Mission: SPACE - Disappointing!

[disneysteve]

Well, we finally got to experience M:S last week. I was extremely disappointed. I think this ride has been phenomenally overhyped. It just isn't that great. It barely qualifies as a thrill ride in my book. On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate it a 3 for thrills. I could name a dozen Disney rides that are more exciting than this. You are more likely to get motion sick on the parking lot tram. They spend so much time in the preshow warning you about the ride that you expect it to be really intense and it just isn't (except for the launch segment which does pull some serious G's). I think they should tone down the warnings and then you wouldn't expect so much. Of course, that still wouldn't make the ride any better.

The one good thing is that this is a great "starter" thrill ride for little kids. My 8 year old loved it and couldn't wait to do it a second time. I went on with her. My wife, who felt about the same as I did, sat out that time. She didn't think it was worth another trip. If your kid is tall enough to ride, have no fears about taking them on. They'll be fine. The tea cups in MK are more likely to make them sick.

Steve

 

[Disney845]

Steve-

I felt much the same way. I had been waiting for this ride for so long. All of could think after I first rode it was...they closed Horizons for this???

***sigh***

I also agree that it has been overly hyped. I was expecting a really awesome ride. I think body wars is more interesting, and I am not a body wars fan. The only thing even partially "thrilling" about M:S was the launch sequence as you said. And that was nothing to write home about.

 

[jazyjewel]

Well, I will say that I absolutely loved it!!! I think it is a great theme and a fun ride!! But, that is just my opinion
Julie

 

[hockey mom]

My whole family loved it(I sat it out), but their one complaint was that it was too short.

 

[DaveH]

I agree it is over hyped. I enjoyed alot. I disagree that Disney has several thrill rides that are better than this. IMHO they have one that is better than Mission Space. Unless you have a super iron stomach and you kept your head to side alot you will get motion sickness. The inner ear will go nuts on you. Being old enough to remember the space race. I remember in detail Project Gemini on and I think the Space Shuttle is a joke of a spacecraft. In my perpestive it is very well themed. Mission Space is very much so over hyped. Sorry you ere so disappointed.

 

[wdwguide]

I wouldn't call Mission: SPACE a thrill ride, and disagree that Disney markets it as such. The ride itself is great and does exactly what it is supposed to do, but by posting pictures of people with their faces in terror and their eyes bulging they make this seem as if it were the sequel to Alien Encounter, thus raising unrealistic expectations that are not fulfilled. So I agree that it was "wrongly hyped".

Having started riding it before all the marketing started, I was not disappointed despite having huge expectations. It is a bit inconsistent though depending on where you sit, which I assume has something to do with the way the capsules are oriented at various times during the ride.

 

[Toad]

I can handle the stomach churning stuff, but get dizzy easily. What would be the biggest "physical" impact of this ride? Thought I'd give it a try in tow weeks but if it has a higher dizziness factor, I might have to leave it....

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by Toad
I can handle the stomach churning stuff, but get dizzy easily. What would be the biggest "physical" impact of this ride? Thought I'd give it a try in tow weeks but if it has a higher dizziness factor, I might have to leave it....

The launch sequence pushes you straight back into your seat with quite a bit of force. At its peak, you feel pressure on your chest when you try to breathe.

As for dizziness, it really isn't a problem because you are fully enclosed in the capsule so you've got no outside point of reference to tell how much you are spinning, unlike something like the Tea Cups in MK that can quickly disorient you if you don't focus properly.

Steve

 

[inaminute]

I have to say that this is now my favorite ride at WDW! Absolutely loved it. I found it much more intense than any other ride. It was an awesome experience!

On the other hand, while my DH was really impressed, the ride made him very ill. So much so that I spent some time waiting for him to return from the nearest rest room. We had to leave the park so he could rest for a while. He doesn't get motion sickness, and has never been sick from a ride before!

I can't wait to ride again--he says he's going to try again, but I'm not counting on it. I'll probably be riding alone!

 

[noel]

DH and I rode M:S last week Monday - only 1 time though.

We both love rollercoasters but I don't tolerate simulator type rides (ie Body Wars, Star Tours) or rides that spin too well - I feel reaaaaaly ill afterwards. DH usually does fine on any type of ride though.

With that said I thought M:S was very intense and a great thrill and overall well done. BUT I felt awful after getting off of it and so did DH. I followed the directions and didn't look around and kept my head back. Towards the very end of the ride I started feeling very queasy and so did DH. Neither of us threw up, but it took both of us few hours to feel 100% better.

