Mission:Space : Flop?

[Tinkerbella16]

I hate Mission:Space. Went on it once, and never again...it did nothing for me, except give me a nauseating headache for the rest of the day. Horizons was a much better attraction. And Soarin & Test Track are some of the best rides wdw has. MS doesn't even compare, just my opinion.

 

[Harry456]

in my opinion, Mission:Space is the best ride in Epcot because both ( i mean Test track) is tame. To me, it feels like Thunder Railroad: fun ride, but not very thrilling or exicting (Note: i have not rode Soarin' yet, stupid college). Riding Mission:Space is like riding Tower of Terror: very thrilling ride which you ride once because it is that thrilling. (for example for you Cedar Point Fans: it like riding Millennium Force, once is enough for one day)

 

[DisneyGigi]

When we have been the wait is always longer for the intense version but it was never more than 25 minutes, while the wait for the green side was 5-10. The kids are able to ride MS more than any other ride at EPCOT now that I think about it, they love it (orange) I like it (green) but I am too scared to ride the intense so I usually go shopping at MouseGears while they do it over and over. I don't see how they do it, kids are tough or crazy one!

 

[Pete C]

I've been on 150+ different rollercoasters around the world, but no ride did what MS did to me. I will never go on the Orange side again...I just felt all out of sorts for a few hours after riding. It was very intense and I am glad I tried it, but I just don't want to take the chance of ruining my day for that experience. I do the Green side every visit now because the waits are very short, but Green falls too short on sensations as a pure simulator. I do like the ride film and the overall presentation, effects, etc. I just wish they had come up with a different way to simulate gravity other than spinning...not that there are many options there.

Honestly, I just don't understand how this ride got out of testing. Didn't they rig up the screen to an existing centrifuge to see how it would affect the rider? The ride forces you to look at an image that your body is not in tune with...what did they expect to happen??

 

[eclipseSD]

If you ever ride in a convertible on an empty interstate, you can go 15-20mph faster than Test Track and achieve perhaps an even greater "high"

If you go hiking or hangliding in many parts of the country, you can experience vistas and sensory overloads far exceeding that of Soarin' (and for a much longer time).

However, unless one goes into astronaut or perhaps military flight training, one will seldom have access to the experience of space flight in one's lifetime. M:S, unlike Soarin' and TT, fulfills the mission of EPCOT Center by demonstrating the latest and greatest aerospace technology with a look towards its application for the future of the human race. Sorry, but driving a car and hangliding ain't fulfilling the educational and futuristic goals set forth originally in the way that M:S does.

Therefore, while I believe Horizons should have remained, at least its replacement remains true to the ideals of education and the development of future technology, unlike World of Motion's "look a car can go 65 mph!" replacement.

Now one can argue that its educational efforts are far outweighed by the nauseating effects of the g-forces on many. First of all, there is a green side which eliminates this problem, so access to the ride shouldn't be an issue.

Second, having ridden during both during the testing stage in 2003 and at the current time, the g-force effects seem to have been lessened, which I think is a shame for there are so few truely "thrilling" rides at WDW as it is and toning down what should be the most extreme does disservice to those who can take the g's. (I'm in favor of splitting the ride into quarters, with increasing levels of g forces based on the pod's color, but oh well)

While there many rides for the "kid at heart," I feel that the 18-35 age group has continually suffered at the expense of babying. ToT no longer has the full drop on every ride, the fun of Alien Encounter was totally eliminated in every possible way (who didn't love "that looks like my mother-in-law!"), and, once again, the Test Track car would probably be passed by me on the interstate for going too slow. Yes, RnR and EE are awesome and the visuals in these ride make them probably two of the best indoor coasters in the country, even though the coasters taken alone are fairly unremarkable.

I absolutely love Disney and understand its for children of all ages, I just wish they weren't always so concerned about dumbing everything quality down (AE, TSI, removal of SoS references in Splash queue, Future World, Tomorrowland, etc) in favor of the lowest common denominator.

 

[Timmay]

Well said!

As an opinion based on little fact, yes it is.
As a matter of absolute fact...not so much.

