Return of 1995 Space Mountain: From Earth to Moon Shows Stars Have Aligned for Disney Fans.

Two years ago, the D23 Expo was one bombshell announcement after another, with Disney pulling out all the stops and making major headlines that set the slate for the next 5 years at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Paris, Hong Kong, DCL and beyond. The “theme” of that event was D’Amaro delivering: both a development cycle into the early 2030s, and, in the process, cementing for himself the CEO job.

Going into the 2026 D23 Expo, our expectation was that the announcements would be mostly backfill of details and smaller scale projects. The kinds of projects that can be started and opened between now and the 2028 D23 Expo. Think ride reimaginings, enhancements, entertainment, seasonal overlays, and other offerings that can be deployed in an off-year to otherwise boost attendance and lure locals back to the parks before the big stuff starts coming online in 2028.

While it did turn out to be mostly a “fill in the blanks” D23 Expo, it was actually bigger and much better than that, with a new theme emerging: announcements by Disney fans, for Disney fans. Moreover, what the 2026 D23 Expo underscored is that leadership matters, and that, for the first time in years, a CEO in Josh D’Amaro who “gets” parks, plus a Parks Chairman who cares, along with empowered Imagineers and local-level leadership teams. The stars have aligned, with the right people in place, clearing a runway to deliver for fans. Speaking of the stars aligning…

We intend to circle back to this “for the fans” thesis about the 2026 D23 Expo in a standalone post to give it the treatment it deserves, but for now, we wanted to spotlight an under-the-radar announcement that arguably best exemplifies this. News that may not resonate with domestic Disney fans, but is basically the equivalent of Dreamfinder & Figment Reunited in Ride Reimagining of Journey Into Imagination at EPCOT or the Reimagining of Tomorrowland at Disneyland, but for Disneyland Paris diehards. Seriously!

Let’s start with the full announcement via Disneyland Paris, followed by more details we learned from Imagineers Michel Den Dulk and Tim Delaney during a smaller-stage presentation after the announcement was made. Here’s the DLP release:

In 1995, Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune debuted at Disneyland Paris, with its unique blending of thrills, world-first innovations, retro-futuristic aesthetics, and engaging storyline based on Jules Verne’s classic “From the Earth to the Moon” novel.

Over the years, this guest-favorite attraction has continued to change, discovering new destinations and galaxies along the way, daring guests willing to be catapulted among the stars from the 22-meter-long Columbiad Cannon. For the past ten years, guests blasted off into a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, on a secret mission for the Rebel Alliance.

Now, a whole new generation of guests will be able to discover the original theme of the attraction, as the upcoming refurbishment will “bring back the Moon” to the heart of this iconic attraction! Walt Disney Imagineering Paris is currently hard at work on designing the refreshed attraction’s aesthetics, as Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain is preparing to close at the end of 2027 for a refurbishment over several months.

Beyond extensive technical work and some maintenance upgrades, the attraction’s indoor sets and props, the enhanced queue and new effects will bring back the beloved “mountain” to its original vision with a shift of the 1995 story, now transporting guests to an idealized period of the very first travels to the Moon, in the steampunk style of Discoveryland. Nostalgic fans can expect special effects to enhance the iconic blast sequence.

For Imagineers, the project is about more than restoring the attraction’s original version. It is an opportunity to celebrate the beloved classic while enhancing it for a new generation. Several updates and enhancements will be made, including to the iconic score from composer Steve Bramson, which will come back fully remastered to accompany guests on their journey to the Moon!

Beginning in the redesigned queue, guests will once again be able to watch the trains in motion, drawing them deeper into the story. Along the way, beloved elements will return alongside new scenic details and enhancements. Combined with more than 30 years of technological advancements, including state-of-the-art exterior dome lighting installed in 2025, Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune will continue to be a fan-favorite.

