ATTRACTION
Pre-Show -- The setting for the attraction is several decades into the future, some time after the year 2035, a time where anybody can travel into space if they have the proper training. That's what the International Space Training Center is for. Guests arrive at the Planetary Plaza of the ISTC and are visually guided to start thinking in terms of orbits and curves by the large scale planets scattered around. They are also provided with inspirational music and quotes from well-known astronauts and astronomers, from Galileo to Carl Sagan to astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who died in the February 2003 Columbia space shuttle accident.
IMPORTANT: You now have an option as to which Mission Space ride you which to experience. The new version, better suited to those who experience motion sickness or who have other health concerns, will eliminate the use of the spinning centrifuge. Signs will be posted outside of the attraction, explaining the two different experiences and providing health advisories for both.
Before you go inside. The CM is waiting at the entrance to the ride and asks if you want regular or milder ride. Then they give you either a green card or an orange card, and direct you to the appropriate line. The Green card is for the LESS intense ride.
As you advance along the switchback queue, ostensibly to receive training for the ultimate space mission, enter the "Sim Lab", a large warehouse-like training area similar to one that might be found at Kennedy Space Center. Pass by a huge rotating wheel with chambers that is supposedly used for simulating gravity for trainees. Along the queue are a number of interesting visuals, including a genuine Lunar Rover on loan from the Smithsonian. From there, pass into the Command Room, where Cast Members sit behind a glass wall and multiple control panels. On the wall are plaques commemorating outstanding "firsts" in space travel -- First Man in Space, First Man on the Moon, etc., up to the fictitious "First Family in Space" and "First Deep Space Mission." At the end of this queue, you are standing in front of four color-coded Ready Rooms, into which you will be dispatched in teams of four. You are given the roles to assume during the training mission -- commander, pilot, navigator or engineer. As you wait for your assignment, peruse the astronaut uniforms on the walls, and watch a video from CapCom. There is also a chance at this point for those who don't wish to ride to exit.
Mission: SPACE -- After final briefings from CapCom, buckle in to their X-2 Rocket for lift-off. According to a Disney press release, "When the countdown reaches zero, the most unique and exhilarating ride experience ever begins. The earth begins to rumble, white clouds of exhaust start to stir as the ascent toward the sky starts and guests are rocketed into the galaxies. Guests hear from CapCom and are asked to perform vital tasks that will land their spacecraft safely on Mars. Each guest will assume the role of Commander, Pilot, Navigator or Engineer. But there is no mission without surprise as guests encounter unexpected twists, turns and other challenges that test every astronaut. Quick thinking and fast reactions are needed by each guest to successfully complete the mission."
Post-Show -- Your flight to Mars in the simulator is just a one-way trip, so part of the post-show activities will be to return to Earth!
There are four sections in the post-show, set up along the lines of the Global Neighborhood at the end of Spaceship Earth. In this Hewlett-Packard sponsored "Advanced Training Lab", guests of all ages have an opportunity to explore interactive space experiences, which include:
Space Base -- A play area for young children with a space theme.
Expedition: Mars -- A joystick video game in which the four-minute mission is for an astronaut (you) to find four other astronauts on the surface of Mars.
Postcards from Space -- Guests can email a short video of themselves with one of the space-themed backgrounds and create a great souvenir of their Mission: SPACE experience.
Space Race -- Two teams compete against each other in a race to send their rocket from Mars back to Earth. Nearly 60 people can play the high-energy game at one time.
ALL EARS® Senior Editor Deb Koma says: Space Race was a lot of fun! It's like a big video game, with two teams, Triton and Orion. There are 24 stations for each team on the floor (6 rows of 4), plus four more stations per team up on the stage, allowing 56 players at one time. At each station there is a diagram of your rocket, one big control button and four directional arrow buttons. The object of the game is to get your team back to Earth by "fixing" the "problems" that light up on your rocket's diagram using teamwork. (The guy standing next to me said it worked something like Tetris, a game I'm not familiar with, but if he says so...) Each person controls a different aspect of fixing (propulsion, life support systems, navigation, and ??? I forget the fourth one!) and after all the problem areas are fixed, your teamwork rating is calculated. If your team fixed all the problems and also had a cooperation rating of 90 percent or better, your team wins. (My team won when I played, by the way.) It took about 10-15 minutes to play, and was thoroughly enjoyable.
