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Blast off towards the far reaches of the universe!
The main attraction in Europe's foremost tourist destination has celebrated its 10th anniversary and is set to pursue its saga with a second adventure. The attraction is completely reprogrammed to provide visitors with a totally new experience, where "exploronauts" will find themselves speeding well beyond the moon towards the far reaches of the universe...
Space Mountain is one of the most popular and exciting attractions in the entire Resort. Inspired by Jules Verne's visionary novel, From the Earth to the Moon, written in 1865, the attraction's Columbiad cannon has blasted millions of space travelling guests towards the moon since Junes, 1995. Now, "exploronauts" embark on a new, fantastic and unforgettable voyage to the far reaches of the universe. The Columbiad cannon imagined by Jules Verne has been recalibrated. The spacecraft is now catapulted from the lower part of the cannon where, thanks to the extraordinary energy of this breathtaking launch and constant acceleration, adventurers reach outer space almost immediately following a brief moment of near weightlessness.
Their mission is to explore the farthest reaches of space, to go where no one has gone before and discover the mysteries at the edge of the universe. Along the way, they will encounter an asteroid belt, comets and a magnificent supernova. These thrilling adventures will deflect the frenzied route of the spacecraft, resulting in unexpected twists, turns, spins and loops, all accompanied by a soundtrack that could be straight out of a major science-fiction film.
Backstage in Space Mountain : Mission 2
One of the most important modifications concerns the launch, which take place from the lower part of the cannon. As a result, the length of the launch phase is increased by nearly 40%. The initial acceleration reaches a speed of around 14 m/s and passengers will experience a G-force of nearly 1.3 N. The attraction itself see guests catapulted into outer space, where they will find themselves confronted with a series of cosmic phenomena that will cause the spacecraft to rapidly change direction as their space vehicle takes evasive measures. The daredevil passengers will only just escape a spectacular supernova - a cataclysmic explosion of a giant star that, for a moment, shines brighter than an entire galaxy - before they return to earth after travelling through a luminous "vortex".
A l'instar des "Soundtrackers" de Rock 'n' Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith du Parc Walt Disney Studios, les véhicules de Space Mountain : Mission 2 sont équipés de cinq haut-parleurs : deux de part et d'autres de la tête, deux au niveau des hanches et un aux pieds.
Music
It goes without saying that music will play an integral part of the Space Mountain : Mission 2. experience. Michael Giacchino, the world famous composer whose scores notably include the music to the Disney/Pixar movie The Incredibles and the American television series Alias, Michael Giacchino has created the sonic background that will accompany passengers along their journey.
Completely synchronised to the "story", the music is an essential part of this new mission, accentuating all the special effects and, in particular, reinforcing the dramatic nature of the situation when the spacecraft is confronted with the supernova explosion. Michael Giacchino has worked diligently to ensure that the music follows the scenario and visual effects as closely as possible, plunging guests even further into the heart of this breathtaking adventure.
Like the "Soundtrackers" vehicles on the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith attraction in Walt Disney Studios Park, all seats are equipped with five loudspeakers, one on each side of the head, two around the hips and one on foot level, to offer an optimal aural experience. As well as the loudspeakers built into the seats, a highly specialised team has installed a large number of other speakers in the attraction's structure to further emphasise the various sound effects.
Visual effects
Unlike Space Mountain - From the Earth to the Moon where the trip takes place in the dark , Space Mountain : Mission II is based on the extensive use of visual effects. In addition to the large amount of lighting effects used to develop the story, Disney's Imagineers have added projections of star fields to give visitors the immediate impression of being in space, as well as new projections of comets and meteors and the supernova explosion.
Pre-launch
While waiting to board Space Mountain - From the Earth to the Moon, guests were provided with glimpses of the attraction through a number of openings. For this new mission, which goes far further and deeper into space, the decision was taken that the part of the attraction leading to the boarding platform would be enclosed. Waiting passengers is able to admire a large number of photos showing the various phenomena to be found in the universe, such as quasars, novas and comets, and through this exhibition, prepare themselves for their future close encounter !
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