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In July 1995, Disneyland Paris celebrated Space Mountain’s one year anniversary with an impressive and unexpected announcement: Euro Disney S.C.A. had made its first ever quarterly profit: $35 million. During the 1995 fiscal year, attendance at the resort had surged from 8.8 million to 10.7 million – a staggering 21% increase – and hotel occupancy reached an all-time high of more than 68%.

Image: Disney

Here’s the point: Space Mountain saved Disneyland Paris. Analysts and industry experts agree that without the $100 million investment in Discoveryland, the European park would’ve been sunk.

Unfortunately, the Resort still hasn’t gained absolute stability even twenty years later… Because even as the resort seemed to grow into itself and gain traction, contractual obligations and Michael Eisner’s ill-fated Disney Decade (the same terrible forced growth spurt that gave us the underbuilt Disney’s California Adventure and Hong Kong Disneyland) mandated that Disneyland Paris – finally treading water – be joined by what is objectively the most embarrassing Disney Park on Earth. We walked through the abysmal second gate Paris received in its own must-read feature, Disaster Files: Walt Disney Studios Park.

Image: Disney

When it opened in 2002, the Studios park immediately sank the entire Resort’s finances once again while simultaneously ensuring that any investment in the Resort at all go to keeping the miniscule movie park afloat. Any investment in Disneyland Park was immediately frozen as money was funneled into the Studios (which still needs a California-Adventure-sized rebuild). As a result, Disneyland Park hasn’t gotten a genuine new ride in decades, and is only now recovering from a period where even routine maintenance and guest services were slashed to bare minimums.

Space Mountain: Mission 2 (2005 - 2016)

As Walt Disney Studios dragged the resort down, Disney turned once again to their golden egg to reinvigorate the resort.

Image: Disney

Space Mountain was closed in January 2005 so that it could re-open for the mountain’s 10th anniversary in April. But now, the golden peak would be home to Space Mountain: Mission 2. The ride was stripped of its Jules Verne ornamentation in favor of the sci-fi styling of the American mountains.

Now “a journey beyond the moon, to the very edge of our universe,” the ride was rescored by Michael Giacchino (composer for Lost, Alias, The Incredibles, and the on-board audio for Disneyland California’s Space Mountain) with a sci-fi futuristic score. Don’t misunderstand – many fans would happily call Space Mountain: Mission 2 the best of the world’s Space Mountain rides, with astounding effects, a perfect score, and a thrill no other Disney coaster could match. The modern-built coaster remained a breathtaking experience, incorporating many of the sights from “De la Terre à a Lune,” new sounds based on the sci-fi score in California, and some new special effects (including an iconic tunnel of curved neon tubes).

You can watch a point-of-view video of the updated Space Mountain: Mission 2 here:

The problem is that, while the elegant exterior still made Paris’ Space Mountain a sight to behold, it was now a gilded shell… the ornate Victorian steampunk style concealed a roller coaster through the stars no more romantic or literary than Magic Kingdom’s; a sci-fi ride behind a fantasy façade. The cannon might as well have been replaced with a modern NASA "launch pad" and the mountain covered in white geometric panels. Mission 2 took what made Paris’ mountain (and all of Discoveryland) unique and stamped it out, bringing it in line with the standard Space Mountain ride found in Orlando, Anaheim, and Hong Kong.

But for fans of Disney storytelling, the worst was yet to come.

Sci-Fi Land

The brave decision to forego common Tomorrowland tropes in Paris’ Discoveryland is precisely what made it so unique. To recast the land as a copper port with Le Visionarium (transported to Magic Kingdom’s ensuing New Tomorrowland as The Timekeeper), Mysteries of the Nautilus, the grounded golden Orbitron, and Space Mountain: De La Terra a La Lune was groundbreaking and astounding.

And almost right away, it began to disintegrate.

Image: Disney / Lucasfilm

Sure, there was no way the park’s future-themed land could’ve escaped without a Star Tours, as mismatched as it might’ve been from the overarching story. And from the park’s opening, it was there in a fittingly mismatched ‘80s sci-fi building at the rear of the land. But in 2004, Le Visionarium closed to make way for Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast – based on Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 2. Then, the uniquely European Space Mountain became the generic Space Mountain: Mission 2 the very next year.

