Disney Imagineers have a long track record of pushing technology to its limits and creating groundbreaking attractions. Recent additions like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Rise of the Resistance take advantage of cutting-edge trackless vehicle technology. Soarin’ and Flight of Passage utilized HD IMAX technology to give the illusion of flight. Before these, however, there was Mission: SPACE.
What is Mission: SPACE?
Mission: SPACE debuted in EPCOT in 2003. It was unlike anything else at Walt Disney World at the time. The ride puts guests into a simulator within a centrifuge. The centrifuge spins to simulate the g-forces that an astronaut would feel when accelerating out of earth’s atmosphere in a space ship. It also slows down suddenly, which creates a temporary feeling of weightlessness.
Riders sit tightly packed in a small shuttle simulator. The screens are right in front of your face, and they represent the windows of the space shuttle. The objective is to slingshot around the moon and land on Mars, dodging meteorites along the way. Guests must be at least 44″ tall to ride the original version (a separate, less intense experience has since been added, more on that below).
Failure to Launch
Unfortunately, we will not be providing a full review of the ride experience in this article. The thing is, this ride is very intense and to make matters worse it is set up to discourage every rider from ever actually riding. You are inundated with warning after warning from the moment you step into the queue. Consequently, if you have any doubts about claustrophobia or motion sickness, they will likely scare you away from riding. It goes something like this: do not ride this ride if you
- Are prone to motion sickness
- Have experienced feelings of claustrophobia
- Have a heart condition
- Are pregnant
- Skipped breakfast
- Ate breakfast
- Slept on the wrong side of the bed
- Have ever had feelings of nausea
- Are between the ages of 14 and 74
Okay, maybe I am misremembering a few of those warnings. But that really is how it feels. We were a bit nervous going in but we were definitely prepared to do the ride. However, the constant barrage of warning just made us nervous. When we were finally seated and given our final warning, we backed out.
Who is Mission: SPACE For?
I love thrill rides and I am not particularly prone to motion sickness. I have also had the opportunity to do a flight simulator on a United States Air Force base. This begs the question: If the warnings scared me off, then who is this ride for?
Maybe the experience isn’t as intense as the warnings make it out to be. If that is the case then I wish Disney would dial back the warnings. On the other hand, I have heard plenty of stories of people who have gotten sick and ruined entire days or vacations because of Mission: SPACE. It just isn’t worth the risk for most people.
The Green Mission
Fortunately, Disney modified this attraction in 2017, adding the green mission option. This is a less intense version with a lower 40″ height requirement. It simulates flight by moving the simulator but it doesn’t spin, so no g-forces will be experienced. Instead of a mission to Mars, guests orbit earth on this mission.
Final Thoughts
I think most people will find themselves in an awkward middle ground when it comes to Mission: SPACE. The green mission will be a bit boring, and the orange mission will be too intense (or worse, nauseating). It is a shame that an attraction with amazing technology just simply doesn’t work for a majority of Disney’s visitors.
Maybe I’m wrong? I definitely plan on going back to try the orange mission. Hopefully the warnings don’t spark too much anxiety and I make it through.
Let us know if you are a Mission: SPACE fan! Team orange or team green?
