Space Mountain Fun Facts

1. There are other hidden characters here
2. I don't know how the elevation of the Space Mountain building compares with the rest of the park, but it is outside of the Magic Kingdom perimeter, as indicated by the railroad tracks. In fact, Guests (and [most] Cast Members) travel UNDER the tracks to get into and out of the Mountain.
   REPORTED: Chris Cooper 19 SEP 98
3. VIP lounges also exist in other parts of WDW. Being an employee of FedEx I was allowed access to a special lounge at Space Mountain. I was very impressed with the ammenities as well as the no wait access to the ride. Just for the record, it's located to the right of the main entrance. You'll see a silver FedEx logo on the outside of the building and path that leads to the back entrance.
   
   REPORTED: anon 11 NOV 01
   I was at Disney World in March of 2000, my finacee and i met a young canadian man, who had never been to Disney, he asked if he could hang out with us, and we said sure. we went to Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland and he told us he could get us a special entrance into SSpace Mountain because he worked for Fed Ex. he brought us thru the exit and sure enough on the right side of the ride was the VIP room with air conditioning, free refreshments, and a special door that lead to the front of the lines at Space Mountain. We never saw him after that night but thanks for the hook-up.
   CONFIRMED: frankie colon 25 MAR 02
4. I have a good friend who works with Federal Express management. He told me that he can enter to ride Space Mountain though the EXIT/Disabled entry and show his FedEx ID to a Space Mountain cast member to ride! Benefits of sponsorship!
   REPORTED: Lukester 24 JAN 02
5. The background of the building Hidden Mickey is from the original Flight to the Moon at Disneyland so this Hidden Mickey is over 40 years old! (If you have the Disneyland opening day on video you can see for your self or watch the show: "Pirates of the Caribbean to Tomorrowland" show from 1967-8 shown sometimes on the Disney Channel)
   REPORTED: Kurt Shimala 01 JAN 97
6. Just inside Space Mountain, carefully read the planet names on the large "tracking" display... you'll see Disney Imagineering at work.
   REPORTED: Miranda Rose 01 JUN 98
7. The weather forcaster/traffic reporter wearing that skintight PVC suit in the preshow video for Space Mountain is played by Kelly Coffield, formerly on In Living Color.
   REPORTED: Carla 08 NOV 96
   If you watch the video/fake newscast in the lqueue, the weather lady is Kellu Coffield (the white lady on In Living Color and also one of the divorcees in Jerry Maguire).
   CONFIRMED: Daniel Weisman 09 JUN 97
8. There is a robot shown in the video (I think his name is Zorbo or something), he can be found in another ride video.
   REPORTED: Daniel Weisman 09 JUN 97
9. Slater from Saved By The Bell shows up for brief amounts of time on Space Mountain TV (SMTV) as a launch coordinator or something. You'll only see him if you are in line long enough.
   REPORTED: Marla Stauffer 24 OCT 95
   CONFIRMED: Brad Fundingsland 26 JUL 96
10. "President Garco" of the Space Mountain pre-ride video can also be found in the movie reel at the 50's Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Disney Studios.
    REPORTED: Lance Harris 09 AUG 96
11. On SMTV there is a video for Dick Dale's Riders In The Sky. On the video it is called Ghost Riders In The Sky, even though he avoided using that name on purpose.
    REPORTED: Michael Crowell 20 NOV 99
12. Did anyone notice that the woman who plays Meredith in the new Parent Trap is the same women who is the co-anchor in the Space Mountain video?!
    REPORTED: Jeff Kozlowski 17 MAY 99
13. Regarding the satellite hidden Mickey on Space Mountain, the footage is actually taken from the launch of the Disney Channel back in the early 80s. This was part of the two minute leader before actual broadcasting started. Apparently whoever put the preshow together for SM did a real good job of finding stuff in old disney footage.
    REPORTED: Jeff Carter 06 JUL 98
14. I would like to point out that the formerly "lost" Mission to Mars Hidden Mickey, which was contained in the film showing on the floor in the center of the "ship," is lost no more. It has been reconstituted as part of the overhead entertainment on the monitors over the queue at Space Mountain. It appears in the background while a man who is supposedly from "Space Mountain Mission Control" introduces the video bits that are about to come on.
    REPORTED: David Moorhead 22 FEB 96
    The film clip was from Mission to Mars (and even Rocket to the Moon)!
    CONFIRMED: Scott M. Leonard 12 JAN 97
15. The film clip with the scene showing the Lunar Olympics event of low-gravity high jump was from Mission to Mars (and even Rocket to the Moon)!
