Mission Space=Big Flop?

[englanddg]

Oh yeah, the original Imagination with Dreamfinder and Figment was outstanding. Dreamfinder used to meet guests outside near the leapfrog fountains...I think your daughter would have enjoyed Horizons and Imagination, and I believe she would indeed be inspired. I remember a pic you posted awhile back with her in a "Judge me by my size, do you?" shirt...showed that pic to my wife and we both got a kick out of that. Looks like you are making wonderful memories!

Yeah, that would be this pic, I suspect.



That was from the first trip in 2010. She loved that shirt and hat and Figgy (she still sleeps with that Figgy doll, and we actually had to buy another one this past trip because she was upset her little sister keeps trying to steal it, so we bought one for her)...

It was at Reagan airport when I told her that her Mom was coming to pick her up and she wouldn't be staying with me. She...wasn't very happy.

We did have a great time though.



And we still do (this was our 2012 trip)...

 

[Sped2424]

I have never ridden it and refuse to ride it, I don't know if I have a heart defect and I don't wanna find out the hard way lol, also I get dizzy very easily. So I don't think I would appreciate the journey. I think bad press and word of mouth killed this thing from being a MUST DO at epcot. Lines are always low and you'd be scarce to find a new comer who has even heard of it before.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It always makes me laugh when people say Horizons was a tired attraction. If they took our PoTC or HM for something like MS, people would care.

That says it all doesn't it. You are correct there would be much more of an uproar and there was a reason for that. It was good, but to many, it wasn't spectacular and became a dead attraction. Something that PoTC or HM have not yet done. Both of those tell a story of sorts, Horizon was a documentary. A good one, but, didn't have the strong entertainment factor of the other two.

 

[Master Yoda]

That says it all doesn't it. You are correct there would be much more of an uproar and there was a reason for that. It was good, but to many, it wasn't spectacular and became a dead attraction. Something that PoTC or HM have not yet done. Both of those tell a story of sorts, Horizon was a documentary. A good one, but, didn't have the strong entertainment factor of the other two.

It is the inherent problem with making attractions about the future...they quickly become dated and corny.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It is the inherent problem with making attractions about the future...they quickly become dated and corny.

That is the surprising thing about Horizons, the concept wasn't dated, still isn't. No large communities live in outer space unless you call the space station a community. No one lives under the sea. No one just jumps on there jetmobile and goes from place to place. Agriculture isn't handled by hovercraft and systems that cut trees into a perfect cube. The future has not yet arrived. However, the presentation is what was dated. We had become more sophisticated (at least in our minds) and could not relate to it, so it died on the vine. The only reason that CoP still exists is that I think that there is a corporate fear that Walt will haunt them if they remove it. I think it is a great show and see it every time I go, but, to many the presentation is just pure 1959.

 

[Ralphlaw]

The green version is only bad for claustrophobic people, from what I can tell. I enjoy both versions, and I'm glad that the ride is an overall success. The problem is that this was supposed to be a big time attraction that brought people into the park. Ads at the time had a girl asking something like, "Are we still in the building?" It's nice, it's busy, but it doesn't by itself cause people to run to Epcot. Soarin' does, and I don't think that anyone predicted that Soarin' would be as popular as it is. The new Test Track, of course, has huge lines, so MS having modest lines is probably not seen as a disaster. In fact, with the new FastPass+, it's a wonderful second tier choice in a park that doesn't have tons of different attractions like Magic Kingdom.

I agree that an upgrade to have different planets to visit would be great. I've now gone to Mars with Gary Sinise dozens of times, and breaking it up ala Star Tours would be a wonderful way to get people to ride it more than once in their trips.

The overall problem with any "Future World" is that you build what is cutting edge, but then the world catches up pretty fast, making your multi-million dollar attractions quickly out of date. Both Soarin' and MS, it seems, could randomize the experience like Star Tours, keeping the investment exciting and viable for years to come.

 

[Master Yoda]

That is the surprising thing about Horizons, the concept wasn't dated, still isn't. No large communities live in outer space unless you call the space station a community. No one lives under the sea. No one just jumps on there jetmobile and goes from place to place. Agriculture isn't handled by hovercraft and systems that cut trees into a perfect cube. The future has not yet arrived. However, the presentation is what was dated. We had become more sophisticated (at least in our minds) and could not relate to it, so it died on the vine. The only reason that CoP still exists is that I think that there is a corporate fear that Walt will haunt them if they remove it. I think it is a great show and see it every time I go, but, to many the presentation is just pure 1959.

COP stays open partially due to nostalgia but I think it really owes its continued existence to it being a cheep to operate and run guest eater.

 

[KCheatle]

I feel like they went too far with it. Yes, Disney was "all about" making the ride feel realistic. But, there's a fun aspect to imagining and pretending to be something you're not, and then there's making it TOO real. They could make an experience about being a surgeon, but select number of the population has any interest in feeling what it would be like to cut into human flesh. I feel the same way about feeling the intensity of shooting off into space. Good concept, but the vast majority of the population can't handle that intensity.

 

[James122]

Good concept, but the vast majority of the population can't handle that intensity.

I see where you're coming from, but I think I agree more with one of the previous posters (not sure who it was) who stated that the general public likely underestimated the intensity of the ride because 'it's Disney' and Disney isn't known for making intense thrill rides. I agree that if Mission Space had been built down the road at Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure, it would probably be a bigger hit with guests.

