USA Today: Mission: SPACE Opening Early?

[ToTBellHop]

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/vacations/destinations/2003/2003-05-23-rides.htm

Mission: SPACE
Disney World, near Orlando


AP
Blast off: High-tech simulators on Disney's Mission: SPACE make visitors feel like they're on a rocket ride.

Get ready to blast off to Mars.

Disney's boldest attraction in years uses high-tech flight simulators to make visitors feel like they're on a rocket ride.

"It's an amazing experience and an even more amazing ride system," says Tim O'Brien, an editor at Amusement Business magazine who rode it during testing. The ride officially opens Aug. 15, but Disney officials say it could be running on-and-off earlier.

Disney reportedly spent more than $100 million developing the ride, which is at Epcot, one of the four theme parks at Disney World.

After a "prelaunch briefing," riders climb into four-person capsules that tilt backward before takeoff so riders are lying on their backs. Monitors let riders see "outside."

O'Brien says the sense of realism is surprisingly strong. "Blastoff rumbles the capsule, (and) you sense you are going up. ... You see the smoke come up and around the capsule, and you feel an amazing amount of G-force. My cheeks started flapping because there was so much force."

After blastoff, riders feel the "booster rockets" drop off as the capsule reaches space. "You get this wonderful sense of weightlessness," O'Brien says. "You then feel a combination of G-forces as you are slung around the moon on your way to Mars."

Jeff Putz of CoasterBuzz.com says the ride marks a comeback for Disney designers after several years of "very average amusement park rides. Not since the opening of Tower of Terror at Disney-MGM Studios (in 1994) has a ride (so) captured the imagination of Disney theme park fans."


I think I will trust USA Today's sources over any rumor sites...

 

[SpongeScott]

Originally posted by DogsRule!
I think I will trust USA Today's sources over any rumor sites...

Not if they also write for the NY Times. :lol:

I would call this a legitimate rumor, but it STILL is a rumor.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Re: Re: USA Today: Mission: SPACE Opening Early?

Originally posted by sandjhooker
Not if they also write for the NY Times. :lol:

I would call this a legitimate rumor, but it STILL is a rumor.

It's certainly something people can't shoot down...I trust a national newspaper's sources...they USUALLY don't report facts that they have not really been told...I would certainly trust that over any rumor sites. Disney is very selective with what information they leak out, so they wanted this piece of information to be seen around the United States in a nationally-recognized newsmagazine for a reason...with the disclaimer that it will be on-and-off...sounding quite a bit like a traditional soft opening "sneak preview".

Regardless, people cannot just ignore it; I'm not disguising anything as fact. It's a reputable source.

 

[DMC-12]

Re: Re: USA Today: Mission: SPACE Opening Early?

Originally posted by sandjhooker
Not if they also write for the NY Times. :lol:
B]

Just because of that one idiot there... does not mean all reporters, journalists, and writers do that that. That person did not have professional ethics and/or morals... and was too lazy to write his own stuff.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Re: Re: Re: USA Today: Mission: SPACE Opening Early?

Originally posted by DMC-12
Just because of that one idiot there... does not mean all reporters, journalists, and writers do that that. That person did not have professional ethics and/or morals... and was too lazy to write his own stuff.

Exactly. I hope one reporter does not completely destroy the credibility of the company.

 

[The_CEO]

This is going to get interesting as Aug 15th Approches!

 

[PhotoDave219]

Re: Re: Re: Re: USA Today: Mission: SPACE Opening Early?

Originally posted by DogsRule!
Exactly. I hope one reporter does not completely destroy the credibility of the company.

Unfortunetly, it has. The issues that the Blair incident has brought up is just astounding. But thats neither here nor there....

 

[ToTBellHop]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: USA Today: Mission: SPACE Opening Early?

Originally posted by PhotoDave219
Unfortunetly, it has. The issues that the Blair incident has brought up is just astounding. But thats neither here nor there....

Hmmm...there are corrupt and/or stupid people in any company...I don't think one person's ignorance is enough to make a paper of no value...of course, the media would like to blow it out of proportion to destroy the competition, and who can blame them for that. ABCNews.com certainly doesn't want you visiting USATODAY.com, so it behooves them to make this seem like a huge scandal (I will admit it's bad, but it doesn't say much about the company...people lie all the time). Regardless, back to SPACE, hehe

 

[Kenan]

One word sums it up for MS......VoBan...I know it will for me.

 

[AndyMagic]

I just hope that it wasn't a simple mistake. The opening dates announced by Disney were very confusing to begin with and it could be that the writer didn't really understand the information he was given. Every single newspaper and news channel has said it will officially open on August 15th but we all know that the opening ceremony is going to be October 7th. It could just be that the majority of people don't know what a soft-opening is and assume that if Disney is releasing a date for an opening, it must be the official date. Let's hope that this wasn't a mistake!

 

[mkt]

lets all see and wait...

 

[ToTBellHop]

Originally posted by AndyMagic
I just hope that it wasn't a simple mistake. The opening dates announced by Disney were very confusing to begin with and it could be that the writer didn't really understand the information he was given. Every single newspaper and news channel has said it will officially open on August 15th but we all know that the opening ceremony is going to be October 7th. It could just be that the majority of people don't know what a soft-opening is and assume that if Disney is releasing a date for an opening, it must be the official date. Let's hope that this wasn't a mistake!

