Wow a lot of SM stuff! [Archive]

DV Brer Rabbit

10-11-2006, 09:21 AM

Space Mountain facts! (c) hiddenmickey
Because of its enormous size, SpaceMountain was built 15 feet below ground to make sure it would fit the existing scale of Disneyland park's other structures.
SpaceMountain goes below ground level not to maintain a scale with the rest of Disneyland. It does so to adhere to the City of Anaheim building codes. To go below ground level is very expensive and Disneyland tried for a wavier, but was denied.
UPDATE: Dan Prinzing (http://javascript:replyTo('drtandem','pacbell.net')) 26 JUN 01
Nothing changed on SpaceMountain for the 50th anniversary except the music, the vehicles, and possibilly the scenery. There was also a viewing deck that was removed.
REPORTED: Disney481loer 09 JUN 06
If my memory serves me correctly, SpaceMountain had it's opening on May 4, 1977. I was there that day and I can say that it was the longest queing line that I have ever seen or been in. I can remember starting out at the front of the park, in front of the stroller rental area. We snaked our way up by Moments with My Lincoln down Main Street to the Plaza Inn. Then once we entered Tomorrowland we hugged the "Journey Through Innerspace" building around to the famous, and now defunct escalator. Up the escalator we went, not to the large open area queing area that is there now.Then there was an open air stage,and has since been covered to make the 3d theatre.After snaking around the upper area, it was time to go down inside this eerie, spacey tunnel to the ride below. Total queing time this day in 1977? Well let me say that 4 hours, give or take 1/2 hr. about does it. So now, recent lines are pale compared to this day in 1977.
REPORTED: H. Riley 14 APR 00
Space Moutain cost $20M to build - it cost more than the original park in 1955 dollers.
REPORTED: anon 22 JUL 97
Workers representing 150 different crafts and specialties put almost a million hours into the design and construction of SpaceMountain. It took nearly two years to construct, and the whole thing is sunk 17 feet into the ground, so as not to dwarf SleepingBeautyCastle or the Matterhorn.
REPORTED: Troy Carrington (http://javascript:replyTo('Troylee1','aol.com')) 16 MAR 97
CONFIRMED: Jordan Wasyliw (http://javascript:replyTo('imagineer','shaw.wave.ca'))21 MAR 97
The original sketch for the many spired white cone of SpaceMountain, not all that different from the present structure, was drawn in 1964. The technology required for this ride wasn't developed until many years later.
REPORTED: Troy Carrington (http://javascript:replyTo('Troylee1','aol.com')) 16 MAR 97
During the 70's, 80's and very early 90's, there was another Club Buzz-like Burger (called the Lunching Pad) stand behind Captain EO - now Honey I Shrunk the Kids Adventure movie. Mission to Mars was still running and beggining to close. The Burger stand is gone and covered, but the colored overhangs that are recessed into the wall still exist and is now part of the entrance/waiting for SpaceMountain since the conveyor-belt escalator has been removed.
REPORTED: Steven M. Saito (http://javascript:replyTo('saitoman','yahoo.com')) 04 JAN 00
The former "Lunching Pad," now part of the queue for SpaceMountain, is still in use, though not as a restaraunt. The CO2 lines for the soda towers were converted to helium lines, and that is now where all of the Park's ballons are blown up, behind those black cloths covering the windows.
CONFIRMED: CaptainEO 29 APR 00
You incorrectly report that the restaurant that sat behind/beyond Honey I Shrunk the Audience was the Lunching Pad. The Lunching Pad was located where the Radio Disney broadcast booth now sits, immediately below People Mover loading and the Rocket Jets. The Lunching Pad offered food choiced almost identical to Coke Corner. The restaurant behind/beyond Space Mountain/Honey was the Space Place.
UPDATE: Patrick (http://javascript:replyTo('monorailblue','excite.com')) 10 APR 02
If all Disney employees are called "Cast Members", someone must have forgotten to tell the person who made the sign on a door outside of SpaceMountain, Disneyland. The door is located to the right of the actual entrance to the ride, almost right across from the two water fountains. The sign on it plainly says "Employees Only".
REPORTED: Tony (http://javascript:replyTo('maraldo','netgate.net')) 18 DEC 96
The "Employees Only" sign on the door near the entrance of SpaceMountain has had a "Cast Members Only" sign glued on over the old sign. The new sign covers the lettering but not all of the dark blue backround of the old sign. Tony's sighting refers to a door near the entrance of the ride by the water fountains.
UPDATE: Budd Sweetman (http://javascript:replyTo('BSWEETMAN','egginc.com')) 07 APR 97
The "Employees Only" is still there and is not covered by any other sign. The door is on the left as you face the restrooms.
REPORTED: Randy Wawrzyniak-Fry (http://javascript:replyTo('RandyKat','earthlink.net')) 16 APR 97
The sign that Randy is referring does still read "employees only" but it is a different sign located at the exit of the ride, for going backstage. There is also a door in the walkway for handicap access that reads "Stairway - Employees Only".
UPDATE: Budd Sweetman (http://javascript:replyTo('bkmgs','genesisnetwork.net')) 27 MAY 97
We used to joke about it and there were many attempts to cover the signs but most of the new signs came down...probably by castmembers.
CONFIRMED: Marla Husovsky (http://javascript:replyTo('Marla_Husovsky','integer.com') ) 08 AUG 97
CONFIRMED: FantasmicJ 23 FEB 99
There is a door in the walkway for handicap access that reads "Stairway - Employees Only".
REPORTED: Budd Sweetman (http://javascript:replyTo('bkmgs','genesisnetwork.net')) 27 MAY 97
CONFIRMED: Marla Husovsky (http://javascript:replyTo('Marla_Husovsky','integer.com') )08 AUG 97
Here's how to see the "Employees Only" sign on SpaceMountain. Get to the base of the exit ramp, turn around and walk back. It is on a door, right in front of you. There is no sign on the one in the line.
UPDATE: Barbara Fett 05 APR 99 LI>On Space Mountain in Tomorowland, there is an awesome secret everyone should know! While waiting in line, just after you go through the small hallway with the television screens of the woman telling you all the safety precautions, there is a tiny hallway you walk through. In that hallway there is a door marked exit spaceport (or something along those lines). if you go out that door, you will see there is about 6 or so steps, then another door. The second door leads you to where people exit the ride, right after the ramp you walk up. It is not marked, and has a silver handle.
REPORTED: Nick Harsin 02 JUN 01
Right when you go in the door on the walls - If you put pennies on the wall they will stick. I don't know why. Also, in the room with the TVs one the black walls, they stick too.
REPORTED: STEVEN SERNA 08 JAN 97
CONFIRMED: FRANKIE CASTILLO (http://javascript:replyTo('OLGA','GTE.COM'))01 FEB 97
CONFIRMED: Clifford Lau (http://javascript:replyTo('clif714','sure.net'))26 AUG 97
CONFIRMED: Amy Faucher (http://javascript:replyTo('gopala','incom.net'))05 SEP 97
CONFIRMED: Ginny Przybyla (http://javascript:replyTo('WPoohLvr','juno.com'))23 OCT 97
I tried it and it worked. Some of the walls at the Los AngelesInternationalAirport do the same thing. My friend tried it out! It's because of the paint.
CONFIRMED: Tony V. (http://javascript:replyTo('Apollo2010','aol.com')) 13 JUL 98
It is true that on SpaceMountain you can stick penny's on the light blue colored walls. It was pretty funny, and people were like "What are you doing?"
CONFIRMED: Justin Kent 23 NOV 98
CONFIRMED: Julie (http://javascript:replyTo('Jewels4jc','aol.com'))01 JAN 99
In the Space Mountain queue, you can no longer stick pennies to the wall. Since the remodel, they have painted the walls with copper paint that is thicker than the old blue paint. I have tried to stick pennies on this new paint...it doesn't work.
UPDATE: Laura Maynard (http://javascript:replyTo('tomorowlnd','lycosmail.com')) 29 JAN 99
One can still stick pennies to the blue wall in the section for wheelchair access. The pennies only stick for a few seconds.
UPDATE: ZenonGoc 19 JUN 99
Space Mountain- Pennies stick to the walls and will stay. Where the que enters the bldg the walls are painted brown. If you hold a penny against the wall they will stick.
