Disney planning massive rebuild of Space Mountain at WDW??

not sure why it would Need a massive rebuild??

https://www.wdwmagic.com/at...ingdom.htm

According to WDWMAGIC sources, the classic coaster is in the planning stages for a rebuild that touches nearly every part of the attraction, from the track to the queue.

The scope being discussed goes well beyond a standard refresh. Sources describe it as an interior rebuild of the coaster, with a full retrack similar to the recent work on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Changes to the queue area and loading stations are also part of the plan.

ummmmm

• Because it's 51 years old
• Because it's not quite Matterhorn rough, but it's getting bad
• Because OLC has funded a similar (perhaps exact same thing) for Tokyo Disneyland
• Because the Tomorrowland Speeday is 54 (soon to be 55) years old and something has to be done with it soon (Gas>Electric, or removal)

The amount of noise on this topic is because one of two things is happening:

• Massive feedback loop (internet nerds, "influencers", all amplifying the same initial fever dream or fantasy)
• People have seen/worked on the materials for D23 (happening in August) and blue sky plans that were previously siloed, are now being seen (and now gossiped) by people who weren't previously read-in:
  • (e.g.event coordinators and their minions, agenda preparers, script writers, teleprompter loaders, etc.)

if it's the latter, it's a shocking lapse in opsec, and out of character for Imagineering. Remember that Cars (the assumed incarnation prior to us knowing of Piston Peak) was assumed to be "Beyond Big Thunder". This was even THROUGH the last D23 event. It wasn't until 48 hours later, after the event was done, that Disney dropped the news of it replacing the Rivers of America.

If it is because of prep for D23, then it reinforces my thoughts that D'Amaro deliberately kept the (Piston Peak) news out of the D23 event for that very reason. He knew it would leak.

Silly Internet people aside, yeah, it's overdue. I did it last week, and maybe I was on a bum wheel or something, but I didn't find it particularly enjoyable.

Who’s voting for spinning flying saucers in outer space? 🪐 👍

I wish they bring back Alien Encounter. That was seriously scary.

If, and I say if, they’ve toned down Villain’s land from what was first implied, then there is zero chance of alien encounter coming back. Stitch coming back…..well, let’s talk about that in 36 days.

I laughed out loud at a post I saw randomly show up on my Facebook feed yesterday from a Disney group. The member stated very assuredly that what he was posting was the exact plan with very specific details that all sounded pretty reasonable: a completely gutting of the ride and queue, a temporary People Mover closure, a single track with a launch, and side by side seating on new trains. The he qualified it with, "We'll just have to wait until D23 to see if this is true."

That said, I was happy with the Big Thunder Mountain remodel and I think Space Mountain is due. As I said somewhere here recently, when I rode in May with my kid, I had a very Danny Glover-esque "I'm too old for this s**t" moment in the back seat. I at least had the legroom to ride defensively in the front.

I remember when WDW Space Mountain was supposed to get a full teardown and rebuild way back in 2009. Recession budget cuts dropped it to nothing more than a paint and patch job that has lasted 17 years now.

With Tron next door and rides like Guardians and Rise of the Resistance it's time to bring Space Mountain into the 21st century. And I say this as someone that has always been a big fan of the current, original ride. It doesn't need to be anything fancy. But after riding the California version (12 years ago now) I realized how much potential an upgrade has here in Florida.

Time flies. We visited WDW back-to-back years in 2005 and 2006 and our collective reaction to Space Mountain was that it's theming seemed really outdated (about as good as Disaster Transport at Cedar Point in its first couple really good years). Nothing really special about it at all. The ride itself wasn't exactly comfortable.

Time for an upgrade.