Mission: Space what i think it will look like

[Florida Man]

Originally posted by arstogas
The attraction is being provided by ETC under a very expensive contract with Disney. I recently managed to "Trick" them into confirming as much via a recent e-mail, by casually complementing their work on the attraction, within the letter to staff. After the fact, there was a follow up letter that was kind of ... concerned... from someone higher up, about who I was. (I write pretty good letters when I need to)

The attraction is more or less all out there for people to examine. It's composed of individual pods suspended on gimbals that work on x an y axes, each supported at the end of a "spoke" coming from a hub. Once you board concealed entries to the pods, the centrifuge begins to spin, almost like a very high tech "Dumbo" ride. That's kind of a disservice to the techonology, to mention Dumbo in the same breath. However, each pod has its own high definition (I don't know if they'll use 3-D and synchronized helmets, but I wouldn't be surprised) video display, simulating your view of space, takeoff, etc. I DON'T know anything about the actual film portion of the attraction.

However, the g-forces from the centrifuge, combined with the x and y movement capacity of the pod movement system, combined with convincing in-cabin sound and film effects, gives you the bulk of the thrill portion of the ride. There are four centrifuges with (I think) a dozen pods in each, which would allow for a very high max cap per hour, something in the 2000 range, I believe.

I wasn't the first to point out ETC's likely involvement in this endeavor. But here's what really made me send the e-mail:

1) They first announced a deal with a "Major entertainment company" that operated Theme parks, to provide LBE's (Location based entertainment) to a variety of locations FOR that company. Shortly after this, it was confirmed that ETC was making the "Virtual Space Mtn" devices for DISNEYQUEST (intended originally for numerous locations, but now only one exists).

2) Two years later, in January of 2000, within a few months that MISSION SPACE was announced, ETC announced a contract worth over 25 million dollars initially with the SAME entertainment company they'd been working with before, and gave a timetable of THREE YEARS to fully produce the needed product. 2000 to 2003's scheduled opening of MISSION SPACE, and that fits perfectly. It also fits with the rough budget numbers that have been thrown around for this attraction. When you figure that the ride film will likely cost as much as the ride vehicles, then throw in an extremely complex building to house it, and pre and post-show elements, maintenance costs (which will be high), this all fits.

So I wrote the letter, and it was funny that they actually thought they were being pretty clandestine about all this, when their site has actual computer mockups displaying sections of the ride system.

So sorry... no wraparound movie screen... you will have a screen in each and every little pod, and that's akin to the simulators Nasa uses for training purposes. And that's essentially what they're posturing this to be, a flight training facility.

Should be fun... and hey! less than a year!

Thx!!! I guess your idea makes more sense. ANd that was pretty good about how you did that letter.

 

[MajinBuu]

Sounds kool.

I, myself, think the systme, being that there was a pic from space on the site not so long ago, i think there will be spin/centrifuge(SP?) system.

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by ken-oh-ki
Sounds kool.

I, myself, think the systme, being that there was a pic from space on the site not so long ago, i think there will be spin/centrifuge(SP?) system.

Go to the bottom of the first page to see the sat pic from space

 

[wanabeimagineer]

Re: Mission: Space Idea

Originally posted by DISNEYRULES!!!
Ok this is what i think it will look like:


Insted of a spinner like everybody else thinks i think it will be a motion/3D simulator like Spiderman but it doesnt move in relative to the ground but shakes. You will be sitting in chairs or pods with other people, facing a circular screen. A 3D movie then will be projected from within the screen like big screen TV's do in a 360 type manor so all the people around the whole circle get their own view. As the movie plays your vehicle shakes like Star Tours. So you will get the sensation of blasting off and moving. The ride will be like every 5 min due to it being more like a show than a contineus moving ride like the Haunted Mansion. While the people are waiting to get on their "pods" they will be briefed in a breifing like testrcks but much larger. And thats what I think the rides going to be like. :sohappy:

Good guess, but Disney has already officially announced that you will experience weightlessness and your idea doesn't allow for that.

 

[jmarc63]

Re: Re: Mission: Space Idea

Originally posted by wanabeimagineer


Good guess, but Disney has already officially announced that you will experience weightlessness and your idea doesn't allow for that.

YEAH BABY!!!

 

[kevlightyear]

Just curious, but does anyone know how they create a feeling of weightlessness in a centrifuge? Doesn't it just go round and round. . .

Do the other axes have something to do with it?

Thanks!

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Originally posted by kevlightyear
Just curious, but does anyone know how they create a feeling of weightlessness in a centrifuge? Doesn't it just go round and round. . .

Do the other axes have something to do with it?

Thanks!

Bingo...the other axises have something to do with it (it's the "FEELING" of weightlessness...not "ACTUAL" weightlessness...ToT is ACTUAL weightlessness...

 

[darthdarrel]

Will the Pods that you are in be spinning?
if so I don`t think I`ll like this ride! But if it`s anything like the scrambler or music express I`ll be:hurl:

 

[arstogas]

They won't really be "spinning" much of the time on the other axes, though you'll be constantly spinning on the centrifuge, at varying speeds (which will help with the SIMULATION of weightlessness, as has been pointed out by someone else already). HOWEVER, there will be tilting and pitching on those other axes, as the combined range of available motion allows them to literally simulate just about any hit, jar, whatever, as you're flying through the cosmos.

Also, I don't know if they'll incorporate these in the seating, but the Air Force uses a special kind of seat harness with air bladders that inflate and deflate in their upper-level flight simulators to train combat pilots (maybe someone on her is current or ex-Air Force and can describe them more... I last encountered them about six years ago). They are VERY cool, and kind of enhance the whole feeling...

This is not just that effect in the seats of the old "Mission to Mars" attraction... it's a seat and a vest-type apparatus. I don't know that Disney would bother with this, but given that you'll have to wear a safety restraint of some sort, this could be part of it, and there's your excuse for having the thing.

 

[wanabeimagineer]

Here's something that I dont think has been discussed before, will there be any inversions? That would really add to the experience, but would also scare a large number of people away from the ride. When some people hear the word "upside-down" they will not go on it no matter what. I think it will be cool if there is.

 

[arstogas]

>>>Here's something that I dont think has been discussed before, will there be any inversions? <<<

Depends on the integrated ride film that goes with it...
But I wouldn't put it past them. If I were programming the attraction, there'd be at least ONE inversion!

But you're right... some people wouldn't go for that at all. The positive is: Think how much that would thin out the STANDBY Line!!

 

[darthdarrel]

Originally posted by arstogas
>>>Here's something that I dont think has been discussed before, will there be any inversions? <<<

Depends on the integrated ride film that goes with it...
But I wouldn't put it past them. If I were programming the attraction, there'd be at least ONE inversion!

But you're right... some people wouldn't go for that at all. The positive is: Think how much that would thin out the STANDBY Line!!

YA but look at what happens to unpopular rides!