Nipponica

Maho Yamamoto, 27, who visited on the final day of the ride, told the Mainichi Shimbun, "Since it (the closure) was announced, I've been counting down to this day. The ride's charm is its ability to simulate space." Her mother, Kumiko, 62, said with a smile, "I'm overwhelmed with emotion. I've been bringing my daughter to Disneyland since she was little, and we used to ride it twice or three times a day. It's a bit sad, but I'm also looking forward to the new Space Mountain."

Tokyo Disneyland on Wednesday closed its highly popular Space Mountain ride for renovations until 2027, its operator said, after the roller coaster traveled a total of 22.6 million kilometers since its maiden voyage in 1983, equivalent to 29 round trips between the Earth and Moon.

While its general design will not change significantly, new sound and lighting effects promise to dazzle guests even further, said Oriental Land Co., which will invest around 56 billion yen ($372 million) in the makeover.

Pour one out for one of the classics. I do trust that Oriental Land Company will actually improve the ride as their work over the past decade has usually been exceptional compared to the drastic decline of the Disney parks on the other side of the Pacific.

It had been raining since the morning, but the rain stopped occasionally during the parade. Sensing that the guests were losing energy in the heat, Baymax stopped the floats and splashed water on them. The guests cheered loudly.

Baymax for PM.