disney world florida magic kingdom fastpass rides

The attraction concept continued to be refined over the coming years by WED Enterprises, and in June 1966, the 'Space Port' attraction was called 'Space Mountain' for the first time. Originally called 'Space Voyage' with concept artwork by John Hench, Clem Hall, George McGinnis, and Herb Ryman. His 'Space Port' would include a roller-coaster-style ride in the dark, with lighting and other special effects. In 1964, Walt first approached designer John Hench with his idea for a new attraction that would be the focal point of a renovated Tomorrowland planned for 1967. The Matterhorn's success had convinced Walt Disney that thrilling rides did have a place in his park. The Space Mountain concept was a descendant of the first Disney 'mountain' attraction, the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland, which opened in 1959. Original concept and design WED Enterprises engineers examining a Space Mountain model in 1973 It has also seen a number of cosmetic renovations to its entry, queue, and post-show elements, many of which were necessitated by changes in its corporate sponsorship over the years. Space Mountain has undergone a number of changes since its opening, including new ride trains in 19, as well as incremental upgrades to incorporate modern roller coaster technology. After determining that a duplicate of Disneyland's Matterhorn was not feasible, Disney opted instead to re-visit the Space Mountain concept following advances in technology that made the project more feasible.

After the early success of Magic Kingdom in the early 1970s, Disney began planning its first thrill ride at the new theme park. However, technological limitations and planning for Walt Disney World led to the project's postponement in the late 1960s. Walt Disney originally conceived the idea of a space-themed roller coaster for Disneyland following the success of Matterhorn Bobsleds in 1959. FedEx assumed sponsorship from 1994 to 2004. RCA helped fund construction and sponsored the ride from 1975 to 1993.

Space Mountain is also the oldest operating roller coaster in the state of Florida. The dark ride, which opened on January 15, 1975, is the original version of the iconic attraction that has since been replicated at other Disney theme park locations worldwide, with the exception of Shanghai Disneyland Resort. Space Mountain is an outer space-themed, indoor roller coaster in Tomorrowland located at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom theme park in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.

Disney world florida magic kingdom fastpass rides