    REPORTED: Scott M. Leonard 12 JAN 97
16. The ship from "Flight Of The Navigator" appears on the Space Mountain queue video. It appears during the scene, or comercial, where crazy Larry is hawking spaceships.
    REPORTED: Ron D'Anna 22 MAR 98
17. There is a robot shown in the video (I think his name is Zorbo or something), he can be found at Sci Fi Dine In Cafe at Disney Studios in the movies that they show on the screen.
    REPORTED: Daniel Weisman 09 JUN 97
18. The old "Space Warning Film," which was replaced several years ago because it showed the old Space Mountain trains where two people rode together with a seat belt holding them in, also appears in the background while the man introduces the video.
    REPORTED: David Moorhead 22 FEB 96
19. The part of the film shown in the "IMAX" type room at the now re-opened Horizons ride makes a brief appearance in the Space Mountain video. It shows a rapidly moving grid. I can only assume it was included because Horizons was thought to be closed forever.
    REPORTED: David Moorhead 22 FEB 96
20. This is kind of funny. As you enter Space Mt. look at the top right corner of the departure board. There are two seperate departures. One leaving for Sirrius and another leaving for Very Sirrius. I may be wrong on the spelling, but it is supposed to be serious and very serious. =)
    REPORTED: Loren Jones 17 SEP 98
21. You know when you're waiting in line at Space Mountain and you see the meteors overhead? I heard that they're magnified chocolate chip cookies.
    REPORTED: Amy Fuhrman 18 OCT 95
    A Cast Member interviewed on WDW Inside Out said those are not cookies flying by on the waiting area ceiling.
    WISHFUL THINKING: Mark T. Mems 01 JAN 97
    If you check out your Birnbaum's Official guide to Walt Disney World in the Tomorrowland section under Space Mountain, the giant asteroids on the screen above you as you are in line are actually chocolate chip cookies. This is not wishful thinking.
    UPDATE: S. Sieving 25 JAN 98
    CONFIRMED: Miranda Rose 01 JUN 98
    CONFIRMED: anon 25 JAN 00
    CONFIRMED: cindy forgione 07 JUN 01
22. We went down for the first week of June and on the 10th we decided to do my lil bro's fav ride-TTA. Well, we were going along and we came to Space Mountain when I noticed something-the inside was a little bit brighter. well, as it turned out the work lights were on and the whole thing was exposed. But we weren't the only ones the ride was still a little bit opened and there was a line.
    REPORTED: The O'Connors 03 JUL 99
23. The track on the right has 9 extra feet of track according to the Parks SOP manual. Can someone confirm this for me? Its been a long time since I read the manual.
    REPORTED: W. Todd Stephenson 11 JAN 96
    I am confirming the fact that one of the tracks on Space Mountain is about 10 feet longer than the other. This is due to the fact that it has to move out of the way of the other track when they cross each other. I came across this information on the show "Walt Disney World Inside Out" on the Disney Channel.
    CONFIRMED: Clay Duncan 13 FEB 96
24. As you reach the fork in the line on Space Mountain, take the line to the left if you want one last, pull-you-out-of-your-seat drop during the ride. The right fork is slightly different, in so much as you get several last sharp, blasting turns before you return.
    REPORTED: Joseph St. Angelo 13 FEB 99
25. I was lucky enough to ride Space Mountian with the lights on twice just as we were ascending the hill the lights turned on because the other side had technical difficulties it was amazing how low the steel frame was and how much frame work there was and how simple is was.
    REPORTED: larry kolbicka 24 FEB 97
26. Every night the floor in Space Mountain is full of hats, coins, cameras, etc. that people lose during the day. I even heard that they have found bras, but I seriously doubt it. Unfortunately, I never spoke to any workers in that section.
    REPORTED: L. Borne 26 JAN 96
    My wife and I both work at Space Mountain, and have for a long time. We've found a wig, some false teeth, lots of broken pieces of video cameras, and even a pair of slightly used panties, but no bras, sorry!
    UPDATE: David Moorhead 09 FEB 96
    CONFIRMED: Adrian Ofman 06 AUG 97
    We do run our entire track area every night looking for lost items that day and usually have half a garbage bag full during the slow season and almost a full garbage bag during the summer.
    UPDATE: Anon 06 MAR 01
27. A friend of mine pointed out that the figures behind the windows on the main lift are wearing Disney name tags. I haven't been back since the Fedex rehab, so I don't know if they are still there.
    REPORTED: stuart bowers 13 MAR 95
    It does look like they're wearing name tags, but it's hard to see. I don't think that display has been changed at all.
