Who remembers Mission to Mars?

[MinnieMouse84]

I don't know when the ride closed, but it was there in 1989. We went into a "spaceship," buckled up, and blasted off for a short trip to Mars. When we took off and landed, the seats shook. I knew we didn't actually leave planet earth, but I was 100% convinced that we did fly. I could feel it. It was so magical. Too bad it isn't around anymore.

 

[Cubbiecakes]

It was a fun experience and a prototypical "4D" theatre. But maybe I'm showing my age!

 

[Darkbeer1]

Heck, I remember Flight to the Moon, which was the first version. They just slightly upgraded the theaters (there were two for loading reasons, similar to Soarin')and a new film.

http://www.yesterland.com/moonrocket.html

 

[MinnieMouse84]

It was a fun experience and a prototypical "4D" theatre. But maybe I'm showing my age!

I was four when I went on it. It probably wouldn't be as magical for me now, but I'll always have fond memories of it.

 

[AussieCaribou]

I was convinced that we flew there as well. Of course, I was convinced that a microscope could shrink me down to explore a snowflake as well...so... lol

 

[kyrkea333]

I was convinced that we flew there as well. Of course, I was convinced that a microscope could shrink me down to explore a snowflake as well...so... lol

I always loved that microscope! Especially being peered at by that gigantic eye!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I don't know when the ride closed, but it was there in 1989. We went into a "spaceship," buckled up, and blasted off for a short trip to Mars. When we took off and landed, the seats shook. I knew we didn't actually leave planet earth, but I was 100% convinced that we did fly. I could feel it. It was so magical. Too bad it isn't around anymore.

It closed in 1992.

 

[MinnieMouse84]

It closed in 1992.

That long ago? Wow. For some reason I thought it had closed more recently. It would probably seem outdated now anyway, but to a 4-year-old in 1989, it was Disney magic at its best.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I loved Mission to Mars. It was something fun for me to do when I was too small to go on other attractions with my family. My grandmother and I would go to Mission to Mars while everyone else was on Space Mountain.

 

[DahliaRW]

Was it similar to Mission Space at WDW?

 

[bumbershoot]

I was convinced that we flew there as well. Of course, I was convinced that a microscope could shrink me down to explore a snowflake as well...so... lol

So true.

Was it similar to Mission Space at WDW?

Depends on how you look at it. I never feel like I'm going to Mars at Epcot. But I did think very strongly that I had been up there on MtM. Of course, there's an age difference.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_to_Mars_(attraction)

 

[Darkbeer1]

Was it similar to Mission Space at WDW?

No, Mission to Mars was at WDW, but got converted to ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter and then Stitch's Great Escape! which is still operating. They use the screens and same seats as Mission to Mars/

 

[Darkbeer1]

Found a video of Mission to Mars....

 

[MinnieMouse84]

Found a video of Mission to Mars....

Just as I remembered it. Wow.

 

[DizMe]

Oh yes. I remember Flight to the Moon, also. I don't know that it would be anything special now, but in the days of my childhood, it was an amazing thing to me!

 

[alvernon90]

I went on Mission to Mars when I first visited Disneyland in the mid-1980s but I was a teen at the time, so it wasn't particularly magical. The whole thing felt like being strapped into a giant, unbalanced washing machine -- a big round container that shook you back and forth and vibrated a lot. I thought it was far more interesting as an artifact showing what old people must have thought was cool back in the dark ages of the 1960s.

Of course, on that same trip I rode Star Tours for the first time and I thought it was the most spectacular experience of my young life. By the time I took my daughter on that, I could see it was like sitting in a giant, unbalanced dryer while a screen showed closeups of plastic toys. Though the 3D upgrade to Star Tours has given it new life, before the change I could understand how a young person would marvel at the cheesy effects that impressed people in the dark ages of the 1980s.

 

[cruisehopeful]

My brothers used to scare me on that ride. They'd tell me we were blasting off into outer space and we might not make it back. I didn't like the ride.

 

[Darkbeer1]

As a kid of the 60's, and a teen of the 70's, I have very found memories of Tomorrowland back then.

OK, CircleVision was a bit cheesy, but it did give you the feeling of movement, and the pre/post show exhibits by AT&T were fun. Carousel of Progress was cool, and then the post show with EPCOT was something to dream about. The Submarine Voyage was always cool, even if I did know at a young age that the Subs didn't actually submerge. Adventure thru Inner Space was another fun one, and its post show was a bit OK, but weak.

But I loved Flight to the Moon/Mission to Mars, I hated the pre/pre-show which was gathering a group to go to the main pre-show, but once we got to Mission Control and the AA's, it was really cool. As I got older, I started to figure out how it worked, starting with the live CM interaction with the AA's, and how the system had back-up's in case the CM failed to make their que time. How there were two different theaters and how the entire system worked.

So I think that it was Tomorrowland of the 60's that got me hooked on Theme/Amusement Parks. (Well, working at Hubbs/SeaWorld research as a volunteer also helped in other parts of the business).