DL Paris: SPACE MOUNTAIN
Frank Kremer
From The Earth To The Moon
SPACE MOUNTAIN
This is a report of my and my girlfriend's impressions of SPACE
MOUNTAIN.
We have been at Disneyland Paris from June 1 1995 until June 4
1995.
We stayed in the "Newport Bay Club" resort hotel.
It was my fifth visit and my girlfriend's first visit at
Disneyland Paris.
Normally the park closes in June at 6:00 pm, weekend at 8:00 pm.
Since the
great opening of SPACE MOUNTAIN at the 1st June, the park is
every day open
from 9:00 am until 11:00 pm. So you can ride SPACE MOUNTAIN in
the evening
and avoid queues! That`s perfect!
These times are valid from June 1 1995 until September 1 1995.
We took a flight from Munich to Paris at 7:05 am and approached
the airport
Charles-de-Gaulle at 8:40 am.
The weather in Munich was rainy, in Paris sunny and warm.
We arrived at our hotel at 10:05 am and went to park after
Check-In and
deposit our baggage in our room at 10:30 am.
Right after passing the entrance to the park, we heard a dumb
"boom" and
could catch a first look at the top of SPACE MOUNTAIN.
So we went down Main Street to Discoveryland to ride it.
There was a large queue in front of SPACE MOUNTAIN, so we decided
first to
go to the other attractions and return in the evening to SPACE
MOUNTAIN.
Remember, my girlfriend was the first time in Disneyland Paris,
and so there
was a lot I want to show her. By the way, her favourites are
PHANTOM MANOR
and, of course, SPACE MOUNTAIN.
9:15 pm:
We`re back in Discoveryland and went straight ahead to SPACE
MOUNTAIN. At
this time there is no queue and we embark our carriage after
going through (!)
the scenery inside SPACE MOUNTAIN. While your way through, you
can watch the
other astronauts by their journey through the galaxy. Now it is
the best time
to admire the perfect scenery supported by the music score,
during the ride
you will have no time for this, trust me!
SPACE MOUNTAIN is one of the highest buildings in the park, only
the castle
is higher.
SPACE MOUNTAIN is 36 metres high and I assume it`s diameter is
about 30 m.
Outside SPACE MOUNTAIN is a giant cannon, which fires the
astronauts in
their carriages every 36 seconds on top of SPACE MOUNTAIN, where
they drop
in.
The ramp inside the cannon is 22 m long and you pass it in 1.8
seconds.
The diameter of the cannon is 5 m.
Average cruising speed is 70 km/h.
After leaving the embarkment area, we had a short ride into the
cannon,
waiting for blast-off. For a few seconds you have a great look
over
Discoveryland.
The start of the carriage is similar to a start with an aircraft
from an
aircraft carrier.
Short before the carriage drops into SPACE MOUNTAIN, it breaks
and when it
drops in, there is for a few seconds no gravity! That`s a great
feeling!
During the trip through the galaxy, we passed two loopings and
one
sidewinder-looping. I realized the first looping, I realized the
sidewinder,
but I don't realized the second looping, because I lost
orientation, my
girlfriend too, but I saw the second looping while walking
through the
mountain.
After some steep drops and slopes we could see in front of us the
moon and
the carriage stops for a moment. As I looked down on my right, I
saw the
carriage hangs straight up the wall!!! I have never seen this
before!
After this stop there was a short, but very intensive, ride back
to the
embarkment area, where we tried to disembark.
We were a little shaky on our legs as we leave SPACE MOUNTAIN.
Because there were so less people in the park, we went to Star
Tours again.
But this time, right after SPACE MOUNTAIN, Star Tours was only
nice.
A hint: Do all other rides or shopping, you want to do, BEFORE
riding SPACE
MOUNTAIN. Right after SPACE MOUNTAIN everything else is
boring!
There is only one thing you should better do AFTER SPACE
MOUNTAIN:
eating.
The story of SPACE MOUNTAIN is based on Jule Verne's novel "From
The Earth
To The Moon" and I think the set decorators did great work on
catching the
atmosphere of the novel.
Disney managed it to combine Hi-Tech with the romantic touch of
the novel.
I have been for two years ago in WDW and ride SPACE MOUNTAIN
there.
Compared with DLP the one in WDW is harmless!
SPACE MOUNTAIN is definitive the greatest adventure of the
galaxy.
It is an breath-taking attraction you never have been in before
and a second unique
highlight apart "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Rodeo Show".
Both attractions are ONLY in Disneyland Paris and every Disney
fan has to
visit them.
By the way, as a special there was on Saturday, 3rd June, an
open-air concert
with Elton John to celebrate the opening of SPACE MOUNTAIN.
I hope this report gives you an impression and a motivation to
visit DLP
(again).
Frank Kremer (one of the first astronauts of SPACE MOUNTAIN)
Thomas-Wimmer-Str. 31a
D-85435 Erding
Germany
Tel.: (+49) 8122 / 933 86
Fax : (+49) 8122 / 933 86
e-mail: fkr...@ufhis.enet.dec.com
PS: Thank you to all people, helps and helped me, to get PHANTOM
MANOR infos,
music, lyrics ...
Eric Yang
For anyone who might know, I have a few questions:
How many people can fit into each vehicle? Are the seats laid out like
Disneyland or Walt Disney World's versions?
What kind of restraint system is used?
How long is the actual ride itself?
Well, I don't suppose there is any chance that when Disneyland's
Tomorrowland is renovated that they will tear out our Space Mountain and
put in the new version. Too bad though... it sounds great. I hear that
Disneyland's now has some sort of Federal Express theme to it. Yikes...
I don't know. Now this astronautical adventure has become something more
akin to a package delivery service? Oh well.
