Mission Space Opening Day Suggestions?

[adr315]

I'll be there the 15th, and I'm wondering what people suggest i should do?

Is it best to rush at park opening? Or is just getting a fast pass the way to go?

Are fast passes finishing early on like at Test Track?

Ill be staying at Boardwalk... does the World Showcase entrance open at Future World opening time or at World Showcase opening time? Because if it opens later, ill have to drive to Epcot...

Thanks for the help!

 

[s25843]

As far as I know the WS Entrance will only let you in early if you have a legit reason to go in early (Priority Seating, Tour etc)

And YES go there right when you get there, maybe get a FP and then hop in line, that way you can ride 2 times, also remember that Epcot is closing at 3pm on the 15th

 

[AndyMagic]

Originally posted by s25843
As far as I know the WS Entrance will only let you in early if you have a legit reason to go in early (Priority Seating, Tour etc)

And YES go there right when you get there, maybe get a FP and then hop in line, that way you can ride 2 times, also remember that Epcot is closing at 3pm on the 15th

Isn't M:S closing at 3p.m. on October 9th, not August 15th.

 

[s25843]

Originally posted by AndyMagic
Isn't M:S closing at 3p.m. on October 9th, not August 15th.

Duhh :hammer:

LOL Thanks for the correction, thats what I get for typing it at 1am LOL

 

[Dr Albert Falls]

FYI--- there is no longer an August 15th "opening".

Mission:Space open NOW.

There was a full page color ad in Sunday's Orlando Sentinel with lots of photos announcing they had changed the date to August 10th.

Epcot park maps now feature Mission:Space ON THE COVER as well as on the map itself.

Technically, from now until October 9th M:S is in "soft opening"--- which basically means if the ride breaks down and you complain to Guest Relations, they have an excuse to shrug you off.

But with 4 separate centrifuges, it's HIGHLY unlikely that M:S will ever get COMPLETELY shut down.

Don't waste your time rushing the gates on the 15th. Go the 14th instead!

 

[tigsmom]

We just got back and Mission:Space was up and running in previews. The maps made no mention of it, so this must be new. Couldn't find the courage to go on but my DH and 8 y/o DD did.
We waited for them in the post ride room. Saw a lot of people laughing and having a great time, both young and old. Also a lot of sick people. One girl about 20 had to be dragged out by 3 friends and sat for 1/2 an hour with her head between her knees. It took 3 people to drag her out. Also saw a woman in the gift shop tell her DH she didn't feel well and the collapse on the floor! One guy was taken out in a w/c (didn't go in that way).

My guys made it out OK, but my DD was sick about 15 mins later and my DH had a sore chest for a few hours...said it felt like someone had their fist in his chest since the ride started. Neither plans on going back.

 

[Shaman]

Wait Time

Perhaps there won't be any need for Fast pass because the times I rode, the wait was not greater that 35 minutes...I don't know if this was because people did not know the attraction was open...or because there are four centrifuges and they can get alot of people moving and the wait won't exceed 40 minutes or something...but you shouldn't go mad...I sure didn't and rode it with opportunity to ride as many more times as I wanted afterwards. Don't know how long that will last...but since you're stayin at the Boardwalk perhaps early entry is your best bet if you want to beat the crowds...I think they are doing a different park each day so find out when is EPCOT's early entry day for resort guest.

And yea....like previously stated...M:S is fully operational and is open everyday...so don't wait to the Aug 15.

Have fun!

 

[Shaman]

Originally posted by tigsmom
We just got back and Mission:Space was up and running in previews. The maps made no mention of it, so this must be new. Couldn't find the courage to go on but my DH and 8 y/o DD did.
We waited for them in the post ride room. Saw a lot of people laughing and having a great time, both young and old. Also a lot of sick people. One girl about 20 had to be dragged out by 3 friends and sat for 1/2 an hour with her head between her knees. It took 3 people to drag her out. Also saw a woman in the gift shop tell her DH she didn't feel well and the collapse on the floor! One guy was taken out in a w/c (didn't go in that way).

