Via Starwars.com:
PRODUCER ELISSA LOGOZIO DISCUSSES BRINGING STAR WARS TO SPACE MOUNTAIN.
As Space Mountain opened in Disneyland on May 27, 1977 — only two days after the original release of Star Wars: A New Hope — it’s somewhat appropriate that the iconic roller coaster would eventually converge with a galaxy far, far away. It became a centerpiece attraction for “Season of the Force,” a special celebration of Star Wars launched in the lead up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens — only it did so with a Star Wars twist. On November 14, 2015, Space Mountain became Hyperspace Mountain: the same thrilling ride, but this time with enveloping visuals and sounds that make you feel like you’re in an X-wing. Star Destroyers are off in the distance, TIE fighters swarm around you and blast laser bolts in your direction, all while John Williams’ classic score pounds. It’s a how-did-they-do-this? type of experience, and is not to be missed. (Purists, fear not: Hyperspace Mountain is not a permanent change.) StarWars.com caught up over e-mail with Elissa Logozio, associate producer, Walt Disney Imagineering and producer of Hyperspace Mountain, to discuss the ambitious project, from deciding what the experience would be to how its creators pulled it off.
StarWars.com: Where did the idea come from to convert Space Mountain into Hyperspace Mountain? It’s a pretty bold project, considering how iconic Space Mountain is.
Elissa Logozio: The world erupted with excitement in response to the announcement of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and our team was no exception. We wanted to find the best way to celebrate the Star Wars universe, and challenged ourselves with the iconic question: what aspirational Star Wars experiences can we offer to our guests? Space Mountain is already an exhilarating attraction that provides our guests the ability to race through space, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate Star Wars. Our team was immediately inspired by the iconic battles in the Star Wars episodic films, and knew that this was our chance to bring that to life at Disneyland.
StarWars.com: It’s called Hyperspace Mountain, but the “hyperspace” part of it is actually very short: you’re thrown into a Star Wars battle very quickly, with TIE fighters and blaster bolts screaming past you. How did you decide what the experience would be?
Elissa Logozio: Our team wanted to make sure that we recreated the excitement of Star Wars immediately; the battle erupts and you are literally (and figuratively) thrown into a roller coaster of action. We wanted to focus on the “close calls” of surrounding TIE fighters, along with the squadron of teammates that are there to help cover you. One of the biggest joys of a Star Wars encounter is hearing the squad talk to each other, protect their teammates, and make immediate strategic decisions in the heat of battle. Hyperspace Mountain was our opportunity to invite our guests to experience those incredible moments.
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