RyMickey
06-25-2003, 09:26 PM
I posted this on the News and Rumors board, but I thought it would definitely fit in here as well. Any questions and I'll be glad to answer them.
Sorry, but this is really long. I started writing and it just kept flowing. WARNING: There are SPOILERS ahead.
We were just down in WDW for the past two weeks (and had a great time, BTW). On our last day, my brothers (17 and 15) and I (23 years old) were walking through EPCOT around 4:00 -- okay, okay - we were in EPCOT solely on the hope that Screamscape was correct in saying that Mission:SPACE would be testing. We had walked by the exhibit's black-walled "fencing" many times before on the trip to no avail. Sure, the earth had been spinning and the lights had been on inside, but no luck. We had seen the HP executives watching Illuminations from special spots on previous nights. We had seen the large potted shrubbery around SPACE seemingly to hide the HP execs inevitable party in front of the attraction. Nevertheless, for 11 days we had unsuccessfully attempted to ride SPACE.
Crossing our fingers, hoping Screamscape was right, we headed up to SPACE at 3:50 on Monday afternoon. For the first time, the earth was spinning, the lights were on, AND there were people - cast members - standing outside. Plus, there were several others who were waiting around the black barriers (obviously, Disneyphiles like my brothers and myself who had read online that testing 'may' happen). All the cast members were telling guests that the exhibit didn't open until August 15, but we decided to wait it out -- we knew that it was going to happen. There were people in suits there talking on walkie talkies. It was going to happen. My brothers and I had probably never been more excited about any other Disney experience and the anticipation was mounting. Finally, about 4:10, they opened a door on the barrier, and we walked in. A cast member walked us through the outside queue (and he did so very, very slooooowly as he smirked). After shouting for everyone to look at the warning signs ("This is an intense attraction"), we were ushered inside. Right away, the newness of the attraction kind of took us aback. Everything looked so clean and pristine. The rotating "2001: A Space Odyssey" type circular artificial gravity simulator (you've seen pictures online) is pretty amazing. The grand size of it took us aback. In addition, the lunar rover on loan from the Smithsonian was pretty neat to look at. My brothers and I pondered over the fact that the queue area itself was fairly tiny. Although I don't think we walked the whole outside queue, there doesn't seem to be much queue to the ride (the single rider and Fastpass queues seemed small as well). Granted, there is an extensive courtyard out front in which to queue, but that would detract from the exquisite look of the attraction - simple, sleek, and futuristic.
Anyway, back inside - There is a cast member who, after asking how many members are in your party, sends you down another hallway. On one side, there is a timeline of important aspects in space history (first man in space, man on moon), going all the way up to 2035 - first man on Mars. My brothers and I looked at each other in confusion ("I guess we're in the future" - perhaps we were stupid for not thinking this before). On the other side of the hallway, is a control room (Mission Control, I guess - how much of this actually controls the attraction I don't know - but there were cast members inside this room). At the end of the hallway, you see four Mission Briefing rooms. I'm sure that each of these four rooms corresponds to each of the four centrifuges, although we overheard that at the time, only two centrifuges were working. We were ushered into one of the rooms. There are ten numbered rows with four people in each row. Four spacesuits are at the front of the room, and above are three flat screen televisions. The doors behind you slide closed and the pre-show begins. Gary Sinise (nice to see that they got a big name for the attraction) tells us that "it's okay to be nervous" about our mission (which is reassuring because everyone in the room is tense and giggles at that joke). He tells us that we are going on a manned mission to Mars in order to meet up with others that are forming a space colony on the planet. He explains that there will be four people in each of our spaceships. One will be a navigator, another a pilot, another an engineer, and another a commander. As he says this, as a nice added touch, the spacesuits in front of us are lit up. He then tells another mission controller to tell us some more info. The Indian woman tells us that we should not be afraid of enclosed spaces, spinning things, or darkness, and if we are we should inform a member of mission control. Gary then tells us that we will be seeing him again shortly. Doors at the front of both sides of the room open and we exit one row by one row around a circular hallway until we find our number. Once on our number, the lights dim in the hallway and we watch a tiny flatscreen tv come on. Gary Sinise tells us a little more about our mission, stating each person's job while on the ride (as he does so, a light illuminates over each person). The Indian woman tells us that we should enter the 'shuttle' and move all the way over to our position and stow our baggage. She states that we should pull our shoulder harness down (the only restraint, BTW) and that we should keep our head facing forward the whole time. A door in front of us opens and we enter. You can see other 'pods' hanging off the center of the centrifuge.
