The Space Mountain that opened with Tokyo Disneyland in 1983 and carried riders for more than 40 years is gone for good — demolished, not mothballed — and the ride taking its place is an entirely different coaster with a new name, a new story, a new ride system, and a Japan-exclusive theme that will not appear at any other Disney park in the world. On August 13, 2026, the Oriental Land Company officially named the replacement attraction Space Mountain Earthrise, and confirmed that a second new ride, Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue, will open in Tomorrowland during spring 2027 as part of a total land investment exceeding 100 billion yen.

For travelers with Tokyo Disney Resort trips in the pipeline, these two announcements — made alongside physical scale models and new concept art debuted at the 2026 D23 Expo — change the planning math significantly. The question is no longer whether a new Space Mountain is coming; it is which of the two attractions is worth timing your trip around, and what that means for booking flights, hotels, and park tickets.

The Ride You Remember Is Gone: This Is Something Entirely New

Tokyo Disneyland permanently closed its Space Mountain on July 31, 2024. A farewell event, “Celebrating Space Mountain: The Final Ignition!,” ran from April 9 through July 31 of that year, giving guests a final chance to board. When the ride closed, it had logged 22.6 million kilometers since 1983, roughly 29 round trips between Earth and the Moon, according to the ride operator.

Construction walls went up in Tomorrowland immediately afterward and demolition of the original structure began. The new coaster — Space Mountain Earthrise — was built from the ground up approximately 80 meters from the original site, which allowed the old ride to stay open for two additional years after construction started in 2022. Tomorrowland Plaza, the redesigned central courtyard, will be built on the former footprint of the original coaster.

Any traveler who has not visited Tokyo Disneyland since July 2024 should calibrate their expectations accordingly: there is no version of the classic ride available anywhere at the park. The experience opening in 2027 is a new attraction that retains only the broad concept — an indoor roller coaster through a simulated outer space — and replaces everything else.

What Is Space Mountain Earthrise, and How Is It Different?

The name derives from the “Earthrise” phenomenon: the sight of Earth rising above the Moon’s surface, as seen from space, most famously captured in the Apollo 8 photograph taken by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968. According to OLC’s official August 13 announcement, the name “captures the beauty and preciousness of Earth as an unparalleled existence within the universe” and is “a concept unique to Japan among Space Mountain attractions at Disney theme parks worldwide.” Neither the Disneyland nor Walt Disney World versions of Space Mountain share this theme.

The ride begins with a powered launch from Earth before accelerating guests deep into space, surrounded by light and sound effects inspired by cosmic phenomena. Walt Disney Imagineering Producer Kathleen Davis has described the experience as “a roller coaster with both thrill and heart,” with the queue and on-ride story focused on appreciating Earth as seen from space. Senior Creative Director Owen Yoshino has said the overarching narrative centers on “appreciating our home (Planet Earth)” and encouraging environmental awareness.

The most significant technical feature is an onboard audio system built into the ride vehicles — a first for any roller coaster at Tokyo Disney Resort. The exterior architecture incorporates curved shapes meant to evoke both celestial movements and natural forms such as trees and flowers, which OLC describes as “an expression of the connection between space and nature.” At night, Tomorrowland Plaza surrounding the ride will transform with a lighting and sound installation.

Is Space Mountain Earthrise a New Omnicoaster?

The coaster has drawn comparisons to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, which uses a spinning Omnicoaster vehicle manufactured by Vekoma. Construction analysis by roller coaster enthusiasts identified Intamin as the ride manufacturer — a different manufacturer — making it a separate technology, not a direct clone. Intamin also built Incredicoaster at Disney California Adventure, Raging Spirits at Tokyo DisneySea, and VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure.

Engineers tracking the build have identified what appears to be a tilt track in the ride layout — a mechanism that tilts the vehicle upward into the first launch rather than a conventional lift hill or drop. Coaster-community analysis suggests the ride profile will involve multiple launches and differ meaningfully from the other Space Mountain versions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, neither of which features a launch system. The comparison to Cosmic Rewind is more thematic than mechanical: both are indoor storytelling coasters with show elements, but the underlying hardware is different.

