For my project, I decided to revisit to one of my personal favorite ideas. In the past, I've shared my own ideas for a possible movie attraction depicting a flight through the Solar System, mainly utilizing existing infrastructure and basic effects. For example, one version I did of this concept was to serve as something to fill in the space of the Magic Eye Theater in Disneyland's Tomorrowland. But, when this prompt came before us, I decided to return to this Solar System idea and, to use the Imagineering vernacular, "plus it." So with that in mind, I present my newest concept of the Solar System film; a film that, in keeping with the premise of this competition, seeks to answer the question...
What if... Mission: SPACE was actually good?
Yes, for my project, I decided to create something for EPCOT. EPCOT has always been one of my favorite parts of Walt Disney World, and with that love, I wish that some of its weakest elements could be altered. Case in point -- Mission: SPACE. Often hailed as one of the worst attractions in Walt Disney World, Mission: SPACE had a lot against it. It replaced the beloved Horizons, it was too claustrophobic, two people died on it...it was a mess all-around, and to this day, it rarely garners long lines. But what if there was a way to change that fate? What if a space-themed pavilion could work? What if that space-themed pavilion held a genuine E-ticket experience? Well, come with me now to an alternate universe where the wonders of space were brought to guests in a way that was hailed as a new masterpiece.
Let me take you back in time to the year 1999. On October 1 of that year, the Millennium Celebration began; and the same day, Disney announced the start of "Project Gemini", an initiative that would see Future World change dramatically for the new millennium. Sure, some things would stay the same...
-- With its 1994 refresh barely five years old by that point, Spaceship Earth was safe.
-- Wonders of Life would still entertain and educate guests on the Midway of Life.
-- Horizons, naturally, would remain; although it would get a new update to reflect more recent technological breakthroughs.
-- The original Journey Into Imagination with Figment and Dreamfinder, and ImageWorks within the pyramids would continue to delight guests; as would its neighbor, the wacky 3D show
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.
-- The Living Seas would remain, well, living.
...but all the rest would see all sorts of new arrivals.
-- Future World itself would be renamed "Discovery World."
-- The Innoventions complex would be completely torn down and rebuilt into six different quadrants.
-- To fix a long-standing problem regarding all of Future World, more trees would be planted to provide ample opportunities for shade.
-- The recently-opened Test Track would see the arrival of the Junior Autopia, a ride for little ones to go on while the rest of the family takes on the new E-ticket.
-- Food Rocks would move over to the more thematically-appropriate Wonders of Life, and a clone of Soarin', a ride in development for the upcoming Disney's California Adventure, would take its place in The Land.
-- Outside The Land, a hedge maze and outdoor roller-coaster would be added.
But by far, the biggest change of all would be the opening of an all-new pavilion themed around the wonders of outer space. Located in-between The Land and The Living Seas, Mission: SPACE would bring guests into the Solar System in a whole-new way. Utilizing a revolutionary new projection-dome system and a souped-up variation on the Soarin' system -- combined with the in-development KUKA system -- Mission: SPACE would be a revolutionary E-ticket adventure unlike anything EPCOT has ever seen before!
The exterior of Mission: SPACE is somewhat similar to Horizons across the park; a hexagonal building, painted white. However, unlike Horizons, a gigantic space station looms over it. This space station serves as the home of the massive projection dome the ride uses; and given how tall it is, it is one big dome indeed. Entering the building at ground level, it is obvious we are in the Mission Control headquarters of this daring space mission. As a nod to Horizons across the way, references to Brava Centauri can be found throughout the queue; as this space center -- the Armstrong Space Center, by name.
Before we board our spacecraft, we are met with a pre-show video from the head of Mission Control, played by Gary Sinise
(and by the way, for this script, I did borrow a few elements from the script of the Mission: SPACE that exists today).
"Welcome, brave explorers, to the Armstrong Space Center. I'm sure many of you, at one point in your life, wondered what it would be like to take part in the greatest adventure in the history of mankind: space exploration. Well, today, you're finally going to get that chance. In a few moments, you'll be boarding a spacecraft to explore our Solar System, from the Sun-drenched Mercury, to distant Pluto. Before we get you onto your spacecraft, it is important for us to go over the safety briefing. When the doors to the spacecraft open, please file in and fill in all the available space. Don't stop in the middle. Once you're seated, be sure to put any carry-on items in the pouch below you; and be sure to fasten the seatbelt by pulling on the yellow strap. Please remain seated throughout the journey, and parents, be sure to watch your children. Oh, and photography is not permitted on the flight. With all that said, it's just about time to begin boarding. On behalf of all of us here at Armstrong, we hope you enjoy your mission through space."
Doors open automatically. We proceed down a short hallway, where before us, we see our spacecraft. The spacecraft itself is much smaller than the normal simulators used in rides like Star Tours or Body Wars. These spacecrafts seat fifteen people at a time -- five seats along three rows. There are giant windows not just at the front of the spacecraft, but on the sides, as well, so that everyone can take in the projections in the dome. In fact, there are four spacecraft in use -- Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta -- each one located at the northern, southern, eastern and western points of the dome. It was decided to use this model so that the projections appear before each spacecraft without any visual intrusion from the other vehicles. No soarin' under feet here!
As we board, we hear Sinise's voice again.
"Flight 07-16, this is Mission Control speaking. We once again advise you to stay seated throughout the journey, and to be sure that your seatbelt is securely fastened. The flight will begin shortly."
The Cast Members go over one last seatbelt check, and when it's completed, the doors close. A musical score by Bruce Broughton begins faintly as the lights dim and voices are heard.
