An 87-year-old engineer who had worked on designing and building the iconic Disneyland ride Space Mountain hadn't ridden it in 13 years, but that changed this week.
Bill Watkins is a retired Disney imagineer who was given this unique special treatment on Wednesday, February 7 — he was allowed to ride Space Mountain an hour before the park opened to the public. He worked on creating the ride from 1966 until its opening in 1977.
According to the OC Register, 29-year-old Kyle King was a super fan of the ride, and when he learned that Watkins hadn't been on it in so many years, he made it his mission to change that. King took it upon himself to contact Disneyland and set up this special galactic excursion for Watkins.
Watkins was escorted to the ride and got the privilege of seeing it in a way that most people don't: with the lights on. When asked how he felt, he replied "fine."
Watkins requested to go on the ride again, but this time in the dark. He stated that he liked it better that way, which makes sense considering it seems much faster in the dark.
“This will probably be my last ride,” Watkins said. “I suppose it’s goodbye.”
In reality, the ride only reaches a speed of 27.27 miles per hour. However, Watkins and his coworkers designed it perfectly so that the steep free fall makes you feel like you are soaring through space. The ride essentially begins up high and makes its way down.
Although the ride was built 41 years ago, it still remains a fan favorite. Over 250 million people have ridden Space Mountain since its opening day in 1977!
Watkins is still proud of his creation to this day, saying "I seldom meet anyone who hasn’t ridden it."
We're so glad this creative mastermind got a chance to experience the cosmic magic one last time.