My guys made it out OK, but my DD was sick about 15 mins later and my DH had a sore chest for a few hours...said it felt like someone had their fist in his chest since the ride started. Neither plans on going back.

Sounds like not everyone can ride this thing then...the times I went on with my brother and sister we all came out alright...but who knows why these things happen. Hopefully they'll figure why some get sick and why some don't.

Maybe some of the people did not take heed of the warnings and therefore got sick...maybe the man in the wheelchair had back problems and still went on...maybe the woman that collapsed had heart trouble and still went on.....and as for the girl that had to be carried off by her friends...maybe she was dehydrated before she went on and got worst afterwards....

There are millions of explantions...but this ride for the most part doesn't make you sick.........and BTW you should try it...I think you may enjoy it.

 

[pan11435]

Technically, from now until October 9th M:S is in "soft opening"--- which basically means if the ride breaks down and you complain to Guest Relations, they have an excuse to shrug you off.

I still don't agree with this. The ride is now open. The past two months were soft opening. Then they have the press event oct 9.
It's just like when Animal Kingdom Lodge opened. It opened with people staying their like two weeks before they did the thing for the press with the cast of the lion king from broadway. However before any guests were in the rooms people were allowed to visit by bus. I know because I did.

Another example is how Walt Disney World opened on October 1 but the dedication wasn't till lke the 25th. This was not a soft opening between the 1st and 25th the park was fully open.

 

[Dean[AU]]

OT: Whats the capicty of M:S?

 

[Dr Albert Falls]

Pan11435......

Disney is not the only company to schedule "Grand Opening" celebrations months after the doors first open. Every grocery store, car dealership, and department store in your town does the SAME THING.

Opening up a grocery store or a multi-million dollar one-of-a-kind theme park attraction can be extremely unpredictable. Technical problems, contractor disputes, and other factors can potentially delay any project.

If you set your "Grand Opening" too early, you risk disappointing the public with an inferior product (Disney learned that from Test Track, Light Magic, and... believe it or not... the original Disneyland, which could have used a few more days of preparation. The public and the press SLAMMED the new park!)

Although Disney announced the October 9th M:S "Grand Opening" in April, that date was actually set in stone LONG before. Ad agencies had to be given time to roll out a campaign. Budgets had to be set. Dignitaries had to be invited/booked. Merchandise had to be designed. MANY departments needed a "Grand Opening" date to schedule their tasks.

Fortunately for us guests (and Disney), the company realized that M:S was way ahead of its extremely conservative construction schedule. They learned the attraction could be RELIABLY up and running by mid-August. That's why they made that awkward announcement of the "soft openings".

But even THAT date was too conservative. As we saw, people were riding M:S in mid-June.

The good news is that Disney has put all those extra days to good use. By now, cast members have had plenty of time to learn the complicated boarding procedures. Disney has already made complex changes to the pre-show, based on early guest reactions.

For guests, that means we got the chance to ride much earlier than expected (if I could go on Expedition:Everest today, I'd jump at the chance!)

For Disney, they can begin promoting the attraction earlier, hopefully boosting late-summer attendance, and certainly getting a jump on the slower Fall "off-season".

Would anyone REALLY want that building sitting empty--waiting for an official "Grand Opening"-- knowing the attraction was fully operational? I doubt guests would stand for it. Neither would Disney execs, who are anxious to see a return on their investment.

Some have speculated that this prolonged "opening" schedule will weaken and "water down" Disney's promotional efforts. I really doubt it. People are going to visit this attraction (and drop their money in Disney's coffers) whether it opened in June, August, or October.

Disney ads still feature Splash Mountain, 12 years after that "Grand Opening". And the sight of guests plunging down the hill is still drawing visitors!

 

[pan11435]

Disney is not the only company to schedule "Grand Opening" celebrations months after the doors first open. Every grocery store, car dealership, and department store in your town does the SAME THING.

Opening up a grocery store or a multi-million dollar one-of-a-kind theme park attraction can be extremely unpredictable. Technical problems, contractor disputes, and other factors can potentially delay any project.

If you set your "Grand Opening" too early, you risk disappointing the public with an inferior product (Disney learned that from Test Track, Light Magic, and... believe it or not... the original Disneyland, which could have used a few more days of preparation. The public and the press SLAMMED the new park!)