 

[Glasgow]

I kind of like the idea that its not for everyone, to be honest. The argument for UNI is always that there are thrill rides and things to do that you can't get at WDW. Fair enough, i can appreciate that. MS was created, imo, as one of those attractions to bring in people who thought that Disney had just become too conservative. I, for one, am glad they built it. As i said before, i enjoy the ride but its not my favorite so i dont haave a vested interest in its succcess or lack thereof.

I think the bigger issue is that a lot folks cant judge MS on its own merits and already factor in the negative reaction due to it replacing Horizons. Again, fair enough, i too preferred Horizons in it heyday. But i still hold that MS was a successful venture, if nothing more than to display current technology and pave the way for future attractions.

Im much more concerned that WoL has been shuttered for years and that the long awaited TT update is simply the addition of a bunch of flashy lights and the REMOVAL of otherwise entertaining content.

 

[marni1971]

COP stays open partially due to nostalgia but I think it really owes its continued existence to it being a cheep to operate and run guest eater.

It's not exactly cheap. And that's a continued worry.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It's not exactly cheap. And that's a continued worry.

And think how expensive, albeit wonderful, if they replaced the AA's with current up to date ones. That also won't happen, but, it is still nice to have that connection to the past and the birth of Animatronic as an entertainment showpiece.

 

[marni1971]

And think how expensive, albeit wonderful, if they replaced the AA's with current up to date ones. That also won't happen, but, it is still nice to have that connection to the past and the birth of Animatronic as an entertainment showpiece.

Scarily, most of the AAs are A100s. They sadly have a 1993 skin that was trialled at the time as the most realistic to date but time has obviously shown it didn't age well.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Scarily, most of the AAs are A100s. They sadly have a 1993 skin that was trialled at the time as the most realistic to date but time has obviously shown it didn't age well.

Well, who of us has? Kind of realistic when you think about it.

 

[BobConnor]

COP stays open partially due to nostalgia but I think it really owes its continued existence to it being a cheep to operate and run guest eater.

Isn't that why they keep Stitch's great escape open too? Though I don't think it would cost too much to de-obnoxious that show.

 

[luv]

I have never ridden it and refuse to ride it, I don't know if I have a heart defect and I don't wanna find out the hard way...

The best thing about getting an unnecessary cardiac work up, for me, was knowing I was good to go back to Mission Space!

I think the whole "undiagnosed cardiac problem" thing kept a lot of people off.

 

[Ralphlaw]

I had lunch with an astronaut at NASA shortly after MS opened, and he had ridden it. He said it wasn't all that much like a real launch, but that the launch for Rock & Roller Coaster was what a real launch felt like, (albeit only a few seconds long as opposed to a few minutes in a real shuttle). I don't think the problem is that it's too realistic, I think it's because people with known or unknown health problems ended up riding it, tragically. My wife rode the orange version a few years back, and felt lousy for hours. I rode orange twice in a row that day, and felt woozy for a while as well. I understand Body Wars had a similar effect for some people.

By serendipity, they now have 2 versions, which is a concept that may be incorporated into future attractions. It's a whole new feel and ride system that Disney had to try once the idea came out. Unfortunately, unforeseen problems caused tragedies, but the idea was fabulous, just as well timed hydraulics in Star Tours gave a real feel to space travel. MS is a prime example of Disney pushing the envelope, but sometimes it ends up being a bit too much. Still, the orange line remains, and no new tragedies have occurred.

 

[Maryssa*]

That says it all doesn't it. You are correct there would be much more of an uproar and there was a reason for that. It was good, but to many, it wasn't spectacular and became a dead attraction. Something that PoTC or HM have not yet done. Both of those tell a story of sorts, Horizon was a documentary. A good one, but, didn't have the strong entertainment factor of the other two.

Can I hijack the thread for a moment and say you have excellent taste in ice cream?

 

[flynnibus]

The 'fuges were originally planned to be the preshow of the main space pavilion, culminating in a visit to outer space. This ride was the method of getting you there. This was the cumulative version of the many space pavilions proposed.

Proposed....

A passing commentary on this frequent subject. We often talk about what was cutback were taken out of a pavilion but are we being truthful with ourselves? Were talking about things that were proposed not necessarily what was in the final plans for the pavilion. If you are a designer you are always going to propose the most ambitious things you can... Because the project is never going to go beyond what you propose but generally can only go less then. So people always start with their most ideal plan and then compromise down to what is ultimately done.

You see this in almost every industry where what you start out with tends to be significantly more than what you pare down to the final product. The reasons why things are cut back very of course but I guess my final point is ...

Are we really being realistic when we are comparing the initial concept proposals to final product and projecting those differences as cut backs as if they were reductions in the execution of the project? 'Being cheap' is not the only reason plans change... Yet that is the impression people are steered towards.

 

[flynnibus]

It always makes me laugh when people say Horizons was a tired attraction. If they took our PoTC or HM for something like MS, people would care.

Simple... The future dates itself... Historical stuff does not. So horizons grew tired... While other similar formats remain timeless...

The 80s dated pretty quickly... Tom Fitzgerald would look like he was more from scooby doo than the future if the original was left as is...