See, now the media wont stop until Mission Space is closed forever....

[GothMickey]

Is Mission Space safe for healthy people, with no pre-existing health conditions?

Until there's evidence that it isn't, there's really no story here for the media.

You are right and wrong.. There was a story on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. They reported the same thing that was reported on this site. A woman rode M:S, got sick, went to the hospital, died on Wendesday... They also reported the M.E. findings during the autopsy... They also posted a chart showing the number of incidents M:S has had sinc 2003 as compared to other rides in WDW.... I don't see how that is sensationalizing anything.. I don't see how that is a media agenda/conspiracy to close a ride... None of the reporters wrote an editorial calling for the ride to close... They reported what they knew at the time, the same thing we all did here.. And all we knew at the time was a woman died after M:S.... Once the autposy results came in, the media quieted down, but the debate lives on here... Nothing in their articles suggest they blame M:S for their deaths.. Actually, they reported the health conditions and made sure to quote the M.E.'s assestment that the medical conditions killed these two people, not the ride... If you have such a problem with the media, heed your own advice.. don't read the paper, don't watch the news...

And it is silly to think the Orlando Sentinel has a thing against Disney when Disney is the only reason Orlando is as big as it is now....

 

[pax_65]

I'm thinking of starting a new thread... "Which disney attractions would you like to die on?"

I'm waiting for someone to print T-shirts that say "I Survived Mission Space!"

 

[Shaman]

I'm waiting for someone to print T-shirts that say "I Survived Mission Space!"

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lookaroun

That would be wrong if DISNEY sold it. :lol:

 

[Captain Chaos]

I'm waiting for someone to print T-shirts that say "I Survived Mission Space!"

Didn't you see my post in another thread??? My friend works in a gift shop in Epcot and over the weekend two males were wearing M:S shirts that had the logo on the front and on the back the shirt said MISSION SPACE IT'S A KILLER OF A RIDE or something like that....

 

[gbruenin]

Well when I "BITE THE DUST" I hope its not some long drawn out disease and Im lucky enough to "GO" on a attraction like Mission Space and then sprinkle my ashes into Bay Lake.

I thought I was the only one thinking about 'becoming a part' of Bay Lake when I go.

 

[Burgstressera]

Man these threads are worse than the Harry Potter Threads... :brick:

I just don't get it - I've never been on Mission Space and I'll tell you why...
1. I have a neck injury
2. I've heard stories of people getting sick and feeling off the entire day after riding it. :hurl: I'd rather not loose a day of my vacation feeling like a piece of dirt.
3. People have died on it - and while I understand I'm more likely to die on the bus on the way to the park, or be struck by lightening, or choke on my own vomit, or whatever else someone else posted - I'd just rather not take my chances...

So if I take these 3 things and make the educated decision that this ride is not for me - why can other people do the same.

I say if you ride it - you know before you get on it what you're in for. According to those of you that ride it they warn you a billion times before you board. Not to mention you'd have to live in a paper box to not hear all the things that the media has to say about it. Oh and if you read the Birnbaum's Guide it warns you in there too.

Maybe the next step is to have people sign waivers as they board. Have the waivers available as you enter the line (in a variety of languages) and then have people sign them and hand them to a cast member before boarding... That way no one can say - I was not properly educated about the dangers of the ride or I had no idea what it was...

 

[PencilTest]

And it is silly to think the Orlando Sentinel has a thing against Disney when Disney is the only reason Orlando is as big as it is now....

I don't think the Sentinel necessarily has anything personal against Disney, per se. But you understand that most news organizations are gonna naturally look for the biggest target and keep an eye on it. And I don't think I need to tell you what the biggest, easiest target in Central Florida is. So even though the Sentinel staff probably doesn't sit around a big table plotting the demise of the theme parks, they are more inclined to take a story that happens in Disney World and run with it as far as they can because, quite frankly, it's an easy thing to do. Plus, just like any other news outlet, they tend to trump up the negative stuff, while ignoring the positive events that happen just as frequently, if not more often.

And yes, there are people here who do resent Disney for the explosion of the area, as well as people who are angry at the fact that Orlando hasn't grown very intelligently along with it. By that I mean, Orlando has a tough time attracting other big businesses for various reasons, among them because it tends to be labeled a "theme park town". But is that Disney's fault? Nope, but again, Disney is an easy target, and some folks will blame the company for the woes of Orlando's (and to a larger extent, Florida's) government.

 

[freediverdude]

I rode this again Friday, and it seemed to me like the tilt of the capsule during take off wasn't as far back as it usually is, like you usually feel tilted straight up, and it didn't seem that way this time, like you were taking off at an angle. Has anyone heard anything about them maybe changing the tilt during the take-off, so that the g-forces aren't as great on the top of the rider's head or something? Maybe it was just my imagination, but I've ridden it lots of times, and that one felt different.

 

[TimonRulz]

I hope it didn't change. I know lots of people don't care for the ride, but its a crazy experience, at least to me. It is fun (yes, I've felt sick once or twice) but getting shot into space is awesome. lol.

