WDWGuide's Mission: SPACE first impressions

[wdwguide]

Well, I got to ride Mission: SPACE twice this afternoon, and I thought I'd share my first impressions of it here, since this attraction has been subject of so much debate over the past few years. I will probably post a full and detailed review on my web site tomorrow, and I'll also add all the new info I have gathered today to my FAQ.

To make it short, it is the best ride I have ever experienced. Both intense G-Forces and weightlessness are sustained for very satifying amounts of time. The graphics, which I was worried about, are for the most part very well done, and the video screen was large enough to be completely absorbed by the action.
I did not have any problems with nausea, and neither did any of the people that I talked to, but they did have a clean-up crew of about 3 or 4 CMs positioned near the exit.

The ride did break down for quite a while while I was in line for my second ride - the posted wait was 25 minutes, but it was close to two hours before it was my turn, and unfortunately many people were complaining, not understanding that this is completely normal for a soft opening. FastPass and Single Rider line were not operational, just standby and apparently the baby swap line (which is probably the FastPass line), because my wife used it.

I am very impressed with this ride, and happy that the company seems to be taking some steps in the right direction lately (at least more so than in dring the last few years). I think Mission: SPACE is a revolutionary attraction, an F-ticket if there was such a thing. It certainly holds up well with Splash Mountain and the Tower of Terror in terms of excellency.

Any questions? Feel free to ask

 

[emmagata]

Thanks for the info. Very much looking foward to riding it when we go this November.

 

[pr surfer]

Originally posted by wdwguide
Well, I got to ride Mission: SPACE twice this afternoon, and I thought I'd share my first impressions of it here, since this attraction has been subject of so much debate over the past few years. I will probably post a full and detailed review on my web site tomorrow, and I'll also add all the new info I have gathered today to my FAQ.

To make it short, it is the best ride I have ever experienced. Both intense G-Forces and weightlessness are sustained for very satifying amounts of time. The graphics, which I was worried about, are for the most part very well done, and the video screen was large enough to be completely absorbed by the action.
I did not have any problems with nausea, and neither did any of the people that I talked to, but they did have a clean-up crew of about 3 or 4 CMs positioned near the exit.

The ride did break down for quite a while while I was in line for my second ride - the posted wait was 25 minutes, but it was close to two hours before it was my turn, and unfortunately many people were complaining, not understanding that this is completely normal for a soft opening. FastPass and Single Rider line were not operational, just standby and apparently the baby swap line (which is probably the FastPass line), because my wife used it.

I am very impressed with this ride, and happy that the company seems to be taking some steps in the right direction lately (at least more so than in dring the last few years). I think Mission: SPACE is a revolutionary attraction, an F-ticket if there was such a thing. It certainly holds up well with Splash Mountain and the Tower of Terror in terms of excellency.

Any questions? Feel free to ask

finally.. someone that shares my views on it! I'd go G-Ticket though... lol. F-ticket has such a bad connotation to it.. lol

 

[Dad]

I would think the outside seat would be the fastest since there is 6 more feet of centrifuge arm length. Did you try different seats to see if one is less or more G forces than the other?

 

[wdwguide]

Originally posted by Dad
I would think the outside seat would be the fastest since there is 6 more feet of centrifuge arm length. Did you try different seats to see if one is less or more G forces than the other?

The seats face the rotation axis and are mounted pretty much equidistant to it. I sat in the Navigator (left) seat both times; once in a red capsule and once in a blue capsule (i.e. left and right side of the spokes that hold the capsules), and didn't notice any difference in terms of g-forces. As for tidal forces (i.e. one side of my body being subjected to a greater force than the other), I did not perceive any.

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

I have vertigo but am able to ride Space Mountain, RNR, ToT with Dramamine do I dare attempt this ride??

 

[wdwguide]

Tiggerkeeper,

It's hard for me to say since the only ride that makes me sick at WDW is Body Wars, which cannot really be compared to what you'll feel on Mission: SPACE. Try a Dramamine, ride with a near-empty stomach and be sure to focus on the video screen in front of you and you will (hopefully) be fine.

 

[JacksBack!!]

Best ride you ever went on? You must have never rode Indian Jones, Spiderman, or Tower of Terror. There is no way that this ride is better then those. THe ride is good, but not great. I have rode it 8 times now. Ive rode Spiderman and TOT over 30 times each, and I have rode Indy about 10 times. It maybe your opinion but it is not better then those attractions.

 

[meowthew2]

Originally posted by JacksBack!!
but it is not better then those attractions.

In your opinion, of course.

 

[wdwguide]

Originally posted by JacksBack!!
Best ride you ever went on? You must have never rode Indian Jones, Spiderman, or Tower of Terror. There is no way that this ride is better then those. THe ride is good, but not great. I have rode it 8 times now. Ive rode Spiderman and TOT over 30 times each, and I have rode Indy about 10 times. It maybe your opinion but it is not better then those attractions.

