The walk through the mountain should actually give non-passengers the possibility of seeing the mountain from the inside. One rather stumples by absolute darkness and sees a moon for a short time - however not something of the ride. I had myslef promised more of this. It really does not give ride chickens or small children an impression of the ride ...
REPORTED: Miro Gronau, 15 Jun 1999 <(P>
Speaking of a "major attraction": How do you all like the queuing area of SM? Especially the last two rooms before you descent down to the platform?
I personally think they could definitely improve that area: Just green painted walls with some golden writing and ornaments. And those darn safety monitors could really need a better film, something like SM in MK has: they have a complete TV network claiming to broadcast from the whole galaxy. Lots of hilarious jingles and TV ads that make the wait a pleasure.
SM in DLP: absolutely boring...
REPORTED: Roland Young, 13 Sep 1999
Ah, but it's themed to the local culture. You may think that those rooms are to provide interesting things to look at while you wait. Well in America, where you might consider staying in the line, I suppose you might expect something to do while you wait.
My observation was that those rooms provide extra 'corner' space for <insert favorite group> to cut past you in line. Entertainment is a secondary consideration.
One of my favorite (non-ride) experiences in SM was waiting in the first hallway beyond the monitors. It is the hallway that has the emergency exit doors. As I waited a young child started to move forward as if he might try to cut in front of me. At that very mement, I lost my footing and needed to brace myself on the nearest wall. Imagine my (our? ;) surprise when my outstretched arm caught the boys chin?? He reeled backwards as he made contact. We exchanged dirty looks (I guess those are international) and we maintained our place in line.
I know that it's in bad tast to generalize about the country of origin for folks who engage in impolite and obnoxious behavior, but let me say in this circumstance, the offender spoke French. Draw your own conclusions...
REPORTED: Claude A. Cartee, 14 Sep 1999
"La Voie Stellaire" (The Star Way) - First viewing walkway leading through an entire attraction.
It's a walk-through area within Space Mountain itself, from which you can see the rockets hurtling through 'space' - and I do mean *hurtling*! You don't then have to go on the ride if you'd prefer to chicken out at that point, though. :-)
The Star Way is a covered bridge structure that goes the full distance through the mountain, about half way up. It is divided in longitudinally, one side for queueing, the other to wander through. Some of the inside theming is mainly for viewers as it is hard to take in when you are riding.
The official walk through entrance is on the star tours side, there are two sets of double doors, one opposite star traders, the other opposite Cinemagique. (There is also a lift/elevator near this entrance for Wheelchair users). The exit puts you out behind the orbitron facing the Visionarium. There is a high dividing fence down the middle to keep the queue jumpers at bay. Surprisingly, some of the viewing windows are open to the inside (with thin tensioned steel wire ropes as a safety barrier) so you can stick your head in and look round.
The original planned walk through was via the queue and the signs still suggest that although there is a large free standing no entry sign at what is now the exit.
Riders exit at the far corner of the station, pretty much as far away as you can get from the Land entrance. If it's not too busy, though, you can walk round to the right past the nautilus exit and Columbiad to re-ride.
No more! All open windows to the ride have been blocked by either glass or wirefences with about 4 cm holes. This includes the windows to the start tunnel, before the train is loaded to the cannon and the little balcony in the waiting area, where you can see the switch right after the loading/unloading area. I guess some stupid people threw things on people in the ride. It doesn't look very pretty!
I remember noticing this grille over the post-platform points on April 12th, I thought there was still a lack of windows in the tunnel then at the Star Tours end of the walkway (where there is that polarised fice in the moon illusion). I remember if you stuck your head through and looked up you could see the rotating moon/face at the top of the lift hill.
Just as impressive are the props within the mountain. In general the mountain is dark, and not covered with moving spots of white light (stars) the way that other Space Mountains across the globe are. Instead, there are lighted props to look at as you dive through the mountain, many of which you can see from the queue walkway. The walkway itself is dimly lit by pale blue lighting: enough that you can see while walking, but not so much that it distracts you while riding the coaster itself.
You then walk along the conclusion of the ride - the brake run through a "Electro-de-Velocitor." It's a loud experience every time a train comes through, and one that startles many guests who don't expect it.
After heading up some stairs (and leaving the open-air walkway behind), you see the safety spiel video on a couple of monitors, featuring the 1996 Disneyland Paris Ambassador. The spiels are given in French and English (alternating), with constant English subtitles.
You briefly enter a small room themed with the "Columbiad," the giant cannon described by Verne in his story as the way to get propelled to the moon. The walls are covered by stylized blueprints of the Columbiad and a spacecraft necessary to travel to the moon. Here are some phrases you can see in that room written across the walls: "Ad Luna in flamma Gloria" (Vers la Lune, dans un flamboiement de gloire). You can also spot some sentences exctracted from Verne's book: "Une détonation épouvantable, inouïe, surhumaine, dont rien ne saurait donner une idée, ni les éclats de la foudre, ni le fracas des éruptions, se produisit instantanément." And: "Une immense gerbe de feu jaillit des entrailles du sol comme un cratère." And: "La terre se souleva, et c'est à peine si quelques personnes purent un instant entrevoir le projectile fendant victorieusment l'air au milieu de vapeurs flamboyantes."