This is not the score used in the ride, naturally. I just wanted to use some sort of Broughton score to illustrate what could be heard here.
"Mission Control, we are cleared for liftoff."
"Roger, network. You are go for launch."
The screens display the sky before us. It looks like we are looking directly up at the sky; our spacecraft is in the vertical launch position.
"Main engines starting. T-minus 5...4...3...2...1...liftoff!"
Our spacecraft roars to life. In an instant, we are zooming up, up and away; scaling incredible heights before breaking through gravity and arriving in the vast beauty of outer space. In order to achieve this feeling, our spacecraft vehicle sits at the edge of a straightforward launching zone. When "liftoff" is called, it zooms forward at incredible speed, and when the time is right, the KUKA arm system deploys and lifts us up into the projection dome, where our journey truly begins.
"Mission Control to Flight 07-16, welcome to the farthest reaches of outer space! Our tour of the Solar System begins as we leave our home planet of Earth. Onward we go, to explore the other planets."
Zipping off at incredible speed, we first speed towards Mercury, taking in its gray tones and rocky surface; and feeling the powerful heat of the Sun
(visible on the right-hand side of the vehicle) on our backs. Then, it's off to Venus, where our spacecraft is caught up in the sulfuric clouds that cover the planet. Flying past Earth, we come to Mars, the final terrestrial planet in the Solar System.
"Mars is a planet that fascinates us the most", says Mission Control, who has been narrating the tour with facts about each planet.
"In fact, at this very moment, astronauts are on the planet's surface, investigating the possibility of possible habitation."
Zooming towards the surface of the Red Planet, we find astronauts, scientists of all stripes and other people -- as well as representatives from Brava Centauri -- on the terrain. One person even waves up to us as we pass by.
"The possibility of life on Mars is one of space's most intriguing questions; and in the years to come, we hope to find the answer, and maybe start a new colony here."
Leaving Mars, things get a little tense.
"Oh, no... Um, Mission Control to Flight 07-16, in order to reach the Gas Giants, we'll have to get through the asteroid belt. You may want to hold on tight."
Indeed, the asteroid belt is filled with asteroids; and our spacecraft bobs and weaves through them all. This is the most intense part of the ride, as our spacecraft gets involved in quite a few near-misses with certain asteroids.
But once we get out of the field, we are immediately met with the glory of Jupiter. The biggest of all planets, Jupiter impresses us with its size and color. The visage of Jupiter fills the projection dome. Our spacecraft slowly approaches the Great Red Spot, where its anticyclonic winds blow us to and fro.
From the Spot of Jupiter, we come to the rings of Saturn. We can practically feel the cold of its rings of ice as we pass by. Moving on to Uranus, our spacecraft actually tilts to see how the planet rotates on each side
(this is achieved not by flipping the KUKA system, but by a clever film trick and a simulated effect within the craft). As the vehicle approaches Neptune, the atmosphere gets colder and colder as we approach.
(One Imagineer even joked that because of this cold, Mission: SPACE would get long lines when summer came.) The winds of Neptune blow harshly, and Mission Control quickly pulls us out lest we freeze.
Finally, we come across Pluto, the smallest planet in the Solar System...at the time of opening. A 2006 refurbishment would see new narration from Sinise informing us that Pluto is no longer considered an official planet. Moving past Pluto, we see the Galactic Center out in the distance.
"See that cluster of light out in the distance? That is the Galactic Center of the Milky Way. Now, to me, that Center represents the great unknown. Who knows how far we'll come in the future? Maybe one day, we'll go beyond the Milky Way to see what other galaxies are out there. But for now, the exploration of the Solar System is more than enough to compose a meaningful, beautiful and inspiring adventure. And right now, we'll take you back down to Earth."
Hyperspace kicks in. Almost like a planetary curtain call, we zip past Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars before arriving towards Earth. In the distance, we can see Mercury and Venus and the Sun, as well. As we inch closer and ever closer to the surface of the Earth, down towards Florida, down towards Orlando, down towards EPCOT, our spacecraft starts to lower itself out of the projection dome and back down to solid ground.
As the ground approaches, the screens close. The music ends. We hear our spacecraft touch down. Before long, the lights come back on again, and the doors to the craft open.
"Welcome back to Earth, explorers. We hope you have enjoyed this daring space mission. Now, please gather up all your personal belongings, watch your head and step, take small astronauts by the hand and exit the spacecraft through the doors to your right. On behalf of all of us here at Armstrong Space Center, we hope you'll join us for another exploration through the Solar System very soon."
As we exit, we hear the pavilion's theme song, "Destiny", fill our ears. It stays with us as we head down the exit hallway to the post-show. The post-show is an elaborate experience, where we can find games, exhibits, real demonstrations of spacecraft and astronaut tech, and yes, merchandise. The Space Place sells astronaut toys, Solar System models, spaceship models, Mars Rovers, astronaut suits, and whatever else astronauts or other space enthusiasts may need.
In summer of 2020, Space 220 opened at the pavilion, bringing guests 220 feet up above the Earth for a dining experience unlike any other.
Needless to say, nowadays, Mission: SPACE is widely considered one of EPCOT's biggest selling points, offering guests an incredible view of our Solar System that can't be found anywhere else. To this day, even twenty years after it first opened, it still garners long lines and critical praise. It's not only one of the high points of a visit to EPCOT, but one of the high points of a visit to Walt Disney World as a whole.
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. I'll get it ASAP BUT SORRY I
(Edit 8/21: Updated Link)