CONFIRMED: Chris Wiles (http://javascript:replyTo('vette2see','aol.com')) 07 JUN 00
CONFIRMED: TR Shaw (http://javascript:replyTo('tshaw','oitc.com'))08 JUN 00
In the line for look at the big ship at the loading area... does it look like somthing you have seen before? The Discovery from Arthur C. Clarke's 2001. The only diffrence is the cockpit that has the shape of the "sun" during the ride and the discovery has a perfect circle.
REPORTED: spencer (http://javascript:replyTo('slg345','aol.com')) 15 JUL 00
When you're on SpaceMountain, right after you get on the ride, directly in front of you, there is a little control room with someone always sitting. We always wave our arms a whole bunch and try to get the guy to wave back. Most of the time, they do and they're really nice and make faces at us. It's a cool game to try to get the guy to wave. We don't mean to distract him from his job or anything! Try it and see if you can do it next time.
REPORTED: Lisa (http://javascript:replyTo('Moo2Lisa','aol.com')) 31 MAY 01
When you first leave the loading platform you are stopped to let the "rockets" in front of you go. While you are waiting there, if you look up a little, right in front of you, there is in fact a control man sitting in a room, and depending on if the control man (or women) is in a good mood, they will wave to you!
CONFIRMED: Ryan Hougardy 06 DEC 01
There are actually people inside the space probe in the queue area for SpaceMountain. Of course they aren't real people and they're kinda hard to see, but if you look in the windows in the front and side of the space probe, and the back of it, you can notice two figures wearing helmets that seem to be at the "controls."
REPORTED: Andy Hicks (http://javascript:replyTo('Sunsdude','imap2.asu.edu')) 01 AUG 96
CONFIRMED: Diana (http://javascript:replyTo('KROQsDiana','aol.com')) 19 DEC 96
CONFIRMED: Benjamin Rockwell (http://javascript:replyTo('brockwell','earthlink.net')) 15 JAN 97
CONFIRMED: Ginny Przybyla (http://javascript:replyTo('WPoohLvr','juno.com')) 23 OCT 97
If you look up at the beginning of the ride there is a planet that closely resembles a chocolate chip cookie.
REPORTED: Kim Tu (http://javascript:replyTo('TREY','TEXAS.NET')) 19 JUL 96
CONFIRMED: Ray J. Parker (http://javascript:replyTo('Pakydrm','aol.com'))20 JUL 96
Confirmation for the chocolate chip cookie-planet in SpaceMountain. My family has always called it the Flying Cookie (any guesses as to why the Imagineers would want to remind us of food during that stomach-wrenching ride?)
CONFIRMED: Meg (http://www.evernotice.com/) 29 JUL 96
Not only can you see it in the beginning of the fantastic voyage, you can see it through the whole ride!
CONFIRMED: Daniel Fleiner (http://javascript:replyTo('au763','lafn.org')) 01 AUG 96
CONFIRMED: RaVEon (http://javascript:replyTo('RaVEon341','aol.com'))28 FEB 97
I've seen it, but I never knew you could see through the whole ride.
CONFIRMED: Maeve C. (http://javascript:replyTo('MaeveVC','aol.com')) 03 AUG 97
Yes, it is true that the asteroids seen flying overhead in SpaceMountain actually are oversized chocolate chip cookies. I was a cast member at SM for 6 months and this was one of the cool secrets I learned while working there.
CONFIRMED: Ian Bostwick (http://javascript:replyTo('totoboy','eagle.cc.ukans.edu') ) 19 SEP 97
CONFIRMED: Ginny Przybyla (http://javascript:replyTo('WPoohLvr','juno.com')) 23 OCT 97
I do know for a fact that when the Disney Imagineers went looking for something that looked like an Asteroid, they did indeed use a Chocolate Chip cookie taped to some fishing line filming it with the camera pointing straight up from underneath.
CONFIRMED: Rick August (http://javascript:replyTo('kalimando','geocities.com')) 14 AUG 98
My sister always thought it was a cookie, and I asked a guy online who has a friend that is an Imagineer and he said its just a bad drawing of a meteorite. I don't know about this, I sure think its a cookie! I will ask next time I am there.
WISHFUL THINKING: J.J. (http://javascript:replyTo('animalmn','home.com')) 02 MAY 99
The "Chocolate Chip Cookie" asteroid has been removed from SpaceMountain.
LOST: D'ch (http://javascript:replyTo('dach','kuci.org')) 07 OCT 99
I would like to announce that the "Flying Cookie" in SpaceMountain is still flying. I visited the Park this past weekend and it was there flying around. It probably goes up on a really long timer or something, but it's there.
UPDATE: Tadao (http://javascript:replyTo('dnakamur','csulb.edu')) 08 NOV 99
CONFIRMED: Chris Wiles 15 NOV 99
If you watch the Robot scanning the crates in the queue area every once and a while his hat pops up!
REPORTED: Ted 01 JUN 01
When the ride comes to an end and you enter the loading and exiting platfrom, there is a robot immediately to your right, every so often, the robot will raise his hat (or whatever it is on top of his head)!
CONFIRMED: Ryan Hougardy 06 DEC 01
SpaceMountain broke down while I was in line. The work lights, of course, came on, and I was able to see for the first time in my life what the ride looked like with light. Its tiny!! Although I'm sure I couldn't see all of it, I'm sure I could see most of it, and it hardly looked larger than Gadgets Go Coaster in ToonTown. I was able to capture what the ride looked like with the lights on, on film. When I showed the tape to my parents, they too were amazed at how small the ride was. My friends Tim & Jamie always thought the ride was bigger as well.
REPORTED: Andy Hicks (http://javascript:replyTo('Sunsdude','imap2.asu.edu')) 01 AUG 96
Not only that, but the tracks are so close together, it's scary! It seems as if you were too tall, your head would get chopped off!!
CONFIRMED: Diana (http://javascript:replyTo('KROQsDiana','aol.com')) 19 DEC 96
We attended the 1996 Annual Passholder Party, where we actually got to ride the ride with the lights on. That was weird!!! It's just like what he said, you really get a sense that you are in trouble if you sit up straight! The place is small, and it's amazing how they packed all of that in there. I'll note that the roof was missing a few acoustic tiles (looked like rain damage), and that there were two chairs just sitting around in there on a platform, almost like they were there for a break time, or something!
CONFIRMED: Benjamin Rockwell (http://javascript:replyTo('brockwell','earthlink.net')) 15 JAN 97
I rode SpaceMountain with the lights on. It was with a 7 am educational tour. Some cross members, that the cars go under, have plastic deflectors over the metal beams. The guide said that they were there to help stop broken fingers from riding with your hands in the air.
CONFIRMED: Ed Hornyak (http://javascript:replyTo('HORNYAK_E','popmail.firn.edu') ) 15 APR 97
If you really try, you can break a finger. I hit my hand once, that stopped me from putting my hands up on SapceMountain ever again. Space is very limited!
CONFIRMED: Tony Crescenzo (http://javascript:replyTo('Floaterboy','aol.com'))27 JUN 97
Don't worry, you are not in trouble if you sit up straight on SpaceMountain. This always used to worry me because I am nearly six feet tall, but when I rode it with the lights on at the 96 AP party, I made sure that the clearances were all fine. Holding your hands outside the car or up in the air is a different story, however....
UPDATE: Amanda Pettitt (http://javascript:replyTo('AmandaMPet','aol.com')) 06 APR 98
I rode the whole ride with the lights on a couple of years back. I went to an "Annual Passholder Night" that had a few special things around the park, this being one of them.
UPDATE: Anthony T. B. (http://javascript:replyTo('atb','aol.com')) 18 MAY 98
A few years ago, I posted the first message about looking at SpaceMountain with its lights on, while capturing it on film, and I've recieved quite a few e-mails over the years asking me for this footage. Ever since I've decided to add broadcasting to my repitoire of majors (3 overall), I now have access to video editing facilities. When I get back to ASU for summer session, I'll see if I can't take the video-taped footage I have of looking at SpaceMountain with the lights on, convert it to jpeg pictures or even a quick time movie, and see if the webmaster will let me send them to him to have it downloadable for all. However, I need to get back to Tempe before I can do this. I promise you that as soon as I can, I'll try to send the webmaster some pictures of this. Thanks!
UPDATE: Andy Hicks (http://javascript:replyTo('sundevil4life','yahoo.com')) 03 MAY 99
If the ride breaks down you get to see the insides of the ride, after they turn the lights on. A cast member will climb up the stairs, release the brakes on your car, push you off and give you a pass for the front line. If you look down when the ride is stopped you may see a card table on the bottom, where the cast members take a break and eat lunch.
