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Tomorrowland is a land that pays homage to what many dreamed the future would be -- a neighborhood of sky-piercing beacons and glistening metal illuminated by a celestial spectrum of neon colors; of flying saucers circling among spinning planets and a base for Space Rangers to fight the evils of the galactic empire. The land's fanciful design recalls timeless and romantic predictions of space travel as first envisioned by such renowned futurists as Leonardo daVinci, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.
Rising above the futuristic Tomorrowland scenery, Space Mountain's linear style of architecture provides a stark contrast to the lush, green mountains that surround Hong Kong Disneyland. The sleek, white exterior and giant, ribbed slopes form the gigantic cone-shaped structure. Other attractions in Tomorrowland include the Orbitron and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Autopia, featuring an all-electric fleet of cars, is scheduled to open in 2006.
The highly stylized spaceships of Orbitron are part of the futuristic spaceport that is Tomorrowland. The Orbitron fleet includes 16 four-passenger flying saucers that orbit an animated model universe. This universe is based upon the animated planetary and navigational models that were used to demonstrate the movement of planets in our solar system from the 15th through the 19th centuries.
As the flight begins, the entire rocket assembly rises approximately 2.7 meters (nine feet) and begins to revolve clockwise. Front-row passengers in each flying saucer can make their ships rise and lower by manipulating a control lever, up to a maximum height of eight meters (26 feet) above ground level. Both front and back row passengers have the opportunity to initiate sound effects by pressing buttons.
Space Mountain's shape is created by a series of sloping steel beams that form a gigantic sealed cone that rises more than 28 meters (91 feet) above ground level. The highest spire on top of the roof soars to nearly 41 meters (133 feet). A marvel of showmanship in construction and engineering, it is one of the most unusual and iconic architectural structures in the world and the tallest structure inside Hong Kong Disneyland Park.
Once inside the attraction queue, brave space explorers enter the man-made mountain past color-shifting planetoids floating all about. Probing deep into the mountain core, explorers enter the LaunchPort portal to board 12-passenger rocket pods. Each "rocket" is then set on the wild journey through the darkness of space and headlong into a meteor field. The track of Hong Kong Disneyland's Space Mountain is identical to the attraction found at Disneyland in California.
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