Disney not happy with Mission Space

[timC]

I'm with Peter Pirate... Disney will take any publicity, particularly the type that brings trill seekers back to Epcot. Disney is in business to make money. The old rides have got some nostalgic value, but they do little to attract new guests.

M:S and TT are the only rides at Epcot my DS10 and DS13 are interested in. Without those rides, we'd probably replace our Epcot day with Universal Studios. IMO they are doing the right thing. A family-oriented park needs rides that attract all of the family members. Can't wait for Soc.

 

[dckiss]

King Tritan.....There is no doubt that you are a true Disney fan! I completly and totally respect your opinion. Magic is the most important ingredient to Walt Disney World. However I do think you are over looking something here though. If you read through the post you will see people of all ages, including your age group enjoying Mission Space. With that said, Thrill Rides are not for everybody, but neither are attractions such as The Land (which is one of my favorites). The bottom line is that Disney needed to up date there parks with some more thrill rides if they wanted to compete with other parks such as universal. I don't think you are going to see Disney turn into another Six Flags ever! But they do need some thrill rides to move into the future. Those that don't look to the future are doomed to fade away with the past.

One final point, I do happen to be a thrill ride person. As a matter of fact I avoided Disney World for years because I had heard they didn't have many thrill rides. I would still be avoiding Disney World if I hadn't won a trip from the company I used to work for. Before Disney I never liked parades or shows & fireworks didn't impress me. I am not a shopper & I sure as heck didn't want to learn anything. When, I got down to Disney World My company put me up at the boardwalk and epcot was the first park I visited I got completely and totally sucked into the magic. I loved everything about epcot and the rest of the parks. What I learned was that I like all the things I USED to think I didn't like if they are well done. I have been going back every 12-18 months ever since. With that said If Disney would have had more thrill rides I would have been down there long ago. I know there are a lot of people like I used to be out there. I talk to them everyday. They don't go down there because they have heard that Disney Doesn't have many thrill rides. Like it or not Thrill rides are the future of Disney at this time. And as long as they don't take there eyes off of the rest of what makes Disney Magical I don't see a problem. A new attraction doesn't have to be for everybody. There are tons and tons of things that the entire familiy can do. Just my 2 cents. I do consider my self to be a true Disney Fan as I sure have a lot of Disney stuff sitting around my house hehe.

Thanks,

Dan

 

[gailb]

I, too, like the educational nature of Epcot, but absolutely love Test Track. Any of my immediate family members would agree. We are not much of a thrill-seeking group, and Test Track has just enough (but not too much) action for us. I would hate to think of Disney removing such a fun attraction. Unfortunately I do not have the stomach for a ride like Mission Space ( or the tea cups!), but am glad that they have those type of rides for visitors who enjoy them.

 

[King Triton]

Thanks for the feedback. I agree that Disney needs more thrill rides too. I also know that people have different tastes. I wish Disney would have kept Horizons and World of Motion and built Test Track and Mission Space too. Why remove the classic rides? I think combining thrill/dark ride is the way to go. It's important to maintain the magic and imagination. I don't want to see too many Dumbo clone rides popping up because it's cheaper to build. We must maintain the high standard of quality Walt had in mind when he built Disneyland.

I love Disney....when you enter through the gates, you're in a different world of enchantment magic.

 

[Peter Pirate]

As for Horizons, I have it on very good authority and it was discussed on these and other boards quite extensively at the time that the Horizons builing, did indeed, have serious maintenance issues...So severe that building did in fact need a complete overhaul (Disney choose to replace it).

I agree that it's a shame that a building as relatively new as Horizons failed (somebody blew it) but the decision not to recreate the same ride seems the right decision to me.

 

[ryley26]

I loved ms but would not ride it over and over. We just got back and there was never a line for ms. test track on the other hand was at least a 40 min wait at all times. so judge for your self I think people are afraid of the hype.

 

[adriannabannana]

I went with three other people, and two of us loved it, one thought it was o.k., and my Mom-who is afraid of heights-enjoyed it but vowed to never ride it again. She is 55, and the only physical complaint she had was that she felt a starboard list when she got off the ride. (I did too, and I noticed that I kept walking a bit to the side as I went down the hall)

Other than that, I think it's worth the wait, and an excellent addition to the Disney thrill ride line-up.

edited to add:

I didn't see the posts on pg 3, but I do agree that Disney Co. can't lose sight of the original vision for Epcot (and the rest of the world) by replacing the all of the original rides with "six-flags screamers". WDW would become another Bush Gardens, or Universal, and lose it's competitive edge for family theme parks, if it commits to this approach. They have a huge amount of acreage, so they can add thrill rides and update the original visionary rides at the same time.
I was 14 when I saw Horizons, and I did miss it when I went back at 29 and it was no longer there. Not all the rides merit special 'hands-off' status, but the ones that exemplify the original WED vision do.

