For just over five decades, Space Mountain has been the crown jewel of the Magic Kingdom and arguably the most famous Disney thrill ride in pop culture. Yet this marvel of ride design still holds some secrets within its intergalactic interior.

Space Mountain

The Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain, which is the first Space Mountain overall, opened at Walt Disney World in January of 1975. The revolutionary-for-the-time indoor coaster was an immediate smash, becoming the resort’s first true thrill attraction, and ushering in a new era for both Disney and the theme park industry overall. In the years since, versions have been built at Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland, and the name Space Mountain has become iconic in pop culture. Despite all of that, there are still some things many may not know about the iconic ride.

Walt’s Initial Concept

Despite opening 8 years after Walt Disney’s death (and in a park he never stepped foot in) the original concept that became Space Mountain began with Uncle Walt Himself. In the early 1960s, Walt – – fresh of the success of introducing the Matterhorn to Disneyland — approached Imagineer John Hench with the idea of basing the park’s upcoming New Tomorrowland project around a “Space Port” attraction that would include a “roller-coaster-style ride in the dark, with lighting and other special effects.”

©Disney

Originally called “Space Port” and “Space Voyage”, Imagineering (known as WED Enterprises at the time)m saw concept artwork developed by Hench, Clem Hall, George McGinnis, and Herb Ryman. The name “Space Mountain” was first used for the project in 1966. However, due to Walt’s death in December of that year as well as technological limitations, the ride was dropped form the New Tomorrowland lineup and put on the overall back burner until…

The RCA Connection

During the construction of Walt Disney World in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the RCA Corporation was contracted by Disney to provide communications hardware and infrastructure for the resort. Built into that contract was a provision that Disney could pitch RCA an attraction to sponsor, which RCA would be required to provide $10 million in support for if they agreed to the sponsorship.

Space Mountain Opening Day, ©Disney

Disney, led by then-CEO E. Card Walker was successfully able to sell the company on the Space Mountain concept. In fact, not only did the company give the $10 million and sponsor the attraction upon its 1975 opening, but Imagineers partially used RCA technology to settle the technical issues that had initially proved a problem a decade earlier.

The Star Tunnel

Space Mountain occupies an interesting piece of real estate in the Magic Kingdom. Technically, the iconic show building that houses the coaster is actually located OUTSIDE the park’s berm. Guests enter the attraction and immediately begin walking the “star tunnel”, and enclosed queue that actually takes them underneath the Walt Disney World Railroad and up into the Space Mountain cone-shaped show building, where the ride’s switchbacks and loading area are located. 

Space Mountain queue

The Need for Speed?

While Space Mountain may FEEL like a high-speed journey through the cosmos, the coaster only reaches a top speed of approximately 27 MPH. The ride fools riders into thinking it’s moving much faster thanks to blasts of cold air, the space travel thematic elements, and of course the darkness in which it takes place. Speaking of that darkness…

Space Mountain on-ride photo

Lights ON!

There are few bigger “white whales” to chase for major Disney fans than riding Space Mountain with the lights on.

Space Mountain with the lights on

While this is rare, it does sometimes happen if there’s an issue with the ride, though it has been offered on a few special occasions as well.

It looks so different

Of course, as cool as riding with the lights on is in concept, it’s also a reminder how important the theming and darkness is to the attraction as once it’s stripped away, the track is simply that of a typical wild mouse-style coaster.

Easter Eggs

As with many Disney attractions, there are several Easter eggs and other references scattered throughout the attraction. For example, there are several references to Starport Seven-Five as the “official” name of the space station. This is, of course, a reference to the attraction’s opening year of 1975. In addition, the attraction’s exit ramp — which riders walk back after exiting the attraction — features several references to EPCOT’s dearly departed Horizons attraction.

Mickey Mouse Space Mountain Pin

To many, even 50 years after its debut the Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain remains the peak (no, we couldn’t resist) of Disney’s thrill attraction empire. Stay tuned to DFB for more dives into Disney history.

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What’s your favorite Space Mountain memory? Let us know in the comments below!