REPORTED: Brian S. (http://javascript:replyTo('blizzard','dnc.net')) 28 FEB 98
Confirm on the lights and a cast member pushing you, but for the table. There is one in there, but cast members can't take it in the mountain when the ride is running.
CONFIRMED: David 02 SEP 99
Well, last night my friend and I made the Rocket Rods our last venture for the evening. We were actually on the ride about half an hour after the park closed. When we went by SpaceMountain, all of the lights were on inside, and I noticed a table and two chairs inside! Right in the middle of the ride (on the "launch platform") of course.
CONFIRMED: FloweryGirl (http://javascript:replyTo('skittles98','hotmail.com')) 09 MAY 00
There is no card table nor break area at the bottom of SpaceMountain. No cast member is allowed inside the attraction while it is in operation with guests. The SpaceMountain break area is behind what used to be the Carousel of Progress, which was America Sings at its opening. The crew meets in the storage area which is to your left before you are "launched" while facing the control tower. There is is a door and a stairway that leads to it from the level where the turnstyles are. They can take a break in there, but there is nothing for them to do there. No vending machines, etc.
UPDATE: Dan Prinzing (http://javascript:replyTo('drtandem','pacbell.net')) 26 JUN 01
For lunch, most cast members in Tomorrowland went to the "Inn Between". That is an employee cafeteria that is located behind the Starcade. The entrance to the backstage area is to your left near the rest rooms as you leave SpaceMountain. I think it was/is called the "Inn Between" because it was in between Main Street and Tomorrowland.
REPORTED: Dan Prinzing (http://javascript:replyTo('drtandem','pacbell.net')) 26 JUN 01
The "Inn Between" really does exist and is in fact the cast cafeteria (not very exciting though). It is not located where the gentleman suggested it was but is in fact located directly behind the Plaza Inn, thus "Inn Between". It is located between the onstage area (park) and the back stage area (cast member only area). It has undergone some changes over the years but has always been there. It is said that Walt used to sneak back there to enjoy a hamburger with fellow cast members while he was visiting in the park.
UPDATE: Corie 10 APR 02
Back in the beginning, the attraction was controlled by two computers that we called "Hal" and "Nova". They would compute the same equations simultaneously. If one came up with a different answer or an answer at a slightly different time, they would shut down the ride without warning. This was called a power disconnect. It was the worst kind of break down as we had no idea where the rockets were. The code for any attraction down was 101. 102 meant in service. A power disconnect meant a lengthy 101. To correct this situation we had to send in teams to locate the rockets and report to the tower. This was called running the mountain. After all rockets were accounted for, the tower would direct the team in releasing the the lowest rocket first by using a "Brake Enable". A "Brake Enable" is where the tower and crew member in the mountain would both have to push a brake release button at the same time to open the brake and let the rocket fall free. That is unless it was in a valley. In that situation we would have to evacuate the guests down the catwalks and then winch the empty rocket to the top of the next hill and then it could free fall. The engineers thought that, from the re-entry tunnel to the control tower brake zone, the rockets would roll from brake zone to brake zone back in 1977. Well, they did, but not quickly enough. We had to physically push each rocket from station to station to avoid an intrusion and a ride cascading to a stop. Later they installed catapults which pushed on the the fin on the bottom of each rocket. The fins are what the brakes grab to stop it. I think they now can run 11 or 12 rockets at a time. Let me tell you, the ride used to be extremely fast compared with what it is today.
REPORTED: Dan Prinzing (http://javascript:replyTo('drtandem','pacbell.net')) 26 JUN 01
To add rockets to the track we used the transfer station. It is a piece of track about the length of each rocket that slides left and right just after the re-entry tunnel. We would bring a rocket from the storage area onto the transfer station platform and create a window to allow time to slide the track back and forth while the ride is in operation. This became a bit tricky as we added the last few rockets. To create the window required that we hold up a rocket at the control tower and allow the rockets to stack up in the loading area until the last possible moment. This risked an intrusion. In the control tower we had lights to monitor the positions of every rocket (train). There also was a teletype printing events. We always could tell when the ride going 101 was inevitable. The teletype would alarm and print "Intrusion! Brake Zone 11", "Intrusion! Brake Zone 10" and so on for about two more intrusions and it would print out a final "Ride cascading to stop". Then the attraction's lights would automatically come on and the pre-recorded "Attention space travelers! All flights have been put in a holding pattern..." Once there was an intrusion there was no way to stop the cascade because the brake zone behind the intrusion would lock and force the next intrusion. This continued until all rockets were stopped and all three lifts stopped. Then there was an eerie quiet. It was then time to run the mountain.