Then, suddenly, you're outside again, maybe 40 feet away from the start point. You descend steps and enter the loading area - trains pull up to both sides in alternating fashion (think Big Thunder Railroad-style). If there are MANY guests, the queue line is extended before you actually board: you continue the queue line in a mezzanine (in this mezzanine, you go behind the tower, and you can see a rail switch). Watch for mention of Space Mountain's original name - Discovery Mountain - in the tower and in the station.
The journey to the station is a very good teaser, since you have to walk a long and very dark corridor through the entire building, and you may see some portions of the ride and sets through large openings in the walls. There is also a 'chicken' route which allows you to view the pre-show without actually going on the ride.
[...]Going to the station is a very good teaser, since you have to walk a long and very dark corridor through the entire building, and you may see some portions of the ride and sets through large openings in the walls. There is also a 'chicken' route which allows you to view the pre-show without actually going on the ride. [...]
[...] Upon arriving at the end of the line, a cast member has a measuring stick to weed out those deemed too short to ride Space Mountain. Not a problem for a big American like me who was clearly much bigger than the cast member himself:-) The line, which was as long or longer than a typical line at the other Space Mountains around the the world, moved much faster. While we were waiting int outside portion of the line, I was able to ogle the Nautilus which is in dock in the Nautilus Lagoon. Every 30 seconds you heard a giant "BOOM!" as the Columbiad of the Baltimore Gun Club shot another "bullet to the moon." I could also see the the "trains" themselves as they rocketed out the cannon and up the side of Space Mountain and into it...
We moved through the traditional Disney "serpentine" until we reached the entrance into Space Mountain itself. Waiting there was another cast member (this one an Englishman) with another measuring stick to get those short dudes who had managed to avoid the first guy. Once inside, we moved for a short time in pitch blackness. Periodically, we walked past tv screens which would show a short little teaser for Space Mountain including the just before being launched up the side at which point an emergency alarm/buzzer goes off and a message flashes warning at the bottom of the screen. It then cuts to a control room setting and a young oriental lady "materializes" on screen and proceeds to explain who should, and should not ride Space Mounatin, for what reasons, and that there are all sort of exits throughout the line for people who change their mind about riding it. My sister was one of those people.
Eventually we reached a point were we could see inside the ride. It turns out that we were inside a sewer pipe sized tube which passed right through the ride. I discovered this when I realized that the trains shot around behind, under, and in front of us. All you can see in this short preview is an asteriod which you shoot straight through, "slowing" you down, the moon with a face on it sort of similar to the one in the 1916 film, and the deaccelerator which slows the trains down before they approach the load/unloading area. After we passed on from this, we walked through hallways which I thought to be a very nice pastel green (I don't like most pastels). Then we reached a room which was blue. On the ceiling was one of those galaxy things which is supposed to look like a night sky. On the walls were schematic/blueprint type drawings in gold of the Columbiad which can be found on the outside of the building and famous quotes from the book. [...]
[...] It was 8:15am, and the park was deserted. I approached the mountain, and looked at it in amazement, taking into account all of the design details. I then noticed the screaming passengers getting shot out of Columbiad, and I thought, "Uh oh, that looks a little scary." But, as the ride cost $65 million, and I was a little curious to find out what it was like, I pressed on. I passed under the Space Mountain sign, with its strange multicolored paint, its 2 gold plated cannons, and its mechanical moon plus orbiting rocket.
I walked over a bridge, lined with ornate lamps that looked like Saturn with their sphere and rings. And as I got closer to Columbiad, I started to feel the bangs, rumbling through the ground. I walked past a huge poster, done in a Victorian style, advertising daily excursions to the moon. I walked around a corner, and then I entered the mountain.
I walked along a disorientating, futuristic, winding space walk, in almost complete darkness. The only lights, were the blue lights, that lined the black rubber floor. It was very noisy. Loud orchestral music surrounded me.
I continued walking further along the tunnel. I noticed that the walls of the tunnel were now glass. It was like a viewing corridor. I stopped and looked out through the glass into deep space. The swirling music got louder. Suddenly, a vibrant streak of color whizzed past me in a flash, with a horrendous ear-piercing roar.
I thought to myself, what the heck was that?
And then I realized that, that was one of the rocket trains; one of the same rocket trains that I'd be boarding very shortly. I thought, oh my god. That was way too fast. It looked horrific. But, I pressed on, somewhat nervous and shaky.
The corridor went on and on, into the darkness, with trains suddenly roaring past in a terrifying manner. I climbed some metal steps, up and up. I then looked to my right, out into space. Then I saw something amazing. I saw another streak of color shoot, straight up, high into the air and over.
Uh oh, that was the 360 degree loop. I continued climbing the stairs. My heart was pounding. But, then I saw light ahead.
I walked around some (dark green and brass) Victorian rooms at the Baltimore Gun Club Armory. In one of them was a domed ceiling, with a star field above me. In another room was a huge, Jules Vernesian, brass chandelier, that looked like some strange, mechanical, space, instrument. With its shiny spheres hanging down, it was like a mini Orbitron. On the wall of this room was a huge technical diagram of the Columbiad cannon. Also on the wall were the following words, taken from the 26th Chapter of Jules Verne's, "From the Earth to the Moon":
"An appalling unearthly report followed instantly, such as can be compared to nothing whatever know, not even to the roar of thunder, or the blast of volcanic explosions! No words can convey the slightest idea of the terrific sound!" [... continued on the Loading-page]