Disneyland closes Space Mountain for 5-week overhaul during busy Halloween season

Disneyland has closed Space Mountain just as the busy Halloween season gets under way — but not to install the Ghost Galaxy overlay that adds a spooky holiday theme to the popular Tomorrowland indoor roller coaster.

Space Mountain will be closed from Monday, Sept. 18 through Oct. 25 for refurbishment at the Anaheim theme park, according to the Disneyland website.

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Halloween Time is one of the busiest seasons of the year with holiday décor, ride overlays and themed fireworks at Disneyland and the wildly popular Oogie Boogie Bash and Plaza de la Familia at Disney California Adventure.

In past Halloween seasons, the Ghost Galaxy holiday overlay added video projections of spinning nebulas and a fiery space demon to the pitch black indoor coaster. The fearsome intergalactic creature with a flaming skull head reaches out with his skeletal hands as riders race past in the dark.

But not this Halloween. Ghost Galaxy will not be available this year. Disneyland regularly evaluates and adjusts attraction offerings based on guest feedback.

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Disneyland crews will update Space Mountain systems that help prevent unexpected downtimes during the five-week refurbishment.

The coaster ride through the dark lends itself to thematic overlays that employ video projections on the inside walls of the futuristic man-made mountain.

Disneyland often adds a Hyperspace Mountain overlay with a fleet of X-Wings, TIE fighters and Star Destroyers to Space Mountain in May during annual Star Wars celebrations.