✦ Rope Drop News · Magic Kingdom ·
Is Space Mountain Scary?
Yes, but only because of the dark. It is barely 28 mph, yet you cannot see a single drop or turn coming.
The short answer
Yes, in the dark. Yes, but only because of the dark. It is barely 28 mph, yet you cannot see a single drop or turn coming.
The complete darkness, because your body braces for a drop it can never see arrive, so it braces for all of them at once.
What it does to you
- In the dark
The numbers
- Height to ride
- 44 in (112 cm)
- Top speed
- 28 mph
- Ride length
- About 2.5 minutes
- Inversions
- None
How it scares you, broken down
Scary is not one thing. These four bars are our editorial read of where the fear comes from, zero to ten.
The moment people brace for
The complete darkness, because your body braces for a drop it can never see arrive, so it braces for all of them at once.
It is not fast. It just refuses to let you see anything, so every jolt is a total surprise.
Is Space Mountain scary for kids?
The 44 inch gate lets in a lot of kids who are fine on daylight coasters but rattled by the dark. If a child dislikes not seeing, this is the one to wait on.
Height to ride. You must be at least 44 in (112 cm).
How to make it less scary
The ride is rougher and jerkier than it is fast. Keep your head back against the seat, it stops the jostle from snapping your neck around, and the dark bothers you less when you stop trying to see.
Where it sits on the scale
Every ride below is scored on the same fear index. Yours is highlighted. Tap another to read it.
- Mission: SPACE 82
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind 78
- Space Mountain you are here 74
- TRON Lightcycle / Run 70
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure 62
See the full ranked list of the scariest rides at Disney World
Questions people ask before they get in line
Is Space Mountain scary?
Yes, but only because of the dark. It is barely 28 mph, yet you cannot see a single drop or turn coming. The complete darkness, because your body braces for a drop it can never see arrive, so it braces for all of them at once.
Is Space Mountain scary for kids?
The 44 inch gate lets in a lot of kids who are fine on daylight coasters but rattled by the dark. If a child dislikes not seeing, this is the one to wait on.
Does Space Mountain go upside down?
No. Space Mountain has no inversions and never turns you upside down.
How fast is Space Mountain?
Space Mountain reaches about 28 mph. It is not fast. It just refuses to let you see anything, so every jolt is a total surprise.
Is Space Mountain in the dark?
Yes, Space Mountain runs partly or fully in the dark, which is a real part of how it feels.
How tall do you have to be to ride Space Mountain?
You must be at least 44 in (112 cm) to ride Space Mountain.
Does Space Mountain have any big drops?
No. It has three small drops, the largest about twenty six feet, and no long plunges or swooping hills. What makes them feel bigger is the darkness, since you cannot see a drop or turn coming until you are in it.
Does Space Mountain go upside down?
No. There are no loops or inversions. It is a dark coaster built on quick turns and small dips, not flips.
The four fear scores are Rope Drop News's own read of what frightens riders, never a measured stat. Every speed, height, and drop figure is a published Disney or attraction number.