Last week we got the opportunity to go to the first ever D23 Spotlight Series event and it was all about 50 years of Space Mountain! This was such a cool and interesting event. The Space Mountain Spotlight Series was the first time D23 has done one of these here in Walt Disney World and they said there will be many more to come! I thought I would share a little of the experience with you, even though we were not allowed to take a lot of pictures, top secret images and all that! You can find out about upcoming Spotlight Series events at D23.com and read about some of our other D23 adventures here!
What Is The D23 Spotlight Series?
The D23 Spotlight Series events are behind the scenes looks at the history or making of different Disney attractions with Disney Imagineers and the Walt Disney Archives sharing never before seen photos, sketches and videos. Disneyland had one recently for the anniversary of Indiana Jones and this one here in Walt Disney World was for the 50th anniversary of Space Mountain. These are new this year and really feel like a little piece of the larger events D23 does in the fall.
Ticket & Event Details
This event was held at the AMC Theater in Disney Springs with limited tickets sold. I bought my tickets through the D23 app but you could do it on the website as well. Each ticket was $29 and you had to be a Gold Member, which is the paid membership, in order to purchase a ticket. Each ticketed Gold Member was able to get an additional ticket for a non member as well. The tickets included the event itself: Space Mountain and Beyond, a member exclusive gift that was a super cute D23 patch with Mei Lee as the panda from Turning Red, A beautiful Space Mountain postcardpopcorn and a drink from the movie theater.
What We Saw & Heard At The D23 Spotlight Series
This event was a celebration of 50 years of Space Mountain and how it impacted the future of Disney attractions. We met the president of D23, Michael Vargo and the event was led by Steve Vagnini. Most of the talking was done by the imagineers who included Chris Beaty, Pam Rollins, Wyatt Winter and Betty Lombardi. I would imagine, if you are reading this, then you are either the person always telling people random Disney facts or you know someone like that. Well this was a dream for that “did you know” person (me)! Not only did we get to see and hear about how Space Mountain came to be and how ground breaking it was for it’s time but we also got see and hear how it led to new attractions like Cosmic Rewind and Tron.
Space Mountain was actually the first ever computer controlled roller coaster and one of the only early rides to be original to Walt Disney World. This Space Odyssey ride as Walt wanted to call it was before it’s time, literally! The plans and ideas were set forth in the 1950’s and again in the 60’s as part of the reimagining of Disneylands Tomorrowland but the technology was just not there yet. It would have to wait for the world to catch up in the 70’s, and so it did! Oh! And did you know that while trying to develop Space Mountain, the Matterhorn Bobsleds were born??
We learned that the outside of the building was not just for looks, it was a necessity! Usually those beams would be on the inside to support the shape but a smooth surface was needed inside for the projections. For the most part this ride is the same as it was when it was first opened (sometimes you can really tell…ouch), only minor changes and updates have happened since it’s opening in 1975. But it has helped pave the way for many other attractions we enjoy today! We got to see some of the behind the scenes pictures and processes of ride vehicles being made and tested. My favorite was a video of the imagineers testing the design for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train vehicles. They had a plywood mock up ratchet strapped down to the flat bed of a pick up truck that drove them around the parking lot so they could see how the cars would swing and react to turns. It was so funny to see that and kind of cool to see how something so simple could lead to something so magical in the parks!
We saw lots of pictures and videos of how Cosmic Rewind was made and tested, including the lighting effects used on the reverse launch and how simple it really is! All I will say is smoke and mirrors! Literally! We heard about all the little details that go into these attractions like the spring noises on Slinky Dog Dash and collaborative the teams are on these projects. There are truly so many different minds and points of view that create these attractions. I feel like that is definitely why they are so good!
Conclusion
We loved this event! If you are a history nerd like me and you love Disney this is right up your alley! We got to see so many never before seen photos, sketches and videos of, not just Space Mountain but other attractions that the imagineers worked on and learned from Space Mountain to create. I will definitely be on the look out for more of these events and will go to as many as I can! If you like the Behind the Attractions series on Disney+, this is like that in real life. It felt like one of the panels from the D23 Expo or Destination D23 and those are always my favorite. I know being at one of those events is expensive and a whole journey for most of us so it is nice to get a little piece of it in a smaller setting. I feel like the Disney Archives would feel like heaven on earth to me…..I wonder how one goes about getting a job there? Hahaha! I hope you enjoyed this weeks post and have a magical day!