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Amid reports of Disney World’s Space Mountain attraction at Magic Kingdom getting totally overhauled, Disney Experiences has confirmed that a second Space Mountain attraction will be getting the retheme treatment.
There is something rather fitting about Space Mountain returning to the Moon at Disneyland Paris. After a decade spent blasting guests into a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, the attraction is set to reconnect with the Jules Verne-inspired vision that made it such a distinctive part of the resort in the first place. The changes were announced as part of Disney’s Horizons showcase at D23 Expo 2026.
When Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune opened in 1995, it was unlike anything else at Disneyland Paris. Inspired by Jules Verne’s 1865 novel “From the Earth to the Moon,” the attraction combined a huge dose of Victorian-era science fiction with genuine technological ambition. Guests weren’t simply boarding a roller coaster; they were becoming 19th-century space explorers, fired towards the Moon from the enormous Columbiad Cannon before hurtling through an imagined lunar landscape.
That original experience became one of Disneyland Paris’ defining attractions. It also established a version of Space Mountain that felt uniquely European, drawing heavily on Discoveryland’s retro-futuristic aesthetic and Verne’s fantastical vision of the future. The attraction subsequently evolved into Space Mountain: Mission 2 before taking on its current Star Wars identity as Hyperspace Mountain.
Disneyland Paris has confirmed that Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain will close at the end of 2027 for a major refurbishment lasting several months. The project will bring back the original De la Terre à la Lune concept, although this will be much more than a simple restoration. Imagineers are using the opportunity to revisit the attraction with more than 30 years of technological progress behind them.
For fans, some of the most exciting changes will be inside the mountain. The sets and props will be refreshed, the queue will be redesigned, and new effects will be introduced, while the story will once again center on an idealized era of the first voyages to the Moon. Expect the steampunk influences of Discoveryland to return in force, alongside familiar elements from the original attraction and new scenic details designed to make the experience feel richer than it did in 1995.
“When Space Mountain first opened in 1995, it set a new standard as one of the most groundbreaking and immersive roller coasters across all Disney Parks. Today, as Imagineers, it is both an honor and an exciting challenge to reimagine this iconic attraction for a new generation,” said Keith Rector, Senior Manager, Creative Art Direction at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, via Disneyland Paris News.
He added, “While staying true to the spirit and legacy of the original voyage, this new version will make use of all the innovations and cutting-edge technology introduced over the years in the attraction, to deliver an even more exciting experience for our guests.”
Steve Bramson’s iconic score will return in a fully remastered form, giving the attraction another important link to its past. The redesigned queue will once again allow guests to watch the trains race through the mountain, helping build anticipation before the launch. Even the famous blast-off sequence is set to benefit from enhanced special effects.
It is a fascinating approach because Disneyland Paris isn’t simply trying to recreate a 1995 time capsule. Instead, this is an attempt to ask what Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune might have become if its original concept had continued evolving for another three decades.
That philosophy fits neatly into what is happening across Disneyland Paris right now.
The resort is in the middle of a remarkable period of change, with its second park having undergone perhaps the most dramatic transformation in its history. On March 29, 2026, Walt Disney Studios Park officially became Disney Adventure World, opening its gates to a substantially reimagined experience.
The transformation has introduced Adventure Way, the vast Adventure Bay lake, and the new Disney Cascade of Lights nighttime spectacular, alongside attractions such as Raiponce Tangled Spin. Most significantly, guests can now step into the new World of Frozen and explore a fully realized version of Arendelle.
It means Disneyland Paris is simultaneously looking forward and backward. Disney Adventure World represents a major push into new worlds and modern storytelling, while the return of De la Terre à la Lune demonstrates the value Disney places on its own history and the emotional connection guests have with classic attractions.
Space Mountain’s future is also part of a much bigger global story.
Tokyo Disneyland is currently undertaking perhaps the most radical Space Mountain project of them all. The original attraction, which opened with Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, closed in July 2024 and is being completely rebuilt rather than simply refurbished. The new version–Space Mountain: Earthrise–is scheduled to open in 2027, retaining the fundamental concept of an indoor, high-speed journey through space while introducing enhanced performance and immersive special effects.
Importantly, Tokyo’s project isn’t simply about making the ride bigger or more technologically advanced. Its new story is intended to explore the relationship between Earth and the wider universe, with a redesigned Tomorrowland plaza built around ideas of humanity, nature, and hope for the future.
Elsewhere, Space Mountain has continued to evolve through seasonal overlays and new storytelling. Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland have both hosted Hyperspace Mountain, demonstrating just how flexible the original attraction concept has become.
That makes the Disneyland Paris project particularly intriguing. While Tokyo is effectively building a new Space Mountain, Paris is taking a different route: bringing its most distinctive version of the attraction back to life and enhancing it for a modern audience.
For longtime fans, that promises a hefty dose of nostalgia. For younger guests, it could be their first chance to experience the attraction that helped define Disneyland Paris in its earliest years. The cannon is preparing to fire once again. And this time, after a long detour through the Star Wars galaxy, Space Mountain is finally heading home to the Moon.
What are your thoughts on the Space Mountain changes happening across the globe? Let us know in the comments down below!
