Space Mountain, the classic Walt Disney World attraction, celebrated its golden anniversary on Wednesday, marking 50 years since its "spaceships" first blasted off, on Jan. 15, 1975.
The iconic white building that houses the coaster in the Tomorrowland section of Magic Kingdom Park was specially lit on Wednesday evening.
Disney said the building would be "bathed in a golden glow throughout the night."
Space Mountain was one of the last attractions Walt Disney himself worked on, according to the company (he pitched the idea for a "Matterhorn in outer space"), though he would never see it come to fruition. He died in 1966.
Construction began on Dec. 15, 1972.
Mickey Mouse and friends, including Walt Disney World ambassadors Shannon Smith-Conrad and Serena Arvizu, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Space Mountain. Photo Credit: Olga Thompson, Disney
The coaster's list of firsts is impressive: Disney said it is the world's first indoor roller coaster that takes place in air conditioning, is set in the dark and is completely controlled by a computer. Its two tracks, named Alpha and Omega, are mirror images of each other and are around 3,000 feet long. The coaster reaches maximum speeds of 28 mph.
When it opened in 1975, the astronaut Col. James Irwin was its first official rider.
"We astronauts are here today to salute all those who ... permitted us to see the Earth as a precious blue jewel in the blackness of space," he said at its opening. "Now, all of us may enjoy this sense of wonder because of Walt Disney. Walt had a dream; today, we see the results of that dream."