Space Mountain (Disneyland, Paris)

Infobox Disney ride
name=Space Mountain - Mission 2

---

caption=Space Mountain - De la Terre à la Lune, now Space Mountain - Mission 2 (2004)
park=Disneyland Park (Paris)
land=Discoveryland
location=
designer=
manufacturer=
type=
theme=Jules Verne
control_system=
propulsion=
soft_opened=
opened=June 1, 1995
closed=
host=
music=
vehicle_type=
vehicle_names=
guests_per_vehicle=24
cars_per_vehicle=6
guests_per_car=4
duration=
length=
attraction_height=
track_height=141
speed=57
height_requirement=52
site_area=
lift_count=2
audio-animatronics=
custom_label_1=
custom_value_1=
custom_label_2=
custom_value_2=
custom_label_3=
custom_value_3=
custom_label_4=
custom_value_4=
custom_label_5=
custom_value_5=
custom_label_6=
custom_value_6=
custom_label_7=
custom_value_7=
custom_label_8=
custom_value_8=
sponsor=
fastpass=yes
single_rider=
accessible=
transfer_accessible=
assistive_listening=
cc=

Space Mountain is a space-themed roller coaster attraction at Disneyland Park (Paris).

Versions

Original plans

After the Parisian site had been chosen and work began on Discoveryland, a showcase attraction was planned. Discovery Mountain was initially designed to feature not only Space Mountain, but a variety of attractions, exhibits, and restaurants. The building was going to be 100 meters in diameter, instead of the current Space Mountain at 61 meters.Fact|date=July 2007

Inside there was to feature the following
* A large version of the Nautilus (which ended up outside of the attraction and as a walk-through attraction)
* An underwater restaurant with a Nautilus theme alongside a café
* A copy of the Horizons attraction of Epcot
* a Disneyland Railroad stop
* Free-fall ride concept, themed to Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth
* Space Mountain
* Walkway tubes linking to the now closed Cine Magique and the Videopolis dining and stage complex

Discovery Mountain's budget became so huge, cuts were inevitable. In addition, Euro Disney had encountered a loss of billions of Francs in its first few years. Attendance was also sliding, because of the lack of visitors during the cold and Winter months, in sharp contrast to Tokyo Disneyland which sees crowds year-round regardless of weather. The Victorian design Space Mountain (with the huge Columbiad cannon) with only the coaster inside was then decided upon as the best choice.

De la Terre à la Lune

An extravagant version of Space Mountain had been planned since the inception of Euro Disneyland, but was reserved for a revival of public interest. Located in Discoveryland, Disneyland Paris's alternative for Tomorrowland, this Space Mountain was originally designed as a view on space travel from a Jules Verne-era perspective, based on From the Earth to the Moon. The Disneyland Paris version of Space Mountain is the fastest of the five versions of the ride, and is the only Space Mountain to include inversions.

The attraction features a 1.5G up hill launch at 42MPH (68 km/h), two inversions (sidewinder and corkscrew) and an overbanked turn. It was the first Space Mountain with on-board music, known as a SOBAT (Synchronized On-Board Audio Theme). Space Mountain's first SOBAT was composed by Steven Bramson, primarily based on film scores by John Williams.

Mission 2

Space Mountain underwent modifications in 2005 and is now officially named, Space Mountain: Mission 2. Some aspects of the ride have changed, such as the video shown in the second "climb" of the ride (The smiling moon seen in the original has been replaced with a planet and two asteroids exploding) and the introduction of a very well simulated Vortex, using bent neon lights. A welcome addition to this conversion is audible countdown (French only) when loaded into the "Cannon", whereas before riders were held in suspense over when the "Cannon" would fire. The physical coaster track has not changed. A new soundtrack was written by Michael Giacchino, who was also responsible for the SOBATs in the versions at Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland.

tatistics

* Grand opening: June 1, 1995
* Closing date: January 11, 2005
* Grand re-opening: April 09, 2005
* Designers: Walt Disney Imagineering, Vekoma
* Vehicles: 5
** Vehicle theme: Rocket
** Rockets per train: 6
** Passengers per train: 24 (or 4 per Rocket)
* Building diameter: 200 feet (61 meters)
* Height: 141 feet (43 meters)
* Track length: 3280 feet (1000 meters)
* Top speed: 43.5 miles per hour (70 km/h)
* Height requirement: 51 inches (1.32 m)
* Ride duration: 2:27
* Music: "Mission 2", composed by Michael Giacchino (2005-Present)
** Previous Music: "De la Terre à la Lune", composed by Steve Bramson (1995-2005)
* Ride system: Roller coaster

"Shoot for the Moon"

Space Mountain was the basis for the 1995 BBC2 documentary, "Shoot for the Moon", which looked at the creative process and the history of Imagineers, technicians, and musicians of The Walt Disney Company, featuring project manager Tim Delaney, music producer Aarin Richard and Disney Legend Ward Kimball.

External links

* [http://www.spacemountain2.com/ Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris Official Page]
* [http://www.smmission2.com/ Space Mountain Fan Pages (En Francais)]
* [http://sm.dlpfan.org/start.htm FeLIX' Space Mountain Fan Pages]