Although Disney announced the October 9th M:S "Grand Opening" in April, that date was actually set in stone LONG before. Ad agencies had to be given time to roll out a campaign. Budgets had to be set. Dignitaries had to be invited/booked. Merchandise had to be designed. MANY departments needed a "Grand Opening" date to schedule their tasks.

Fortunately for us guests (and Disney), the company realized that M:S was way ahead of its extremely conservative construction schedule. They learned the attraction could be RELIABLY up and running by mid-August. That's why they made that awkward announcement of the "soft openings".

But even THAT date was too conservative. As we saw, people were riding M:S in mid-June.

The good news is that Disney has put all those extra days to good use. By now, cast members have had plenty of time to learn the complicated boarding procedures. Disney has already made complex changes to the pre-show, based on early guest reactions.

For guests, that means we got the chance to ride much earlier than expected (if I could go on Expedition:Everest today, I'd jump at the chance!)

For Disney, they can begin promoting the attraction earlier, hopefully boosting late-summer attendance, and certainly getting a jump on the slower Fall "off-season".

Would anyone REALLY want that building sitting empty--waiting for an official "Grand Opening"-- knowing the attraction was fully operational? I doubt guests would stand for it. Neither would Disney execs, who are anxious to see a return on their investment.

Some have speculated that this prolonged "opening" schedule will weaken and "water down" Disney's promotional efforts. I really doubt it. People are going to visit this attraction (and drop their money in Disney's coffers) whether it opened in June, August, or October.

Disney ads still feature Splash Mountain, 12 years after that "Grand Opening". And the sight of guests plunging down the hill is still drawing visitors!

I understand this. What im saying is that although the grand opening is not till Oct 9, the ride is officially open Aug 10, everything before Aug 10 was soft opening. not the time from now till Oct 9th.

 

[jcraycraft]

Originally posted by tigsmom
We just got back and Mission:Space was up and running in previews. The maps made no mention of it, so this must be new. Couldn't find the courage to go on but my DH and 8 y/o DD did.
We waited for them in the post ride room. Saw a lot of people laughing and having a great time, both young and old. Also a lot of sick people. One girl about 20 had to be dragged out by 3 friends and sat for 1/2 an hour with her head between her knees. It took 3 people to drag her out. Also saw a woman in the gift shop tell her DH she didn't feel well and the collapse on the floor! One guy was taken out in a w/c (didn't go in that way).

My guys made it out OK, but my DD was sick about 15 mins later and my DH had a sore chest for a few hours...said it felt like someone had their fist in his chest since the ride started. Neither plans on going back.

I wondering over what period of time did you observed this ... 30mins, 60mins ... seems like you witness a battle zone :lol:
The 2 times we went to M:S, I only saw one person that may have been sick... her mom was her daughters face with a guide map just outside the gift shop. But ... it could have been the heat or other issues. Saw no one inside sick. Sorry to hear you family had problems...BTW did the like the ride at all?

 

[Dr Albert Falls]

pan11435 wrote:

I understand this. What im saying is that although the grand opening is not till Oct 9, the ride is officially open Aug 10, everything before Aug 10 was soft opening. not the time from now till Oct 9th.

---------------------------------------------

Technically, you're right (when a ride shows up on a map, it's no longer a "soft opening")

But that's what WDW President Al Weiss is calling this period between August and October.

Nobody can agree on the proper language to call it all. But again, WHO CARES?????

The fact is, Disney was OVER-conservative on scheduling the Grand Opening. The ride was completed ahead of schedule, and apparently with few technical difficulties.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I'd rather they be conservative than fall behind schedule, but I'm glad the two dates they set, August 15 and October 9, did not keep them from letting their summer guests enjoy this attraction.

Supposedly the capacity on this attraction is about 2000 guests per hour, but my math would disagree. From the ride cycle clocks on the ready room, they can send a maximum of 160 riders through every 5:40, which comes out to 10.6 ride cycles per hour. Multiplied by 160, we get about 1700 guests per hour.