There will be a media event on August 15th. The press will be there. The grand opening is October 9th, but the opening is August 15th, as all official press releases indicate. Here is a breakdown:

Before August 15th: possible "sneak preview" days, like what we used to call a "soft opening", with random, unannounced openings
August 15th to October 9th: preview days, where the ride will be open as if it were a normal day, with Fastpasses distributed and the Single Rider Line open--with the agreement that it could break down at any time.
October 9th and later: pretty much the same, only w/ longer lines.

 

[GenerationX]

I have tried to figure out why Disney would announce a soft opening for a ride. The statement seems paradoxical, given that specific soft opening dates, by definition, are not set way in advance.

The answer to most business-related riddles goes back to $, and I doubt this was an exception. The announcement was designed to increase bookings in the relatively slow early fall period. By qualifying the August date as a "soft opening" (with the official opening in October), Disney gets the advantage of additional bookings with a two-month cushion to make good on the "official" opening.

"Real" soft openings, set when attractions are ready for a public test, would still likely apply here. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear the attraction may be open sporadically before August 15th. The very setting of that date months in advance negated it as a traditional soft opening date. Since traditional soft opening rules do not apply, a soft-soft opening is likely.

 

[Sir Hiss527]

Thanks for that. It makes the ride sound so sweet! I can't wait.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Originally posted by GenerationX
I have tried to figure out why Disney would announce a soft opening for a ride. The statement seems paradoxical, given that specific soft opening dates, by definition, are not set way in advance.

The answer to most business-related riddles goes back to $, and I doubt this was an exception. The announcement was designed to increase bookings in the relatively slow early fall period. By qualifying the August date as a "soft opening" (with the official opening in October), Disney gets the advantage of additional bookings with a two-month cushion to make good on the "official" opening.

"Real" soft openings, set when attractions are ready for a public test, would still likely apply here. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear the attraction may be open sporadically before August 15th. The very setting of that date months in advance negated it as a traditional soft opening date. Since traditional soft opening rules do not apply, a soft-soft opening is likely.

Very well-put--exactly what I have been thinking all along. Thus the new terms "sneak preview", "preview", and "grand opening".

 

[dxwwf3]

I was looking at some old RNRC pics and saw this sign that sort of helps to prove our theory of the whole progression with sneek peeks then soft opening then official opening.

Check about half way down the page to see a sign that used that term when talking about the RNRC in June
http://www.wdwmagic.com/rnr_photos.htm

Remember this was before the "soft opening" in July and the "official opening" with Aerosmith in August or September (I can't remember).

 

[ToTBellHop]

Originally posted by dxwwf3
I was looking at some old RNRC pics and saw this sign that sort of helps to prove our theory of the whole progression with sneek peeks then soft opening then official opening.

Check about half way down the page to see a sign that used that term when talking about the RNRC in June
http://www.wdwmagic.com/rnr_photos.htm

Remember this was before the "soft opening" in July and the "official opening" with Aerosmith in August or September (I can't remember).

Yup, so I'm looking for cast previews by mid-July and then sneak peaks in late July and early August, up until the 15th. Disney did the same thing with Test Track. Cast Previews ended December 16, 1998, followed by sneak previews until previews started January 2nd, 1999, with the grand opening in March 1999

 

[jmarc63]

everyone has a good point, besides of the blair affair at the NY times, even a good reporter sometimes gets there fatcs muddy.

Case in point our family business was to get a contract to do work for Sony of america, the local business trade journal leaked the story and that the deal was done and production would start soon, in fact were in negoatiations for that contract ,but it was still pending when the story broke, it didn't get finalized untill 4 mounts later. My point is that this reporter wasn.t worng about the deal just off on the time frame,.


more to my point is that his dated may be correct but weather there will be private run thrus or soft openings to guests, Media day usually is the opening for the ride, in any case, so were close just keep your pants on and it wil be here before you know it

 

[ToTBellHop]

Originally posted by jmarc63
everyone has a good point, besides of the blair affair at the NY times, even a good reporter sometimes gets there fatcs muddy.

Case in point our family business was to get a contract to do work for Sony of america, the local business trade journal leaked the story and that the deal was done and production would start soon, in fact were in negoatiations for that contract ,but it was still pending when the story broke, it didn't get finalized untill 4 mounts later. My point is that this reporter wasn.t worng about the deal just off on the time frame,.


more to my point is that his dated may be correct but weather there will be private run thrus or soft openings to guests, Media day usually is the opening for the ride, in any case, so were close just keep your pants on and it wil be here before you know it

Hmmm...media day for RnR and Test Track were one month and two weeks, respectively, after guests first started riding. Disney is very selective with what information they leak out--spokesperson's have set lists of what they can and cannot say, so Disney wanted this information to appear in a national newspaper for all to see. I'm sure Disney makes it very clear to reporters what they can report.

 

[CTXRover]

Originally posted by DogsRule!
The ride officially opens Aug. 15, but Disney officials say it could be running on-and-off earlier.

Although it is possible the reporter could have assumed that some type of preview would happen before August 15th by thinking Aug. 15 was the REAL date for opening, it is the way it is worded that I think stands out. First, it references DISNEY OFFICIALS as saying it COULD be opening earlier than Aug 15 and second, and a key part, is that it would be running ON AND OFF before that day, not that it would be opening "for good" before that day. It sounds like more of a test and adjust type thing for "guinea pigs" before the 'actual' soft opening.

How much earlier is the real question, but I think the possibility of it opening earlier than Aug 15th is stronger than before