Mission: SPACE Question

[SteveInOmaha]

I've never quite understood exactly how this attraction works. I know it's not a motion simulator like Body Wars. I thought I read somewhere about it spinning to produce the weightless sensation. Exactly how does it spin? How do you feel like you're going up & down if all you are doing is going around in a circle?

Thanks for your help.
Steve in Omaha

 

[buzz2400]

Have you ever seen the ride where you go into a circular thing and it spins and spins and you stick to the wall and then the floor drops. This is what the ride is however you don't feel it because you are inside the capsule looking at a monitor.

 

[ophie]

buzz2400 is correct. MS spins like a centrifuge where you're pressed back into your seat. However, there is a simulator experience as well considering that the capsule tips and moves to match the movements on the monitor.

 

[DarthKarl]

The ride uses centrical force (by spinning you) to create the feeling of increased gravity (G-force) during a spacecraft’s launch. This is the exact same way NASA has trained astronauts since the 1950's.

Since you are in an enclosed environment, with no references to the outside (except for the ride videos in front of you), you can’t really tell that you are being spun. It simply feels like you are accelerating and being pushed back into your seat. The only way you may be able to discern that you are spinning is if you move your head to one side or the other, which Disney warns you not to do.

 

[Melissa M]

And from what I understand, a lot of the ride is a mind game. As long as you're looking straight ahead at the monitor, you'll feel the sensation of rising. However, if you look away or close your eyes, you'll recognize that you're actually spinning. That's why they tell those that are prone to motion sickness to just look straight ahead.

 

[seanmci]

It spins a little faster than the carnival rides I think? Not sure actually. I know I love thrill rides but I can not do spinning rides without getting sick and I was fine on MS. I would not however look to my side or close my eyes. I remember when riding it coming to the realization that if I did I would most likely be sick. Cool ride though. I liked it. The second time I rode a little girl got in I was hoping she would be OK. It would not be fun if someone lost their all you can eat character breakfast in there. I would feel bad. it would be very embarassing.

 

[bdrex95]

My DW HATES spinning rides with a passion. But she LOVED Mission:Space. As long as you keep looking at your monitor (there really isn't much else to look at anyway), you are fine. You have no clue that you are spinning, you just feel like you are taking off to the stars.

 

[DarthKarl]

Frankly, I think a lot of the problems that some people have stem from all the warnings Disney gives you as you wait to get on the ride. I don't recall how many times I heard and read that you could get motion sick from MS.

I believe a lot of people get overly nervous and then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy when they get on the ride. I don’t believe the feeling of acceleration is a whole lot greater than what you naturally feel on Test Track, and you don’t hear much about people feeling ill there.

 

[sanibelover]

I'm with you. I never have problems with rides, but by the time we actually got on MS I was feeling a little apprehensive with all of the warnings and the airsick bags, etc. That's why my advice is just do the ride. Don't read any more about it, you will just get too worked up. It's an OK ride IMO. I liked TofT much better.

 

[buzz2400]

I agree with all the warnings. I was petrified because that is all you hear while you are waiting to get on the ride. If you are afraid that you might get sick here is some advice, make sure you get a fastpass so you don't have to wait so long being apprehensive, take a motion sickness pill the night before (so it does not make you drowsy during the day), after you buckle up, pick up a barf bag and hold onto it the entire time (just in case), keep your head straight looking at the screen, don't move your head at all and don't move your eyes off the screen. While on the ride you are assigned a job which is pressing a button twice, if you don't push the button the ride kicks in and does it for you. So if you really want to push the button make sure you look for it before the ride starts. There is no clear sign of who will get sick, people who are proned to motion sickness don't get sick and vice versa. I can't ride rides that go in a circular motion but I rode this one fine.

 

[Stiff]

I hate spinning rides

I loved this ride

just keep looking at the screen and remember, even if you feel bad, its over in like 90 seconds

 

[mansionfan]

I don’t believe the feeling of acceleration is a whole lot greater than what you naturally feel on Test Track.

To me, the launch was the most intense part of the ride because of the anticipation of leaning back and staring at the sky, just waiting for the countdown to hit zero!

 

[DarthKarl]

In terms of physical “discomfort,” I found that Mission Space (despite all the dire warnings) was one of the gentler rides. You don’t get bounced and jostled anywhere as much as you do on the Dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom.

It’s a great ride that shouldn’t be missed.

 

[GoofyHusker]

If you follow the instructions to focus on the screen and not shut your eyes or look to the side, you'll probably be fine. I do not do well anymore on spinning rides, but had no problem on MS.

 

[disney junky]

Thanks for all the input. I too am influenced by all the warning prior to going on a ride so this puts my mind at ease. We'll have to see whether DW will go....

 

[Miranda Danda]

Oh my goshness! Thanks for posting this information. I was petrified by what I have heard about this ride, but I really want to try it. I have been on the Gravitron (the spinny ride at the fair) and I loved it. Thanks for the advice about looking at the monitor. I get sea-sick when I go out on my boyfriend's parents boat. Hopefully I won't get sick on this ride. Maybe I should ride it RIGHT before the park closes. That way, if I do get sick I won't have ruined the whole day. Does anyone have any other advice? Thank you much!

 

[nybound]

Reading all of this about Mission Space is bringing back the headache I got from riding it.

I really enjoyed the right. The effects from blast off to touchdown are quite good. I was just glad it was over when it was. All that spinning was leaving my lightheaded, and I had a headache after it was all over. But, I never felt like I was going to lose my breakfast - unlike the gentleman beside me who reached for his air sickness bag just after launch (he didn't heave, but he did turn green).

As a side note, the souvenir shop has a whole bunch of medicine for people coming off the ride (Advil, Dramamine, etc.). I took some Tylenol afterwards, and I was fine for the rest of the day.

Overall, I found it to be a cross between Star Tours and Body Wars in terms of motion sickness and general queasiness - though I think the effects are better than both of them.

 

[JonJehrio]

I don't like rides that spin, however, I really enjoyed Mission Space because if someone didn't tell me I was spinning, I would have never known. It really feels like you are blasting off to space.