Seven Days Left: Disney Prepares to Permanently Close Classic Theme Park Attraction

There’s one week left until one Disney park’s version of Space Mountain closes forever.

Disney has opened multiple roller coasters over the years, but few boast a cultural legacy quite like Space Mountain. Once Matterhorn Bobsleds debuted at Disneyland Resort in 1959 and made it very clear that there was an appetite for thrill rides at Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering got to work thinking up future additions that could summon a similar adrenaline rush among parkgoers.

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It took 16 years, but Disney’s second roller coaster opened at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom Park on January 15, 1975. Located in the park’s Tomorrowland area, Space Mountain was a new type of dark ride with high-speed thrills and a space theme, setting a new standard for immersive attractions with its enclosed setting and innovative technology.

Space Mountain quickly became one of the park’s most popular rides and was soon replicated at Disneyland Park. The Southern California park’s version opened in May 1977. While similar in concept to the Florida version, Disneyland’s ride featured unique design elements and a different layout (and previously received a spooky overlay come-fall in the form of Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy).

As new Disney parks opened across the globe, Space Mountain followed. Disneyland Paris opened its version in 1995, three years after the opening of the park. Originally called De la Terre à la Lune (but currently known as Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain after a temporary overlay ended up becoming permanent), the ride’s exterior features a steampunk edge inspired by the works of Jules Verne, while the attraction itself is the only version with inversions.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Disneyland (which has since also given the ride a Star Wars makeover) opened with its version of Space Mountain in 2005, while Tokyo Disneyland added its coaster in April 1983.

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Iconic though it may be, the latter is currently preparing to say goodbye to its Space Mountain forever. In 2022, the park’s operator, The Oriental Land Company (OLC), announced that Space Mountain would close for demolition in 2024 to make way for a newer, bigger interpretation of the ride.

Now, over two years later, that day is right around the corner. On July 31, Tokyo Disneyland guests will take their final ride on Space Mountain. Impressive though its replacement looks in concept art, we’ll have to wait a while to experience it for ourselves. As per OLC, the new Space Mountain (allegedly called “Space Mountain Earthrise,” as per legal documents uncovered in March) won’t open until 2027.

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Tokyo Disney Resort already started preparing its guests for the final farewell months ago. “Celebrating Space Mountain: The Final Ignition” launched in April, offering exclusive merchandise and photo opportunities to commemorate the ride’s legacy and closure.

Right now, anyone can board the attraction. However, experiencing Space Mountain on its final day may be tougher than anticipated. Tokyo Disney Resort previously opened an official lottery for 250 groups of 500 people to ride the attraction on July 31. If you weren’t one of the lucky winners, you’ll need to secure a Tokyo Disney Resort 40th Anniversary Priority Pass. This service is free but limited. A Priority Pass is secured through the Tokyo Disney Resort App once in the park, giving guests a timeslot to return to certain attractions, similar to a Lightning Lane.

For now, Tokyo Disneyland is the only Disney park giving its Space Mountain a makeover. However, guests have called for other Disney parks to give their versions some TLC. At Disneyland Paris, for example, parkgoers have long rooted for the resort to axe Hyperspace Mountain and instead restore the ride’s original theme and aesthetic.

Tomorrowland in general is a sore point for diehard Disney fans. Many agree that the land is outdated at multiple Disney parks, as was inevitable when the future was chosen as its theme. This is something The Walt Disney Company has tried to remedy in the past, with major overhauls of the land at both Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom. However, Tokyo Disney Resort is the first to try to set it on the right path in a long time, with other upcoming changes, including the replacement of Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters with a Wreck-It Ralph (2012) attraction.

Do you think other Disney parks should give their versions of Space Mountain a makeover?