    CONFIRMED: Melanie Emmons 29 AUG 96
28. You may be surprised but did you know that Space Mountain has an elevator in it. The elevator is located on "B" side. The side of the track that is on the right when you pass the tower. And YES, the two tracks are identical, with the exception of a 10 ft cross over on one of them. But the elevator goes almost all the way up to the top of the track.
    REPORTED: Steve Bialecki 04 SEP 97
    Yes there is an elevator in the track area of Space Mountain. It ascends 5 stories to a point just below the top of the "big hill," which is known to Moutaineers as the "main lift."
    CONFIRMED: Chris Cooper 19 SEP 98
29. Did you ever notice those white ride phones located on each of the ride consoles? Well, those have been put there in an event of a break down or if there is some reason that an operator needs to communicate with tower or another operator. Well, they probably are used as the way they were inteneded about 10% of the time. "Mountain Moles" take part in gossip just as much as anyone else in the MK. If not to comment on a guest, or a fellow flight crew membmer. The only problem is is that the tower operator can hear everything so you have to make sure you know who is in tower before you go on!
    REPORTED: Steve Bialecki 04 SEP 97
30. People always want to know which side is fastest. Well, let me explain. The velocity of the trains depends on a few key factors. First of all, the weight of the trains. A heavy train will always run faster than a lite one. This is common sense. But, if you want the fastest ride, do it late in the day. Never in the morning. When the trains are first put on track they are cold. This means that the grease and other lubrications are still a little bit more viscous and therefore the trains run slower. If you are ever fortunate to be around during a breakdown don't be in a hurry to ride. Because if we have been down for a while the trains will all be cold and all will therefore run slower.
    REPORTED: Steve Bialecki 04 SEP 97
31. Which side is better? Well....having ridden the ride a zillion times I have to say A side. A side is a lot smoother. B side (For what I call bumpy) is a lot bumpier. This is just personal preference. Some of my fellow cast members swear by B-Side!
    REPORTED: Steve Bialecki 04 SEP 97
32. If a cast member ever tells you that Space Mountain is out of commisison, you can gain a sneak-peak of the track by hopping on the People Mover cars. My mother and I tried this and got to see the entire interior lit and being serviced. It's _much_ scarier in the dark...
    REPORTED: robyn hansen 04 JUN 98
33. While working at the Magic Kingdom I was told that Space Mountain is in fact the tallest structure in the Magic Kingdom, taller than Cinderella Castle, but it was "sunk" into the ground as to not take focus away from the landmark of the park: Cinderella Castle.
    REPORTED: anon 10 NOV 97
    It is sunk into the ground about five feet lower than the rear of the building, which is about 15 feet lower than the the rest of Tommorowland.
    CONFIRMED: Aiptasia 15 JAN 98
    Big Thunder Mountain is the tallest "mountain" in Florida at 197 feet. Splash Mountain is next followed by Space Mountain at 180 feet. The tallest land is 347 feet up by the Georgia border.
    UPDATE: Brett Kinney 06 APR 98
    During the 25^th anniversary you got trivia cards in a place on Main Street and that was one of the questions with the answer.
    UPDATE: anon 09 APR 98
34. On the ride at Space Mountain, you sit in a "cockpit." There are three "cockpits" per "rocket," and two "rockets" per "rocket train." ("Train" for short.) I think most everyone knows that there are two tracks. They are not the same, neither are they different. They are symmetrical, as much as can be, considering one track is longer by 10 feet. As the chart shows, there are 15 trains per track. As a Cast Member, I never witnessed more than 12 on track at a time. Indeed, I heard of a time when, after the 13th was put on, one was pulled off immediately due to timing. The others are used for spares or are undergoing maintenance. The number of trains on track partially dictates the "dispatch interval"--the amount of time the computer waits between sending trains out onto the track (a common concept in Disney attractions). With 12 trains on track, the dispatch interval is probably 19-21 seconds. That's not much time to get 6 adults (or scared children) into little cockpits. So...the next time you visit WDW and the queue for Space Mountain is out to "Doors," do everyone--Guests & Cast Members alike--a favor by being prepared to step into the train as quickly as possible!
    REPORTED: Chris Cooper 19 SEP 98
35. Space Mountain has slowly implemented new cars to its tracks. These sport a wide, glossy gray pinstripe along the car sides, instead of the former thick red. Also in the new cars, on the safety bars that go over your lap, attached to them is an upright rubber T, so that the Cast Members can tug the T to check if your lapbar is secure, instead of actually leaning into your car and pulling at it. It makes it easier for the Cast Members to simply walk, tug, and keep walking.
