The Complete Guide to Space Mountain

Outside the spaceport windows, stars shine against the pitch black of deep space. Excitement builds as you climb into your high-speed rocket at Space Mountain and prepare to journey into the unknown. Then you’re cleared for takeoff, and your transport blasts off into the darkness. Who knows what awaits, but one thing’s for sure: It’s going to be a thrilling ride!

Space Mountain is one of Disney’s most iconic attractions, and this year, the long-time favorite at Walt Disney World^® Resort is celebrating its 50th anniversary since its original opening in 1975. You can experience the classic attraction in both Tomorrowland at the Walt Disney World^® Resort’s Magic Kingdom^® Park and Tomorrowland in Disneyland^® Park at the Disneyland^® Resort—just don’t think that if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them both! While the attractions share the same name and theme, the rides and details are different, making each a unique experience. Read on to find out everything you need to know about both Space Mountain attractions, and don’t forget that when you’re planning your journey into the cosmos, Disney^® Visa^® Cardmembers can get special vacation financing on select Disney vacation packages.⁰ Following the success of the attraction at Magic Kingdom^® Park, Space Mountain has inspired international iterations at Disney parks in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Paris.

What to expect at Space Mountain at the Disney parks

• Description: Space Mountain is a thrill ride that takes place in the dark to simulate the experience of flying through outer space. Drops and sharp turns add to the excitement.

• Height requirements: To ride Walt Disney World^® Resort’s Space Mountain, Guests must be 44 inches (112 centimeters) or taller. At the Disneyland^® Resort, Space Mountain’s height requirement is 40 inches (102 centimeters) or taller.

• Recommended ages: Kids, Tweens, Teens and Adults

• How to experience: Guests can join the regular standby queue or purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Premier Pass to access the Lightning Lane queue.  

What You’ll Experience on Space Mountain

As you enter Space Mountain, Tomorrowland’s Spaceport Terminal, you leave Earth behind and enter a futuristic realm among the stars. Dimly lit corridors guide you toward Mission Control, while portholes reveal hundreds of stars set against the infinite blackness of outer space. Adventure awaits if you’re brave enough to explore. Board your high-speed rocket and make your way to the launchpad to be cleared for takeoff. Then it’s 3…2…1…blastoff! Hold tight as your rocket roars into the unknown zooming past stars and pinwheel galaxies and dodging streaking comets and meteors. Navigate your way through the galaxy and back to the Spaceport Terminal for a truly out-of-this-world ride!

Space Mountain at Walt Disney World^® Resort

Rider experience

The Space Mountain attraction at Walt Disney World^® Resort is designed for riders to sit in a single file line, with each rocket sled accommodating three Guests. As a dual track ride, Guests will either experience the Alpha or the Omega track, providing the perfect excuse to ride this attraction more than once! While both ride tracks are almost exact mirror images of each other, a fun fact is that the Alpha track is ten feet longer than the Omega.

History of Space Mountain attraction

While reimagining the Disneyland^® Resort’s Tomorrowland in the 1960s, Walt Disney had an idea for a high-speed journey through outer space. Problem was, his futuristic vision was a bit too futuristic. The technology to pull it off wouldn’t be ready for a few years. With advances in computerization, construction of Space Mountain finally began at Walt Disney World^® Resort in 1972, and when the groundbreaking attraction debuted on January 15, 1975, it was the first roller coaster to be fully computer-operated. Its opening was celebrated with fireworks, a 2,000-piece marching band and even a special visit by three NASA astronauts!

How to secure Lighting Lane entry at Space Mountain

If you’d like to shorten your countdown to takeoff at Space Mountain, consider purchasing a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which lets you skip the standby line and join the expedited Lightning Lane queue. To purchase, use the My Disney Experience app to select a date, select the Multi Pass option and the Magic Kingdom^® Park as the park you wish to visit. Next, choose Space Mountain as one of your three Lightning Lane Multi Pass experiences and select your arrival window for the attraction. Finally, complete your purchase, which Cardmembers can redeem Disney Rewards Dollars toward.⁰ Then all that’s left to do is to arrive at Space Mountain at the appropriate time and join the Lightning Lane queue for warp-speed boarding!

Places to dine and shop near Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom^® Park

Planning your Magic Kingdom^® Park visit around Space Mountain? Here are some great dining and shopping spots to check out near the attraction!

• Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies
  Cool off at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies, where space-inspired sweets take center stage. Summer offerings include two cosmic soft-serve creations inspired by Stitch, everyone’s favorite blue troublemaker, and a galactic flavor themed to Pixar’s newest space adventure, Elio.

• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
  Conveniently located in Tomorrowland, this restaurant offers a whole slew of menu items sure to please anyone in this galaxy. Enjoy the musical entertainment offered by Sonny Eclipse as you dine on classic fare like bacon cheeseburgers or crispy chicken strips.

• Star Traders
  Get your fill of space-themed Disney merchandise at this shop, which carries some stellar apparel, toys and more. Plus, Cardmembers can use their Disney Visa Card at checkout to get 10% off select purchases.⁰⁰

• The Plaza Restaurant
  Stroll on over to Main Street, U.S.A.^® to the Plaza Restaurant for a great dining option where you’ll get 10% off your bill by paying with your Disney Visa Card. Enjoy delicious salads and sandwiches amid the eatery’s elegant turn-of-the-century style, and refresh with an artisanal shake or specialty cocktail. Then celebrate your successful reentry to Earth with some strawberry shortcake or a chocolate pecan brownie!

Space Mountain at the Disneyland^® Resort

Rider experience

The Space Mountain attraction at the Disneyland^® Resort is designed for two riders to sit side-by-side, with each train accommodating 12 Guests total. As a single track ride, all Guests will have the same experience on this attraction.

History of Space Mountain attraction

Although Walt Disney first envisioned Space Mountain for the Disneyland^® Resort, the attraction didn’t open in Disneyland^® Park until 1977, two years after the Walt Disney World^® Resort version debuted. It wasn’t just a copy of its Florida cousin, though. The new Space Mountain at the Disneyland^® Resort had rocket sleds that sat two Guests side by side, making it perfect for riding with a friend. Time-warp to 2005, and the Disneyland^® Resort Space Mountain was updated with a major refurbishment and a new musical score.

How to secure Lightning Lane entry at Space Mountain

Just like at Walt Disney World^® Resort, you can gain faster access to Space Mountain at the Disneyland^® Resort by taking advantage of the Lightning Lane service. When you purchase your park tickets, select Lightning Lane Multi Pass as an add-on, or simply buy a pass through the Disneyland app when you enter the park. On the day of your visit, use the app’s Tip Board to select Space Mountain and book an available time to experience the attraction. Arrive at Space Mountain at your selected time and join the Lightning Lane queue for a cosmically quick trip to Mission Control. And remember that Disney Visa Cardmembers can redeem Disney Rewards Dollars toward the purchase of Lightning Lane passes!⁰ Guests can also experience Space Mountain via the Lightning Lane with the purchase of Lightning Lane Premier Pass.

Places to dine and shop near Space Mountain at Disneyland^® Park

There’s all sorts of Earthly fun to be had before and after your outer space expedition! Shop for some Disney gear or catch your breath and a (delicious) bite at a nearby location.

• Alien Pizza Planet
  If you want to maximize your time visiting attractions, pop into this restaurant directly beneath Space Mountain for a quick slice. Save some room for breadsticks and salad for a full Italian meal. And, if available, try the out-of-this-world alien-shaped macarons, a seasonal offering. Or, satisfy your sweet tooth year-round with a Nestle Mickey’s Ice Cream Bar!

• The Star Trader
  Shop for some Jedi essentials at this Tomorrowland store that features Star Wars merchandise as well as space-themed Disney gear! Make sure to use your Disney Visa Card at checkout to get 10% off select purchases.⁰⁰

• Tomorrowlanding
  From galactic gear like collectible pins to must-have souvenirs, this shop brings the future straight to your hands—no time machine required. Get all your pins and pin trading accessory needs taken care of here!

• Carnation Café
  Keep your energy up between adventures with a visit to this divine restaurant, where Cardmembers can get 10% off when they use their Disney Visa Card.⁰⁰ Carnation Café is just a short 10 to 15 minute walk from Space Mountain, located on Main Street, U.S.A. Grab a table in the Victorian-style dining room and enjoy comfort food classics like braised short rib or a chili cheese omelet, Walt Disney’s personal favorite!

• Galactic Grill
  Also in Tomorrowland, the Galactic Grill is another great spot to catch your breath and a (delicious) bite. Choose from their variety of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack choices and fuel up for your next stop.

No visit to Walt Disney World^® Resort or the Disneyland^® Resort is complete without a ride on the iconic Space Mountain, and we hope this article has given you all you need to make your next outer space adventure happen. Don’t forget that Disney Visa Cardmembers can make their vacation goals a reality by using special vacation financing to book their getaway and by taking advantage of the Disney Rewards Dollars they’ve earned.⁰⁰ To learn about the best ways to maximize your Disney Rewards Dollars, visit our pages on how to redeem them on your next Walt Disney World^® Resort vacation and at the Disneyland^® Resort.