We just learned that a popular ride will be closing at an international Disney Resort.
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Few announcements from Disney surprised us as much as the reveal that Tokyo Disney’s Space Mountain would be getting completely rebuilt, which is a small part of the massive reworking of the Park’s Tomorrowland area.
Space Mountain may be one of the most classic and iconic roller coasters in the entire world. This is a historic coaster for not just the Disney Parks but the theme park community as a whole. Since its first opening in Orlando, Florida, at the Magic Kingdom, the ride has made its way into five Disney Resorts, including Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disney, and Disneyland Paris.
The Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba opened as Tokyo Disneyland in 1983 and was the very first Disney theme Park outside of the United States. Eventually, the Resort grew and became so popular that a second gate, Tokyo DisneySea was added. To many, Tokyo Disney is a perfect Resort and the crown jewel of the vast array of Disney Parks across the world.
Interestingly, the Tokyo Disney Resort is wholly owned by The Oriental Land Company and operates under license from The Walt Disney Company.
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The Oriental Land Company’s press release for the large-scale project at Tokyo Disneyland is as follows:
This newly developed plaza will create a reimagined area of Tomorrowland and
is expected to open in 2027.Space Mountain, an exhilarating, indoor roller coaster that takes guests on a high-speed joy
ride through space, has been a favorite of guests since the Grand Opening of Tokyo
Disneyland in 1983. This entirely new attraction will maintain its original concept as an
indoor roller coaster, but will have enhanced performance and immersive special effects that
will give guests even more thrills on this exciting rocket ride.
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Despite the permanent closure of Space Mountain as we know it, the attraction is slated for multi-month-long closure that starts in just a few weeks, according to the official Tokyo Disney website. As stated on the website, Space Mountain will be shut down from August 22 through November 19.
We are unsure what exactly is being done on the attraction, but with a closure that long, we can expect a fairly intense refurbishment. At Space Mountain, Guests will encounter a mountainous dome bathed in mysterious lights after dark houses a space station where state-of-the-art spaceships, powered by an unknown energy source, take off and land. Disney invites Guests to “Get ready for a thrilling rocket ride through the galaxy!”