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After a Troubled History, Disney Changes Iconic Space Mountain

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A vibrant, futuristic landscape at sunset featuring a neon-lit spaceship launch pad, a domed building with colorful lights, and a moon glowing in a star-filled sky. Smoke and glowing cracks in the ground add a dramatic touch to the scene with kids running in the park with their new Disney Park annual pass.

Credit: Disneyland Paris

Disney’s iconic Space Mountain roller coaster is about to look a little different.

Space Mountain in Disneyland Paris at night
Credit: Disney

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Things are changing all around the Disney theme parks, especially at Disneyland Paris, where numerous large-scale projects are being worked on. The resort’s Disney Village shopping and dining center is getting some hefty upgrades, including a brand-new McDonald’s location.

The resort’s two theme parks, Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park, are getting some TLC, too, with new rides and attractions on the way.

However, the latest update to the resort involves a decades-old ride.

Disneyland Paris Gives Space Mountain Light Show Makeover

Star Wars Hyperspace - Disneyland Paris - Disney Theme Park Successfully Crosses $2.5 Billion
Credit: Disneyland Paris

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Disneyland Paris’ new Space Mountain light show launches today, September 12, marking an exciting turning point for the legendary roller coaster. The show will feature individual sequences during each train launch and the return of the grand spotlight at the top of the ride’s show building.

Disneyland Paris news organization DLP Report shared a few photos of the update online.

The new Space Mountain light show will launch tonight, September 12! It includes individual sequences at each train launch and the return of the spotlight at the top of the show building. New photos of the show testing

As the name suggests, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain features a story and setting inspired by Star Wars. Guests will find themselves in the middle of a battle against the Emperor in what the resort calls an “epic” version of a classic attraction.

The original version of Disneyland Paris’ Space Mountain, De la Terre à la Lune, opened at the European resort in 1995. This coaster is often cited as a reason Disneyland Paris was able to dig itself out of the financial hole it found itself in in the years following its grand opening in 1992, with fans praising Paris’ take on Disney’s classic Space Mountain roller coaster.

However, De la Terre à la Lune wouldn’t last forever. The Jules Verne-inspired roller coaster would close for multiple reworks and refurbishments. Paris’ Star Wars-inspired overhaul occurred in 2017, taking over a version of the coaster called Space Mountain Mission 2.

Disneyland Paris’s take on the ride is much different from Disneyland or Walt Disney World’s. The ride resembles Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios more than the original version of Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom, as Paris’ coaster goes upside down and features a speedy launch.

While initially intended to be temporary, this Hyperspace Mountain version of the ride has stuck ever since.

This is a point of contention among fans, with many preferring the original, non-Star Wars version of the attraction. Hyperspace Mountain is also notoriously unreliable, breaking down on a pretty consistent basis.

Have you ridden Hyperspace Mountain at Disneyland Paris? What is your favorite version of this classic roller coaster?

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Luke Dammann

When at Disney world, Luke will probably be found eating with his favorite animatronic, Sonny Eclipse at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. When not at Disney World, Luke will probably be found defending Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe to people who claim "there are better restaurants"

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