Space Mountain closed until 2005

On the same day that Disneyland opened its new Winnie the Pooh ride to the public this week, it shuttered a longtime favorite: the Space Mountain roller coaster.

The closure came Thursday without advance notice. A park spokesman later confirmed that the ride will remain dark for two years, as Disney rebuilds the coaster for the park’s 50th-anniversary celebration in 2005.

Disneyland spokesman John McClintock declined to reveal specifics, but said that the planned changes would “add a level of excitement to the attraction.”