Space Mountain at Disneyland closed for 2 years!

Apparently they're rebuilding the ride from scratch. All new track and structure, but the original ride layout. New cars with better sounds systems too. Won't be open until 2005 at least.

The theming will be changed to be more futuristic, with perhaps new effects inside the ride, but apparently there was also an internal bid to re-theme Space mountain as 70s-retro. Would have been cool if they had pulled that off.

They'll be bringing the Submarine Voyage back until it's completed, but until I don't think there's much of a reason to even visit Tomorrowland.

My source:
http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al041103a.htm

~Hanford

Do you know if they are keeping the Dick Dale soundtrack?

I don't. my guess is it will probably be redone in some sort. The guy who spearheaded the Dick Dale soundtrack is Eddie Sotto and last I talked with him, he was no longer working for Disney. They may keep the same song but re-record it for the ride. I really have no idea.

Was that really a Dick Dale song on space mountain? I always though it sounded kinda ambiant speed metal. Maybe I wasn't listening close enough.

The song is a recording of a classical piece that gets a lot of attention by Disney (it's used a lot in their resort commericals, although it's not the Space Mountain version). I can't remember the name of it.

The version on Space Mountain had Dick Dale playing surf guitar in time with the dips and whatnot on the ride. Pretty cool, although unless someone told you it was Dick Dale, you wouldn't be able to guess.

~Hanford

It's Camille Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals, which was also used in the flamigo sequence of Fantaisa 2000.

Hoohah! Another Disney Trivia Victory.

Was that really a Dick Dale song on space mountain? I always though it sounded kinda ambiant speed metal.

I don't remember the music on the ride, but I do remember that Dick likes to say he's the father of heavy metal. Actually, I think he literally says "Dick Dale is the father of heavy metal," in the third person and everything.

-Randy

Yeah, Dick likes to talk crazy. Does the Space Mountain thing even sound like traditional Dick? I don't remember it sounding like him.

The music is electronic synth, with the Dick Dale guitar laid over it in "licks" (yes, that's the techinical term for it). It does not sound like surf to me. Not too up on Dick Dale so I'm not sure if it sounds like his regular stuff. I think Disney released a CD with it on there.

Humuhumu thanks for filling in the gap there. I never would have remembered that.

~Hanford

I think there were actually two different songs. Because when I went there on Grad Night I remember thinking that it HAD to be either Dick Dale (because they played a Dick Dale video on the monitors as we were standing in line) or Man or Astroman (because they would have fit in with the whole space theme)

When I went back a few years later, there was definitely a different song, one that sounded more ambient and keyboard-y. Actually, it was kinda scary and made what was once a fun ride into a more scary ride! I remembered looking forward to hearing the surf guitar again, but was freaked out by the music that came on instead. I think there were two songs that were rotated, because I had heard the surf song on another visit.

Glad to here about the submarines. That was one of my favorite rides as a little kid. Now if only they'll bring back the people movers (what was up with the Rocket Rods, anyway?), the circular movie theater, the sky-buckets, the little boats, the Polynesian Restaurant next to the Tiki Room, the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House, the caverns, the etc. etc. etc.

[ Edited by: Trader_Rick on 2003-04-24 00:47 ]

Does anybody have that Dick Dale music? I don't remember it as I haven't been to Disneyland since before the Civil War, and the Disneyworld music obviously isn't the same.

I have it, but I can't give it out :( I think it's on one of the Disneyland "Offical" albums they've put out over the years.

By the way, for those who have never heard the music on Space Mountain, it's a soundtrack that plays through speakers built into the seats of the cars. The music is timed with all the dips and turns, so it really adds to the ride. During the climb at the beginning, you get this slowly building version of the song, then when you drop down thw first dip, you get a Dick Dale rif and then the music picks up. Apparently it acutally monitors your speed through the ride and speeds up/slows down the music to keep it in sync. It's pretty cool.

~Hanford

It is very cool. I can understand the purists who like it better without, but it definitely feels like it's going faster with the music. It only seemed to work about 1/4 of the time, so I'm actually glad they're taking the time to redo it right this time.

What a bummer about the closure! We're going to D'land in late summer or early fall, and Space Mountain is one of my faves! And I'm taking a couple of DL virgins, too! Just my luck...