Image: Disney / Pixar

Already, the brave Discoveryland was becoming nothing more than a gilded Tomorrowland. Just like at the American parks’ Tomorrowlands, Discoveryland would now serve as a catchall for anything Pixar or Star Wars related, just wrapped in a more ornate, Victorian steampunk shell.

In 2014, though, rumors began to swirl that Paris’ next update to Space Mountain for the resort’s 25th Anniversary would restore the Jules Verne storyline to its former grandeur, once again making the park’s signature ride match its glorious exterior. Fans were certain that the reborn ride would bring with it the original orchestral on-board audio, the Georges Méliès accents, and brand new trains without the over-the-shoulder restraints that had become so uncomfortable over the years. And how wonderful would it be to see the heart of Discoveryland returned to its prime?

But a change in California quickly derailed any hopes of a reborn Discoveryland.

Image: Disney

In 2015, Disneyland in California debuted a seasonal event they called “Season of the Force,” celebrating Star Wars by effectively overtaking the park’s Tomorrowland entirely. The highlight of the event, by far, was the “temporary” transformation (as in, it’s still in place two years later) of Space Mountain into Hyperspace Mountain. Within the peak, the projection screens used annually for Halloween’s Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy instead became home to Star Wars projections as your trip through space became a wild race on a resistance mission.

As odd as it is to have Star Wars laying claim to Disneyland's iconic Space Mountain, it doesn't feel at all anachronistic. After all, Space Mountain opened literally two days – forty-eight hours! – after Star Wars debuted in theaters. Products of the same era, time, and generation, their looks and feels are somewhat complimentary, making 1977's Star Wars a comfortable (though we still hope, temporary) resident of 1977's Space Mountain. And Disneyland’s Hyperspace Mountain is an incredible overlay and a truly awesome ride in its own right, as you can see in this amazing on-ride video:

Quickly, the Hyperspace Mountain overlay was transplanted to Hong Kong Disneyland (its Space Mountain being an exact replica of Disneyland’s), and it was only a matter of time until the announcement fans feared was made…

Hyperspace Mountain: Rebel Mission (2017)

Image: Disney / Lucasfilm

On January 8, 2017, Paris’ Space Mountain: Mission 2 closed.

When Space Mountain re-opens to celebrate the park’s 25th Anniversary, it’ll have its third name: Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain: Rebel Mission. Evidence suggests that this is not a temporary, seasonal overlay... it's a permanent new identity for the mountain. (Except, as observant fans have noticed, if the poster art is accurate, the new new trains coming online for the overlay are decked out in Victorian cogs and golden rivets... which may signal that Imagineers at least intend for the mountain to get back some semblance of Discoveryland some day.)

It’s the most recent in what’s become Disney’s new calling card: hastily and thoughtlessly stuffing hot intellectual properties into the parks, even at the expense of cannibalizing classics and decimating themed lands.

Image: Disney / Marvel

The move to stuff the ‘70s sci-fi Star Wars into a beautiful 19th century Victorian Jules-Verne inspired fantasy golden mountain is the new par-for-the-course, brought to you by the same forces that turned the beautiful and mysterious 1920s lost Hollywood Tower Hotel into an ‘80s-inspired sci-fi “warehouse fortress power plant” based on “the beauty of an oil rig,” condemning California Adventure’s Lost Legend: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror to become Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

What’s especially odd is that both projects – Star Wars in Paris and Marvel in California – would probably be intriguing, unique, and welcome offerings if Disney only made them “for a limited time.” But by permanently converting fan-favorites, they cast a heavy shadow of doubt on their own sanity and on Imagineering’s future.

We’d like to think that if Tony Baxter hadn’t retired from Imagineering in 2013, these shortsighted and story-killing decisions wouldn’t be being made. But we also suspect he might’ve retired specifically because he saw these maligned concepts coming down the pipeline and knew he was powerless to stop them.

The Future is in the Past

Despite fans’ desires, one thing seems abundantly clear: it’s unlikely that any semblance of Jules Verne’s fantasy worlds will return to Disneyland Paris in the near future. Not while the current regime is in charge, at least.

And that is too bad.

