Highlights
- Space Mountain at Disneyland is to undergo a one-month renovation, focusing on updating lights and flooring for rider safety and experience.
- Previous renovations included new visual effects and projection mapping; current updates preemptively prevent future issues.
- Space Mountain is set to reopen in early September.
As of August 5, 2024, Space Mountain at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, d for renovations set to last approximately one month. The four-decade-old coaster usually receives upkeep, with this recent closure meant to address smaller technical needs.
The last refurbishment for Space Mountain in Disneyland took place in October 2023, spanning nearly two months. This downtime allowed for the attraction to receive new visual effects and projection mapping, both inside the coaster and on its exterior. Now, work is set to focus on updating the more rudimentary aspects of the ride.
This renovation is meant to last only one month, reopening sometime in September. The official Disneyland website reads: “Space Mountain will be d for refurbishment beginning August 5, 2024, and is expected to reopen in early September. Please check back for updates.” While it isn’t ideal for the ride to be down during one of Disneyland’s busiest months, Disneyland officials have stated that this downtime is meant to update the lights in the lift-hill tunnel and throughout the attraction, as well as maintain Space Mountain’s flooring. This work is necessary to ensure the best experience for riders and the longevity of the coaster.
The Focus Of The Space Mountain Updates
Beyond the lift-hill tunnel lights, the planned lighting updates will likely be to maintain the wormhole lights in the middle of the coaster, the ending fireworks tunnel, and the hanging lights meant to emulate stars. Regular maintenance of all of Disney's roller coaster effects prevents potential issues in the future. In the case of Space Mountain, the work to be done on the lights will preemptively stop any problems, such as flickering or complete darkness. Maintenance of the floor is also essential, especially for safety reasons. Whether it is something as big as cracked foundations or as small as chipped paint, taking care of the flooring is integral to guest and Cast Member safety, as well as the overall ride experience.
Unlike its sister attractions, this coaster will not have to worry about extended refurbishments to address the notorious Space Mountain track problem. In 2003, the ride was completely retracked by Dynamic Structures, replacing the problematic Arrow Development steel tracks. The replacement took two years, reopening in 2005. This long overhaul makes it so that Disneyland’s classic coaster won’t have to face extended closures with its current updates. With Disneyland’s history of updating the ride throughout the last 20 years, it can be safely assumed that Space Mountain will see smaller, necessary updates every year or two, with minimal downtime.
It is a strange time at Disneyland California, as over 10 attractions are currently down for refurbishment at Disneyland, and three are undergoing maintenance at Disney California Adventure. With Space Mountain down for the month, capacity at the park has become even more restrictive. Disneyland is still waiting for the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the Indiana Jones Adventure, and exploration areas around the park to compensate for the lack of capacity. However, all the reopening dates for these attractions are currently unknown. Haunted Mansion Holiday recently reopened its doors, but the nearly 70-year-old park may undergo further facelifts in the future at any given time.
Disneyland is seemingly offering fantastic deals to make up for the excess of d attractions in the park. In the meantime, guests can anticipate Space Mountain reopening early in September 2024.
