Mission Space?

BillSears

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Messages
4,753
Have any of you gotten to do a preview yet? I'm curious as to how wheelchair friendly the ride is. I'm a paraplegic and can do a transfer to almost any seat I can reach. The question is can I get my chair up near the seat? I'll be in WDW during the AP preview and I have APs so I hope to be able to ride it.
 
i haven't heard anything about how wheelchair friendly it will be, but this post from the Theme Parks Board had a pretty complete discription of the ride. it sounds like it will be very intenxe and there will be a lot of people it will not be suitable for.
 
We were at Epcot one night on our recent trip and they had a soft opening for Mission Space while we were there.

We asked if it was accessible to a power wheelchair and the man said no. So Dan headed to the exit area to wait for us.

You enter a 4 seat capsule area and I don't think it would be very accessible. From my memory I do not think it had a very wide door -- I know Dan (a quadraplegic) and I could not have handled the transfer.

However I admit I had heard nothing about the ride and was more worried about my reaction to it-- than accessibility. Hopefully the next people to ride will check it out in more detail!

I wish they would make an area to experience part or all of new rides that were w/c friendly!

Linda
 
Thanks for the replies. I don't think I'm going to have any problem with the various aspects of the ride itself. The only problem I see is getting into the seat.

I've looked around abit more and here is a picture of the inside of the cockpit:

http://www.themeparks.com/library-06/wdw/epcot/space05.htm

It looks like I will not be able to get my chair through the opening. But I might/maybe/possibly/hopefully be able to make the long transfer from my chair to the closest seat. If I cant do that maybe I can go from my chair to the floor then to the seat. I think there will be no way of truely knowing till I see it in person. I just hope I can convince the CMs to let me try it.

So far there isn't a ride in WDW that I haven't done. I occaisionally do the Tea Cups, which is a real pain to get on and off. In my younger days I even did 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea once, it was tough lifting myself back up the steps at the end but was worth it. I haven't been to WDW in 5 years so I still have to try out Test Track, R&R and all of AK but I'm hopefull that they will all be ok.
 

We'd lift DD in if she went on, so we would not have a problem (our problem would be whether the restraint would hold her since she's pretty tiny). It does not look like there would be anywhere for you to hold onto to haul yourself in, but I think you are right about not knowing unless you see it.

I can give you some info about Test Track. They have a trial car (I'm not sure where it is, since I have not seen it, but several people have posted about it). Something I know they have for sure is a seat level transfer point (we used it with DD). The ride car is similar to an actual automobile and the usual boarding area has the car below you so that you are at sort of dashboard level and step down into it. Unloading takes place at the same site and involves a big step up. But, there is an alternate boarding area where the car is just sitting on the track in the same position that a real car would be if you pulled up next to it. You can pull you wheelchair right up to it and the car is on your left. We still had to lift DD in because she can't make a sliding transfer, but it was more like transferring to the side of a bathtub (since the car door is solid and doesn't open) and then swinging into the tub. Your wheelchair stays there and you unload at the same place. Anyone who could make it into the old subs would probably find this a piece of cake.
At AK, most of the attractions are either wheelchair accessible or shows. Three that require a transfer are Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids and another dino one (I can't think of the name, but it's not TriceraTop Spin). Dinosaur has jeep-like trams. Wheelchair guests board and unload from the left side of the car (the car is to your right) and you would be able to get your wheelchair pretty close.
Kali River Rapids is a round ride car with seats along the circle, facing into the circle. The regular boarding area has the boats moving slowly along a wooden boarding dock. For wheelchair boarding, they have a clever arrangement that "captures" the boat and holds it secure in a gate until they release it. The door to the car is fairly narrow and the floor of the boat is a step down. The seats are fairly close (but I'll have to look on next trip if they would be close enough to transfer easily). There is a seatbelt that you share with the seat next to you. There is also a rail above the floor to keep your feet on so they don't get wet. We got DD's feet on it, but as she gets excited, she goes into extension and her feet came off the rail and ended up on the floor. He shoes and socks were totally soaked. DD, niece, DH and I got a little wet, but my mom was with us on the ride and she got totally soaked (down to the underwear). At the very least, I'd suggest bringing a change of shoes and socks along. DD's feet were cold as ice and had some pressure spots by the end of the day in her wet shoes.
The other dinosaur ride is sort of a cross between the teacups and a roller coaster. You spin at the same time as going up and down. You board and get off at the same point with the ride car to your left and can pull the wheelchair right up to the car. The restraint is a pull down shoulder restraint. DD had problems with this ride and was almost out of her seat by the time it stopped. I don't think you would have a problem if you don't on the teacups, but DD has mixed CP, spastic quad with dystonia and athetosis, so she has a lot of trouble holding her position when she's excited. She couldn't hold on or scoot herself up when she got thrown around by the spinning and she slid under the shoulder restraint because she's not very big. Needless to say, unless they add seat belts, she won't be going on there again.
 
Thanks for all the information Sue. It looks like the seat level transfer point will make it very easy to get on Test Track.

