The Pirate Goes to Mars!

[Peter Pirate]

I'd like to say I marched right up to the qeue, family by my side, the gcurling crew right in step and got right on...I'd like to say that...But I can't. Having a history of of sensitive stomach ailments, I bolted like a fox with the hound nipping at his heels!

But...I was able to listen to the accounts of the ride from Greg, his DD, my two daughters and wife (who always knows best ) and was able to do it the second time around! (I nearly bolted again but pride got the best of me and I stayed and boy am I glad I did).

There is really nothing to compare this ride to. The spinners knowingly spin you, this takes you into space! Virtually no spinning sensation was felt (absolutely none by the others, I thought maybe I could tell we were spinning on occasion, but it could be that I already had that knowledge in my head and wouldn't let it go).

Anyway, I missed both of my assignments as Commander, despite gcurling's telling me to "push the button, Tom" from two seats down and the computer had to save my butt.

I can say that I'll be able to ride this again, and I am really looking forward to it. But it will probably be in the morning on days when my body is feeling very good!

In conclusion: Disney hit a home run with this attraction. It is not the vomit rocket we had heard about although, yes there will be some incidents. I saw one guy lying in the grass with a cold compress afterwards (the only negative) and it seems obvious that younger folks will have an obvious advantage to us older folks (I'm 48) - Something to do with the fast moving blood in youngsters vs. a slower system in adults...Lastly, both my wife and daughter proclaimed this much better than Spiderman so Disney holds the mantle again (as far as they're concerned) in Orlando (I didn't get gcurlings view).

One more thing, the Travel Channel has already been on M:S and I was told that on the next 'Worlds Best Thrill Rides" M:S will hold down either the number 1 or 2 spot!

 

[airlarry!]

Ah yes, Mr. Pirate, you have pumped me up.

Only three months 'till I experience M:S for myself!

I wonder if Greg is still too sick to report in?

 

[scauzilloc]

I got to ride MS when they held the annual pass grand opening and then I got to ride it the last 2 weekends in a row. Someone came up to me and my wife and handed us 2 fast pass tickets. Apparently her husband went on it before her and lost his lunch, breakfast and dinner. Poor him, lucky us. I do have to say that this is probably one of the best rides Disney has put together in awhile. The effects are so awesome and the details are out of this world. I do have one complaint. When we rode it a few weeks ago, after we exited the ride into the control room, we foud out it was pouring outside. The control room quickly filled up and you couldn't evern try to walk out into the shop. It was so packed with people afraid of water that you could not breath. I really think Disney needs to do something when the problem arises again. They were selling rain ponchos but I couldn't make my way up to the counter because so many people decided to plop their butt right down in the walkway. It was a mess. We waited over an hour in the control room just to get out. We actually waited longer to exit than we did to ride the ride. Talk about ironic.

 

[crusader]

I must admit to a bit of envy here. Knowing you took a chance and survived gives me all the more leverage in my sales pitch to the chickens in the group I'm taking down.

That thrill endorsement is fantastic publicity for this ride.

Can't wait to check it out myself.

 

[crystalb]

We rode M:S last week -- first timers.
No ride bothers DH. It doesn't matter how much it twists, turns, bends or breaks. The worse the better for him.
I was apprehensive and even bought dramamine. But do you think I remembered to take it?

It is an intense ride. RnRC, ToT, etc doesn't bother me. Spinning isn't great, but I can live with it.
This was okay too. I was glad I rode it. And I was glad when it was over. I can't imagine anyone being able to ride M:S repeatedly in one day, like we normally do with RnRC/ToT or other rides.

Anyone who has problems with small dark spaces or IMAX's would probably have problems too. The screen being so close reminded me of when I had my enclosed MRI. Only the space around me was dark, not white. (And of course in M:S I was sitting.) But the screen is very close.
What keeps guests in place reminds me of the pull down bars in AE.

My eyes had a hard time focusing a few times -- like they didn't know where to look.

My facial skin felt tight and was guessing I was spinning rapidly. But wouldn't have known had I not felt like I was a victim of a tight facelift!

I will ride it again next trip. But I think once a trip is fine for me. I can see DH riding it multiple times per trip -- but probably not multiple times in one day.

No ill effects afterwards. Matter of fact headed right over to Nine Dragons.

 

[All Aboard]

I wonder if Greg is still too sick to report in?

Hardy har! No, I was not the guy in the grass. Pirate, are you making that part up? I didn't see it.

As for my report it's on the... hmm, hmm (whispering) other board.

Overall, I found it to be less intense than I expected, and less so with each successive ride. The movement and forces are very well synched with the video, so it works very well. My five year old daughter enjoyed it on her one ride, but opted not to go again. However, she wants to ride it again when we return in October. My wife is out as a Mission candidate. I think she might be able to handle it, but she won't risk it.

As for how it ranks in Orlando (to Pirate's inquiry)... Head to head, Spidey still wins IMO. I like the fact that it relies on more than mostly G-Forces to be great. I've not ridden Indy, but suspect that it might be my favorite attraction in the world. At WDW, M:S doesn't crack my top five (which are Pirates, HM, Splash, Space Mountain and ToT.)

 

[Peter Pirate]

Greg, no exagerration here. That guy was on the grass between TT & M:S...It was while you were on the phone, though...

I kind of thought Greg might give the nod to Spiderman as his leanings are somewhat different (although well respected) than my family. Neither my wife or daughter really pine for Spiderman at all (my wife really didn't like it that much in the first place) but were really impressed with M:S. They both love Indy as well. But then Greg likes USF for its theming as well as its offerings while my crew found nothing thematically stunning at USF in the least...They both like the rides, though...Different strokes for different folks.

One thing though, if I can make it through M:S it is a huge victory for chickens everywhere. Heretofore my greatest achievements were ToT, RnR, Summit Plummit (its three seconds long) and California Screamin' (and CS did me in when I got cocky and did it twice in a row).

 

[jlambrig]

I just want to know...

Can I take my snowglobe on it?

Seriously, thanks for the report. I have my concerns about going on it (similar stomach concerns as yours Peter) but if I keep hearing these types of reports, I will be blasting off next trip.

 

[JimB.]

Great thread!

This is an Awe-Some attraction! I thought it was well themed and the "story" was well conceived.

I especially liked the appearance of Gary Sinise as Cap Com.

And I flipped EVERY switch & button I could get my hands on. We landed successfully in spite of this.



And the fall crowds (or lack thereof) proved, once again, it's GREAT to be a Floridian. Yesterday our longest wait for M:S (on 3 trips) was a whopping 7 minutes. 5 for test track.

 

[Planogirl]

I especially liked the appearance of Gary Sinise as Cap Com.

I really like Sinise and didn't even know that he was featured. Oh, what to do... Right now I'm glad that we can't go to WDW for quite a while.

It sounds like my tastes lean towards gcurling's. I think that some of the theming at USF is some of the best I've ever seen and Spiderman RULES. But to each their own.