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Space Mountain: Mission 2
From the Earth to the Moon was only the beginning.
The mighty Columbiad cannon has been recharged to send you soaring further, faster and stronger than ever before, as you prepare to write a whole new chapter in Jules Verne's spectacular vision of space travel.
It's remarkable to think that the Space Mountain we see today, with its Steampunk beams, neon spires and smoking cannon, is actually a dramatically cut-down version of the Discovery Mountain which was originally planned to fill a huge patch of Discoveryland.
While that more volcanic-styled mountain would have housed a roller coaster merely as the pièce de résistance, on top of an indoor lagoon housing a Nautilus restaurant and many more lost treasures, the debt-stricken Euro Disney of the early '90s ended up relying on this purer Disney classic and the meticulous vision of Imagineer Tim Delaney.
Opened in 1995, Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune gave the freshly-renamed Disneyland Paris a thrill ride of worldwide significance. The first roller coaster to have a fully-syncronised on-board soundtrack, the first Disney coaster to feature multiple inversions and the first Space Mountain to posess a dramatic cannon launch (still unique to this day thanks to its 32-degree incline), all wrapped up in a 130-year old French science fiction fantasy.
Scoring rave reviews, it put the Parisian park firmly on the map and can rightly be credited with dramatically reversing the fortunes of the resort. In 2005, seeking a similar boost after several more years of declining business, the attraction was relaunched as Space Mountain: Mission 2. While some improvements such as a longer launch and more impressive internal effects progressed the experience, the generic modern music and vague "edge of the universe" destination ultimately removed much of the soul which made the 1995 original feel more than just a thrill ride, but a piece of history. Perhaps, one day, history will rewrite itself yet again and the beaming face of the Moon will come back into view...
Space Mountain: Mission 2 is now currently operating as Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, taking you on a thrilling rebel mission.
- Disney's FASTPASS available
- Minimum height: 1.32 m (4' 4")
- Physical restrictions
- Don't miss this!
Launch into space from the Columbiad cannon, through a roller coaster in the dark with 3 inversions and various thrilling effects.
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Opening Date
9th April 2005 (1st June 1995)
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Attraction Type
Launched indoor roller coaster
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Duration
2 minutes 10 seconds
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Category
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Wait Time
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Suitablility
- Children 3-7
- Children 8-12
- Young Adults
- Adults
- Seniors
Trivia
- Originally opened as Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune on 1st June 1995, with a storyline closely based on Jule Verne's 1865 novel of the same name. Many elements of "From the Earth to the Moon" were referenced throughout the ride, such as the Baltimore Gun Club and Blue Moon Mining Co. The signature scene was not an exploding supernova but a whimsical projection of the Moon, face and all, beaming down at riders as they dropped over the crest of the lift hill and descended back to Earth.
- While most launched roller coasters built since the opening of Space Mountain launch riders horizontally along the ground, the Columbiad cannon uniquely launches trains upwards at an angle of 32 degrees, custom-designed for the attraction.
- After on-board soundtracks for roller coasters were pioneered with Casey Jr. - Le Petit Train du Cirque in Fantasyland the year earlier, Space Mountain perfected the art with the first multi-section, fully-synchronised on-board ride score. The trains store the music on solid state Flash cards - revolutionary at the time - with each "track" mixed into a seamless score as the trains progress through various electronic checkpoints along the track. There are more than 150 speakers in each train.
- Echoing the early intention for Discovery Mountain to feature indoor space besides the roller coaster, the attraction originally featured a unique Star Way (La Voie Stellaire) viewing gallery — or the "chicken way" as it became known. This indoor pathway ran alongside the single queue line and allowed those too afraid to ride to still get a unique glimse inside the mountain through the wire mesh walls. In 2000 part of this space was reused as the attraction's Fastpass queue, whilst the 2005 Mission 2 overlay saw the open mesh walls covered up, no longer allowing any guests to see the coaster track snaking around the building.
- A 16-sided polygon, Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris has a diameter of 62 metres and rises 43 metres high as the biggest landmark of Disneyland Park and a unmissable sight on the local skyline. The mighty 22-metre Columbiad cannon, which sits on top of the structure, weights an impressive 15.5 tons.
- Looking at Space Mountain from a Fantasyland angle, the two cog wheels and round aiming device atop the mountain form a very clever Hidden Mickey.
Rocket trains are launched to 71 kmph in under 2 seconds from the Columbiad cannon!
Tips
- Space Mountain: Mission 2 can sometimes produce quite a rough ride. Though the seats and headrests have been given extra padding, it is still advisable to keep your head pressed firmly against the back of the seat to minimise its movement during the ride.
- Got a head for heights (and a stomach for thrills)? Glance to your left as the train launches out of the Columbiad cannon for a breathtaking view over Disneyland Park!
Advice
- Minimum height: 1.32 m (4' 4")
- For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness or other conditions which could be aggravated by this adventure.
- Expectant mothers and those wearing an orthopaedic device or surgical collar should not ride.
- Transfer required. Must be accompanied in order to assist in transfer to the ride vehicles, which have deep seats and limited legroom.
