Mission Space
Florida Guide > Disney General
Epcot’s newest attraction is, of course, Mission Space, an amazing simulator
ride that really makes you feel as if you are taking off into space. I am not a
‘natural’ where scary rides are concerned, but this one is absolutely unmissable.
You will experience some quite intense G-forces, and it can make you nauseous.
but I can thoroughly recommend it, having been on it 4 times in one day! We were
a little put-off at the entrance, as they do a good job of putting the ‘fear of
god’ into you. Admittedly, they do get 30 people a day taken ill on this ride,
and some even have to go to hospital, but it really wasn’t as scary as I
expected. You DO experience G-forces, and the first time I was a little unsteady
when I got off – and NO that wasn’t due to any medicinal shots of brandy
beforehand!
The building itself is impressive, as is the Planetary Plaza at the
attraction’s entrance. Here you will see large spheres symbolising Earth, the
moon, Jupiter and Mars. On the plaza’s walls there are quotes from famous
figures who epitomise the spirit of space travel. It looks particularly
spectacular with the setting sun.
As with all the attractions you take part in an ‘experience’. You become one
of a 4 man crew launching themselves into space on a journey to Mars. You are
put into a space capsule with 4 people, and each of you is assigned a job –
Pilot, Engineer, Navigator, Captain. You will have to perform a task, and steer
the craft when, inevitably, things go wrong. As you settle yourself into the
‘capsule’ you know its going to be quite a bumpy ride as restraints comes down
over your shoulders. A good tip is to make sure you look out of the porthole in
front of you all the time, as this will stop you getting disorientated. As for
the ride, well sensational is just one adjective to describe it.
As far as the mechanics of the ride are concerned, it is a simulator, and the
capsules are spun at very high speed to generate the G-forces, but you are not
aware of the spinning, you just feel its effects. As you sit back in your seat
you see the gantry in front of you, then suddenly you experience the launch,
shooting up the gantry into blue skies, through clouds and into space. You are
pushed back into your seat and then you experience G-forces. I won’t spoil the
rest of the fun, but needless to say, something goes wrong, and you must try to
control the rocket through Martian canyons, which is thrilling.
Our only criticism is that it’s much too short – we were ready to do the
return trip, but that’s when they show you to the door! Strangely enough it was
not anything like as busy as Test-Track – which ran out of ‘fast-passes’ at
lunchtime, and had queues of over an hour. This did mean that after our first
ride we were able to get another fast-pass, and squeeze in 3 more trips to Mars.
DO remember to keep looking out of the window ALL the time, or you could feel
very disorientated, and sick. Andrew and I went on it 4 times and enjoyed every
minute, despite feeling very nervous the first time. If you do suffer from
motion sickness and still want to do the ride, then take a travel sickness
tablet before you get on it. Strangely enough it was not as busy as Test Track.
We think they do such a good job of scaring people that many give it a miss. If
you are brave enough then don’t miss it. It’s like nothing you’ve ever
experienced, and it is truly a spectacular experience.
Viewed 78051 times.
We aim to provide accurate and useful information, but if you feel anything provided here is not accurate or out of date, please email us with the address of the page concerned and any comments so we can amend as necessary.
Villa Owners: Upload A Photo To This Article
To upload a photo for consideration, click here. Please only submit photos relevant to this article.
Other Articles Viewed
The following articles were also viewed by people who looked at this one: