Mission: SPACE in EPCOT’s World Discovery

14 May 2024 by Steve Bell and Erin Schreiver Leave a Comment

Mission: SPACE is an exhilarating and immersive space-themed attraction located at EPCOT.

📍 EPCOT | World Discovery | Mission Space

This cutting-edge attraction offers guests an opportunity to experience the thrill of space travel like never before. From liftoff to landing, Mission: SPACE provides a realistic and heart-pounding adventure that allows visitors to feel like genuine astronauts…

Speaking about genuine astronauts –

NASA’s Collaboration in Design

One of the most remarkable aspects of Mission: SPACE is its collaboration with NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration), the leading space agency in the United States. Disney Imagineers, known for their creativity and attention to detail, worked closely with NASA experts to ensure the attraction’s authenticity.

NASA played a crucial role in the attraction’s development by offering valuable insights, technical expertise, and guidance on the portrayal of space travel. This collaboration allowed Mission: SPACE to incorporate real-life space science and engineering principles into its design, making it as close to a genuine space mission experience as possible.

In fact, NASA actually said that the attraction in Walt Disney World is the most authentic replication of take off and landing of any simulator!  But how authentic is too authentic?

Mission Space: Green and Mission Space: Orange

Recognizing that not all visitors are seeking the same level of intensity, Mission: SPACE offers two distinct experiences: Mission Space: Green and Mission Space: Orange.

Mission Space: Orange

For those seeking the ultimate thrill and a more intense experience, Mission Space: Orange is the way to go. This high-intensity version simulates a space launch and mission to Mars with authentic G-forces, intense motion, and thrilling spins. Passengers are assigned specific roles on the spacecraft, creating a sense of responsibility and teamwork. This was the original form of the attraction. This was also the first Disney attraction to require barf bags…

Mission Space: Green

Mission Space: Green is designed for guests who prefer a less intense experience. Imagineers created this less intense version for those that might be more sensitive. This version includes the liftoff, an orbiting tour of the Earth, and a descent back to landing that involves riders having to manually navigate through a thunderstorm over the landing runway using their joystick. It’s a fantastic option for those who want to experience space travel without the more intense physical sensations.

No matter which version you choose, Mission: SPACE offers a unique and unforgettable adventure that brings the wonders of space exploration to life, making it a must-visit attraction at Epcot for space enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike.

The Ride

Mission: SPACE is renowned for its innovative ride vehicles, which are designed to provide an authentic space mission experience. These vehicles, resembling futuristic space capsules, feature individual seats equipped with interactive control panels. Passengers are assigned various roles such as navigator, pilot, engineer, and commander, making them an active part of the mission. The ride vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including high-definition screens and advanced motion simulation, to create a sense of liftoff, space travel, and landing. The combination of tactile feedback, visuals, and sound effects makes the experience incredibly immersive.

However, it’s essential to note that the ride vehicles are tight, small, and dark, simulating the confined space of a real spacecraft. For individuals who are claustrophobic or uncomfortable in tight spaces, Mission: SPACE may not be the ideal attraction choice, as the ride experience can be intense and may trigger discomfort for some guests.

After being seated and lowering your chest restraint (like those on roller coasters) the doors shut and the control panel pivots closer to you, so that it is only inches from your face. A fan will blow directly into your face in order to help prevent motion sickness.

Like all modern Disney attractions you will exit through the gift shop asa well as the Advance Training Lab where you can plan spaced based video games.

Height Restrictions

Mission: SPACE has specific height and health restrictions to ensure the safety and comfort of all riders. Guests must be at least 40 inches tall to experience Mission Space: Green, the less intense version of the attraction. For Mission Space: Orange, the more intense version, guests must be at least 44 inches tall.

It’s important to consider your own comfort level and physical condition when deciding which version of Mission: SPACE to experience. If you meet the height requirements and are free from any health conditions that might be aggravated by intense motion or enclosed spaces, you’re in for a thrilling space adventure that’s out of this world!

Rider Swap

Rider Swap is available for Mission: SPACE. Simply speak with a Cast Member at the entrance, and they’ll help you set up Rider Swap so that everyone who meets the height requirement can enjoy the mission of their choice.

Accessibility

Guests using wheelchairs or ECVs must transfer to the ride vehicle to experience Mission: SPACE. The queue is accessible, and Cast Members are available to assist with boarding if needed.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass – Mission: SPACE

Lightning Lane Multi Pass offers an incredible opportunity for visitors to make the most of their time at EPCOT, especially when it comes to attractions like Mission: SPACE, where wait times can fluctuate significantly throughout the day. With Lightning Lanes, guests can reserve access to this exhilarating space journey and enjoy the flexibility of skipping the regular standby line. This efficient system allows you to experience Mission: SPACE with minimal wait, ensuring that you can explore other parts of the park while avoiding long queues. Whether you’re an avid space explorer or simply looking to optimize your Disney World adventure, Genie+ Lightning Lanes provide a convenient and time-saving solution for making the most of your visit to this extraordinary attraction.

Tips

Here are some tip for enjoying the ride.

• Locate the motion sickness bags as you are getting situated (just in case). They are at the bottom of your control console.
• As the ride begins keep your head back against the headrest and DO NOT turn it side to side. This is to reduce the centrifugal motion acting on your head that can cause undesirable effects such as dizziness and/or headaches.

History – Horizons

Mission: Space replaced the Horizons attraction that opened on EPCOT’s 1-year anniversary and closed permanently in January of 1999. Horizons took guests past show scenes depicting positive visions of the future. Similar to the Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress, Horizons used audio-animatronics to depict an extended family living in the future in the city, a reclaimed dessert, under the ocean, and in space. Horizons was one of Disney’s first to use smells during the ride, the small of orange blossoms was used in the former dessert orange grove scene.

Horizons then allowed riders to select which path they wanted to take back from the Future: from space, from the dessert, or from the sea. Near the end of the ride, guests would push a button to select one of the three choices and the choice with the most votes would be presented in a 31-second video sequence.

Tributes to Horizons

Keeping in line with a Disney tradition of paying tribute to defunct attractions in new attractions, Mission: Space features several subtle tributes to Horizons.

• The Horizons logo is on display at the center of the rotating “gravity wheel” in the queue.
• During the pre-show, the Horizons logo can be found on the bottom right-hand corner of some of the screens in the video, along with the text “Brava Centauri”, the space-themed location featured in Horizons.
• The Brava Centauri station can be seen orbiting Earth in a new mural at the entrance of the attraction.
• The Horizons logo can also be seen during the safety briefing outside the capsule
• The Horizons logo can also be found on the front of the cash register counter in the gift shop on the way out of the attraction.
• The planter at the front of the building formerly contained the Horizons marquee. The planter was not removed or significantly altered during Mission: Space’s construction.

Have comments or questions, be sure to leave them in the Comment Section Below!

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