Image: Disney

We’ve made the case before that Disney only hurts itself when it shelves original concepts in favor of box office tie-ins. By following Universal’s lead and aggressively inserting whatever’s hot into their parks at the expense of timeless entries, Disney and its executives are forgetting to play the long game.

That’s why fans are haunted by "what ifs." It's why many understand-but-lament that Disneyland will have a Star Wars land instead of Discovery Bay; that Animal Kingdom will have PANDORA – The World of Avatar instead of Beastly Kingdom; that California Adventure gets Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! instead of Tower of Terror; that Disneyland and Epcot get Finding Nemo rather than 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; that the U.S. parks will never see a Mystic Manor or a Journey to the Center of the Earth; and that Disneyland Paris will now host Star Wars inside of a golden, custom-built mountain rather than the astounding original ride it was designed for.

Image: Disney

What we hope for is that one day, another Imagineer like Tony Baxter rises through the ranks and is able to convince a new generation of Disney’s executives that there’s merit in originality and risk; that brave new concepts are worth exploring; that a ride is worth building even without a box office hit behind it; and that classics should be restored and revered, not wrecked. Of course, that's the case in many of our Lost Legends features, and we encourage you to visit our In-Depth Collections Library and set course for another closed classic.

Then we want to hear from you. What do you think? Did you know that Disneyland Paris and its Space Mountain were so unique among Magic Kingdom style parks? Have you ever had the chance to experience their one-of-a-kind ride through the stars? Should Disney respect and reinforce rides that fans crave, or does it make more sense to appeal to the masses by inserting hot intellectual properties, even overtop of classics?

 
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Comments

Excellent article! I was among those who had hoped for a return to the original theming and was utterly disappointed when Hyperspace Mountain was announced. I consider myself lucky that I managed to ride Space Mountain in all its grandeur back in 1998 and I will keep hoping that someday De la Terre à la Lune will make a glorious comeback!

Great post! Even though I rode SM million times and already knew a lot I could learn some new stuff here. :)

I have a little golden nugget for you that either you did not know or were not mentioning intentionally. But anyway, there's a really great 3D modelled reincarnation of Space Mountain (or Discovery Mountain as even the then built ride should have been named, as far as I know?!): https://youtu.be/ttgSaGR5s90 Also check out his website http://www.noacco.net/immersarium/ where you can get a live 3D version of Space/Discovery Mountain where you can even move. I just love it. :)

The same guy did also 3D model Star Tours, check out his channel.

Thanks,
Max

This guy is so frustrating. He writes great in-depth articles and then completely ruins it by shoehorning his tired opinion that everything new is awful at the end. This quote for example.....

"It’s the most recent in what’s become Disney’s new calling card: hastily and thoughtlessly stuffing hot intellectual properties into the parks, even at the expense of cannibalizing classics and decimating themed lands."

Wah wah wah

I rode both De La Terre a la Lune and Mission 2 countless times, and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that Mission 2 blows De la terre out of the water on every level. Hyperspace Mountain will no doubt be incredible, by this guy wants to dump all over it before it has even begun because in his mind everything should stay the same as it always was - nothing should ever change or evolve. How boring.

It's annoying because he's clearly a good writer and his articles are informative and entertaining, but he feels he HAS to drive in his bored, polarising opinion at the end.

In reply to by SteveRage (not verified)

While I think you're right about the articles being too negative about anything new, saying that Mission 2 was better or even close to as good and consistent as De La Terre a la Lune is something I can not follow at all.

As the article states, it still was one of the best themed coasters ever, but it was completely lacking the soul and uniqueness of the original while also forming an odd contrast to it's exterior and the whole of discoveryland. I still hope it will return some day as the new trains still have that look to them. For me, the original Space Mountain Paris will always be the greatest roller coaster overall experience ever.

It's often inspiring and heartbreaking to see what has "could've been." I've often daydreamed of an additional to Animal Kingdom (perhaps replacing Rafiki's Planet Watch) that would adapt the Thunder Mesa concept as a trip to the arctic. Rather than a giant mesa to explore we are brought to a glacier face, inside could be a Journey to the Center of the Earth inspired ride!
Or how about a reimagined Edison Square edition just off Main Street where we have a Mystic Manor style visit to Menlo Park?!

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