to when it first got put in the park (one night on a company night we rode it 6 times in a row since there was no line).

I think the reason it seems faster, is there are a lot of right turns right after the other. So you have that sensation of going faster. I like it in the dark since you really don't know where you are going. I do have to close my eyes when you first go up that first climb. That rotating thing makes me a bit

I might be wrong, but is the track longer now? They took out that whole queue section that used to be below, where you would see the cars going by in the dark.

[BrerGnat]

Well, Disneyland's SM has had side by side seating for a LONG time, for several years prior to the refurb 2 years ago. So, that didn't change during the refurb, but they did get new rockets.

However, DL's SM has better cars, you sit deeper and there are built in speakers with surround sound. The new soundtrack is really cool, sort of reminds me of the Incredibles soundtrack (I think they were done by the same guy...). DL's new SM is MUCH darker than before, and the stars swirling around along with the high speed wind fans blowing cold air in your face make you feel like you are literally flying through space (although, to be frank, there's no wind in space ) The ride is so dark, and the seats so deep, that unless you are in the very front seat, you cannot see the track at all. You have no idea where you are going, and the turns just keep coming, faster and faster.

The queue is awfully slow and boring. USE FASTPASS!!! WDW has the edge on the queue for sure.

DL's SM is FAR superior to WDW's. WDW's truly feels like a beach boardwalk mouse coaster compared to DL's.

[Lucille]

The biggest difference to me is how smooth DL's SM is. WDW's is so jerky it gives me a bit of a headache, I think on our last 10 day trip I rode it once. I could ride DL's over and over, since you don't feel like you are being thrown around you can sit back and enjoy the roller coaster experience.

[Where's Your Laughin Place]

SM in Disneyland is absolutely amazing! Especially after the long refurb/rebuild(I love the spinning lift hill effect they added during the refurb) I cannot even begin to describe the feeling I had after I rode SM in 2006 after the refurb.... long story short, I love the SM in DL.

[heart4princephillip]

IF DW does upgrade (which I believe is definately in the plans) I hope they don't take off the "chocolate chip cookies" (astroids)...they're just nostaglic.

That's exactly what we call them
In fact it's the only thing I miss of the older version.
Looking forward to seeing them in WDW in November.

[ryca1dreams]

Having never been on DL's Space Moutain I can only imagine. I love WDW's SM, but it does need an upgrade. I just think it should start AFTER the Star Tunnel. The remainder of the queue is pretty cool, but it could be enhanced with some modern special effects.

The ride could be made better with sound and a smoother track. But, I like the jerky turns..you have to avoid those astroids!

[cgriff]

IF DW does upgrade (which I believe is definately in the plans) I hope they don't take off the "chocolate chip cookies" (astroids)...they're just nostaglic.

LOL! I always thought they looked like potatoes!

[Dreamflight]

The only thing I don't like about SM in DL is the wind that blows in your face during the ride. It makes my eyes water the entire time. Other than that it's really good.

[*tinker_belle*]

Just rode SM at DL the other day. Its the first time in a while i have ridden it without it being the rockin version, i was so obsessed with that (still am!bring it back!) And the soundtrack sounds like Mission Impossible to me but i do like that its darker now, it feels faster.

[mjm12000]

DL Spacemountain.. .one word Incredible!

Fast, smooth, dark, stars everywhere, music perfectly synched to every turn and drop. It was like flying, you couldn't even feel the track. The lift hills are amazing as is the re-entry tunnel. The seats are so comfortable, the music is amazing... the composer also did the music for the Incredibles and Mission Impossible 3, so it is a very cool soundtrack. I can not say enough about this ride... truly amazing!