It's a funny story,well funny to me, about how I rode 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I was 22 and visiting the MK. I had always assumed that 20K was not accesable at all. But when going past it one day I noticed a wheelchair symbol at the exit and I thought, "Wow they must have put in a lift. I've got to try it". So my fiance and I went through the exit where the CM asked us to wait to the side. We did and then he motioned for us to board. Now I'm looking at the hole in the top of the sub and the steps leading down and I'm thinking ***? Did he expect me to just get up and walk down. Well he just stood there and I thought, "OK, I can sit down and do steps one at a time. I might as well go while I have my chance." So I plopped out of my chair, did the steps down pretty fast since they're the easy part, then worked my way back up the steps when the ride stopped. Would I do this today at 44? Probably not but it's cool to know I did it back then.
 
I bet you surprised the CM at the sub!
 
The doors are quite narrow, but you may be able to transfer with a little time.
I have seen very little about the accessibility of this attraction. There are still two ride systems that aren't finished yet. Perhaps one of them will have a cabin that is more transfer-friendly. I'm sure that roll-on access is not feasible b/c the cabin tilts backwards and a chair would not be secure enough.

Sue, as long as your dd meets the height requirement, she should be fine with the restraints. They are over-the-shoulder and come in very closely. It is a very intense experience, and unless you face forward the whole time, you can get pretty dizzy.
 
Thanks for the info, Steve.
As for my DD riding Space, I'm not sure I will ride it. I get too dizzy for the teacups!. Since I'm sure my other DD won't ride and DH won't ride alone with DD #2, I'm not sure if she will be riding it.
Do you have any info on what the health restrictions for the ride will be?
 
Back, neck, heart, motion-sickness, vertigo, expectant mothers, and people who are made uncomfortable by enclosed dark spaces/loud noises are advised not to ride. Height requirement (if I am remembering correctly) is 48" (hard to remember... I think 48, though...)
 
Originally posted by BillSears
Thanks for the replies. I don't think I'm going to have any problem with the various aspects of the ride itself. The only problem I see is getting into the seat.

I've looked around abit more and here is a picture of the inside of the cockpit:

http://www.themeparks.com/library-06/wdw/epcot/space05.htm

It looks like I will not be able to get my chair through the opening. But I might/maybe/possibly/hopefully be able to make the long transfer from my chair to the closest seat. If I cant do that maybe I can go from my chair to the floor then to the seat. I think there will be no way of truely knowing till I see it in person. I just hope I can convince the CMs to let me try it.

So far there isn't a ride in WDW that I haven't done. I occaisionally do the Tea Cups, which is a real pain to get on and off. In my younger days I even did 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea once, it was tough lifting myself back up the steps at the end but was worth it. I haven't been to WDW in 5 years so I still have to try out Test Track, R&R and all of AK but I'm hopefull that they will all be ok.

Good news Bill ;) My daughter rode on Mission Space on July 4th and her dad reports they have a capsule with a seat that extends out of the capsule for loading of handicapped persons. He just transferred Jackie from her wheelchair on to the seat and then the seat was returned to the capsule - biggest problem he had was climbing over her to get to his seat ;) Enjoy!
 
WOW that's fantastic news!!! Thanks Tori.

Now I wonder how many times I can ride it during the AP holders weekend. :)
 
Good news Bill My daughter rode on Mission Space on July 4th and her dad reports they have a capsule with a seat that extends out of the capsule for loading of handicapped persons. He just transferred Jackie from her wheelchair on to the seat and then the seat was returned to the capsule - biggest problem he had was climbing over her to get to his seat Enjoy!

Great, thanks Tori!
 
I sat next to a man who transferred from a wheelchair today. The seat did not move at all, but he did load on the "exit" end of the cabin via a different door (in the building) than the rest of us. Upon exiting, I asked a friend of mine who works at M:S about anything "sliding out" and he said no. I may have mis-understood Tori's description, or I may have misunderstood the CM I spoke with. If I find anything else out, I will post it here. Just wanted to give a heads-up.
 
Originally posted by Safari Steve
I sat next to a man who transferred from a wheelchair today. The seat did not move at all, but he did load on the "exit" end of the cabin via a different door (in the building) than the rest of us. Upon exiting, I asked a friend of mine who works at M:S about anything "sliding out" and he said no. I may have mis-understood Tori's description, or I may have misunderstood the CM I spoke with. If I find anything else out, I will post it here. Just wanted to give a heads-up.

I doubled checked with my husband (Lammy) and he said yes, in the cabin/capsule they used the seat did extend out (the CM had to release it). Maybe it's just the terminology that's confusing folks but Lammy says the CM released the seat and a portion of it twisted so that it was extended out of the capsule, he put Jackie on it and then it twisted back into the capsule for the ride. I wish I had seen it so I could describe it better but Lammy's pretty good at this sort of thing so I trust him ;)
 
Hey DH and I are going in DEc...


Now that I know I can transfer (we think) into the ride...can Pooh-sized people get into the riding system?? DH and I are quite Pooh-sized and I will be making him ride it b4 I will. I will openly admit I'm quite scared to ride it from the discriptions I've seen so far.

:( :( :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
I will openly admit I'm quite scared to ride it from the discriptions I've seen so far.
i totally agree with you, Wheelsie. DH and I were just on an adults only trip to WDW. We went by the Space area (and actually hung around for 15 minutes each time). DH was hoping they would open it for a trial and I was hoping they wouldn't.

:eek:
 












Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!

Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE













DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top