REPORTED: Dan Prinzing (http://javascript:replyTo('drtandem','pacbell.net')) 26 JUN 01
As an employee of SpaceMountain, it bothers me when so many people complain of this ride breaking down so much. 9 times out of 10, it is because people take too long getting in and out of the rocket. When we run at full capacity - all day long - we need to get a group of people out of a rocket, a new group of people in a rocket, and dispatch it in 20 seconds. If people take too long, our station backs up. When our station backs up, we break down for safety purposes. It amazes me that people will wait in line for hours and finally decide how their group will sit when it is there turn to get in the rocket. They play chinese fire drill running around the rocket - as our station is backing up - and by the time they get seated the way they want to, it's too late. Take off a couple rockets and have more time between rockets entering the station you ask? good idea... your wait time jumps up at least another 45 minutes. Sometimes the workers may seem pushy, they don't like to be, but sometimes they have to or else we break down even more frequently.
REPORTED: anon 15 AUG 96
SpaceMountain also has several "high tech" safety features that are highly uncelebrated. The 3,500 feet of track are hollow tubes pressurized with air and divided into zones and monitored by a computer. When a zone loses pressure it means there is a crack and the computer shuts the ride down to be fixed. Also the zones monitor how fast the rockets are moving and keeps a heavy one from catching up to a lighter, slower moving rocket. The person sitting in the window above you while you sit in the rocket awaiting blast off is actually monitoring the computers and weighing each car as it sits so that they can inhibit your rocket from entering too soon if you are too heavy, therefore your rocket has more room to speed up. And the building is 200 feet across and 118 feet high, has 36 steel support beams, cost $20 million and 12 years to create, puts approximately 1900 people an hour thru space, and was opened in 1977.
REPORTED: Michelle (http://javascript:replyTo('mteg','worldnet.att.net')) 22 OCT 96
CONFIRMED: David Enertson (http://javascript:replyTo('daveenertson','webtv.net')) 09 APR 98
Rather interesting is that the music is slightly different for each ride as is the timing. Based on the total weight of the riders, the car moves faster or slower..up to 30 seconds in difference. And the music you hear is "mixed live" according to the speed of the individual ride.
UPDATE: William D. (http://javascript:replyTo('masterly1','hotmail.com')) 27 MAY 98
Space Mountain's music is indeed "Mixed Live." After problems with onboard CD's skipping durign the ride, the cars now have a receiver and music is transmitted from a unit inside the ride itself. The unit tracks the location of the car and sends the appropriate music to be played on board.
CONFIRMED: CaptainEO 29 APR 00
A worker told a family member that if you want your coaster to go faster on SpaceMountain, that you should board with heavier people. The more weight, the faster it goes.
CONFIRMED: anon 21 JUN 02
Just after you are loaded in the cars on SpaceMountain, they move forward a few feet and stop: this is for two reasons:
To weigh the whole car and occupants (as the weight is crucial to ride spacing - previously mentioned)
to "charge" the phosphorescent gowing panels on the side of the car using the black lites in the walls.

REPORTED: Brian Kehew (http://javascript:replyTo('MelloT','aol.com'))21 MAY 00

After waiting in line for well over an hour, we finally boarded our pods. As we were making the "lift off turn" our pod suddenly turned left, and we were being taken off the track. When asked why, the Cast Members told us that our "pod" was to heavy, and the weight would cause our pod to crash into the back of the one in front of us. Sure enough there was a lot of big people on the ride. They used stairs to get us all out.
REPORTED: Erik H. .O'Keddie (http://javascript:replyTo('meltingmn','aol.com')) 10 JUN 97

--------------------------------------Double post added here.
Hehe I get out at 1:20 everyday! I love college life hehehe.

-SPΛCE

Lucky duck!