Space Mountain Closes for Big refurbishment April 19, 2009

Space Mountain is set to begin it's year long refurbishment on April 19, 2009. It is expected to open late 2009 with no specific date. ; During the refurb, the TTA People Mover will also occasionally be closed for the Space Mountain work to be carried out. ; it is from WDWMAGIC! 8)

 

Thanks for the info on Space Mountain. ; I read on another forum that it could be closed for upto 18 months, but once done, ; It would have been well worth the wait. ; I better ride it one more time in aa few weeks.

 

Source: AP

Disney's Space Mountain to close for renovations

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Space Mountain — one of Walt Disney World's most iconic attractions — will be closing this spring for a makeover.

Disney said Wednesday the ride in Orlando, Florida, will close April 19 so the 34-year-old attraction can be refurbished. Park officials expect the ride to reopen later in the year, but no date has been set.

Workers will replace the track, but the track layout won't change. A new enclosure will be added to the ride's waiting area, along with a new ceiling inside its prominent, white dome.

The renovations are the first substantial work on the ride since September 1999.

 

Disney's Space Mountain will close for a makeover

One of Walt Disney World's iconic attractions is getting a makeover.

Disney said Wednesday that it will shut down Space Mountain this spring for what the company described as a months-long "refreshment" of the 34-year-old Magic Kingdom roller coaster.

The ride will close April 19, just after the Easter holiday. It is expected to reopen late in the year, Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said, though a specific reopening date has not been set.

The timetable means Space Mountain will be closed throughout the busy summer-travel season.





Disney fans have been swapping rumors for more than a year that the company was planning a sweeping overhaul of Space Mountain. In 2005, the Walt Disney Co. completed an extensive, two-year makeover of the Space Mountain at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

But the changes to Orlando's version of the ride -- it's the original Space Mountain, having opened Jan. 15, 1975 -- are likely to be more modest.

"We're retaining many of the classic elements that made Space Mountain a rite of passage at the Magic Kingdom that's been enjoyed by generations," Finger said.


Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5414.


-- Orlando Sentinel

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/a ... 5705.story

 

I can't wait for this change the Disneyland Space Mountain is so much fun now without killing our older backs. I hope this gets a similar type of track.

 

I was wondering whom the quote was from and I believe this is Andrea Finger who is from Walt Disney Media Relations. I think in short she is saying we are not changing very much.

 

Screamscape.com is rumouring that Disney is pricing replacement of parts of the track and entire track as to enable the extra weight that will be encountered by the new heavier rockets with on board audio (a-la Disneyland).

Also rumoured to be changing is the the re-entry tunnel and lift hill effects. Only time will tell!

 

Space Mountain rehab may actually see the ride closed for close to a year, so unless they really get ahead of schedule don’t expect to see the ride back open for Christmas. From what I’ve been told Disney did opt to go for a complete track replacement plan, along with building loading station area, queue and of course a new fleet of trains with on-board audio systems.

Souce: Screamscape

 

It's not a rumour it is listed on WDW site under refurbishments. Also closed is the TTA until mid Aug.

The referb has the cars being replace (new sound system) but no track replacement. Will have to wait until Mousefest to see changes first hand.

 

thanks. I certainly knew the refurb was planned, but hadn't seen any mention of a Nov re-open date until now. Like you (see snip)... I'd been expecting Christmas or later for reopen.
<snip>
so unless they really get ahead of schedule don’t expect to see the ride back open for Christmas.
<snip>

 

We rode it for the last time a few days ago. ; DD13 is dissappointed it will be closed on our August trip..