Honestly, I just don't understand how this ride got out of testing. Didn't they rig up the screen to an existing centrifuge to see how it would affect the rider? The ride forces you to look at an image that your body is not in tune with...what did they expect to happen??

What does that mean exactly? You look at the screen, it's right in front of your face. You have to try to not see it. What's the issue?

I can't ride Star Tours, neither can my mother. The thing makes us sick and dizzy. I wonder how it ever got out of testing!?!

 

[markjohns1]

Honestly, I just don't understand how this ride got out of testing. Didn't they rig up the screen to an existing centrifuge to see how it would affect the rider? The ride forces you to look at an image that your body is not in tune with...what did they expect to happen??

See how it would affect the rider? Many do not even realize they are spinning. Most are barely affected by it at all. Having personally been yelled at by guests because I "lied" to them when I said the ride spun for the entire experience, that's a good indication the ride is pretty "in tune" with the image.

 

[marni1971]

Flop? No.

The huge hit Eisner wanted? Not that either.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

I don't hate it, but I'm not crazy about it. It seems to be a disappointment in a few ways. I love thrill rides, but I don't consider this a real thrill ride. I don't laugh/scream on M:S like I do on TT, EE, Aerosmith, or the Tower. It doesn't leave me with that "ahhhh" feeling that Soarin' does. I'll ride M:S if my hubby wants to, but otherwise I wouldn't care if I didn't ride it more than once my entire trip. I'd rather go to SSE, Figment, the World Showcase, etc... Epcot is so diverse and interesting that I don't want to waste time on something that doesn't have the "Epcot/Disney magic". I'm sure M:S does have that magic for many people. To me, it's just an okay ride worth visiting occasionally. My hubby LOVES it. He thinks it is one of the coolest rides ever. To each their own I suppose.

 

[tirian]

Flop? No.

The huge hit Eisner wanted? Not that either.

That's the easiest way to answer the post.

 

[SeaBreeze]

Honestly, I just don't understand how this ride got out of testing. Didn't they rig up the screen to an existing centrifuge to see how it would affect the rider?

One of my friends was an Imagineering Intern and was a test rider for M:S. His proud boast is being the first one to not, em, have a protein spill, after. He claims that's why the floors are that plastic stuff used now. How much is true, who knows but I don't doubt it So yes, they were quite aware that the ride was intense; they knew that before it was even done because that's what a centrifuge does.

However, after listening to his colorful array of tales, I have to admit that I've avoided M:S completely as a guest

 

[jakeman]

WOW...Thank you for dissecting my two word post. I would beg to differ about your statement of not being "a matter of absolute fact". I spent an entire afternoon in the 25th anniversary display at EPCOT listening to what the guest had to say...99% said how they missed Horizons and WOM and wished they had never been replaced. Many guest even said to others in their parties "Hey, do you remember that ride where you got to pick your ending, boy I miss that". I am going to say that it is some what fact that M:S and WOM are a lot less memorable then Horizons or TT.

So you asked people who were at Epcot's 25th? I'm going to go out on a limb here an say that is probably not representative of the average park goer.

Really what others have said is probably more correct, if there is any wait at all then it is probably meeting its hourly ride capacity.

Overall though, this is just another rabble rousing questions that none of us have answers to.

 

[Edisto Pluto]

No, this is a great ride. It has so many layers of discovery. My 78 year old mom has ridden many times. She has never gotten ill and always raves about it all the way to Test Track.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Not really related, but I still like this article from this LA entertainment industry blog, regarding Mission:Space, right after the last death:

Disney World's "Mission: SPACE" ride, otherwise known by its unofficial nickname, "Mickey's Spinning Vortex of Death," has claimed yet another victim:

A 49-year-old German woman died after riding a rocket simulator at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park in Florida, the second person to die in less than a year after riding on Mission: SPACE, state officials said on Thursday. [...] The attraction uses spinning centrifugal force to create the sensation of a rocket launch.
Mission: SPACE reopened to the public on Thursday morning, Disney said in a statement.
In June 2005, 4-year-old Daudi Bamuwamye of Pennsylvania died after riding Mission: SPACE with his mother and losing consciousness.
​

We must caution anyone who plans on visiting the park to avoid the ride at any cost, though we can't guarantee safety at the comparatively lower-risk attractions, either: Two clog-wearing youths were recently gunned down in a tram-by shooting outside the food court in the World Showcase's English ghetto.

