Space Mountain Rumours

Rough Ride

You all know the one in Paris. This one wins when only the outside counts. The ride is unbeatable on that point. The most beautiful coaster in the world. But nowadays, the ride is rough. Way to rough for a dark coaster. If you like someone smahing your head for 101 seconds: this is your ride. And what disappoints me each time, is that the train starts reducing speed at the top of the gun, after being shot that is. No, this is NOT (only) due to natural gravition, there are breaks at the top of the mountain. REPORTED: First Drop, 1 Oct 1999 on the DLP Mailing List

... The only comment she had regarding rides was that the Space Mountain seemed bumpier and jerkier than MK's SM. She was bruised on her knee and it ruined the rest of her day.
REPORTED: Laura, 16 March 1999

The ride has gotten rough latel'y so I just ride it once in a while.
REPORTED: Anonymous, 24 Mar 1999

Yes, I noticed the same. It has been a lot smoother years ago. Do the trains need new tires? Or do the rails have become bumpy?
CONFIRMED: FeLIX, 25 Mar 1999

Long story short: Vekoma, the dutch company that built the tracks and trains for SM has never been able to do a looping coaster properly. They don't know how to track bent correctly and their rolling stock isn't top notch. When the ride ages, the wheels run loose on the tracks, so the trains "hunt" in curves resulting in unwanted lateral movement and serious headbanging on the shoulder restraints. Disney went for the cheapest.
REPORTED: "someone in the roller coaster industry", 28 Mar 1999

However it is always difficult to make such a statement, I indeed also had the impression that the ride looks more bumpy (and I did it a lot of times, believe me)(Had an annual passport for more than three subsequental years, main reason was the SM ride).
But I want to add the fact that, to my humble impression, the position in the seats of the cars is also of great importance: In the last char on the right side, the ride seems the fastest and bumpiest; in the first char one has a good look on the cannon when starting, you can't see the 360 degrees looping, it can only be felt (as your blood is going to your legs because of the centrifugal force), so this gives a very special feeling; and in the middle of the cars (car 3-4; seats 5-6-7-8 from front) the feeling is much smoothier.
REPORTED: Paul Gobert, 18 May 1999

At that time I was TOTALLY enthusiastically about Space Mountain. Unfortunately the driving smoothness has clearly diminished... It's a great pity! Rough driving can be also because of a "worn out" chassis or deflected rails as well as adjusted wheel distances to the rail. But DLP probably won't neglect maintenance ... REPORTED: Miro Gronau, 15 Jun 1999

At the beginning of of June the cars of Space Mountain were equipped with new paddings and also the head restraints were renewed. Perhaps they even exchanged the wheels, because the cars drove on the next day somewhat more calmly, which was quite obvious ...
REPORTED: Heiko