“When Space Mountain first opened in 1995, it set a new standard as one of the most groundbreaking and immersive roller coasters across all Disney Parks. Today, as Imagineers, it is both an honor and an exciting challenge to reimagine this iconic attraction for a new generation. While staying true to the spirit and legacy of the original voyage, this new version will make use of all the innovations and cutting-edge technology introduced over the years in the attraction, to deliver an even more exciting experience for our guests,” said Keith Rector, Senior Manager, Creative Art Direction at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris.

Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune will mark a definitive milestone in a new phase of the ‘New Magic’ initiative recently launched at Disneyland Paris. This ambitious program aims at improving the guest experience and refreshing its classic attractions to surprise and delight all generations of guests.

Most recently, enhanced scenery has been added to the banks of Rivers of the Far West in Frontierland, based on Disney Legend and Imagineer Marc Davis’ original designs, with several other projects at different stages of development that will be unveiled in phases. Driven by the Walt Disney Imagineering Paris team, whose remarkable passion fuels every concept, design, and build, these projects are just the beginning of many more exceptional moments ahead for Disneyland Paris.

Following the announcement at the Parks Panel, I cleared my schedule to attend “Two Imagineers, One Mountain: The Evolution of Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris” over the weekend. As noted above, this was hosted by Imagineers Michel den Dulk (left) and Tim Delaney (right).

In case you’re unfamiliar with them, Delaney is a legendary Imagineer, who began his career at Disney in 1976, working alongside legendary Imagineers like Herb Ryman, X Atencio, Sam McKim, Marc Davis, Ward Kimball, and others. He was instrumental in the creation of EPCOT Center, creating hundreds of illustrations defining the aesthetic of the park. Delaney later became the lead on what became the Living Seas Pavilion, as well.

Following that, he turned his attention to France. Delaney was instrumental in the creation of Discoveryland at Euro Disneyland, serving as the land’s lead producer. Following that, Delaney was Lead Designer and Producer for Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris (same park, different name). He later went on to work on the original Disney’s California Adventure (don’t hold it against him) and countless other projects. He’s now back at Imagineering, working on Tomorrowland/Discoveryland.

Meanwhile, Michel den Dulk is a new superstar of Imagineering, serving as the Vice President Portfolio Executive for Disneyland Paris. He began his career as a designer at Efteling in the Netherlands, before going on to work as a designer and creative director at Germany’s Europa Park. He’s been with Imagineering since 2010, beginning under the mentorship of former Imagineer Tony Baxter.

Den Dulk quickly rose through the ranks, working on such projects in the domestic parks as Fantasy Faire in Disneyland and Frozen Ever After in EPCOT at Walt Disney World. That was his big breakthrough, and he went on to lead World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland, and then the overall Disney Adventure World overhaul at Disneyland Paris.

Aside from seeing him present and briefly chatting with him this weekend about Space Mountain and Lion King, I talked with den Dulk for a while back when World of Frozen opened. From that, I can confidently say that he’s the real deal–every bit as much of a theme park geek (non-derogatory) as everyone reading this. Someone who is obsessed with theme park history, getting the little things right and delivering an exemplary guest experience.

I am not the least bit surprised that den Dulk was able to do the thing that those who came before him were not, and get the long gestating Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune restoration project greenlit.

Even though I put this on our 2026 D23 predictions for the international parks, I was not confident it would actually happen. The project has been kicked around and abandoned at multiple times before, “thanks” to the popularity of Hyperspace Mountain.

If you’re curious about this restoration or reimagining, it’s worth watching their “Two Imagineers, One Mountain: The Evolution of Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris” presentation in full:

A lot of that is basically a love letter to Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune and the original Discoveryland. So if you don’t really know the background context and want a greater understanding of what this version of the attraction means to Disneyland Paris fans, that’s a good watch.

One bit of news that came out of the panel is that the cannon will be restored to its full glory as part of the project. The cannon has been stuck in the stationary position since 2009 due to frequent breakdowns. After restoration, the cannon will launch riders from 0 to 44 mph in under two seconds, complete with its proper effects.