 

[Chrissie712]

I myself worked at Disney for 7 months and it still amazes me at what an ordeal this Mission Space thing has blow up to. Anyone who rides Mission Space could not possibly ignore the fact that there are warning signs every 2 feet before you step into the simulator and even then they give you 3 chances to leave before the ride actually starts. There is no way at all that Doisney or even Mission Space can be blamed for the death of this recent guest or the child a couple of years ago.
People and the media need to step back and perhaps observe the fact that oth tragedies involved guests who had serious serious health problems and it doesnt take a brain surgeon to figure out that perhaps they should choose Spaceship Earth over Mission Space.
If we are going to look at the situation andfacts, lets make sure we take everything into consideration.
I really hope that nothign changes about the ride becaus eof some people do not like it or don't approve of it but there are so many that do. Skip it if you don't like it. Come on now, its not like there is nothign else to do other than Mission Space.

We are Disney people so we understand.

 

[Chrissie712]

I myself worked at Disney for 7 months and it still amazes me at what an ordeal this Mission Space thing has blow up to. Anyone who rides Mission Space could not possibly ignore the fact that there are warning signs every 2 feet before you step into the simulator and even then they give you 3 chances to leave before the ride actually starts. There is no way at all that Doisney or even Mission Space can be blamed for the death of this recent guest or the child a couple of years ago.
People and the media need to step back and perhaps observe the fact that oth tragedies involved guests who had serious serious health problems and it doesnt take a brain surgeon to figure out that perhaps they should choose Spaceship Earth over Mission Space.
If we are going to look at the situation andfacts, lets make sure we take everything into consideration.
I really hope that nothign changes about the ride becaus eof some people do not like it or don't approve of it but there are so many that do. Skip it if you don't like it. Come on now, its not like there is nothign else to do other than Mission Space.

We are Disney people so we understand.

 

[GeneralKnowledge]

I know I would be first in line to buy a T'shirt that said "At least horizons didn't kill people" someone get on that!

 

[Dr Albert Falls]

"But you understand that most news organizations are gonna naturally look for the biggest target and keep an eye on it. And I don't think I need to tell you what the biggest, easiest target in Central Florida is."

What do you mean by "target"? That suggests the Orlando Sentinel (or other news organization) is intentionally trying to write a negative story---which contradicts your original statement that they don't sit around a table plotting such things.

Keep in mind, the Orlando Sentinel (and Orlando TV stations) are LOCAL. Their primary audience is the people of Central Florida.

And Disney is the area's biggest employer. If someone who lives in Central Florida does not work for Disney themselves, then chances are that a friend or relative or customer does. Disney touches EVERYONE in Central Florida, from the Burger King employee who serves Whoppers to visitors and cast members, to the investment banker who monitors Central Florida's tourism-based economy.

So a death at Disney is important news to anyone who lives in Central Florida. Or in other words, the local media's audience.

If two employees of General Motors just happened to die minutes after using a machine that sprays paint on automobiles, wouldn't that be a noteworthy news event in the Detroit media? Does that make GM a "target" because the local media felt compelled to share the tragedy with other Detroit citizens who either work for or know someone closely related to GM?

So I hope I made my point about why the Mission Space death is an important LOCAL story.

But what about when it makes NATIONAL headlines, like CNN, or Nightly News, or the New York Times or USA Today?

Well, unlike Detroit's General Motors plant, which really is just a local interest, Walt Disney World is a national landmark. Most Americans have been there, or know someone who has, or maybe work in some branch of the entertainment industry, of which Disney is the #1 most powerful corporation.

If lighting strikes a tree and crushes someone standing outside a Piggly Wiggly in rural Alabama, chances are the national news media is not going to report it.

But if that same freak accident happened at Yellowstone National Park, the event will probably make national headlines. Or if it happened just outside the Washington Monument. Or at the base of the Statue of Liberty. Or underneath the Golden Gate bridge.

Or at Disney World.

And why SHOULDN'T the media write stories about a theme park attraction that may have triggered two deaths? Isn't that the media's job, to identify public safety concerns?

And it IS a concern. Take a look at every Disney internet message board out there. This is a HOT topic. Some are defending Mission Space. Others say its death trap that needs to be tamed or shut down. And these are Disney's biggest FANS writing such things.

Why are we entitled to talk about these deaths at Disney, but the media isn't?

 

[DisneyJill]

I thought I was the only one thinking about 'becoming a part' of Bay Lake when I go.

Definitely not...:lookaroun

 

[Captain Chaos]

"But you understand that most news organizations are gonna naturally look for the biggest target and keep an eye on it. And I don't think I need to tell you what the biggest, easiest target in Central Florida is."

What do you mean by "target"? That suggests the Orlando Sentinel (or other news organization) is intentionally trying to write a negative story---which contradicts your original statement that they don't sit around a table plotting such things.

