How big are the drops and how fast are space mountain and big thunder mountain rr?

[cmputerdazed]

How do they both compare to the Matterhorn? Thanks for your opinions/input.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Both these rides are much, much smoother and much, much easier to ride (my opinion, but shared by many friends!) than Matterhorn. I like Matterhorn, but it is painful to ride for me (soooo bumpy). But I can ride BTMRR and SM without worry. There are no "drops" -- I define drops like the drops on IC -- more like fast turns and some bunny hills. SM can feel faster than it really is because the ride building is dark and, unless you are in the front row, you can't really see where you are going. BTMRR isn't that fast because it speeds up and slows down during the ride, rather than racing full speed the whole time.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Matterhorn is rough and neither of the others is. The drops on al lof them are minimal. Space's seem bigger just because they're totally in the dark and I think the speed is a bit bgreater.
I'm not big on RC's but I really like BT. It has great theming and the G forces are very minimal.
Space isn't quite as enjoyable (to me) because you can't see whats coming. You can't brace yourself and you end up being tossed side to side and up and down. Eventually you memorize the track layout if you ride it enough.

 

[avalon451]

Space is very similar in track type to Matterhorn, in that you are taken up the the top and then basically you coast around in spirals to the bottom, with a few bunny hills in there. There are YouTube videos, I believe, of people who were on Space when it broke down, and they turned on the lights and basically give the vehicle a shove to get it to coast down to the bottom. So you can see what the ride looks like with lights on. However, as the previous posters have said, it’s much smoother than Matterhorn. It mostly goes in spirals to the right, so especially if you’re seated on the left side, you’ll get shoved into the side of the vehicle on the left. I came home with bruises on my left thigh and arm when we were there a few weeks ago. I love it, though, esp the Hyperspace version! Also, I read somewhere that because you’re in the dark, you feel like you’re going super fast, but really it’s not a very fast roller coaster- like 35 mph, I think?
DH used to love coasters, but he finds Space too intense now. However, he loves BTMRR. It’s fun but not really scary, the drops are not humongous. It’s very noisy, though, esp in the tunnels!

 

[Mike_M]

Each one is quite different in my opinion. I love all three and will try and impart how I see them.

The Matterhorn Bobsleds can be a bit of a rough experience (though I’ve found it to be significantly smoother than it was 10 years ago). It has the sharpest turns and humps of the three. Younger kids may be frightened by the Yeti (Harold) more than the coaster itself. The left track always feels faster and smoother to me than the right track.

Space Mountain always feels the fastest of the three. Part of that feeling I believe comes from riding in the dark. It’s smooth and that feeling of speed I think is enhanced by the darkness of space. You have less of an idea what’s coming up due to the darkness so turns and drops are more of a surprise than on an outdoor coaster.

Big Thunder Mtn RR is the most themed of the three. I’d call it the tamest of the three also. Very smooth, and with three ascension hills, it gives you a chance to build anticipation of what’s coming up more than once (or a relaxing moment to catch the view for more experienced riders). As a kid, it was my favorite of the three. My personal preference is to try and get in the very back of the train as the speed of the train picks up once half of it has reached the peak of each hill. In the back you get whipped over the hill for an exciting addition. For a less thrilling experience (which some may prefer), the front of the train is a few feet over the hump before it starts picking up speed which eases you into the fast sections. if Rollercoasters are not your thing, BTMRR may still offer a fun ride and be tame enough to experience and enjoy.

All in all, none of the three compare to modern coasters as far as thrill goes. The closest you’ll get to something from Six flags is the Incredicoaster ( my favorite coaster in Orange County is Silver Bullet at Knotts Berry Farm. Front row is like nothing else. )

 

[NewbieMouse]

Much smoother than the Matterhorn. One run on the Matterhorn is like a visit to the chiropractor!

 

[BrianL]

Top Speeds:
Matterhorn: 27 MPH
Space Mountain: 30 MPH (information based on Tokyo Disneyland installation but it is a clone)
Big Thunder: 35 MPH

Space & Big Thunder are much smoother though. On BTTMR it can matter where you ride - if you are in the back you will get more "air time" as you will be going downhill a bit faster than in the front (the hills are so small that the front is almost to the bottom before the entire train crests top). This is why some request the back, but you may also wish to avoid it if you don't like that. They are all three pretty mild rides by coaster standards.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Space and Big Thunder are family-oriented "baby" coasters. Neither has anything remotely resembing a biggie drop - both are slow by normal coaster standards and drops are more like 'dips'. People love the rides for the scenery. These little coasters would be an absolute snoozefest if not for the darkness or gorgeous western theming. 30 mph over bunny bumps. "Zoom into a turn, glide up and down and go into another turn, then turn, turn again and bumpy bumpy bumpy!" LOL!

Space Mountains darkness gives the illusion the ride is faster than it really is. Check out the link below to understand the general gist of how Space Mountain looks and flows with the lights turned on. Even if the images are mostly SM in WDW, it's so similar to SM in Disneyland that the comparison is valid IMO.

https://disney-world-infoo.blogspot.com/2018/07/space-mountain-track-layout-disney-world.html

 

[cmputerdazed]

Thank you all. I am not much for "air time" but am able to ride the matterhorn but didn't dare try the other two. May give them a shot next trip. Thanks again

 

[Huff]

Space Mountain is very smooth and no steep drops. Goes up the hill, levels off for a couple turns then very gently starts down. It is not very fast as coasters go but gives the illusion of a higher speed due to turns and lighting effects. The sound track plays from speakers inside the car which is awesome! Have ridden with others that hated coasters because of drops but they loved Space Mountain.

Big Thunder has no big drops as well. It's a fun ride with 3 short lifts rather than the usual 1.

The only coaster at DLR that could be too much for many would be Incredicoaster (I still call it Scream'n). It does have a few somewhat steep drops and a loop. Very fun but start with the other coasters first.

Have you gone on Grizzly Rapids? It's drops are way more than Space or Thunder. Same with Splash Mountain. Heck, Pirates has bigger drops!

 

[Huff]

Top Speeds:
Matterhorn 27mph
Space Mountain 28mph
Big Thunder 30mph
Incredicoaster 55mph

Biggest drop:
Matterhorn 30 feet
Space Mountain 26 feet
Big Thunder 39 feet but not very steep
Incredicoaster 108 feet