******************
WARNING: Spoliers ahead. I won't give away the whole ride, but there are things that you may not want to read prior to going on the ride.
******************
My brothers and I were the only people in the pod, so there were only three of us. A cast member comes along and says something to the effect of "Are you ready for your flight?" After we nervously said, "Yes," he tells us that the contol panel will be lowering. It lowers and two doors on the side shut. All the pictures make this thing look very uncomfortable, but there is plenty of leg room and space in this capsule. In front of each seat in a screen (black for now), with two buttons on the bottom (Gary has told us to press these buttons at the appropriate time during the preshow). There is also a 'joystick' controller. There are two mini-tvs in between seats 1 & 2 and seats 3 & 4. Gary pops up on these screens and tells us to prepare for launch. The launch sequence is absolutely amazing. We feel like we are tilting upwards (which we very well may be) and we know that we are on the launch pad, looking up as the birds fly high above us. Like someone else on the boards said, you complete fell immersed despite the fact that the screens are rather small. Then the launch happens and it is absolutely amazing. Incredible. The G's that you feel....well, they're intense. You feel your skin pushing back on your face....try moving your arms - it's difficult. I don't really want to give away everything, but there are several other key times during the ride in which these forces are felt.
********************
END of SPOILERS
********************
Let's just say that the warning outside that says the ride is intense does not do justice to the feeling that you experience. When I first walked off the attraction, I knew that I liked it, but I was a little uneasy. It does leave you sort-of shaken-up a bit. My brothers felt the same way, too. It truly is unlike anything you've ever experienced before. Sure, you feel G's on coasters, but you don't feel anything like this intensity on a coaster for the length of time that you do on this ride. It's not like a simulator (ie. Star Tours, Body Wars) by any means, as some others have been questioning. Looking back on it, you realize that all you've done on the ride was spin - - however, you don't feel 'spinning' on the ride, at least if you keep your head looking straight ahead and back against the restraint (None in our group were brave - or stupid - enough to disregard the instructions). You don't feel dizzy when you walk off the ride. It's very difficult to describe how you feel when you get off the ride. My 15 year old brother felt nothing at all. He walked off and thought it was great. My 17 year old brother felt a little weak and wobbly in the legs. I felt wobbly in the legs as well. My father who we convinced to rush over to EPCOT to ride the thing before they closed it had a mild headache after riding. However, the four of us loved the ride, despite these slight maladies. It was unlike anything we had ever experienced before. My brothers and I chose to ride the thing again (my father would have as well, had he arrived sooner). My mother, however, had a completely different experience. She walked off the ride and felt clammy and breathless. She felt pressure during the ride in her chest. To be honest, she looked pretty darn awful when she exited the thing. She needed to sit down after riding.
In addition to the ride, the postshow area at the end was pretty neat. The Mission Control/Astronaut game was great. My brothers and I played it three times, and the "Save the Astronauts" game was neat as well. My problem with this area is that it seems awfully tiny for the size of this attraction. While it was great that the Mission Control game lasted for 10 minutes, I can't imagine that this game that takes 32 people at a time will be able to control the long lines that it will inevitably have (However, it should be noted that in the times we played, the game was never filled). Additionally, there were only five "Save the Astronaut" games. With each of the games lasting four minutes, this area will be packed as well. I realize that this ride is only in the testing phase, but it should be noted that the Mission Control game went down for some unknown reason during our visit (although it did 'come back on' again) and one of the "Save the Astronaut" games went down as well. There is also an area where you can send a "space" video to a friend's e-mail address. This was cute, but there were, once again, only four stations to do this. There is also a child's play area that was roped off during the trial run. In conclusion, the postshow area is great, but the size of it seems small for the large capacity of the attraction itself.
So, how was Mission:SPACE? Four members of our party thought it was pretty amazing and INTENSE. All five of us agreed that it was unlike anything we had ever experienced, although one of us said that she would "never" be experiencing this again. As people exited the ride (through the inevitable gift shop - which also seemed small, although it housed a significant amount of merchandise), there was a mix of reactions. Cast members would ask "What did you think" and several people would just moan. Whether this is a good sign or not, I don't know. However, four out of five people in this family can't wait to experience this attraction again.
