Park to jettison ride’s ‘Star Wars’ theme
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Space Mountain at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., a classic attraction that appeared on many of Disneyland’s souvenir maps in the 1960s but did not open until 1977, is a roller coaster type of ride that zooms around inside the conical structure. The attraction’s name was changed in 2015 to “Hyperspace Mountain,” based on the “Star Wars” movies, but will revert to Space Mountain at the end of May.
Rockets will no longer be in hyperspace on Space Mountain at Disneyland.
The Disneyland Resort announced on its Parks Blog that the “Star Wars”-themed version of the ride would disappear at the end of May, returning to the “classic” Space Mountain.
“Hyperspace Mountain,” based on the “Star Wars” movies, has been running since November 2015. During the Halloween season the ride also has received an overlay called “Ghost Galaxy.”
Space Mountain opened in 1977, and turns 40 at the end of May. The “rockets” (really roller coaster vehicles) hold up to 12 people at a time and, after going up three lifts, careen around banked turns amid projections of stars and space vehicles.
At the end of the ride, when reaching the highest speeds, riders slow down through a re-entry tunnel designed to emulate the heat astronauts feel when their space capsules re-enter the atmosphere.
The classic version returns June 1.
