M:S not up to par??

[surfsupdon]

Anyone who has ridden Mission Space have enough gumption to post that they did not like it or that it was blown out of proportion and over-rated ala Test Track? Or is M:S just that good of a ride?!

Not trying to be pessimistic, just wanting to hear both sides.

 

[mkt]

It's not a ride. It's not an attraction. It's an entire experience. Well worth it.

 

[dxwwf3]

Originally posted by surfsupdon
or that it was blown out of proportion and over-rated ala Test Track?

BINGO!!! :lol: You can read my trip report on the Trip Reports board for more of what I thought of M:S. It's a pretty good ride but I don't think its even close to an "Intense Thrill Ride". It's basically just a fun little simulator ride. Just don't expect anything as intense as the launch on the Rock N Roller Coaster or anything as thrilling as the Tower of Terror drops and you will enjoy it ALOT more. I was just expecting this to be the most intense thrill ride in Orlando. I should just be happy it's in the top 10.

IMO, Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, and Rock N Roller Coaster are still the top dogs on Disney property. Not only for theming but for thrills too.

 

[careship]

I've said it before and I'll say it again....

Mission:Space is not a thrill ride, it's an experience.

 

[Genius7777]

I just rode mission space about a month ago, and i have to say its a great attraction. As others have said, its not just the ride, its the whole experience that makes it great.

 

[Mission: SPACE]

My personal opinion, it is TOP DOG at WDW (if you can't tell from my name, avatar, and signature)... Although it might not be as intense as the launch on RnRC, M:S sustains it's intensity, therefore, IMO, makes it better than RnRC...

As far as 0 Gs... if you want that, go to ToT... Although on M:S you experience 'weightlessness', it's not like you are floating up, and the only thing keeping you in your seat is your restraint.


But overall, I think this is a good ride for WDW, especially Epcot... It gives the other people down the street (not naming any names) some competition. And with Soarin' on the way, I expect to see people saying they want to go to Epcot a lot more often. :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:

 

[jcraycraft]

Just got back from WDW on Sat. and we loved M:S, rode it 4 times What a great attraction and experience. Like no other attraction or ride around, can give you this experience. I was afraid that the wife would not like it, but she did. The kids 6, 7 and 15 loved it too. It’s the 7 yr old favorite attraction at Disney now!!! I think it is right up near the top of my list too. The kids liked the interactions with the control panel during the flight. I came off the attraction thinking what a fantastic technical price of work. Just my 2 cents

 

[disneydawg]

For me, MS lived up to the hype. I dont think you can judge it with some sort of thrill quotient. If you just want thrills than any coaster with a couple of loops and a big hill will suffice. Yes ToT is a thrill ride, but thats not why its great. Its great because theres a story to go along with that thrill. Not to mention the incredible theming and attention to detail. Thats why MS succeeds as well. Its the complete package, like ToT. I could ride the Hulk coaster a million times and come away happy, but never feel it was anything more than a coaster. Disney E-rides have a higher standard to adhere to, and I think MS raised the bar.

 

[surfsupdon]

It seems that now everyone is finding a loophole in the once "awe-inspiring" Mission Space. By not calling it a thrill ride, we can say it is the best "experience" anywhere. I remember when people were saying "it will be the best, most intense thrill ride in the world." Now it is referred to as an "experience," a downgrade if you ask me. It seems after experiencing MS, people really want to believe that it is the best ride around, even after feeling a little bit let down. They have to verify it to themselves that it is the best anyway possible.

By an "experience", one means the entire queue, waiting rooms, ride portion, and gift shop, not just the actual moving part. Personally, no matter how detailed a queue, I hate waiting in a line.

I'm sure most will like it, I'm sure I'll enjoy myself too.
Of course I'll go on it my next vacation, so here's hoping for something halfway decent.

 

[jcraycraft]

Originally posted by surfsupdon


By an "experience", one means the entire queue, waiting rooms, ride portion, and gift shop, not just the actual moving part. Personally, no matter how detailed a queue, I hate waiting in a line.

