Star Wars at Disneyland: Is Season of the Force Worth It?
By Kyle Warnke
Hyperspace Mountain
Hyperspace Mountain thrusts you into the middle of a space dogfight between the Rebel Alliance and the Imperial Navy. The story goes that you’re a member of Blue Squadron tasked with taking out an Imperial Star Destroyer while making sure your squadmates survive the battle.
The original Space Mountain ride is essentially unchanged, but since much of the experience was shrouded in darkness and depended on light and sound effects, that’s all been altered to provide a Star Wars feel. As you zip around the various twists and turns and dips, lights flash past your head like laser bolts from a starfighter, and John Williams’ rousing score blasts all around you. Shots of X-Wings and TIE Fighters are projected onto the walls around you, but you barely glimpse them as the coaster whips you around the arena.
All in all, Hyperspace Mountain never really reached light speed for me. The team tasked with revamping the ride could have gotten a little more creative with incorporating Star Wars elements.
For example, as the ride begins, Admiral Ackbar sets the scene with a little narration that mentions you’re about to jump to hyperspace. But instead of rocketing the riders into the arena from the get-go, you just slowly move forward as the hyperspace sound effects play out, and it immediately take you out of the experience.
Space Mountain is a classic ride, so it’s always worth going on no matter how its skin has changed. But grafting Star Wars onto the ride aesthetic feels like a forced marketing move, and one that could have been better executed. Make sure to use a FastPass on this.
Next: The Force Awakens Comes to Star Tours