Geez! Who's brilliant idea was it to let a 49 year old on that? that's almost as dumb as letting on the 4 year old :brick:

 

[Ralphlaw]

Not to burst anyone's balloon, but an astronaut I met said that the first few seconds of Rock & Roller Coaster is far more representative of the space experience than Mission Space. He compared the R&R takeoff to a shuttle launch, which he has experienced several times. I still like it though.

The astronaut's name is Jim Blaha, and he was our "Lunch with an astronaut" at Kennedy space center a few years ago. Just thought you all might want to know.

By the way, all of these rides have their own unique thrill, but I cannot in my lifetime count on ever launching into space, hang-gliding over California, test-driving a new auto, falling in an elevator, blowing up the death star, or any of the other "actual" experiences, especially with full musical accompaniment. Maybe some day, but time, age, and money may eliminate my hopes for doing all of this. That's why Disney is so cool: I can do all of it, and still have supper in Germany.

 

[hokielutz]

Well to be fair, UoE and Imagination have alot more seats to fill!

I really think that it all stems to the intensity of the ride. Now why would someone not ride the Green version? Thats completely tame.....

That was my point... why would you avoid the green. My wife and I took both sets of parents and friends of ours to Disney a year ago at different times... and we couldn't get any of them to go on M:S. The friends we brought with us (a married couple our age) couldn't be budged onto it... But they were more than willing to ride RnRC and ToT several times in a row.
Reason they didn't go is the bad press generated from the two unfortunate deaths, and opinions from their own family who had no first hand experience with the ride. Try as we did... the answer was no to both Orange and Green.

So the above is an example of why ridership is not higher on M:S, which can probably be applied to many other guests. All you need is a little inkling of doubt placed in your head, and the mind throws on the brakes.

 

[hokielutz]

One of my friends was an Imagineering Intern and was a test rider for M:S. His proud boast is being the first one to not, em, have a protein spill, after. He claims that's why the floors are that plastic stuff used now. How much is true, who knows but I don't doubt it So yes, they were quite aware that the ride was intense; they knew that before it was even done because that's what a centrifuge does.

However, after listening to his colorful array of tales, I have to admit that I've avoided M:S completely as a guest

I heard, that based on the results of those same trials, the imagineers adjusted the forced A/C flow on the heads of the guests. Cool air flow counteracts and controls the buildup of nausea feelings during the ride.

 

[hokielutz]

Good to know that I am not the only one. Do you also feel the urge to impersonate Scotty from Star Trek when you are on M:S?

I'll be the third member of your club that does this too. :lol:

 

[adrianuk91]

This is a bit off topic but i really want to go on mission space the orange version when we go to wdw in october as im a huge space (for lack of a better word) geek, ive never been on it before or the green version but im worried that im just gonna feel really ill or throw up afterwards:hurl: and it would spoil my as i get sometimes get motion sickness however i can go on the tea cups spinning as fast as we can which was very fast IMO the last time i went on them at alton towers and im fine on rollercoasters and the waltzers the only time i felt a lil bit sick was after me and my dad had rode space mountain at DLP for the 4th time in a row, so could i ask for some advise before you say it i know that most of you are probably not doctors and all that i just would like a little bit of advise instead of me panicing in the queue which i managed to achieve very well the first time i rode ToT with the aid of my dad winding me up even more soz for the long post im good at rambling on about anythin :shrug:

 

[Paul06TC]

I would say it is a flop...I don't really like the ride, and when we were at WDW 2 days after new years Test Track and Soarin' were packed and Mission Space really wasn't busy at all. Its really sucks because there isn't much interactiveness. It would be cool thou if they revamped it so every time you went on it was different. Can I say VIDEO GAME. In the part when your going to go over the cliff I always try to rock the ship to make it fall over but it never does . and I only ride the orange as I don't get motion sickness at all..I could ride the ride all day and wouldn't feel a thing.