Disneyland’s Space Mountain – What Should I Be Afraid Of?

Space Mountain at Disneyland may rank really high in Disney ride reviews, but is it scary and how scary is it? Our Space Mountain ride review seeks to cover everything you want to know about the experience.

I remember my first time riding Space Mountain as a pre-teen. Stepping into an indoor dark-ride rollercoaster was something I've never done before. How fast does it go? Are there loops? Will I make it out okay? Calling me nervous at the time was an understatement.

With this vivid memory in my mind, I can imagine how anyone riding Space Mountain for their first time might feel.

This is why we at MickeyVisit put together this comprehensive review of Disneyland Space Mountain so you have a clear idea of what to expect when riding it.

Space Mountain Scary Rating

In an effort to clearly define just how scary a ride is, we developed an ultra-scientific backed-by-research rating system.

We call it the Mickey Visit Ride Rating System – MVRRS for short (pretty clever, huh?)

The MVRRS goes as follows:

• Wimp Proof: Not scary at all
• Wimp Proof-ish: Seems scary at first, but after, you feel it's nothing to worry about
• Scary but Survivable: Moderately scary
• Scary: Definitely scary, but you'll be able to sleep at night
• Bravest Riders Only: The scariest ride you'll find in a theme park

Space Mountain Ride Review

Space Mountain is a thrilling indoor roller-coaster ride that takes you on a trip through a futuristic space station on your way to Mission Control.

Because this ride is indoors and in the dark, it feels faster and more thrilling than it really is. Believe it or not, it features no loops, big drops, or swooping hills like a traditional roller coaster. In fact, the ride's top speed is 32mph!

Regardless, what makes Space Mountain so special and popular is its ability to make you truly feel like you're soaring through the solar system and traveling through distant galaxies.

Here are some important information for you to know in our Disneyland Space Mountain ride review:

• Access: Disney Genie+, Single Rider, Rider Switch
• Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 40″ (102cm)
• Highest Speed: 32mph
• Length: 3 minutes
• Loops: None

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Space Mountain Queue: What You Need to Know

Both the standby and Lightning Lane queue for Space Mountain starts in a large, open area on the roof of the ride building.

On the other hand, the Single Rider queue starts at the ride's exit, right next to The Star Trader. The Lightning Lane merge point happens just before entering the indoor portion of the queue so that by the time you're indoors, there is only 1 queue. This portion of the queue is also where the pre-ride safety video plays (there is no pre-show).

The indoor portion of the queue is themed to look like the inside of a space station, with the final portion of the queue in a dimly-lit room with a large space ship overhead.

It's important to note that there are several chicken exists should you choose to skip the ride. There is 1 emergency exit shortly after you enter the final room of the queue. You can also exit the ride at the boarding area. Instead of turning right to board the ride vehicle, ask a Cast Member that you'd like to exit and they will direct you to the left and out a different exit.

Space Mountain Ride Vehicle Information

Once you make it to the boarding area queue, a Cast Member will ask how many guests are in your party and will then direct you to a numbered row.

You'll then step down into your ride vehicle and press down on your lap bar. Note that the ride vehicle is designed like a traditional roller coaster, with your feet touching the bottom of the vehicle and sides enclosed. And unlike Space Mountain at Walt Disney World, this ride vehicle fits 2 riders across.

For those who need additional time or assistance to board the ride vehicle, Space Mountain has a load system that allows them to board outside of the standard boarding process. That ride vehicle is then merged in with other vehicles when ready. Guests in wheelchairs will need to be able to transfer into the ride vehicle to be able to ride Space Mountain.

Each ride vehicle also has its own on-board audio that allows the vehicle's motion to sync with the ride music – more on that in the next section!

Space Mountain: Ride Experience

Compared to other Disney roller coasters, Space Mountain's thrill factor has nothing to do with any big drops or loops.

At its core, Space Mountain is an indoor dark-ride roller coaster full of quick, unexpected twists and turns. It's the combination of its dark nature, constant changes in direction, and smooth ride that make it feel quicker than it really is. In fact, its top speed is only 32mph!

Let's break down the aspects of the ride that makes it feel quicker, more thrilling, and scarier than it actually is:

• Darkness: Since the entire ride is in the dark, you're given the illusion of speed because you don't have any point of reference to gauge your true speed. You also have no reference point to see how high up you are, giving you the illusion of flying in gravity-lessened space. You also have no clue what turns or small drops are coming next, adding an element of surprise to your ride experience
• Big Drop and Loops: In short, there are none! It's the darkness that makes this ride feel like any drops feel bigger than they actually are
• Fast Turns: Unlike quick-and-jerky rides like Goofy's Sky School at Disney California Adventure, Space Mountain is full of quick-but-smooth turns that add an element of thrill to it. It's important to note that this may trigger motion sickness to those who are sensitive to it
• Visual and Audio Effects: The high tempos composed by Michael Giacchino (who composed music for The Incredibles, Up, and more) are perfectly synced with every twist and turn. The impressive visual effects truly make you feel like you're flying through space on a journey through a space station.
• Length: While Space Mountain is not as short as TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom in Disney World, its 3-minute length puts it on par with Incredicoaster at Disney California Adventure and Guardian's of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. This makes it on the longer side of ride lengths compared to other rides

Every single effect adds up to what feels like an extremely thrilling ride, but without the high speeds, loops, and big drops.

Favorite Moment of Space Mountain

Here's why you need to consider riding Space Mountain even if it has an element of scariness to it.

The feeling of flight attracts the adventurer in us, and that feeling is perfectly captured in Space Mountain. Its darkness, visual effects, incredible music score, quick turns, and drops give you the feeling that you're flying through space.

This is why my favorite moment of Space Mountain is when you reach the top of your first climb, just after leaving the loading area.

Just before you launch into outer space, you experience a few minutes of serenity in which you're still moving, but slowly in anticipation of your flight. Thanks to Disney's visual effects, the stars shine above you, and for a moment, you're given the feeling of weightlessness. It's as if you're floating in space, ready to descend back toward earth.

It's this moment that I look forward to every single time I ride Space Mountain.

Space Mountain: Scary Verdict

As a pre-teen, if I knew what I know now about Space Mountain, would I be scared to ride?

MVRRS VERDICT: Wimp Proof-ish: Seems scary at first, but nothing to worry about

I may be a little bit scared at first, but I wouldn't be nearly as scared as I was not knowing about the ride. Simply understanding everything we discussed in this article would've helped me feel a lot more confident and less nervous before boarding the ride vehicle. I can also say that after riding Space Mountain for the first time as a pre-teen, all my fear for the ride went away and I was excited to ride again.

The most important aspects of this ride that makes it feel scary is its darkness and quick turns and drops. These elements give it a feeling of thrill that seems much more scary than it really is. Since the drops are small and your speed is slow compared to many other roller coasters, Space Mountain's scary-factor is much lower than many other Disney thrill rides.

So if you're worried about how scary Space Mountain is, you're in for a real treat – it's much more of a fun, exciting, and thrilling ride that you'll want to ride over and over again!

Is This a Good “First” Rollercoaster For Your Kiddo?

In short, we don't think so.

While it doesn't have the classic thrill elements of a scarier rollercoaster (big drops, high speeds, or loops), the dark-ride factor may be a good reason to take your kiddo on a different ride for their first rollercoaster. For a first rollercoaster ride, we would recommend Chip ‘n' Dale's GADGETcoaster at Disneyland. It's in the light, it's slower, and has gentler turns.

We would certainly recommend Space Mountain as a stepping stone to scarier and more thrilling roller coasters like Incredicoaster at Disney California Adventure!

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