Despite being one of the oldest attractions in Walt Disney World, Space Mountain remains, to this day, one of the best and most popular. From the moment you set foot in line and make your way through the twisting, winding queue to the moment you leave the ride building, you're in a unique spacial environment found nowhere else in WDW (at least until Epcot's Mission: Space opens).
The anticipation begins as you enter the big white building and start walking through the winding rampways of the queue. It makes you feel like you're walking through "the mother ship" as you pass by real-life photographs of spacial phenomena such as galaxies, nebulas, comets, etc. Your excitement continues to grow as you approach Mission Control and are directed to one of two possible tracks (usually the right). While in line awaiting your "flight", check out the show going on above your head. Projected on the ceiling is a view of "outer space" and you're treated to a spacial display of huge rolling asteroids (which many, including myself, suspect to be chocolate chip cookies), shooting stars, and passing comets.
Soon, it's your turn to enter your car....er...rocket ship. There are two ships attached, with 6 riders, one person riding behind the other and so forth. Once you're nice and cozy in your seat, the rocket ship moves forward and around a curve and stops for a few seconds. Then, you pass through a tunnel with flashing blue lights and cosmic sound effects all around you. You then begin your climb uphill, all the while hearing the excited screams of other riders in the middle of their own space flights. At the top, you're suddenly launched into the wild ride full of unexpected (thanks to the darkness) twists, turns, and drops.
Though this 2 minute, 30 second ride only reaches a top speed of 28 mph, ask anyone who's come off the ride and they'll agree that it certainly feels a lot faster than that. When the ride comes to its stop, you catch your breath, and then disembark, you come to the area where parents are sent if they need to "switch off" with their significant other if their child won't be riding. You also, as typical for Disney attractions, exit into another gift shop full of the typical souvenir items found throughout the parks.
As far as roller coasters go, Space Mountain is pretty tame. But....when as an attraction all its own, it's terrific. It may not be every thrill-ride lover's cup of tea, but trust me when I tell you that it's highly enjoyable and you'll love every minute of it. It's truly a Disney World classic ride and is not to be missed. To miss it is to miss an extremely fun and exciting attraction. One of Disney's best.
