Happy birthday to Disney's Space Mountain, which is 50 years old this week.
The first Space Mountain roller coaster opened at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom on January 15, 1975. Designed by a Walt Disney Imagineering team led by future Disney Legend John Hench, in partnership with Arrow Development, Space Mountain is now the oldest still-operating coaster in the state of Florida. It also might be the world's first indoor coaster in the dark. (At least I can't find one that opened any earlier.)
Disney promotes Space Mountain as a great first non-kiddie coaster for children. And with no inversions and a top speed of just 27 mph (less than the tram they rode on to get to the park), Space Mountain certainly won't intimidate anyone with its specs.
But it is a ride in the dark - and that creates anxiety for some folks whose idea of a refreshing vacation does not include riding through sudden drops and turns in the pitch black. That raises the question - which Disney roller coaster is the best "first coaster" experience for beginners?
Let's exclude the Barnstormer and other Junior coasters from this discussion, since those are designed for little kids at the expense of the comfort of most adults. Coasters are best when everyone riding can enjoy the experience.
My answer to this question long has been Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It's an outdoor coaster that has the look of a classic mine train coaster. Disney has built most of the ride's track atop a fake mountain, so not only do young riders not have to deal with a fear of the dark, Thunder also minimizes any fear of heights, as well.
Unfortunately for visitors this year to Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom's Big Thunder Mountain is down for refurbishment until next year. But the ride remains open for west coast visitors to Disneyland in California.
Elsewhere at Walt Disney World, good candidates for a first coaster experience include the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom and Slinky Dog Dash at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Both of those have 38 inch height requirements, two inches lower than Thunder Mountain's 40 inches and Space Mountain's 44.
Also at 44 inches, Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom might not scare beginners off coasters, either, though the false track and Yeti might prove too much for sensitive young riders. EPCOT's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has a height requirement of just 42 inches, but there's no way I would recommend that experience as a first coaster for anyone. Even at 48 inches to ride, the straddle coaster TRON Lightcycle / Run would be a better choice, though still not the best one, in my book.
So what is your pick? What was your first coaster at Disney? And what would you recommend to parents as the first non-kiddie coaster for their kids?
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Aren't all Disney Coaster's, Kid coasters....
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Without answering the question asked but going for the spirit of the question, I think that Splash Mountain is the perfect introduction to "roller coasters" as far as experiencing the sensation. Plus you have some moments of calm to prepare them pre drops and comfort them post drop. I think it's a better experience than some head knocking coaster that you guys are straight jacketed to and can't even touch each other.
A great "first coaster" for kids at Disney would be Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, offering a fun, outdoor experience with minimal fear factors like the dark or high heights.
For more travel insights, visit tripowa.com
A great "first coaster" for kids at Disney would be Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, offering a fun, outdoor experience with minimal fear factors like the dark or high heights.
For more travel insights, visit tripowa.com
A great "first coaster" for kids at Disney would be Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, offering a fun, outdoor experience with minimal fear factors like the dark or high heights.
For more travel insights, visit tripowa.com
A great "first coaster" for kids at Disney would be Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, offering a fun, outdoor experience with minimal fear factors like the dark or high heights.
For more travel insights, visit tripowa.com
I haven't had a chance to ride Tron yet, but I don't think you can call any coaster with a 48" height requirement a good "first coaster". First coasters (beyond kiddie coasters) should be limited to those with a height requirement of no more than 42-44", so even though I can't evaluate Tron since I haven't personally ridden it, I think it should be disqualified because of its height restriction.
I think the easy choice is 7DMT, but in my view the coaster sections are just so short and the swinging carts lacking dynamism that it's really nothing more than a glorified kiddie coaster with a gimmick train that doesn't actually do anything. I would say the same about BTMRR, which is the same disguised as a traditional mine train. Aside from the final helix through the geysers, there's nothing intense about the coaster, and I feel that both the Barnstormer and Gadget's Go Coaster are both more intense than BTMRR.
I think Space Mountain is a good coaster, and the coaster-in-the-dark novelty and the overall mystique of the attraction put it on a high bar. However, is it really the BEST coaster for first timers to make the jump from kiddie coasters to "real" coasters? I think that Everest is actually a better ride in that it's smoother, faster, includes dark sections, and even a dynamic gimmick (backwards section) that delivers some real thrills, not artificially generated thrills from turning out the lights to fool riders into thinking they're moving faster than they really are. Of the 2, I would probably steer guests to Everest over Space Mountain, because it's the better experience overall, and comes closer to being like a real roller coaster than either US-based Space Mountain (I would easily rank DL's ahead of MK's for what it's worth).
I think there's some justification for ranking SDD at the top of a first coaster list, because it is more like many modern roller coasters with LSM launches and a fun layout with decent forces without being unapproachable. With so many newer coasters featuring launches, SDD actually is a better first coaster to help inexperienced riders get used to what they will find on many other modern coasters around the world.
However, the BEST first coaster at an American Disney park is actually more iconic than Space Mountain - and conspicuously not mentioned here. The Matterhorn was the world's first steel tubular coaster, and is actually pretty similar to MK's Space Mountain, just placed in an outdoor setting (with a few indoor sections). The Matterhorn has excellent theming, lots of different types of forces, and even a splash down section (for puckpilgrim who wanted to espouse Splash Mountain). Sure, the Matterhorn isn't the smoothest coaster, though it's not any rougher than MK's Space Mountain, but because you can see most of the track, you can brace/prepare yourself for what's about to happen instead of getting flung into unknown directions while riding in the darkness on Space Mountain. The other benefit of the Matterhorn is that the Yetis actually WORK, unlike the massive animatronic on Everest that's been in "Disco" mode for decades. I think if you're a young or inexperienced coaster rider, The Matterhorn is the perfect gateway to the wonderful world of roller coasters with it's dynamic, but not too intense, layout, excellent theming, and long, fulfilling experience.
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I used to always answer Thunder Mountain but I think Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is probably a better half step in between a proper kiddie coaster and a “grown up” coaster. The caveat here being that SDMT is still labeled as a family coaster, so if that terminology renders it moot then Thunder is the best gateway drug.