Let me clarify that my experience I am only talking about ride itself.....the moving part

 

[wdwfan65]

I rode Mission space in early June,I was in line for test track and noticed people going into Mission space so we got out of line to check it out.We got to ride it ,I was never so let down on a new Disney ride before.It was not great or thrilling at all,as I have said before put the tea cups in a dark room with a video screen and you have Mission space.(I could have saved Disney millions)Anyway after Mission dull ,Test track had to close because of lightning,I never got to ride Test track that day.

 

[MrPromey]

While I've always appreciated the technical complexity of Test Track I've never been a real fan of the ride. I'll go on it when there is no (or a very, very short) wait but that is about it. To me there is just nothing terribly incredible about the experience. There are a lot of people who like it and for that reason I am glad it is there. It makes the waits for everything else in the park shorter and gives them something they like - win/win...

Now, when you see people talking about the Mission Space 'experience' I think you have to take a few things into account. First of all, it is a simulator attraction (in the same general family as Body Wars and Star Tours) - It is not a roller coaster and was never suggested to be such. If you are looking for that kind of thrill ride, this is not your attraction...

It was also designed with serious efforts towards realism in mind. That means that you will be seeing everything trough 'windows' less than 1/20th the size of the screens that Body Wars and Star Tours use. It also means you are in a heavily confined space and that your vehicle will not be making huge jerky movements because traveling at over 1,000 miles an hour (sounds crazy till you realize the earth is spinning faster than that) only a slight movement will drastically change your trajectory. It is like turing the wheel of a car on the highway doing 60mph as apposed to at a street corner doing around 10mph. Because Mission Space is able to apply the g-forces against your body, they don't need to jerk your vehicle around much to simulate the movements the way traditional ride simulators do. Speed is felt in push-you-back-in-your-seat force rather than by tilting the front end of your vehicle up...

After having ridden it a few times, I honestly don't know what the people who wanted more were expecting. My only real (unvoiced) complaint was with the graphics on Mars. As it is, they are based off actual photographs so in the vein of realism, they are on track which makes my complaint rather moot...

Of course, I'm sort of from the school of thought that Disney shouldn't resort to cheap raw thrills when building their attractions in the first place so had this been nothing more than a twist-and-puke carnival ride indoors, I wouldn't have been too happy (though for what it is worth, I did see someone get off the first time I rode it who wasn't doing too hot).

I'm starting to ramble but one last thing I would like to say is that you can't compare this to something like the Tower of Terror. Imagineers lament about how they went to Otis Elevators when researching that ride and after explaining what they were looking for were meat with a response something along the lines of "We have spent the last 100 years trying to do the exact opposite". It is a ride about a rickety 75 year old unkempt elevator in a haunted hotel. Mission Space takes place roughly 30 years in the future at a time when travel into space is supposed to be more comfortable and common place than it is today. In that respect, if they wanted to make it even more realistic, they might have made it even smoother since the ride was constructed to simulate the feeling that astronauts and test pilots feel today...

In light of the fact that this attraction is in Epcot and loosely based on reality, has a serious technology firm as it's sponsor and is still opening only months after an incredibly tragic space flight, I don't think it takes a whole lot of deductive reasoning to concluded that Disney was not looking to compete with rides such as the "Hulk" when they built and have since opened the ride. If this what you were after it is quite possible that I really did like it for the exact same reason you didn't.

If you go into it basing your judgment on Disney's official marketing up to this point you are basically going into the ride with no expectations at all. If you have been coming here and checking on updates over the last three years, you are going to be disappointed because the technology that would bring your wildest imagination to life in this ride probably doesn't exist.

For those who were disappointed (and no offense to any of you - I know that my saying I don't really care about TT probably boggles the minds of many) what would this ride have had to have done in your opinion to make it something you would have been impressed by? Do you think they would have been able to give you what you wanted without compromising the seriousness and realism of the theme? (I really am interested in your opinions in regards to this because I haven't seen much in what people thought could have been better - just that they didn't think it was all that great.)

 

[esqteam]

MS Atricle in Los Angeles Times....

Saw this in the Los Angeles Times this past Sunday. I was happy to see it, but I went to Epcot on July 17 and got to ride MS. I agree that it was an awesome experience.

NEWS, TIPS & BARGAINS
The final frontier, Disney style Mission: Space, opening soon at Epcot, simulates a trip to Mars from launch, through some asteroids, to landing.

By Jane Engle, Times Staff Writer

The first big new ride at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park in five years will lift off the launchpad on Aug. 15 in Florida, aiming to simulate a trip to Mars.

