Space Mountain- Ride Review

Well, hello, and welcome to my blog:) I don't want to waste time, so I'm just gonna dig in with my first post: a bit of info on that Magic Kingdom classic: Space Mountain!

Name: Space Mountain
Type: Ride, Roller Coaster
Location: Tomorrow Land in The Magic Kingdom
The Gist: The famous "in the dark" coaster, supposed to feel like you are shooting through space
A Must-Do For: Any MK visitors looking for something more thrilling than the Jungle Cruise
Avoid if: You have a serious fear of rollercoasters or dark spaces, or are prone to hard-core motion sickness (and, if you are prone to light motion sickness, I'd suggest NOT doing it right after downing a chili-cheese dog...just in case.)


Fear Factor: I'd give it about a 6/10. Although it IS a roller coaster, it doesn't go upside down (which, for some reason, is always my measure of ride scariness), doesn't have any huge drops, and only goes about 30 miles per hour (compared to, say, Expedition Everest, which I think tops at 55). The darkness might bother some people, though, but that is really just preference. Good news if a fear of heights stops you from going on rides, when you are in the dark, you really can't tell how high or not high up you are. As far as kids go, if yours are brave and up for it, take them on. They won't be scarred for life.
Lines & Other Tips: Because of its popularity, Space Mountain does tend to have some the longest wait times in the park. If it is a must-do for you, I would say, try to get there as SOON as the park opens and haul ass back to Tomorrow Land before everyone else does. If you can't do that, this would be a good ride to get a FastPass for (get one early, on a crowded day, they will eventually run out). Sometimes, in the hour or so before the park closes, the line dwindles greatly, but not always, so I wouldn't bank on that for your only chance to ride (I swear, I've been there when the park is set to close in 20 minutes...and the line for this is 70 minutes. Do the math, and don't let that be you!!).
Fun Facts: This ride runs on two opposing tracks, and there has long been this rumor that one "side" is faster than the other. After riding this many times, on both tracks, I have come to the personal conclusion that this isn't true, and if it is, the difference is too small to be felt. I do think that riding in the front versus the back of the car changes the experience slightly, but... you don't get to pick where you sit, so it doesn't really matter I guess!!

I've been going to Disney World since I was basically a baby, and I've always been such a wimp about rides that I never, ever rode Space Mountain until last Fall. I was 19 then. Laugh all you want; I was still shaking when I got off that first time! But since then, I've done it a dozen times and it has really grown on me. It really is a LOT of fun, and the effects with the stars and everything are pretty cool.

Oh, and once I figured out that it was supposed to look like you are about to hit your head on all the stuff above you, it got a lot less scary, lol (FYI, now would be a good time to mention, in case you didn't know, the ride is not in pitch darkness, you can still sort of tell what is going on around you, vaguely). Also, I had the opportunity to see the ride with the lights on (from the PeopleMover; topic for another post), and let me tell you, without the blanket of darkness covering everything, the ride doesn't look like much at all. Just goes to show how much magic WDW can create with a light switch, some sound effects, and a few projected stars on the ceiling!

xoxo, Lily