OLC has confirmed no height restriction or boarding-system details for Space Mountain Earthrise yet. Travelers planning for guests with height limitations should monitor the Tokyo Disney Resort official site for specifications as the opening approaches.

Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue Replaces Buzz Lightyear With a Spring 2027 Confirmed Date

The second new attraction replacing an existing ride in Tomorrowland is Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue, which takes over the space vacated by Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters after that ride permanently closed in April 2024. Unlike Space Mountain Earthrise, Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue carries a confirmed official opening season: spring 2027.

The attraction is themed to the candy-racing game world from the 2012 Walt Disney Animation Studios film Wreck-It Ralph. According to OLC, guests will enter the Sugar Rush game alongside characters Ralph and Vanellope to help defeat King Candy and restore “Sugar Bugs” — glitches — to their original forms as gummy candies, cupcakes, and other confectionery. OLC describes the attraction as introducing new technology to Tokyo Disney Resort in a family-friendly interactive format that is “the first of its kind for any Disney theme park.”

The investment in Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue is approximately ¥29.5 billion — roughly $190 million at current exchange rates — a figure that exceeds what might be expected for a ride reimagining built around existing infrastructure.

Adjacent to the attraction will be Pixel Prism, a merchandise shop selling items tied to the ride, and Popping Station, a new popcorn stand facing Tomorrowland Plaza.

A 100-Billion-Yen Tomorrowland: How the Full Overhaul Comes Together

The total investment confirmed by OLC for the reimagined Tomorrowland central area exceeds ¥100 billion — a figure the company reconfirmed alongside the attraction name announcements on August 13. At pre-yen-weakness exchange rates from the years before this project was announced, that figure would have been equivalent to roughly $700 million USD; at current rates it is closer to $500 million. By either measure, Space Mountain Earthrise is likely the most expensive single attraction Walt Disney Imagineering has ever built, though the yen/dollar shift complicates direct comparison.

The original announcement in 2022 cited a ¥56 billion budget. A subsequent OLC quarterly report revised that upward to ¥70.5 billion for the ride alone, and the total project including Tomorrowland Plaza and Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue has now been confirmed above ¥100 billion. A new dining location, Element Express, will also open in Tomorrowland Plaza for snacks and beverages.

Space Mountain Earthrise will serve as the anchor attraction of Tomorrowland Plaza — a redesigned central courtyard described by OLC as “a symbolic portrayal of mankind and nature existing in harmony” — which links what the park calls “the Tomorrowland of the past and future.” The plaza will incorporate structures inspired by the elements of nature and the light of celestial objects.

What Travelers Should Do Right Now to Plan a 2027 Tokyo Disneyland Trip

Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue has a confirmed spring 2027 opening season from OLC. Travelers specifically targeting this attraction have enough certainty to begin booking around a spring 2027 window.

Space Mountain Earthrise has a confirmed 2027 opening from OLC, but no confirmed season. Disney Tourist Blog’s Tom Bricker has speculated, based on the park’s tradition of major announcements on its founding date, that April 15, 2027 — Tokyo Disneyland’s 44th anniversary — is the most likely target for the full Tomorrowland opening. That is not OLC’s official position. Travelers whose trip is specifically motivated by Earthrise should wait for an official season or month before booking nonrefundable flights or hotels.

Tickets for Tokyo Disney Resort sell out for peak dates and must be purchased in advance through the official Tokyo Disney Resort website. Spring dates in Japan — especially around Golden Week in late April and early May — fill fastest. Hotel reservations at on-site Tokyo Disney Resort hotels typically become available four months before check-in at 11:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time.

Disney Premier Access — the park’s paid equivalent of Lightning Lane for high-demand rides — has not been officially announced for either new attraction, but comparable flagship rides at the park currently carry DPA pricing ranging from ¥1,500 to ¥2,000 per person. Travelers should budget for this optional surcharge.

The park’s address is Tokyo Disneyland, Tomorrowland, 1-1 Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The park is directly accessible from Maihama Station on the JR Keiyo Line from Tokyo Station, roughly 15 minutes by train. The Disney Resort Line monorail connects Maihama to the park entrance and to the resort hotels.