The History of Disney’s Space Mountain

In 1958, Walt Disney saw the Matterhorn in Switzerland and sent a postcard of the iconic peak to his engineers (known as Disney Imagineers) with the words “Build This” written on it. The Imagineers set to work developing the first-ever tubular steel track ride for Disneyland. Called Matterhorn Bobsleds, it opened in 1959 and delighted guests. Walt wanted to keep the momentum going and got the idea to create a similar ride exploring the frontiers of space. To create the darkness effect necessary for a space ride, the entire structure would need to be fully enclosed. Legendary Imagineer John Hench designed the now-iconic exterior of the structure and the team originally planned to run four tracks (the finished version has two) partially inside and partially outside the structure (the final version kept riders in darkness throughout the ride). However, the computer technology needed to execute the concept hadn’t been created yet, so it wasn’t until 1971 that the Imagineers were able to execute their vision. The now-iconic Space Mountain attraction opened in Magic Kingdom at the new Walt Disney World Resort in Florida on January 15, 1975. (Notably, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic ride.) On May 27, 1977, another Space Mountain ride opened at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The West Coast version featured a single track and bigger trains. On April 15, 1983, a Space Mountain ride also opened at Tokyo Disneyland Park. A unique version of the ride was also developed for Disneyland Paris’ Discoveryland in the 1990s. Today, Space Mountain remains one of the most iconic rides at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland, and Disney Parks all around the world.