Our reporter tries in vain for one last ride, but daddy-daughter day at work does not go as planned.

With Japan getting into the summer vacation season, it’s a safe bet that most people who were at Tokyo Disneyland this Wednesday, instead of having to wait for the weekend, were in a pretty good mood. But this particular Wednesday came with a touch of bittersweetness, because it was the final day for Tokyo Disneyland’s Space Mountain, which is now closed.

As shown in the video above, a very big crowd of fans came out in the midsummer heat for one last ride on July 31. This might be a little surprising for those familiar with the popular image of Tokyo Disneyland among Japanese fans, since the parks generally don’t get nearly as much buzz as its parades, shows, characters, and theming. Add in the fact that Space Mountain is one of the very few Disneyland attractions without any connection to a specific Disney animated series or movie, and you might expect its closure to have come with a shrug as park visitors walk past its entrance to go stake out good viewing spots for the next procession of costumed characters.

But Space Mountain has a special distinction in that it was Tokyo Disneyland’s first roller coaster, being part of the initial group of attractions that was there on the park’s opening day of April 15, 1983. As a matter of fact, Space Mountain was Tokyo Disneyland’s only roller coaster for its first four years, as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad wasn’t added until the summer of 1987. In Space Mountain’s 41 years in operation, its cars have traveled a distance equal to 29 round trips between Earth and the moon.

Among those who made their way to Space Mountain on its final day was our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun. Ever since he was a kid, Space Mountain has been on P.K.’s must-ride list when visiting the park, even back in the pre-Fast Pass era when it sometimes required a three-hour wait in line.

Even though he got to Tokyo Disneyland early in the morning, P.K. still couldn’t beat the rush on Space Mountain’s final day. A large group of cast members, wearing the ride’s futuristic uniforms, were on hand to greet visitors and pass out commemorative stickers.

But P.K. was willing to wait as long as necessary to get on the ride, because today he wasn’t planning to ride alone.

Some of you might remember Rei, P.K.’s daughter. Just like she did when she was a baby, Rei sometimes helps P.K. out with his articles, and “Hey, Daddy needs a hand with a work project” is a pretty easy thing to ask when the assistance involves a day at Disneyland.

See, while P.K. is a grizzled Space Mountain veteran, Rei (who’s now 7 years old) has never been on it. So before it shut down, P.K. wanted his daughter to have the experience of riding Tokyo Disneyland’s first roller coaster.

“OK, ready to ride?” P.K. asked as they approached the start of the line, to which Rei, without missing a beat, replied:

“No way. Roller coasters are scary.”

Yeah, it turns out that Rei might not have inherited her father’s love of thrill rides. Or maybe she just needs a few more years for those genes to awaken. In any case, she shot down the idea of riding Space Mountain, so P.K. will just have to hold onto his memories of a previous ride.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Rei will never ride Tokyo Disneyland’s Space Mountain.

That’s because Tokyo Disneyland is going to be building a new Space Mountain, to be located inside a new area that’s being created as a 56 billion-yen (approximately US$370 million) expansion to the park, as shown in the concept art above.

In the meantime, the Tokyo Disneyland website has added a special virtual walkthrough of Space Mountain, which can be accessed here until September 1.

The new Space Mountain is scheduled to open in 2027, so P.K. will check with Rei again in three years to see if she’s changed her mind, or if his first ride of the new coaster will be by himself.

Photos ©SoraNews24
New Space Mountain concept art: press release
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