The steampunk Columbiad Cannon is Space Mountain’s first launch sequence. In the lore of the original attraction, the cannon was created by the Baltimore Gun Club to send moontrains from earth to the moon (hence the name). It’s currently a hyperspace launch sequence.

Here are more photos from their presentation:

Our Commentary

I have never experienced Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune. In fact, I’ve never even experienced the working Columbia Cannon. The original attraction was gone and the cannon was broken on our first visit to Disneyland Paris in 2012, replaced by Space Mountain: Mission 2. For the last decade, it’s been Hyperspace Mountain.

From what I understand, Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune is to diehard Disneyland Paris fans what Figment & Dreamfinder are to old school EPCOT Center purists or what a ‘wondrous worlds’ Tomorrowland is to Disneyland dinosaurs. So a pretty big deal!

Suffice to say, I’m over the moon for longtime Disneyland Paris fans. They have waited so long for this, and endured so much. Each D23 that comes and goes, fans get news for Walt Disney World and Disneyland, with which many of us are inevitably unsatisfied. (As I’ve said before, it’s the Disney version of the mother ignoring drowning kid + skeleton underwater meme.)

For as long as I’ve been in the fandom, the restoration of Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune has been the dream for these fans. I’m incredibly happy for them, and honestly, for myself! I won’t pretend this was my personal white whale, as it most definitely was not.

To the contrary, I have had several “never again” rides on Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris over the years. But because my head gets rattled around so hard, the low-grade concussion that coaster gives me also makes me forget that I’ve sworn it off. And I’ve done it again…and again. I’m thankful that I gave it (a few) more chances this spring, as the coaster was finally sufficiently smooth to the point that it was enjoyable!

Now, I find myself joining the chorus of fans excited for the return of Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune. (Better late than never, right?!) Given how great and thoughtful everything else was about the original Euro Disneyland, I have incredibly high expectations for this.

Ultimately, the restoration of Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune can best be viewed as another project that is firmly for the fans. The reason this has been “rumored” on and off for almost the last decade, but never came to fruition before, is because Star Wars was too popular. Too marketable. Broadly appealing to casual guests.

The Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune project is already a huge hit with Disneyland Paris diehards. At the same time, it’s not going to make waves beyond that fan community. In fact, there’s a decent chance that many of the Disney fans reading this will have no clue it’s even a thing. Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune was completely gone before international Disney tourism really became “a thing,” and arguably even before the French fan community really took off.

Suffice to say, the Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune restoration will be an ambitious, time-consuming, and costly project without clear, marketable return on investment. It’s yet another announcement that is clearly an unequivocally “for the fans,” and something that Disney is undertaking not because the financials pencil out, but because it’s the good, fun, and right thing to do.

Just like fixing the Disco Yeti at Expedition Everest, this is a massive symbolic victory for Disney diehards. It’s demonstrative of why having leaders who care and “get it” really matters. Fans don’t always fully appreciate how meaningful it is to get the greenlight on projects like this aimed squarely at us as opposed to the mass market, and how it absolutely would not have happened 4-8 years ago.

You would’ve had an easier time building your own spaceship to travel from earth to the moon than getting Chapek to sign off on this. To finally have top to bottom leadership buy-in and a willingness to spend the time and money in service of a higher quality show and doing something that matters to fans is huge.

For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Find the best place to stay in Disneyland Paris Hotel Reviews. Check out 101 Disneyland Paris Tips for some (101, to be exact) of our best random tips for doing DLP like a pro. See Disney Park Tickets Tips & Tricks for ways to save on tickets. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. Finally, for advice beyond Disney, check out our Ultimate Travel Guide to Paris, France.

Your Thoughts

Are you excited for the Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune? Pleased to see Disney finally doing things “for the fans” or do you view this as a pointless project? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!