The ride, called Mission: Space, took five years and a reported $100 million or more to develop with the help of former NASA advisors and scientists. (Disney spokesman Rick Sylvain declined to confirm the cost.)

Disney has made the ride available to guests several hours a day for several weeks of tests. Details were still being worked out last week, including the length of the ride, which was about four minutes.

Riders are strapped into "capsules," four people across, facing close-up screens that project the experience. With a simulated roar of the engines, they take off from Earth.

"The launch is a huge rush," Sylvain said. "Before you know it, you're on your back, looking up into the sky."

Through centrifuge technology, riders feel G-forces about twice the normal force of gravity, but "it's no more than you get on an average roller coaster," he added.

Each would-be astronaut has a role to play — pilot, engineer, navigator or commander — using buttons to guide the spacecraft past the Hubble Space Telescope and the moon and through an asteroid storm before "landing" on the Red
Planet.

To make the trip more realistic, Disney used computer-generated images based on data that a NASA satellite gathered while orbiting Mars, Sylvain said.

People who are prone to motion sickness or claustrophobia might consider skipping this trip, and warning signs to that effect are posted outside Mission: Space.

Comments posted on Internet chat rooms have been generally favorable, although a few riders complained of motion sickness.

Mission: Space will take its place in a constellation of space-themed rides at
Disney World, including Space Mountain, Star Tours, Astro Orbiter and Spaceship
Earth. The last major ride to open at Epcot was Test Track, in 1998.

Walt Disney World is open daily. Admission is $52 for adults and children older than 9, and $42 for children 3 to 9. Multi-park and multi-day passes are available. (407) 824-4321, www.disneyworld.com.

 

[Timekeeper]

"Mission:Space not tested on animals."

I've said it before in my M:S ride review post and I'll say it again here, the words to describe M:S (for me) are "cool," "neat" and "fun." And I've heard a lot of "real world" guests say the same. M:S doesn't do a heck of a lot for me, but it's worth riding. The one thing I don't think M:S has that other WDW attractions do is a strong repeat value. I was there for the annual pass preview this weekend and there was literally no wait - just walk right on into the pre-show room. But even with no wait, after riding it twice, I was done with it. I didn't see many other people going back inside for repeat rides either.

One minor citicism that hasn't really been mentioned yet is the psychological effect of riding an attaction with only 3 other people. On Test Track you're in a car with 5 other people, and in the Tower of Terror you're in an elevator with 21 other people. The fact that M:S (pods) only hold 4 people often means that you end up riding only with people that you know (a party of 4) or that your party must be broken up (party of 5 or more). There is something to be said about the psychology of riding an attraction like ToT and being affected by not only your own excitement, but the excitement of 21 other people as well. If you've ever ridden an attraction alone or with a very small amount of other people (say just prior to park close), you will know what I"m talking about. When the atmosphere is more sedate, that will have an effect on the rider's perception of the atmosphere and himself/herself. Although a "tea-cup" can only hold about 4 people, the rider maintains visual and audio perception of the other guests riding in the other teacups, screaming, laughing, etc.

People have made comparisons to the Tower of Terror or RocknRoller Coaster, and although it's true that you can't really make "comparisons," you *can* compare the reaction of the guests exiting the ride. And I can tell you that there's a BIG difference between the expression of guests leaving RnRC versus M:S. For example, I've often heard "that's the best ride I've ever been on" when leaving RnRC, but I've never heard that when leaving M:S. And when it comes down to it, what matters most? Your opinions... my opinions... or the reactions and opinions of the real world guests?

Tk

 

[dxwwf3]

Originally posted by MrPromey
For those who were disappointed (and no offense to any of you - I know that my saying I don't really care about TT probably boggles the minds of many) what would this ride have had to have done in your opinion to make it something you would have been impressed by? Do you think they would have been able to give you what you wanted without compromising the seriousness and realism of the theme? (I really am interested in your opinions in regards to this because I haven't seen much in what people thought could have been better - just that they didn't think it was all that great.)

Well my first mistake was reading all of the reviews here on the WDWMagic Boards. I heard quotes like "It feels more intense than the Rock N Roller Coaster launch and it maintains that for 30-45 seconds" and "How great the weightlessness part feels". Also hearing all of this F-Ticket talk sort of got my expetations too high. One other thing was hearing about how intense the ride actually was and how this wasn't your typical Disney thrill ride.

