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Disney’s Space Mountain Closed Forever, Ride Ends Operations After 40+ Years

in Disney Parks, Tokyo Disneyland

Posted on by Luke Dammann 11 Comments
Crowds gather around Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland

Credit: ARICAD via Wikimedia Commons

One of the world’s most iconic and exhilarating roller coasters has officially closed at Disney.

Nighttime view of the Space Mountain attraction at Disneyland, illuminated in purple and white lights. The structure features a futuristic design with a prominent pointed rooftop. Guests can be seen queuing under the brightly lit entrance canopy as Disney prepares to close for the day.
Credit: Disney

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Space Mountain has officially concluded its 40+ year run at the Tokyo Disney Resort, ending all operations permanently on Wednesday, July 31.

This marks a monumental moment for The Walt Disney Company and the Disney theme parks as a whole, with Space Mountain arguably being one of the world’s most popular and iconic theme park rides of all time.

Original Space Mountain Closes Permanently at Disney

A group of people are riding a roller coaster in a dark environment with colorful light streaks creating a sense of motion and excitement. The passengers appear thrilled, with some screaming and others smiling as they hold onto the safety bar, enjoying the iconic Disney experience on Space Mountain.
Credit: Tokyo Disney Resort

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While still under the Disney name, the Tokyo Disney Resort is owned and operated by The Oriental Land Company. The resort opened in April 1983 and initially featured only one theme park: Tokyo Disneyland.

This all changed in 2001 when Tokyo DisneySea opened, which is now often considered Disney’s best theme park to date. Across both theme parks, guests will find classic Disney experiences like “It’s a Small World,” Peter Pan’s Flight, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and even the Monorail.

Tokyo Disney is also chock full of original rides and attractions like Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, Aquatopia, and Journey to the Center of the Earth, which are all completely unique to the Japanese resort.

The resort’s version of Space Mountain opened in 1983 and, like its U.S. counterparts, was a consistent crowd-pleaser. The Japanese version of the ride shared many similarities with Disneyland’s Space Mountain in California, placing two guests side by side as they embarked on an exciting adventure through outer space.

The closure of Space Mountain was announced by The Oriental Land Company in 2022, sending a shockwave throughout the entire Disney theme park community. The company revealed it would be closing its original version of Space Mountain forever, rebuilding the coaster from the ground up.

Released alongside this announcement was a piece of concept art for the new ride (shown below), which teased an entirely new and fresh take on Space Mountain’s traditionally rigid white exterior.

Disney concept artwork for the new Space Mountain expansion coming to Tokyo Disneyland.
Credit: Disney

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Tokyo Disney also plans on overhauling its Tomorrowland area, where Space Mountain is located. This massive undertaking is not expected to be completed until 2027 and is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

To commemorate and celebrate Space Mountain at Tokyo Disney, a farewell event was held for the coaster starting on April 9 and lasting through the ride’s final day on July 31, 2024. This special event was called Space Mountain: The Final Ignition!, allowing guests to say goodbye to this legendary coaster one last time.

Do you enjoy riding Space Mountain? What is your favorite Disney roller coaster?

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