    REPORTED: Joseph St. Angelo 13 FEB 99
36. While visiting the Magic Kingdom in March, my family and I decided to relax and take a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA). At the point that the ride enters Space Mountain between the two lift hills, I decided to videotape. Since that area and the rest of Space Mountain are in near-total darkness, I used a feature on the camera called NightShot. Immediately upon turning the camera on, a cast member began shouting over the PA "Turn the camera light off IMMEDIATELY! Turn it off! TURN IT OFF!" Her shouts startled everyone, and were quite rude - a very un-Disney approach. My question is that there was no light coming from the camera, nobody in my family of three in the car had no clue that I was even filming. Is it possible that her infrared cameras detected the infrared beam from my camera and she mistook it as a light? I would love to hear from anyone (especially former or current cast members) as to what might have happened. I was tempted to turn the tape in to guest relations and file a complaint. They should post a sign that videotaping is not allowed, and be aware that some people are night using a light.
    REPORTED: Jason B. Smith 22 MAR 00
    I know very little about cameras, but I think it's plausable that your nightvision feature perhaps not only threw in a beam of infrared light, but perhaps illuminated the whole room with it. The understandable (but misinformed) cast member probably thought you had smuggled some sort of gigantic spotlight onto your TTA vehicle, when in fact, it wasn't percievable to the guests. I find this story very humorous. :)
    UPDATE: anon 31 MAR 00
    This probably applies to all the rides at the park. My fiance' and I were at the Magic Kingdom about a year ago, and we brought my laser pointer. Whenever we shined the laser at anything in any of the rides, it seemed that 9 times out of 10 the carts would stop moving, and the animation (or whatnot) would stop. The voice from above would then say "The ride is now experiencing technical difficulties, please wait" or whatever. I am thinking that all the rides must have sensors that detect movement, and that my laser, and the guys video camera were setting them off. I was never yelled at by a cast member, but I am sure they would have loved to confiscate it.
    UPDATE: Jonathan Sauter 01 APR 00
    Night Vision works on the principal of sending out an infrared light that is not visible to the naked eye. When this 'invisible' beam hits an object it bounces back. When this beam bounces back the camera converts it into a visible color, usually green. The farther an object is away, then the return beam is not quite as bright, therefore something really close turns to a solid green, and something a long ways off will not come back to the camera, yielding it as black. As far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong) the operating console has screens which show cameras that use the same technology so that the operator can 'see' what's going on in the ride. Since they work the same it is possible that they saw your camera's infrared light
    CONFIRMED: Adam 10 JUL 00
    In Space Mountain, like in a lot of other rides, they refuse to let people use camera lighting, especially camcorder lights which they refer to specifically now. It seems that the threat of the ride stopping is imminent when a light is turned on inside an attraction. My guess is that we are correct in assuming that the light throws off a sensor that stops the ride for precautions. I mean, they can't have people running around the scenery so they put in the extra sensitive sensors that sensor anything that is not programmed to move in that section of the ride. I've wanted to turn lights on in attractions before (especially the dark sections of DINOSAUR, but I don't want to piss people off with my curiosity.
    UPDATE: Bryan B 23 JUL 00
    Camcorders which have a "Night-Vision" feature use infared light to "see" the things in front of the camera, so a second nightvision camera pointed at one of the ones installed inside the attraction would have the same effect as pointing a spotlight at a regular camera. Try this sometime. Go into a completely dark room with your nightvision camera and a TV remote (doesn't matter what the remote controls, as long as it is not the camera.) Start recording and point the TV remote at yourself and press a button. Wherever you point the remote will seem to flash when you look at the tape. If you point a TV remote directly at the camera, it can look just like a spotlight pointed at the camera in "regular" or "standard" mode.
    CONFIRMED: GuyOfDisney 06 AUG 00
37. I had the privilege of riding Space Mountain with the lights on. And there is NOTHING on the floor in there, which contrasts with the reported mess of stuff on the floor in California's SM. I wonder why?
    REPORTED: Barbara Fett 06 MAY 00

Other Hidden Characters

1. In the video that they show in the queue area, there is a hidden Donald in the weather report.
   REPORTED: Sean Mueller 18 NOV 95
2. If you look at the very beginning of the clip where the commentator says something about a galaxy search, I spotted a hidden Pocahontas on one of the monitors behind him. This scene is played just before the MTV type thing comes on.
   REPORTED: Scott Baker 03 MAR 96

• Go on to Fun Facts of the Astro Orbiter,
• Go back to the Fun Facts of the Magic Kingdom,
• Go back to the Spacecoast Hidden Mickeys Home Page,
• Submit a new or confirm a Hidden Mickey or secret located at Walt Disney World,
• or just send me EMail.