It's a bit ridiculous that you question my personal opinion of an attraction, as is the claim that I have never ridden on the Tower of Terror, being a WDW guidebook author... It's a bit like arguing over whether Pepsi tastes better like Coke or whether Elvis made better music than the Beatles.

I have ridden both Indy and the Tower of Terror (the latter well over 50 times), and I enjoy them both. They are excellently themed, although I personally think that the actual ride experience is overhyped.

Now, as for Mission: SPACE, the reason why I like it so much is because it delivers exactly what it promises. The Tower of Terror does not make me feel as if I am really in an uncontrolled free fall, Space Mountain certainly does not make me feel like I am flying through space, and Indy does not feel like I am actually in a real road vehicle. Mission: SPACE produces sensations that are unique to a theme park attraction, and I thought they were quite realistic given the obvious limitations. Thus, Mission: SPACE isn't just another ride, it is a true "experience". Others will disagree, and I will not question their judgement. I did notice some flaws that bugged me, and I bet they'll bug others much more than me (such as you). But I am quite confident that, once Mission: SPACE is open to the general public and I collect some survey data, that it will *objectively* rate as the top ride in Epcot and one of the top 5 rides in Walt Disney World, with ratings similar to the Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain.

 

[brisue]

When does Mission:SPACE open to the general public?

 

[wdwguide]

Brisue,

Official previews begin on August 15.

 

[HorizonsFan]

wdwguide, I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. I've done it three times now (once yesterday and twice today) and it's absolutely the best attraction I've ever experienced.
Folks are free to disagree with my opinion, but please don't ever tell me my opinion is wrong. An opinion is neither right nor wrong; it simply is.
(... and this opinion is coming from a guy that was pretty much crushed when Horizons closed!)

 

[Planogirl]

Originally posted by HorizonsFan
wdwguide, I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. I've done it three times now (once yesterday and twice today) and it's absolutely the best attraction I've ever experienced.
Folks are free to disagree with my opinion, but please don't ever tell me my opinion is wrong. An opinion is neither right nor wrong; it simply is.
(... and this opinion is coming from a guy that was pretty much crushed when Horizons closed!)

I hope to enjoy Mission Space but I'll still miss Horizons. I wish that they could both be there! But enough of that, I'm still trying to figure out how likely a person is to get sick on this ride if prone to motion sickness. Any thoughts?

 

[lrodk]

JacksBack, everyone's entitled to their opinion. That doesn't make yours right or wrong, and vis versa with regard to WDWGuide's and HorizonFans'. Both these gentlemen are seasoned Disney veterans, and as such I tend to lend a great deal of credence to their opinion. If they say it's the best ride they've been on then who are we to say that it's not. I've read enough opinions on MS in the aftermath of these test runs and have formed my own conclusion that this ride is indeed unique and special. Is it the best? I may ride it and feel differently, but until then I will keep an open mind. Please, feel free to share your own opinions and offer your own unique perspective, just as long as they do not belittle someone elses in the process.

Luis

 

[HorizonsFan]

I'm still trying to figure out how likely a person is to get sick on this ride if prone to motion sickness.

I would guess (and it's just a guess...) that if you're prone to motion sickness, you'll probably have trouble. I couldn't tell that the ride is spinning, but I tend to suspend my disbelief pretty willingly and let myself be absorbed into the illusion. My wife, on the other hand said she could tell that we were spinning. All four of our CM friends who rode last week said they felt queasy afterward and none of them are prone to motion sickness.
I hurl on the teacups but didn't have any real problems with M:S.
I don't think this helps to answer your question at all, does it?

 

[KNWVIKING]

"I did not have any problems with nausea, and neither did any of the people that I talked to, but they did have a clean-up crew of about 3 or 4 CMs positioned near the exit. "


Boy,where do I apply for that job ? Is "a free lunch" listed as one of the perks ?

 

[KNWVIKING]

WDWGuide went into detail as to why he thinks it's the best. Why do you think it's not ? Give me something more then " ToT and Spidy is better". Currently, I think Spidy is the best ride out there and so does DW. I can't wait to try M:S in Oct. so I can decide for myself (the ONLY opinion that actually matters to me) which is best. Where is the ride lacking ? Why isn't it the best ?

Oops, disregard JB, I just spotted your post a few threads down.

 

[forgetyourtroubles!]

I'm sorry...I've read several things about this and still can't figure out what kind of ride it actually is. I thought originally that it would like the ToT with the g-forces and weightlessness, but when I saw the building, I thought it was too short to be like that. Then I thought maybe it was a simulator ride like Body Wars or Star Wars, but that doesn't sound right either. Now I'm reading about a centrifuge? Are you in a spinning pod? A launching rocket? I'm trying to get my mind around this...maybe it's just that "Disney Magic" and no one knows what it actually is. Like the Hydrolators.

 

[emmagata]

Do you remember the movie "Spy's like us" with Dan Akroyd and Chevy Chase?

After a "ride" in the G-force centrifuge, their faces were all distorted?

Sorta like that.