Space Mountain is getting a new look in Tokyo. The Tokyo Disney Resort announced today that it will rebuild its Space Mountain indoor roller coaster, giving it a new facade that will anchor a reimagined area of Tomorrowland.
"This entirely new attraction will maintain its original concept as an indoor roller coaster, but will have enhanced performance and immersive special effects that will give guests even more thrills on this exciting rocket ride," Tokyo Disney owner Oriental Land Co. said in a press release.
"The new Tomorrowland plaza will express the connection between Earth and the universe, representing an image of a future where humans are in harmony with nature," the resort said. "Guests will be able to enjoy moments of rest and relaxation in this plaza where various icons and other design elements create a sense of hope for the future. After dark, the area will draw guests into a spectacular world of light and soundscapes."
Tokyo Disneyland's Space Mountain will close in 2024 for the ¥56 billion [US$436 million] transformation project, which is expected to be completed in 2027.
The Space Mountain project continues Oriental Land Co.'s aggressive transformation of the Tokyo Disney Resort. Tokyo Disneyland in 2020 opened a new Beauty and the Beast-themed area in Fantasyland, adding the Fantasyland Forest Theatre last year. Over at Tokyo DisneySea, the new ¥250 billion Fantasy Springs project is under construction for opening sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.
In other news, Oriental Land Co, today reported an operating profit of ¥7.7 billion for the 2021/22 fiscal year, an improvement over last year's pandemic-driven ¥45.9 billion operating loss. Attendance was up 59.5% this year to 12.05 million visitors, thanks to eased limits on attendance. Net sales per guest were also up 8.7%, to ¥14,834, or about $US115.48 per person.
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How nice it must be to work as a theme park designer in Japan where the word "budget" doesn't exist.
Time and time again I am simply blown away by what the Oriental Land Co. does with it's Disney parks. Give the fans what they want while introducing new rides and attractions that feel like a natural and fitting addition to the existing parks.
For Tokyo Disneyland, a park that seems to suffer from having the highest proportion of cloned attractions of any Disney park, I think this move is great! It will give them a very unique version of a classic attraction, as it sounds like the entire thing is being rebuilt from the ground up (they certainly better be given that price tag and timeline). My only complaint is it is probably going to result in me pushing my Japan plans back even further, as this is an attraction worthy of waiting for on what will probably be a one time trip to the country (or at least one time for a very long time).
That said, I hope Disney doesn't attempt something similar in the states. That dome looks very Japanese and would be much out of place in either American iteration of the future.
I’ve got to be 100% wrong - but with the early word out of Epcot of a evolved dark coaster - will this be a reskinned Cosmic Rewind?
@Kento,maybe, but given the box office, they might stick with something original, or something different.
Combined GOTG films grossed 19.6mill in Japan
Spiderman no way home (in a pandemic)28.1 mill
now comparing the same year 2014
GOTG 1 = 9.5 mill
The Amazing Spiderman 2 = 30.2 mill
Big Hero 6 = 76.8
Even the 2014 Robocop made 4.8 mill in Japan & Winter Soldier made 6.6mill
now to put it into further perspective...
Avengers Endgame (current highest grossing Marvel Film) in 2019 made 55.3 mill so Endgame + GOTG + GOTG 2 still don't equal the Japanese box office for Big Hero 6...
I know what IP I would be pushing for in Japan
@emanymton:
If I read that correctly I believe @Kento was suggesting a Guardians re-skin, i.e. the same ride system but with a completely different, non-Guardians IP…
that was my thought as well -- utilizing the same ride system but with a space mountain flavor.
Wait, your spending how much for a retheme w/o a new attraction? Yikes!!! Must be nice. Sadly, my Tokyo Disney trip was canceled due to the pandemic with plans to go next year.
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So now it looks more like Tron? Always excited for an upgrade, though it's interesting they'd choose a shape and color scheme so evocative of another established ride.