Walt Disney World's Space Mountain turns 50 years old

Fifty years ago this week, Space Mountain opened in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

The iconic attraction’s popularity has grown throughout the years since its original opening in 1975, and today it has continued to remain a fan favorite for guests from across the world.

What is Space Mountain?

By the numbers:

Disney's iconic, conical Space Mountain building is 183 feet tall and 300 feet in diameter. 

The coaster reaches speeds of about 27 miles per hour.

The ride hosts 30 trains with two cars, and riders are arranged one across in three rows, seating a total of six riders per train.

Guests must be 44 inches tall to ride the coaster.

walt disney world space mountain

Walt Disney World, Space Mountain (Photo from Disney)

When and where did Space Mountain first open?

The backstory:

Walt Disney World first opened in 1971.

Space Mountain opened in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on Jan. 15, 1975.

The ride was the first fully-enclosed, dark roller coaster and the first to be controlled by a computer.

The original Space Mountain at Walt Disney World opened in 1975. (Credit: Walt Disney World)

Taking the ride international

Big picture view:

Following the success of the attraction at Magic Kingdom, Imagineers worked to bring Space Mountain to Disneyland Park in California.

On May 27, 1977, Space Mountain opened with a grand dedication at Disneyland Resort.

On April 15, 1983, the ride then opened at the Tokyo Disneyland Park.

Today, the ride is located at five of the six Disneyland-style Disney Parks.

Although all five versions of the attraction are different in nature, all have similar exteriors, which serve as a landmark for the respective park.

The Space Mountain in Hong Kong opened in 2005. (Credit: Walt Disney World)

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Walt Disney World.

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