I've never seen so many people with so many opinions about a ride that anyone has yet to experience and tell us about.
This whole thread is a real crock!
It's obvious that some people are writing about "Soarin' Over California" who've never been on the ride and have no idea what they're talking about. "Soarin'" includes not only a huge Omni-Max circular concave screen, but seating that hangs from arms which are motion simulators. Wind is blown in your face and scents are pumped into the theater at times appropriate to what is shown on the screen (i.e., you smell oranges when flying over orange groves).
When you talk about a ride that leaves people grinning from ear to ear as they exit, you define "Soarin' Over California." The huge lines there are not just a reflection of the fact that it happens to be the best ride in California Adventure, but those lines would (in my opinion) be replicated in any park in which they build a clone. (And I hope they build one in Florida damn soon!)
"Soarin' Over California" is a happy happy ride: it simulates the dreams many of us have had about flying. Think about it if you've been on the ride: our dreams of flight are gentle and mysterious. "Soarin" replicates these dreams and is a ride on which I've never seen anyone get sick. Everyone leaves, and is extremely happy (people often burst into spontaneous applause at the end), and they want to ride again. After riding "Soarin" I have some idea of what it might be like to simply walk off the edge of a building and fly around.
"Mission Space" appears to be the antithesis of "Soarin": Mission is going to be a balls to the wall thrill ride. "Soarin" is a happy ride, not a pulse-accelerating thrill ride. "Soarin" is a ride that has nothing to do with speed, nothing to do with claustrophobia, and nothing to do with duplicating any actual human experience: Soarin is a fantasy made real.
"Mission Space" appears to want to duplicate for the theme park visitor the actual physical experience of being in a rocket. That means claustrophia, looking out little windows, physical discomfort as you're pushed back into your chair by G forces, throwing up, and terror. For many this will be extremely exciting, though I hope they tone it down so we don't all take a "barf shower" in the pod.
The imagineers are trying to give what appears to be as realistic a duplication as possible. And I think that stupid composite picture of the interior of the pod with an entirely open front in an attempt to meld Mission Space with Soarin over California is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. And I don't want to hear about "woulda, shoulda, and coulda." Go read some books on cognitive therapy and figure out why you're disappointed in most things.
Finally, Horizons and World of Motion were outdated and dreary rides. Really. (I'm a Disney freak and I love AA figures and all of that stuff, but a few honest words now and then don't hurt.) They didn't have the kitsch value or iconic status of Pirates of the Caribbean or Carousel of Progress, and they deserved to be replaced with rides like Test Track and Mission Space.
And what's with the bashing of Test Track? Who doesn't love it? Look at the length of the lines! How can you argue with the ride when the lines are huge? Always huge! The patrons of Epcot love Test Track. Just because YOU think it could've been better, or something else, is YOUR problem.
The only downside to the replacing of Horizons and World of Motion with attractions like Test Track and Mission Space is that there is now less for families to do together than there used to be, and rides like TT and MS MUST be balanced by the opening of other rides that the whole family can enjoy together.
Until Mission Space opens, or we have eyewitness accounts from half a dozen unbiased people who've been in there during test and adjust, you should all keep your yaps shut!