I'll probably ride it again on my next trip if I can get on at the end of the day, but wouldn't do it first thing in the morning at rope drop like we did last week.

Sorry to hear that so many people have been disappointed, especially with all the hype.

 

[tmq2766]

I rode last week and we loved it!!!!!! I tried lifting my leg and found it very difficult to do. I was very impressed how realistic it is.
I cannot handle spinning rides and rides like body wars make me feel nautious but I felt great after mission space! I really followed the ruled carefully!

 

[Cindymere]

Would someone give me the low down on exactly what this ride does? (vertigo/inner ear person here)...

So I have read that there are several gs pulled during the launch off, but then what do you do?

Too short? How long does it last?

Thanks!

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by Cindymere
Would someone give me the low down on exactly what this ride does? (vertigo/inner ear person here)...

So I have read that there are several gs pulled during the launch off, but then what do you do?

Too short? How long does it last?

Thanks!

I believe total ride time is a bit over 4 minutes. I'm sure someone here has the exact number.

You are in a 4-person "capsule" seated side by side 4 across. In front of you is a video screen and control panel, like in a space vehicle. Multiple identical capsules are all mounted in a circular fashion with riders facing toward the center of the circle. The ride mechanism spins the circle of capsules - picture a ferris wheel lying on its side. That generates the centripetal force that pushes you into your seat. The capsule can turn side to side and front to back to simulate motion.

You are launched on a mission from Earth to land on Mars. There are some buttons on the control panel that you get to push when told to. The motion simulation is good, though I think you feel it differently on a ride like Star Tours. I think part of the problem here is that there are only 4 of you, so there isn't the group excitement that happens on Star Tours or Body Wars. I honestly can't pinpoint what disappointed me, but overall I just found something lacking from the experience. It is not a bad ride at all and I'll happily do it again next trip. It just wasn't as good as I was expecting.

Steve

 

[MinnieGi]

We loved it!! That is DH, his parents and myself loved it. My parents went on it another day and did have motion sickness problems. They were very surprised as they have not had trouble with other simulator rides and can do the tea cups fine. So it does affect people in different ways. I think the warnings are justified. Right before we went on we saw a family coming out looking absolutely awful - very sick like feeling over their faces.

For me MS was a thrill and it was also beautiful. I loved the pictures from space and it made me feel like I was really flying. I would have loved if it lasted longer!! Now my mom and dad wished it hadn't lasted as long.

Yes, the ride is being hyped. They have a great new ride and want to generate publicity to make people want to come. And they need to get the word out to everyone even those that don't frequent the DISboards!! I think everyone here may think its overhyped because we are so clued in to anything Disney.

I can't wait to ride again in February!

 

[daisax]

I loved it, laughed, was disappointed that it didn't last longer, but agree that it was overhyped as a "thrill" ride.

You're pressed into your seat and at one point you feel ever so slightly weightless. The story's fun and the theming is very well done.

It's 100 times smoother than Body Wars and Star tours.

I didn't find it hard to look straight ahead -- the video ahead of you is interesting and pretty and to look away from it would take considerable effort, so I'm not sure how/why people would look away in the first place.

 

[Cindymere]

Thanks! As long as my ear isn't acting up, I'm going to try it...

 

[Teri1]

We rode it several times last week during our visit. It was fun the first couple of times but my DH said he wished he could have rode it before they toned it down. I wished it would have lasted longer with a return trip to earth or something.

I agree that with all the warnings they scared off allot of people. We never had to wait in line for this ride because I think allot of people were scared off of the ride. I admit I was affraid the first time I rode it because people on the board saying it made them sick for hours after they rode it. I got sick at the State Fair this summer on a couple of spinning rides so I was a bit affraid of what would happen. But I did not feel anything other than the pressure of the liftoff which was pretty awesome. I didn't feel anything with my stomach. I would reccomend anyone to at least give it one try.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Rode it once last month. Nice ride, beautiful visuals, definetely worth going on at least once, hype or no hype.

But I think that will be it for me for a long, long while. I will opt out and watch the kids if anyone in my group wants to go next time. I started getting motion sickness during the ride. It wasn't horrible but I could see it getting much, much worse if the ride was any longer.

I left with not quite a headache, more like a hangover with my head feeling stuffed with cotton, light headed, and just a teeny bit quesy. It wasn't awful. I could still function but I definitely needed to take it easy for a couple of hours. A nap would have been nice!

I was totally recovered about 2 hours later. Was it worth it? Absolutely - but only once for me in let's say every 5 years? Couldn't say the same thing if the ride was any longer and I REALLY got sick!