Keep in mind, the Orlando Sentinel (and Orlando TV stations) are LOCAL. Their primary audience is the people of Central Florida.

And Disney is the area's biggest employer. If someone who lives in Central Florida does not work for Disney themselves, then chances are that a friend or relative or customer does. Disney touches EVERYONE in Central Florida, from the Burger King employee who serves Whoppers to visitors and cast members, to the investment banker who monitors Central Florida's tourism-based economy.

So a death at Disney is important news to anyone who lives in Central Florida. Or in other words, the local media's audience.

If two employees of General Motors just happened to die minutes after using a machine that sprays paint on automobiles, wouldn't that be a noteworthy news event in the Detroit media? Does that make GM a "target" because the local media felt compelled to share the tragedy with other Detroit citizens who either work for or know someone closely related to GM?

So I hope I made my point about why the Mission Space death is an important LOCAL story.

But what about when it makes NATIONAL headlines, like CNN, or Nightly News, or the New York Times or USA Today?

Well, unlike Detroit's General Motors plant, which really is just a local interest, Walt Disney World is a national landmark. Most Americans have been there, or know someone who has, or maybe work in some branch of the entertainment industry, of which Disney is the #1 most powerful corporation.

If lighting strikes a tree and crushes someone standing outside a Piggly Wiggly in rural Alabama, chances are the national news media is not going to report it.

But if that same freak accident happened at Yellowstone National Park, the event will probably make national headlines. Or if it happened just outside the Washington Monument. Or at the base of the Statue of Liberty. Or underneath the Golden Gate bridge.

Or at Disney World.

And why SHOULDN'T the media write stories about a theme park attraction that may have triggered two deaths? Isn't that the media's job, to identify public safety concerns?

And it IS a concern. Take a look at every Disney internet message board out there. This is a HOT topic. Some are defending Mission Space. Others say its death trap that needs to be tamed or shut down. And these are Disney's biggest FANS writing such things.

Why are we entitled to talk about these deaths at Disney, but the media isn't?

Bravo, well written... I agree with you 100 percent... But can't we just let this topic slither away???

 

[strobe]

But can't we just let this topic slither away???

I certainly hope so...

 

[Trizz41999]

Okay

 

[PencilTest]

What do you mean by "target"? That suggests the Orlando Sentinel (or other news organization) is intentionally trying to write a negative story---which contradicts your original statement that they don't sit around a table plotting such things.

In the context used, I meant "subject for the news to report on". Not necessarily in a pejorative way, just as a source for stories.

If two employees of General Motors just happened to die minutes after using a machine that sprays paint on automobiles, wouldn't that be a noteworthy news event in the Detroit media? Does that make GM a "target" because the local media felt compelled to share the tragedy with other Detroit citizens who either work for or know someone closely related to GM?

Yes, that would be a newsworthy event, just as this story is. However, the issue of milking a story comes up when, after the initial report, there really isn't much left to say. To illustrate my point, I'll use the following article from the Sentinel's Business section from April 17th:

AND THE SPONSOR SAYS . . . very little. That's the case with Hewlett-Packard, the Palo Alto, Calif., computer maker and sponsor of Epcot's Mission: Space ride. I contacted HP last week to ask if the death of a tourist after riding Mission: Space -- the second fatality in 10 months -- would alter HP's relationship with the ride. The company offered no comment beyond a prepared statement: "HP has been and remains in close contact with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts regarding this tragedy. We extend our sympathies to everyone involved." The sponsorship of Mission: Space is worth a reported $50 million over 10 years.

Is this story necessary? If HP doesn't have a comment aside from their prepared statement, where's the need for this article? Is it so the writer can throw the money factor in there, so the reader might be inclined to think 'Hey, maybe HP doesn't want to comment because they're afraid of upsetting Disney and losing their cushy contract'? Just a thought. Using your GM example, if an article came out almost a week after the deaths stating that "Company A, who manufactures the paint sprayer, was contacted but they declined to comment beyond a prepared statement. Their contract with GM is worth 25 million dollars." it would seem a bit strange too. What I'm asking is, how is this information relevant? Is it just something to pad out a story? If there's no need for it aside from it being an easy topic to write about, does it really belong in the news?

Why are we entitled to talk about these deaths at Disney, but the media isn't?

Never said they weren't. I'm always willing to read an intelligent discussion, especially when it comes to this kind of thing. But if it's not intelligent and it's just filler, then it seems kinda pointless.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Never said they weren't. I'm always willing to read an intelligent discussion, especially when it comes to this kind of thing. But if it's not intelligent and it's just filler, then it seems kinda pointless.

Kind of like how this thread has gotten?? Seriously, this is beating a dead horse now...

 

[Nicole]

Speaking of beating a dead horse, I personally haven't seen ANYTHING in the media about this case since the victim's cause of death was released. Seems to me that once the media found out it wasn't Disney's fault the story went away.

Is that just because I don't live near Orlando? Are local news outlets still talking about this?