Trip Report FIX ugly Space Mountain

[DannyLand]

When I rode Space Mt in 2005 It felt like i was going backwards in the end. i was very convinced i was going backwards (now that I am older i figured out it was just an optical illusion
But in 2013, that effect isn't working anymore. :-( Not only that but the outside of the mountain doesn't light up anymore and is turning black. and that one ugly spinning thingy above people mover doesn't spin but still plays the music??

[BogLurch]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

The "ugly spinny thing above the peoplemover" has been there since the Rocket Rods refurb, and has only worked sporadically since opening. They pared element after element of the "show" off of it, been years since I saw it do anything at all. Didn't know they still played the music, honestly.

[frollofan]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

Disney needs to get moving with installing OSHA approved safety features so they can clean the nasty looking roof.

[EvilRocketeer]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

Didn't know they still played the music, honestly.

best part is when they play the rocketeer music...

i saw it worked a month or so ago...not sure if it does anymore...i think it only plays at every hour...

[Great Movie Rider]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

Duplicate post

[Great Movie Rider]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

Space Mountain is on its way to becoming the 1998 version again!

best part is when they play the rocketeer music...

Yes. Poor Rocketeer, sentenced to an eternity turning popcorn.

[EvilRocketeer]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

he needs to makeup all the money that disney expected for the film

[Quentin]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

Space Mountain is in horrible condition. They really need to fix the lights in the ride.

[cruise]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

Space Mountain is in horrible condition. They really need to fix the lights in the ride.

This… there are may 7 lights still functioning in the speed tunnel (of over 40). The speed tunnel is basically one of the only real "effects" on the ride and it hasn't been fully operational in 2-3 years. It is absolutely ridiculous that this effect is simply slowly breaking down into nothing. Isn't this as easy as changing the lights out? Even if its a larger wiring issue, I'm missing why SOMEONE hasn't tackled it in three years.

I'd really like to see Miceage highlight this issue in a future article.

[Disneylandfan67]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

This… there are may 7 lights still functioning in the speed tunnel (of over 40). The speed tunnel is basically one of the only real "effects" on the ride and it hasn't been fully operational in 2-3 years. It is absolutely ridiculous that this effect is simply slowly breaking down into nothing. Isn't this as easy as changing the lights out? Even if its a larger wiring issue, I'm missing why SOMEONE hasn't tackled it in three years.

I'd really like to see Miceage highlight this issue in a future article.

"How many Disney penny pinchers does it take to approve the changing of a lightbulb?"

[brianpinsky]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

"How many Disney penny pinchers does it take to approve the changing of a lightbulb?"

It depends on when the light was put in, how high the light fixture is, what color, type of bulb, what WDI has to say about it, when it will fit into the schedule, Approval from OSHA, Approval from maintenance, if rigging needs to put in, if its Thursday, Ride capacity, when the next refurb will be, is the View filming, ect... the list goes on, let's say it's easier for them to overlay an attraction than to change a simple bulb.

At WDW its easier to because of the lack of OSHA and they don't want to spend the money.

[jsmith11618]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

It depends on when the light was put in, how high the light fixture is, what color, type of bulb, what WDI has to say about it, when it will fit into the schedule, Approval from OSHA, Approval from maintenance, if rigging needs to put in, if its Thursday, Ride capacity, when the next refurb will be, is the View filming, ect... the list goes on, let's say it's easier for them to overlay an attraction than to change a simple bulb.

At WDW its easier to because of the lack of OSHA and they don't want to spend the money.

Unless Florida has left the US and become another country, they certainly do have OSHA since its a federal agency, created by congress in 1970.

Straight from OSHA website: OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor.

Your thinking of the state agency in California: The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), better known as Cal/OSHA.

[BogLurch]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

It depends on when the light was put in, how high the light fixture is, what color, type of bulb, what WDI has to say about it, when it will fit into the schedule, Approval from OSHA, Approval from maintenance, if rigging needs to put in, if its Thursday, Ride capacity, when the next refurb will be, is the View filming, ect... the list goes on, let's say it's easier for them to overlay an attraction than to change a simple bulb.

At WDW its easier to because of the lack of OSHA and they don't want to spend the money.

OSHA/DOSH are reactive - they would come out and investigate why an employee fell and injured themselves replacing the bulb after the fact. There would not be a requirement to get approval beforehand. That's what the basic permitting on the ride covers.

They are not the bugaboo people want to make them out to be - the various reports regarding the reasons for the "intrusive" changes Disney keeps making are Disney preemptively attempting to satisfy their *lawyers*, not OSHA/DOSH. We'd know if they were satisfying an OSHA/DOSH directive regarding an unsafe ride - the ride would have immediately closed after the provoking incident and never reopened.

[JesterMn]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

Um, the main point of this initial post, about the lighting effect that makes it appear you are going backwards towards the end of the ride, is working just fine. Rode it just yesterday and it's still there. I've never NOT had it work. Maybe you just went on an "off" day?

[IzzyInWonderland]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

That little do-dad on top of the PM platform used to have momentary little "shows" where that thing would move around and there was music. I only knew this because I was in line for SM once and saw the whole thing. Not sure if they still do this.

[Big D]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

Wow, I've never experienced the going backward effect before in my life, and I've been going there since 1981. I wonder why it doesn't work for me...

Oh, and I believe that OSHA and DOSH are two seperate things. When I worked in Outdoor Vending, we had to deal with OSHA a lot, so my impression was that OSHA had to do with dining locations. For example, right as I was leaving Disney there was a big issue with OSHA suddenly mandating that every ODV wagon have a sink with running water available for some bizzare reason. We never dealt with DOSH, which I believe has to do more with mechanical issues as well as the saftey of mechanics and ride operators and things like that.

[MrLiver]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

OSHA has been around for awhile but Cal/OSHA aka DOSH has just recently (within the last ten years) been given oversight of theme parks. The mandate for hot water at food locations is a mandate of the Orange County Health Dept.

I believe construction on the handrails on the outside of Space Mountain has already started as construction has been visible from Main Street for awhile, but I could be wrong.

[Big D]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

OSHA has been around for awhile but Cal/OSHA aka DOSH has just recently (within the last ten years) been given oversight of theme parks. The mandate for hot water at food locations is a mandate of the Orange County Health Dept.

I believe construction on the handrails on the outside of Space Mountain has already started as construction has been visible from Main Street for awhile, but I could be wrong.

Thanks for the info! So are OSHA and Cal/OSHA the same thing or two different things?

[MrLiver]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

Thanks for the info! So are OSHA and Cal/OSHA the same thing or two different things?

That's a good question really. OSHA is the federal agency and cal/OSHA is the state agency. I am not really sure how the division of duties work, but considering this is the government we are talking about, I am sure there is a large overlap in responsibility.

The one thing to remember though is that Cal/OSHA is responsible for the oversight of theme park rides specifically in California. That was a state mandated requirement that doesn't exist at the federal level (and doesn't apply to Florida).

[ScottG]

Re: FIX ugly Space Mountain

To those of us that are mechanically inclined, the "spinny thing" is artistic and interesting to watch.
I for one would miss it.