Disney's Space Mountain is a roller coaster that can be found at all five Disneyland style theme parks across the globe. The original version can be found at Disneyworld. It opened to the public on January 15, 1975. It also is the oldest operating roller coaster in the state of Florida.http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2009/04/space-mountain-magic-kingdom-disney-world-universal-mardi-gras-nelly-ventures.html

The idea for Space Mountain was a result of the success that a previous ride, the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland, had after they were put into place in 1959. Walt Disney, realizing that fun and exciting rides could draw thrill seekers to his parks, began to work on putting together the concept that would eventually lead to Space Mountain.

Disney would go on to die in 1966, putting the entire concept on hold as the preparations for what is now known as Disneyworld took precedent. The company would revisit Space Mountain several years later, and it eventually was implemented in 1975 for the first time.

Space Mountain has a maximum height of 183 feet at its pinnacle, and can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour as it twists and turns along its tracks. The ride lasts approximately two and a half minutes.http://allears.net/tp/mk/mk_space.htm It features two separate tracks, one known as the Alpha, the other the Omega, and the version in Orlando, Florida is the only one of the five that has the dual track system.http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/space-mountain/ Riders have to be at least 44 inches tall to ride on the coaster and as always, it is not recommended for those who are pregnant or suffer from high blood pressure, neck or back pain to ride.http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/space-mountain/

Space Mountain was closed on April 19, 2009 for renovations. The renovations cost an estimated $12.3 million and took seven months. The ride reopened on November 21, 2009 and now includes on ride photos along with games for those waiting in line to play. Lighting and several other features have been altered in the process.http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2009/11/space-mountain-attraction-update/#comments