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View Full Version : Can someone tell me... [Space Mountain: Disneyland vs. WDW]



BraMax
02-17-2007, 07:36 AM
...The differences between the two Space Mountains (DL and WDW) that there is a 4" height restriction difference? The reason I'm asking is we were just at DL a week ago and my youngest who is 41" tall loved Space Mountain and we were looking at doing a trip to WDW but now I think we will have to wait a little longer so that he is a little taller to go. Sorry if this has been asked before.

Wendi
02-17-2007, 07:45 AM
...The differences between the two Space Mountains (DL and WDW) that there is a 4" height restriction difference? The reason I'm asking is we were just at DL a week ago and my youngest who is 41" tall loved Space Mountain and we were looking at doing a trip to WDW but now I think we will have to wait a little longer so that he is a little taller to go. Sorry if this has been asked before.

The WDW version is almost the same ride as Disneyland's Matterhorn. The variance in height is likely because the ride vehicle is different. I didn't even realize there was a big difference because my son won't go on either so I never thought to check the height restrictions.

BraMax
02-18-2007, 06:26 AM
Wendi ty for your reply. I just found it really odd that there was such a difference. So I thought maybe it was more aggressive or something do to with state law or something.

Shadowcat
02-18-2007, 08:56 AM
The big difference is that Space Mountain at Disneyland has different cars as the Space Mountain in WDW. At Disneyland you sit side by side (each row has two seats). At WDW you seat single-file, pretty much the same as you would on the Matterhorn.

Malcon10t
02-18-2007, 09:24 AM
The ride track layout and the vehicles used are more like the Matterhorn ride. The track is not identical but but similar to Matterhorn. It is not like our Space Mountain.

acpalmer
02-18-2007, 06:39 PM
Am I the only one who find this a bit odd considering that the Matterhorn height requirement is 4" SHORTER than DL's SM, and WDW SM has a height requirement 4" TALLER than DL's, which puts it at 8" taller than Matterhorn, which it is supposed to more closely resemble? I surely must be missing something, here!!

Malcon10t
02-18-2007, 06:46 PM
Am I the only one who find this a bit odd considering that the Matterhorn height requirement is 4" SHORTER than DL's SM, and WDW SM has a height requirement 4" TALLER than DL's, which puts it at 8" taller than Matterhorn, which it is supposed to more closely resemble? I surely must be missing something, here!!The ride vehicles are similar, but the WDW SM has a lap T bar instead (I think.) This causes the height difference.

RockDoc07
02-18-2007, 06:57 PM
I actually think BraMax is right and that it has something to do with the fact that the height requirements are also set by the state (in part I think, or maybe totally, someone might be able to help). They could just have different requirements they look at, and the different restraints on the rides might influence different standards.

Cool Runnings all!
Doc

wdwmartin
02-18-2007, 10:11 PM
Am I the only one who find this a bit odd considering that the Matterhorn height requirement is 4" SHORTER than DL's SM, and WDW SM has a height requirement 4" TALLER than DL's, which puts it at 8" taller than Matterhorn, which it is supposed to more closely resemble? I surely must be missing something, here!!

The funny thing is Matterhorn never had a height requirement in the past. It used to be that you only had to be 3 years old. We put my DD on on her 3rd birthday and she has been a rollercoaster fiend ever since. She (and I too) was really dissapointed by MK's SM. It is very much like Matterhorn, meaning choppy and slow by comparrison to DL's SM. We figure that DL's version is at least 7 times better. Of course this is totally subjective, but we really had high hopes for the MK version.

So IMHO you are not missing much at MK.

Drince88
02-19-2007, 06:49 AM
I think the change to the ride vehicles in Florida may have resulted in an increase in the height as well. They USED to be the 'cuddle' seats like Matterhorn, with lap belts and so you'd have the adult 'cuddle' the kid a bit and it would make the kid a little safer. Then they replaced that with individual seats with a bar, and I think that may have resulted in a change.

Not saying that the state doesn't have a part in the difference, but I think the individual seats may be a decent part of it as well.

slightly OT - one of my favorite WDW memories is when I was 17 and my youngest sister was 7 - we rode Space together (cuddle seats) and she was catching some pretty good air (I had my legs kind of over her to hold her in a little more) - about 1/2 way through "I don't like this ride" in a little kid whine. Being the compassionate teenager I was "Well, there's nothing we can do about that now!"

BarbD
02-19-2007, 06:54 AM
I rode Space in WDW last December and I thought it was way to jerky!! The one in California is so smooth to ride. It was single file order, no high back seats and only a small bar between my legs and I was almost bruised by all that jerky movements. Also WDW has no music in it. It seem to me to be closer to riding the Matterhorn too than Space mountain in California.

BraMax
02-19-2007, 07:03 AM
Thank-you all to have answered. My youngest loves the MH it was the first roller coaster that he rode and he wasn't quite 3 yet. I imagine that the individual seats have some thing to do with the height requirement. Oh well I guess we will wait a while before we go. Unless he hits an incredible growth spurt soon lol.