JMHO.

 

[SheDaisy0088]

Went on it 2 times in a row with my DH and DS7. They loved it. I however was feeling a little green around the gills.

 

[foodrocksluver]

Originally posted by King Triton
It's ashame that Disney is losing some of its magic. I was a huge fan of Horizons and World of Motion. Epcot has lost its charm without those great rides. Now Disney is thinking about removing Spaceship Earth. Michael Eisner just doesn't get it. Building Test Track and Mission Space to chase after teenagers is a big mistake. Walt wanted every ride to be fun for the entire family. Michael Eisner lost the vision. The damage is done but I hope someone soon will replace Eisner who will recapture the magic.

Solution: Pull out Test Track and Mission Space. Build Journey to the Center of the Earth and a Horizons II ride instead. Trust me on this...it will make Epcot a super hit in the long run.

All of us TRUE Disney fans need to speak up!

Okay Im speaking up!!! Yes I was a little girl when Horizons and The World of Motion was there but every time I go onto Test Track I say to my mom, "Just want you to know I secretly HATE this ride since it took away The World of Motion". And to me Disney magic is there when you see little kids get off the ride with a huge smile on their faces saying, "Mommy lets do it again!!". So its there for like everything in MK and AK, MGM has it but its more the teens going, "Sweet! Lets get another Fastpass!!". EPCOT, eventhough its my favorite park, has lost some magic in the Future World West area. I mean they closed Wonders of Life and say that its only open seasonally. Now shouldnt that mean that its open in August!! Hello you should have seen it! Open Wonders of Life! But back to the point, I hated Mission Space and my dad got sick for 2 days and actually got sick. So there you go, Bring back Horizons and The World of Motion!

 

[taswira]

I have to chime in, because of the comment in one post about Disney "chasing teenagers." Although I love EVERYTHING at the parks, from MK's Carousel to RNRC and TOT at MGM, and I am a big fan of Epcot's World Showcase, Mission:Space is my favorite ride at WDW. I go on it at least weekly and have even done a couple of ride "marathons" on it. My only complaint is that it seems much less intense than back in its pre-opening test ride days.

I will be 53 in December. I don't think the features of theme park rides have anything to do with age. Although some rides have height requirements, age is not a factor at WDW. It is a matter of personal preference, the Guest's state of health, and attitude. Fortunately, there are a variety of rides and attractions for the wide variety of Guests. I think Mission:Space is a good thing, popular or not. Those who are doubtful of its suitability for them should probably just skip it.

 

[Coach Rick]

Originally posted by taswira
I will be 53 in December. I don't think the features of theme park rides have anything to do with age. Although some rides have height requirements, age is not a factor at WDW. It is a matter of personal preference, the Guest's state of health, and attitude. Fortunately, there are a variety of rides and attractions for the wide variety of Guests. I think Mission:Space is a good thing, popular or not. Those who are doubtful of its suitability for them should probably just skip it.

I would have to agree. There is nothing wrong with this ride, although I didn't ride it this past week when I was there. My DW, DS, and two DD's did ride it, and loved it. As you said taswira, there is something for everyone. I prefer going to see all the shows now at 47. Some say I am getting old, but I rather believe my taste has changed. I still love SM, BTMRR, and SM in the MK. Just in EPCOT, I prefer different entertainment. My guess is that is why there are so many choices.

 

[SundancePass]

Mission Space is one ride I cannot ride again. Too sick and didn't follow directions. However, my fun now is to sit on the benches close and see how many are green when they come out. More guests come out laughing and listing than green and sick, it seems to me.

I miss Horizons and World of Motion. My kids loved to ride them over and over and over. But then everything changes and so does Epcot.

It's still our favorite park!

 

[Olaf]

I'm one of those folks who had real problems with this ride. I followed directions, but I do get motion sick in airplanes sometimes. I think I also have a touch of claustrophobia, when that top piece came down, I was sweating bullets. The weird thing about this ride is that I felt quesy all evening after riding it. Normally it goes away quickly, but not this time. DH & DS loved it--good thing there's a nice waiting room.