RyMickey
Sorry, but this is really long. I started writing and it just kept flowing. WARNING: There are SPOILERS ahead.
We were just down in WDW for the past two weeks (and had a great time, BTW). On our last day, my brothers (17 and 15) and I (23 years old) were walking through EPCOT around 4:00 -- okay, okay - we were in EPCOT solely on the hope that Screamscape was correct in saying that Mission:SPACE would be testing. We had walked by the exhibit's black-walled "fencing" many times before on the trip to no avail. Sure, the earth had been spinning and the lights had been on inside, but no luck. We had seen the HP executives watching Illuminations from special spots on previous nights. We had seen the large potted shrubbery around SPACE seemingly to hide the HP execs inevitable party in front of the attraction. Nevertheless, for 11 days we had unsuccessfully attempted to ride SPACE.
Crossing our fingers, hoping Screamscape was right, we headed up to SPACE at 3:50 on Monday afternoon. For the first time, the earth was spinning, the lights were on, AND there were people - cast members - standing outside. Plus, there were several others who were waiting around the black barriers (obviously, Disneyphiles like my brothers and myself who had read online that testing 'may' happen). All the cast members were telling guests that the exhibit didn't open until August 15, but we decided to wait it out -- we knew that it was going to happen. There were people in suits there talking on walkie talkies. It was going to happen. My brothers and I had probably never been more excited about any other Disney experience and the anticipation was mounting. Finally, about 4:10, they opened a door on the barrier, and we walked in. A cast member walked us through the outside queue (and he did so very, very slooooowly as he smirked). After shouting for everyone to look at the warning signs ("This is an intense attraction"), we were ushered inside. Right away, the newness of the attraction kind of took us aback. Everything looked so clean and pristine. The rotating "2001: A Space Odyssey" type circular artificial gravity simulator (you've seen pictures online) is pretty amazing. The grand size of it took us aback. In addition, the lunar rover on loan from the Smithsonian was pretty neat to look at. My brothers and I pondered over the fact that the queue area itself was fairly tiny. Although I don't think we walked the whole outside queue, there doesn't seem to be much queue to the ride (the single rider and Fastpass queues seemed small as well). Granted, there is an extensive courtyard out front in which to queue, but that would detract from the exquisite look of the attraction - simple, sleek, and futuristic.
Anyway, back inside - There is a cast member who, after asking how many members are in your party, sends you down another hallway. On one side, there is a timeline of important aspects in space history (first man in space, man on moon), going all the way up to 2035 - first man on Mars. My brothers and I looked at each other in confusion ("I guess we're in the future" - perhaps we were stupid for not thinking this before). On the other side of the hallway, is a control room (Mission Control, I guess - how much of this actually controls the attraction I don't know - but there were cast members inside this room). At the end of the hallway, you see four Mission Briefing rooms. I'm sure that each of these four rooms corresponds to each of the four centrifuges, although we overheard that at the time, only two centrifuges were working. We were ushered into one of the rooms. There are ten numbered rows with four people in each row. Four spacesuits are at the front of the room, and above are three flat screen televisions. The doors behind you slide closed and the pre-show begins. Gary Sinise (nice to see that they got a big name for the attraction) tells us that "it's okay to be nervous" about our mission (which is reassuring because everyone in the room is tense and giggles at that joke). He tells us that we are going on a manned mission to Mars in order to meet up with others that are forming a space colony on the planet. He explains that there will be four people in each of our spaceships. One will be a navigator, another a pilot, another an engineer, and another a commander. As he says this, as a nice added touch, the spacesuits in front of us are lit up. He then tells another mission controller to tell us some more info. The Indian woman tells us that we should not be afraid of enclosed spaces, spinning things, or darkness, and if we are we should inform a member of mission control. Gary then tells us that we will be seeing him again shortly. Doors at the front of both sides of the room open and we exit one row by one row around a circular hallway until we find our number. Once on our number, the lights dim in the hallway and we watch a tiny flatscreen tv come on. Gary Sinise tells us a little more about our mission, stating each person's job while on the ride (as he does so, a light illuminates over each person). The Indian woman tells us that we should enter the 'shuttle' and move all the way over to our position and stow our baggage. She states that we should pull our shoulder harness down (the only restraint, BTW) and that we should keep our head facing forward the whole time. A door in front of us opens and we enter. You can see other 'pods' hanging off the center of the centrifuge.
