After the Parisian site had been chosen and work began on Discoveryland, a showcase attraction was planned. Discovery Mountain was initially designed to feature not only Space Mountain, but a variety of other attractions, exhibits, and restaurants. The building was going to be 100 meters in diameter, rather than 61 meters, the diameter of the Space Mountain dome.
Inside there was to feature the following items.
- A large version of the Nautilus (which ended up outside of the attraction and as a walk-through attraction)
- An underwater restaurant with a Nautilus theme alongside a café
- A copy of the Horizons attraction of Epcot
- a Disneyland Railroad stop
- Free-fall ride concept, themed to Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Space Mountain
- Walkway tubes linking to the now closed Cine Magique and the Videopolis dining and stage complex
Discovery Mountain's budget became so huge, cuts were inevitable. In addition, Euro Disney had encountered a loss of billions of Francs in its first few years. Attendance was also sliding, because of the lack of visitors during the cold and Winter months, in sharp contrast to Tokyo Disneyland which sees crowds year-round regardless of weather. The Victorian design Space Mountain with only the coaster inside was then decided upon as the best choice.
Construction on the attraction began in March 1993.
Located in Discoveryland, Paris’s Space Mountain was originally designed as a view on space travel from a Jules Verne-era perspective, based on the novel From the Earth to the Moon. The Disneyland Paris version of Space Mountain is the fastest of the five versions of the ride, and is the only Space Mountain to include inversions. It is also the only Space Mountain to feature a portion of track outside the mountain itself.
Opening on June 1, 1995, the attraction features a 1.5G up hill launch at 42MPH, and three inversions including a sidewinder, a corkscrew, and a cutback. It was the first Space Mountain with on-board music, known as a SOBAT (Synchronized On-Board Audio Theme). From 1995 to 2005, the ride was known as Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune.
Space Mountain underwent modifications in 2005 and is now officially named Space Mountain: Mission 2. Some aspects of the ride have changed, such as the video shown in the second "climb" of the ride and the introduction of a very well simulated Vortex, using bent neon lights. A welcome addition to this conversion is audible French spoken countdown from three when loaded into the "Cannon", whereas before riders were held in suspense over when the "Cannon" would fire. Trains also are now fired from the bottom of the cannon, whereas originally trains stopped at the bottom of the cannon, then moved to the top of the cannon, and then launch. The track has not been altered.
The loading area has 2 sides, like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. 
On to the pins… This first one is one of the first pins for DLP, featuring the ORIGINAL DLP Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon.
This button was given to all Cast Members who worked in the first couple opening days of the attraction.
This next pin was given to winners of contests organized throughout Europe, who formed "national space travelers teams" who could experience the ride this day (the day before it opened, May 31, 1995) along with stars and tell their impressions in front of cameras so as to promote the brand new attraction.
Released apart of a Disneyland Paris 15th Anniversary Retrospective series, Space Mountain was 1995’s milestone.
This pin is a bit larger then the previous one we showed, but this one also has Disneyland Resort Paris, instead of the original one saying Disneyland Paris.
Released in 2005, these next couple of pins commemorate the newly “re-launched” Space Mountain: Mission 2.
This pin was released as a part of the same Disneyland Paris 15th Anniversary series as the 1995 one, but instead features 2005 which has the renovation of Space Mountain, renaming it Space Mountain: Mission 2.
Pictures and Information from Disney and More blog, PinPics, AllEarsNet, and Wikipedia.org
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