Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
For a few minutes Saturday night, Disney World fans had every reason to think Space Mountain might finally be next.
Disney held its major parks presentation at D23, unveiling a wave of announcements about attractions coming to Disney destinations around the world. And Space Mountain actually became part of the conversation.
Twice.
Disney revealed major plans for two different versions of the iconic attraction. Disneyland Paris is preparing to transform its current Star Wars-themed Hyperspace Mountain, while Tokyo Disneyland is moving ahead with an entirely new version of Space Mountain.
But there was one Space Mountain that Disney never mentioned.
Despite months of rumors pointing toward a potentially significant refurbishment, Disney said nothing about the original Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom.
And after everything that was announced at D23, that silence may be one of the most interesting updates of the weekend.
Space Mountain Rumors Have Been Building at Disney World
Space Mountain has been part of Magic Kingdom since January 15, 1975, meaning the Tomorrowland attraction has now been operating for more than 51 years.
Of course, Disney has updated and refurbished the coaster during that time. But the basic experience remains one of the oldest major thrill rides at Walt Disney World.
That has made recent rumors particularly interesting.
Since July, rumors have circulated that Disney could be preparing for an extended Space Mountain closure at Magic Kingdom. Some reports have pointed toward 2027 as a possible timeframe for a major refurbishment or overhaul.
The possibility isn’t difficult to understand.
Related: Disney Confirms Rides for Villains Land at Magic Kingdom
Disney is currently investing heavily in Magic Kingdom. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has undergone an extensive refurbishment, while major projects are also moving forward elsewhere in the park. Disney is developing Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land as part of the enormous expansion beyond the existing footprint of Frontierland.
With so much happening around Magic Kingdom, a substantial Space Mountain project wouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise.
Still, rumors are rumors until Disney makes something official.
D23 looked like one of the biggest opportunities for that announcement.
Instead, Disney said nothing.
Disney Announces Two Space Mountain Projects at D23
What makes the omission especially noteworthy is that Disney didn’t avoid Space Mountain during the presentation.
The company specifically discussed two versions of the coaster elsewhere in the world.
At Disneyland Paris, Hyperspace Mountain will become Space Mountain De la Terre à la Lune. The attraction will move away from its current Star Wars identity and return to the Jules Verne-inspired concept associated with its original version. Disney also revealed that the attraction will receive a new soundtrack as part of the changes.
Tokyo Disneyland has an even bigger Space Mountain project underway.
Disney confirmed that the park’s replacement attraction will be called Space Mountain Earth Rise. The new coaster will serve as the centerpiece of a substantially reimagined Tomorrowland at Tokyo Disneyland.
Those announcements created an obvious opening for Disney to address Magic Kingdom.
It never did.
No Space Mountain Closure Announced for Magic Kingdom
For now, there is no announced extended closure or major overhaul for Space Mountain at Walt Disney World.
That doesn’t mean the rumored project isn’t happening.
Disney doesn’t announce every refurbishment years in advance, and D23 isn’t the only place where the company can reveal a major attraction project. Plans can also shift internally, timelines can change, and projects can remain unannounced until Disney is ready to begin preparing guests for a closure.
There is also another possibility worth considering.
If Disney is planning a lengthy Space Mountain closure, announcing it at a fan-focused event like D23 might not have been particularly appealing.
Closing one of Magic Kingdom’s most famous attractions for an extended period would inevitably bring mixed reactions. Even if the end result involved major improvements, Disney would still be telling guests that another classic attraction was about to become unavailable.
That’s not necessarily the kind of announcement designed to produce the biggest cheers during a showcase built around what’s new and what’s next.
However, Disney’s decision to discuss two Space Mountain projects without saying anything about Magic Kingdom still matters.
What Disney’s Silence Could Mean for 2027
The biggest takeaway isn’t that the rumored Magic Kingdom project has been canceled. We simply don’t know that.
The more important takeaway is that an announcement doesn’t appear to be immediately around the corner.
If Disney were preparing to shut down Space Mountain within the next few months for a massive, highly publicized overhaul, D23 would have provided a natural opportunity to explain what was coming.
Instead, the attraction didn’t enter the Magic Kingdom portion of the conversation at all.
That could mean any potential refurbishment remains farther away than some rumors have suggested. It could also mean Disney isn’t ready to commit publicly to the project or its timeline.
A 2027 project certainly remains possible. Disney could announce a refurbishment later this year or sometime next year without having previewed it at D23.
But fans waiting for confirmation didn’t get it Saturday night.
And with Disney specifically putting the spotlight on Space Mountain in Paris and Tokyo, the lack of any Magic Kingdom announcement becomes harder to ignore.
Space Mountain Remains Open at Magic Kingdom
For guests planning a Walt Disney World vacation, the situation remains straightforward: Space Mountain is still operating, and Disney has not announced an extended closure.
That could change.
At 51 years old, the attraction isn’t getting any younger, and Disney has shown that it is willing to make significant investments in classic attractions when it believes they need another chapter.
But the rumored Magic Kingdom overhaul remains exactly that for now: a rumor.
Disney had one of its biggest audiences of the year gathered for a presentation about the future of its theme parks. It announced Space Mountain changes on two continents.
Magic Kingdom’s version wasn’t among them.
For Disney World fans who have spent the past several weeks wondering whether Space Mountain could close in 2027, that’s not the definitive answer they were waiting for.
But it is an update.
For now, Space Mountain isn’t going anywhere that Disney is willing to tell us about.