Robert Huss
theme now too. Fed Ex sponsors the ride!
Robert
Frank Kremer
>That's a great description! Thanks!
>For anyone who might know, I have a few questions:
>How many people can fit into each vehicle? Are the seats laid
out like
>Disneyland or Walt Disney World's versions?
Oops, I forgot this info in my report: 3*2=6 persons.
No, the layout is totally different. In WDW are only safety bars
for the passengers, in DLP are shoulder belts like in Indy ride.
The backrest of each seat is high enough to protect your head and
believe me, you will need it!
>What kind of restraint system is used?
See above.
>How long is the actual ride itself?
Good question! I can't answer this, because I lost time and
orientation. I assume about 2-3 minutes, but I'm not sure.
I will check this on Christmas this year, when I'm back at DLP.
Andre Willey
> In article <esyDA2...@netcom.com>, e...@netcom.com says...
>
> > How many people can fit into each vehicle? Are the seats laid out like
> > Disneyland or Walt Disney World's versions?
The following information is quoted from the current edition of the
Disneyland-Paris FAQ list, which is available by FTP from rtfm.mit.edu
as /pub/usenet/news.answers/disney-faq/disneyland-paris.
------------------------------- CUT HERE ------------------------------------
SPACE MOUNTAIN (DE LA TERRE A LA LUNE)
General Ride Statistics:
Construction started March 1993 (Vekoma)
Ride opened 1st June 1995
Length of track 1 kilometre
Thrill elements 360 degree "sidewinder" loop
"corkscrew" loop
180 degree "tongue" loop
Speed Up to 70 kilometres per hour at peak
speed, 30% faster than any other Disney
thrill ride
Ride controls Redundant programmable logic controller
based system, employing six main
computers and 1,300 impact/output
points
Rocket ship vehicles:
Launch system Electric-motor-propelled catapult
(similar to system used for aircraft
carrier launches)
Seating capacity 24 (6 rocket ships, 4 passengers each)
Audio 6 built-in speakers per seat. Digital
audio with automatic playback speed
adjustment to synchronize the musical
score with key elements of the show.
Music written by movie composer Steve
Bramson
Columbiad Cannon:
Acceleration Up to 1.3g during the catapult launch
(approx. 1.8 seconds to the top of the
mountain)
Launch capacity One rocket ship every 36 seconds
Length 22 metres
Inclination 32 degrees
Weight 15.5 tons
Width of barrel 5 metres
Special Effects Steam smoke system, synchronized
lighting and audio "boom"
Decorative cladding: 24 kt. gold leaf on the archer, sun-
face and moon-face
Building statistics:
Diameter 62 metres
Height 43 metres
Depth 5 metres below ground
And here's a ride report from Jean-Marc Toussaint, who rode Space Mountain
several dozen times a couple of weeks before the official opening date:
Attention FAQ readers, the following section contains SPOILERS for
Disneyland Paris's fortieth and newest wonder, Space Mountain. The
ride is located next to the Nautilus lagoon in Discoveryland, and
is themed on Jules Verne's book "From the Earth to the Moon". For
those of you who still wanna read more, welcome to the fastest
ride ever built at a Disney Park!
Going to the station is a very good teaser, since you have to walk
a long and very dark corridor through the entire building, and you
may see some portions of the ride and sets through large openings
in the walls. There is also a 'chicken' route which allows you to
view the pre-show without actually going on the ride.
Once inside the station you board one of the trains (6 cars, 4
seats per car) themed like sci-fi vehicles designed in the 1900s,
featuring over-the-shoulders restraints. After a long turnaround
inside a tube, you reach a sudden drop that leads you to the
bottom of the cannon. A hook attaches itself under the train and
you are pulled into the enormous Columbiad Cannon.
A very loud detonation is heard, smoke fills the cannon and the
train is catapulted into the circuit. A short drop is followed by
a long downward helix in complete darkness. You dodge some little
asteroids and then you plunge into the looping. Leaving the first
inversion, the train rushes through a huge "space mining" machine
and a series of trim-brakes which lead you into the core of a
melting asteroid. Then comes another sudden drop into the
corkscrew. After a 360 degree inversion, the train "hangs" briefly
at a 90 degree angle before a fast section of track to the second
lift. The train climbs the hill very quickly - a 'road sign' says
"to the Moon: 50,000 km" - and you reach the Moon, which looks
like the one in George Melies' 1902 film.
The train drops suddenly as you leave the satellite orbit and
rushes through some other meteorites. The train negotiates a
"horseshoe" (a flat standing upward turn) and gains speed as it
reaches another downward helix with dark light effects simulating
re-entry into the atmosphere. The train hits the brakes through a
shower of sparks inside the "Electro de Velocitor" machine, and
then goes back gently back to the station.
Needless to say, this ride is excellent - the best at the park and
the best steel roller coaster in France. Special effects and sets
are superb. The soundtrack (a bit John Williams-ish) is
magnificent, and the onboard audio system is CD quality.
I've been on the ride dozens of times now (the cast members think
I'm a bit deranged, and pretend that I hold the world record!) and
it is still pure amazement.
Bienvenue a Paris, space travellers!
Special thanks to: Cast members Aurelie, Jamie, Isabelle, Kirsten
and Monte for smooth dispatch, excellent ride operation and long
and passionate chats about Disney and roller coasters. All the
cast at the Star Traders shop for ultra kindness.
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I hope that answers your questions,
Andre
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| Andre Willey | Cygnus Software Development |
| Email: an...@cix.compulink.co.uk | Sutton Coldfield -- England |
| Tel: (UK/+44) 0121 308 5251 | Cast Member, TDS #813 B'ham |
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| Maintainer of the Disneyland-Paris FAQ List - Email me for details |
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