Am I the only one that finds Mission: SPACE to be an underrated ride? The intimate experience often generates mocking and banter, similar to a rapid ride.
I think the root of the problem is the preshow. It starts off well by showing real astronaut space training and telling you that's what you'll be experiencing... but then it pivots and pretends it's real.
- "Before you decide if it's right for you, let me introduce you to your spacecraft"... Then we board a room full of pods that look nothing like that.
- "The success of your mission will depend on all of you working together as a team"... But all you're doing is hitting buttons when it tells you to (if you're still conscious) and those buttons do nothing.
- "Your trip will take three months..."
The whole thing wavers between telling you it's a simulator, then it's real, then it's a simulator, then it's real... stick with one or the other please!!!
Four more things:
- The CGI isn't incredibly convincing, and it doesn't help that the preshow video looks old.
- It's not the kind of ride that many people want to put themselves through more than once. Also, a number of first time guests are predisposed to it.
- The exterior feels like more of a facade than a building. It looks small in comparsion to it's neighbors UoE and TT. I think that plays a role in it's low popularity.
- Of course, it feels shallow in comparsion to Horizons, so many EPCOT Center fans naturally dislike it.
I agree that it's a good thrill ride, but I look at Mission: SPACE compared to the original Test Track and I see a clear winner. Mission: SPACE feels as messy and incohesive as this post. Hopefully the changes will help.