What I was expecting was something with the intensity of the RNRC launch during the "launch" for at least a second (considering how I read many quotes that suggested this) and I was expecting it to be a couple of minutes longer. It just seemed like we were on Mars for 10 seconds. And I really wish nobody would have said anything along the likes of weightlessness. I originally thought it would be impossible to do this but after reading all of the reviews it seemed like you would get some of that type of sensation.

But now I realize that some of the people that wrote reviews were just really excited about the ride and overexagerated a little bit. It is a great "E" Ticket ride (no more) and is one of the best rides in Orlando not to mention one of the best rides I've ever been on. It's just not the mindblowing thrill ride that some people would have you believe. It's a great fun ride that almost anybody could enjoy.

Another thing I would like to point out is I was disapointed with Spider-Man the first time I rode it too. But now it is one of my favorite rides and I KNOW Mission Space will join that group very soon as I get to ride it more. I should just not read reviews anymore :lol:

 

[Just A Big Kid]

So let see if i have this straight, M:S is basically like a Gravitron at the state fair but with TV screens right? Something tells me this will impress me about as much as Test Crap did <sigh> Anyone else miss Horizons yet?? :lol: :brick:

 

[dox]

What makes a Disney Ride unique and different than other rides IS the EXPERIENCE! I haven't ridden MS so I can't comment on MS. But anyone who expects any disney ride to be the next major thrill ride is seriously misguided. NO Disney ride will EVER be the ultimate thrill ride. Disney's aim is to have entire families ride their rides. Good or bad, that is why according to many people at this website, although I didn't notice the difference, Dinosaur was tamed down shortly after opening. ( my opinion is that the ride was improved and some additional effects were added..just MO). Again the purpose of this change was so younger kids could ride this ride. What disney does best, is creating new kinds of ride experiences and taking old style rides and making them unique.

Best examples - Space Mt. and RnRCoaster - Frankly living near Six Flags GAdv, those roller coasters are greater and most of them are much better than any Roller Coaster at Disney in terms of pure "thrills". But than why is it that although I consider myself a roller coaster enthusiast...i enjoy Space mt. and RnR more?? Because the entire experience of those rides is so incredibly unique. The ride vehicles, the darkness, the theming inside the ride, etc. etc. I could go on and on why I have more fun on Space mt. than Superman. Ultimately it is the difference between finding wrapped and unwrapped presents under the tree on xmas as a kid. Underneath it may be similar but the wrapping and presentation make it feel just that much more special.

I will say that yes somtimes people's comments do make you expect too much. Same thing happenned to me with Spider Man. Frankly to this day the appeal of this ride escapes me. I still find it too overrated. But on my last trip, I rode it twice cuz I was convinced something was wrong with me. Well I enjoyed it, and found it slightly better than what i had remembered not just from that trip but from earlier in the day. I realized i expected way too much and relaxed....and finally enjoyed it.

 

[Dr Albert Falls]

MrPromey hit the nail on the head.

Disney has done virtually NO advertising for this attraction yet.

So any "hype" has been generated by either A) people who've actually ridden it, or B) people who have speculated what it COULD be like.

Fact is, don't make ANY judgements-- positive or negative-- until you've personally ridden it.

I dare someone to accurately describe "Haunted Mansion" or "Rock-N-Roller Coaster" on these boards. Some will under-sell it. Others will over-sell it.

Either way, you'd be crazy to set your expectations based only on those written descriptions.

 

[Tim G]

Originally posted by surfsupdon
Anyone who has ridden Mission Space have enough gumption to post that they did not like it or that it was blown out of proportion and over-rated ala Test Track? Or is M:S just that good of a ride?!

Not trying to be pessimistic, just wanting to hear both sides.

ahhh... Golf terms...
In golf terms Mission:SPACE is an Albatross (*)

(*) If you get one of these, ring up the newspapers or TV station and you'll become famous.

 

[Testtrack321]

Walk into this ride with no idea what it will be like. It will be more fun then. Dont' expect it to last 20 mins or that the effects will even be half as good as they really are. Trust me this ride is really good.