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2. Darkness

 

Image: Disney

 

Of course, the most famous feature of Space Mountain is that it takes place almost entirely in the dark. The effect this has on the ride experience cannot be overstated.

Looking at it as simply a roller coaster, Space Mountain is very pedestrian. Its tight turns and shallow dives offer some thrills, but hardly anything noteworthy in this day and age. But when the lights are turned out and guests can't see where their trains are heading, Space Mountain morphs from an easy kiddie coaster to an insane assault on the mind.

Your equilibrium is thrown off, your sense of control is gone, and you feel completely and totally lost in the void. The train/rocket will take you wherever it's going to take you, and you have no say in the matter. From moment to moment, you might feel as though you're flying by other rockets or ducking too close to a passing star – but ultimately, it's all your mind playing tricks on you, taking the elements Disney provides and forming them into a cohesive story with which your imagination can run wild.

1. A well-crafted post-show

Image: Disney

Yes, it's true: Space Mountain has a post-show. Post-shows are something of a rarity outside Epcot, but having to cross beneath the railroad tracks created the need for another visual component on the way out.

While it's gone through a few changes over the years, the Space Mountain post-show now depicts several scenes set on futuristic colonies in outer space. Each is well themed and interesting to look at, but the post-show serves mostly as a way of bringing Space Mountain's story to a close -- sort of a denouement for the whole story.

Just as the exterior structure and queue introduce you to the concept of spaceflight and help transition into the world of the ride, the post-show helps reintroduce you back into Tomorrowland.

For this reason, it's easy to think of Space Mountain's story as being among the most complete in Disney's arsenal. It slowly and patiently introduces you to the world of the ride, it takes you on a thrilling journey within that world, and then it safely deposits you back in the world you came from – all while giving you an experience you will never forget.

 
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Comments

Walt Disney World's Space Mountain is great and all, but Disneyland's really blows it out of the water.

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