The orange or intense side is the same as it was when the ride soft opened in June of 2003. That is according to Disney and my own opinion. I don't believe the ride is toned down at all from when I rode it during the previews.
They now offer the green or less intense version in addition to the original. The green version turns off the centrifuge (the spinning) and basically turns the ride into a next generation Star Tours similator. The cabins still move back and forth and front and back to create sensations of movement, but without the spinning decreases the risk of motion sickness in those who can't ride the original, more intense version.
Which version did you ride?