 

[KathyPem]

Am I the only one who got ALL they way to the doors where you get into the pods and THEN chickened out??? I like thrill rides (loved TOT and RNR) but I get car sick at times and all those warnings had me so worked up and anxious that walking into the room where they play that video clip I was getting queasy already. LOL. I figured I would rather chicken out (which I have NEVER done on a ride ) than get sick and be horribly embarrassed. DH's cousins had gone on it the day before and told us all about it too, that didn't help.

On another note, I hold Disney parks higher than other theme parks. I would hate to see them try to coverly compete by changing existing parks to be more 'thrilling'. If they want to do that, build another park that is more on the 'thrill ride' level.

I know a lot of kids are going on these thrill rides at very young ages but what will they have to look forward to at 15 if they did it all at 5, know what i Mean?? I guess I am just old fashioned and sentimental.

 

[iceskatejen]

I rode Space Mountain at DL the first time when I was 6, I still looked foward to it at 16, and now I'm sooo looking foward to it reopening next year. If kids are riding M:S at 5, then for them it will be part of their Disney experience and if they're sentimental, they'll still be looking foward to it. Anyway, I loved Mission: Space. I've always wanted to know what space flight felt like, and I just thought the whole experience was very cool.

 

[Deafmedic]

My wife is 36. She has been a Flight Nurse on helicopters for 14 years. She has never gotten sick riding the "bird" as she calls it. She says it made her nauseated and gave her a headache to ride Mission Space.

 

[GQQFY]

Mission:Space is the greatest thing to happen to Epcot in YEARS. WAIT! No, decades!

Just look at the increases in attendance!

Besides...it's a centrifuge...not all astronaut candidates like it either. This only serves to vailidate the authenticity of Disney's version of astronaut training!

Hooray for Epcot and WDI for creating something "Uniquely Disney!"

 

[jarestel]

Time will tell with MS, I suppose. If, for instance, in 3 years time, TT still has 40 minutes to an hour and a half queues but MS, (after everyone has had a chance to try it out) is a walk on, this will say all that needs to be said about the future of the ride. If MS has long lines waiting to ride, it will survive. If not, it goes the way of Horizons, after the depreciation has been realized by the Walt Disney Company. That remains to be seen, but personally, I don't see MS as a serious long haul option at Epcot. Any ride that makes people think they require medications and need to follow a strict ride protocol, ( ie, don't look around, keep your eyes glued to the screen in front of you, don't eat anything before going on the ride, etc... ) in order to ride successfully, is probably doomed. When you make a ride a little more than most FAMILIES, not individuals, are willing to put up with at WDW , ( anyone remember Alien Encounter ) you run the risk of "ALIEN-ating" a large segment of the ride population. Maybe at some point in the future, we'll see the "Stitch-ification" of MS. But I could be wrong. As I said, time will tell.

 

[stemikger]

I was there this past August and I was dying to try Mission Space. I talked about it all year. Well the day before we went to EPCOT I went on Rock and Roller Coaster and I didn't like it at all. I don't know why but my body couldn't take it. The takeoff was too much for me. I was talking about how hard this was on me the next night while eating dinner at the Crown and Rose in London (EPCOT) and a nice couple overheard me and said if you didn't like the take off on Rock and Roller Coaster don't go on Mission Space. This scared me and I never did go on the ride. I do have high blood pressure so maybe I better listen to my body. I do love TOT and I think Dinosour was awesome. That is about my new threshold since I hit 40.

It seems that Disney is trying to fill that niche, but I hope they don't go overboard and still give us high blood pressure people something to go on.

 

[eileenfk]

Originally posted by seashoreCM
While not nauseous to the point of vomiting, I felt quite giddy after riding Mission Space. At least I am glad I tried it, but probably never again.

There will always be a few people who cannot take the ride as it stands, and also a few people who can take a much more aggressive operation of the ride.

As far as I know the ride can be perked up or toned down to any degree. I wish they had a "chicken session" every now and then, those who want to participate step aside and when about 40 have gone into the "chicken line" they are all loaded at once (I think there are 10 ride capsules each holding 4 people) and the ride is run a little slower for that ride cycle.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

7/31, Did Tower of Terror for the first time (after having chickened out for the past 4 or 5 visits/years). No problems.

I have always thought they should have a "slow" version of many of the faster rides.
This probably would not work for those that really free-fall.

After several times of chickening out, I finally got the courage to go down splash mountain. After the drop, I wasn't even sure that I had done the main drop, because it didn't seem like such a big drop. I was sort of wondering if the "big" drop was still coming up.
Now my goal is to try at least one ride, that I have chickened out on in the past, each trip.
Tower of Terror is on my list.
As far as Mission Space goes, I highly doubt I will ever try it.

Eileen