******************
WARNING: Spoliers ahead. I won't give away the whole ride, but there are things that you may not want to read prior to going on the ride.
******************
My brothers and I were the only people in the pod, so there were only three of us. A cast member comes along and says something to the effect of "Are you ready for your flight?" After we nervously said, "Yes," he tells us that the contol panel will be lowering. It lowers and two doors on the side shut. All the pictures make this thing look very uncomfortable, but there is plenty of leg room and space in this capsule. In front of each seat in a screen (black for now), with two buttons on the bottom (Gary has told us to press these buttons at the appropriate time during the preshow). There is also a 'joystick' controller. There are two mini-tvs in between seats 1 & 2 and seats 3 & 4. Gary pops up on these screens and tells us to prepare for launch. The launch sequence is absolutely amazing. We feel like we are tilting upwards (which we very well may be) and we know that we are on the launch pad, looking up as the birds fly high above us. Like someone else on the boards said, you complete fell immersed despite the fact that the screens are rather small. Then the launch happens and it is absolutely amazing. Incredible. The G's that you feel....well, they're intense. You feel your skin pushing back on your face....try moving your arms - it's difficult. I don't really want to give away everything, but there are several other key times during the ride in which these forces are felt.
********************
END of SPOILERS
********************
Let's just say that the warning outside that says the ride is intense does not do justice to the feeling that you experience. When I first walked off the attraction, I knew that I liked it, but I was a little uneasy. It does leave you sort-of shaken-up a bit. My brothers felt the same way, too. It truly is unlike anything you've ever experienced before. Sure, you feel G's on coasters, but you don't feel anything like this intensity on a coaster for the length of time that you do on this ride. It's not like a simulator (ie. Star Tours, Body Wars) by any means, as some others have been questioning. Looking back on it, you realize that all you've done on the ride was spin - - however, you don't feel 'spinning' on the ride, at least if you keep your head looking straight ahead and back against the restraint (None in our group were brave - or stupid - enough to disregard the instructions). You don't feel dizzy when you walk off the ride. It's very difficult to describe how you feel when you get off the ride. My 15 year old brother felt nothing at all. He walked off and thought it was great. My 17 year old brother felt a little weak and wobbly in the legs. I felt wobbly in the legs as well. My father who we convinced to rush over to EPCOT to ride the thing before they closed it had a mild headache after riding. However, the four of us loved the ride, despite these slight maladies. It was unlike anything we had ever experienced before. My brothers and I chose to ride the thing again (my father would have as well, had he arrived sooner). My mother, however, had a completely different experience. She walked off the ride and felt clammy and breathless. She felt pressure during the ride in her chest. To be honest, she looked pretty darn awful when she exited the thing. She needed to sit down after riding.
In addition to the ride, the postshow area at the end was pretty neat. The Mission Control/Astronaut game was great. My brothers and I played it three times, and the "Save the Astronauts" game was neat as well. My problem with this area is that it seems awfully tiny for the size of this attraction. While it was great that the Mission Control game lasted for 10 minutes, I can't imagine that this game that takes 32 people at a time will be able to control the long lines that it will inevitably have (However, it should be noted that in the times we played, the game was never filled). Additionally, there were only five "Save the Astronaut" games. With each of the games lasting four minutes, this area will be packed as well. I realize that this ride is only in the testing phase, but it should be noted that the Mission Control game went down for some unknown reason during our visit (although it did 'come back on' again) and one of the "Save the Astronaut" games went down as well. There is also an area where you can send a "space" video to a friend's e-mail address. This was cute, but there were, once again, only four stations to do this. There is also a child's play area that was roped off during the trial run. In conclusion, the postshow area is great, but the size of it seems small for the large capacity of the attraction itself.
So, how was Mission:SPACE? Four members of our party thought it was pretty amazing and INTENSE. All five of us agreed that it was unlike anything we had ever experienced, although one of us said that she would "never" be experiencing this again. As people exited the ride (through the inevitable gift shop - which also seemed small, although it housed a significant amount of merchandise), there was a mix of reactions. Cast members would ask "What did you think" and several people would just moan. Whether this is a good sign or not, I don't know. However, four out of five people in this family can't wait to experience this attraction again.
RyMickey