Credit: DisneyDid you know that Disneyland Resort changed the exterior of its Space Mountain roller coaster after 37 years of operation? The Southern California Disney park was forced to update the indoor ride’s building after a subcontractor fell from the building and broke several bones.
Space Mountain opened at Disneyland Park in 1977, following the version at Walt Disney World Resort‘s Magic Kingdom Park in 1975. Later, Walt Disney Imagineers designed unique Space Mountain coasters for Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland.
Some have been transformed into Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain, but Disneyland Park has only experienced the Lucasfilm version as a temporary overlay.
Disney Parks fans on Reddit discussed the history of Space Mountain after a Disneyland Park guest noticed that a third “tier” appeared on the exterior of the building in recent years. u/rosariobono wrote:
TIL Space Mountain got an extra tier. Why?
TIL Space Mountain got an extra tier. Why?
byu/rosariobono inDisneyland
Disney Parks fans were quick to explain the disturbing history behind the change to Disneyland Park’s iconic intergalactic roller coaster.
“They were cited and fined when a maintenance worker fell off Space Mountain,” said u/snarkprovider.
“OSHA fined Disneyland and told them that they have to install railings on outside of buildings and attractions,” u/RecommendationBig768 added. “If you go on the alice in wonderland ride. When you go outside on the upper part of the track there is a ugly green set of railings preventing people from falling off the edge. Been there since 2013.”
The Disney Parks fans were correct. In November 2012, a 37-year-old subcontractor fell while cleaning Space Mountain’s roof. He fell 20 to 30 feet, but a barrier on the roof kept him from falling further to the ground. The worker broke his left leg, right collarbone, and several ribs.
A former Disney cast member, u/neebukem, shared more insight:
I worked at DLR at the time and one of the big things happening was the OSHA violation spree. Railings were erected in some very ‘bad show’ locations to put it in CM parlance, because OSHA deemed it unsafe without them. I remember a bad one in everybody’s line of sight atop Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, nearer to the New Fantasyland breezeway.
Regarding Space, I have a pic I cannot share of them building that third tier and I can see some mechanical equipment being installed as well. Potentially winches for people to latch into for cleaning or walking the roof, I’m not so sure. I can at least echo that it has a utility, not just cosmetic.
Have you noticed any small additions to Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments.