Walt Disney World Resort guests woke up to an unexpected change this week as one of Magic Kingdom Park’s most iconic attractions quietly began a refurbishment with no prior announcement from Disney. The Space Mountain roller coaster, a landmark in Tomorrowland for nearly fifty years, is now undergoing an exit queue overhaul that has caught guests completely off guard.
Overnight Work Begins on Space Mountain
As of Tuesday, October 28, 2025, Disney crews began an unannounced refurbishment project inside Space Mountain. While the coaster itself remains open and operational, guests exiting the attraction are finding noticeable construction work underway. Without any official warning from the company, the post-ride experience looks very different from what fans have come to expect.
Space Mountain has been a cornerstone of Magic Kingdom Park since its grand opening on January 15, 1975. The attraction later became a global Disney Parks staple, with versions opening at Disneyland Park in 1977 and additional iterations at Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Tokyo Disney Resort recently shuttered its version of the indoor roller coaster entirely and is currently rebuilding an all-new Space Mountain, set to open in 2027.
Walt Disney World Resort’s project is much more modest—but it’s happening quietly and without fanfare.
Guests Notice Big Changes in the Exit Queue
On Tuesday, X (formerly known as Twitter) user @FiBelleFi shared photos from the exit area of Space Mountain showing scrim, foil, and other materials.
“The exit of Space Mountain is under refurbishment,” they wrote. “Fabric is stapled to what was carpet walls and the exit pit which contained shiny balls is empty and not looking so pretty with ripped foil.”
The exit of Space Mountain is under refurbishment.
Fabric is stapled to what was carpet walls and the exit pit which contained shiny balls is empty and not looking so pretty with ripped foil. pic.twitter.com/TxEkuFfPZ5
— Belle (@FiBelleFi) October 28, 2025
The photos reveal that crews have removed the decorative gray spheres that once lined the ramps leading out of the attraction. Scrim now blocks the view under the handrails, though guests can still peek over to see the ongoing work. A shiny, foil-like covering has been placed over the area where carpeting once was.
Frequent Disney Park visitors may recognize the affected area as the long, descending walkway that guests travel on after disembarking from the indoor roller coaster. While the carpet that guests walk on remains in place, the sides of the exit ramp are now stripped bare.
Disney Remains Silent on the Overhaul
So far, Walt Disney World Resort has not issued an official statement regarding the changes to Space Mountain or the timeline for its completion. The project appears to be limited to the exit area rather than the ride itself.
According to WDWNT, the surrounding walls in the Space Mountain exit queue are heavily scuffed and damaged, which could mean that additional work is expected in the coming weeks. Despite the ongoing refurbishment, the attraction remains open, and guests continue to exit through the same walkway while the construction is in progress.
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