Mission SPACE is the space simulator at Epcot.
While Disney isn’t known for building ultra-intense thrill rides, Mission SPACE is a different
animal.
This is the most intense ride at Walt Disney World and it certainly isn’t for everyone.
Find out why in this review!
Horizons was one of the oldest rides at Epcot.
This omnimover style dark ride opened back in 1983 took guests on a tour of the future.
While the ride had a cult following, it started operating sporadically in the mid-1990s and
permanently closed during the 1999 season.
The entire pavilion was demolished and one year later in 2000, the ride’s replacement
was announced.
Epcot would add Mission SPACE, which was advertised as a one-of-a-kind astronaut like experience.
Disney had always wanted a space pavilion at this park and it finally became a reality.
The ride would be located on the site of the former Horizons in an all-new building.
And this building looks fantastic.
It’s the best-looking pavilion at Epcot.
I love the swirly architecture with the giant planets out front.
Mission Space would open in 2003, but it has had a bit of a rocky history.
The ride is estimated to have cost $100 million, making it one of the most expensive amusement
rides ever.
Disney engaged in a legal battle with Environmental Tectonics, the company who supplied the simulator
hardware, over the ride’s price and it wouldn’t be settled until 2009.
Mission SPACE’s ride system is a series of motion simulators attached to a centrifuge
to simulate a voyage to outer space.
Guests stare at a computer screen during the ride, which disguises the centrifuge’s motion.
The centrifuge rapidly spins to induce positive Gs on riders throughout the experience.
All 4 centrifuges originally operated in this manner.
Since you cannot see the ride in action prior to riding, guests don’t realize just how
fast this ride spins.
This has caused issues for many riders.
It's exceedingly easy to come off this ride dizzy, especially if you ignore the warnings
to keep your head back and always look forwards.
Further complicating matters is that you need to keep looking forward even if you start
to feel nauseous, otherwise the effects can worsen.
There’s a reason this ride comes with barf bags.
If you suffer from motion sickness, you should avoid this ride at all costs.
I can go absolutely nuts on a tea cup ride, but even Mission SPACE can make me start to
feel fuzzy.
The spinning and forces are no joke.
But the ride has also caused more severe issues.
Two riders with pre-existing conditions have unfortunately died over the years after riding
Mission SPACE.
All these issues are why Disney modified the attraction in 2006.
Disney split the ride experience into two modes.
Orange mode, or more-intense training, would still experience the centrifuge.
Green mode, or less-intense training, disabled the spinning of the centrifuge.
This turned the ride into a more traditional simulator and lessened the likelihood of people
getting ill.
Green also had a 4 inch lower height requirement than orange, further emphasizing its tamer
nature.
Staff members stationed by the ride’s entrance actively warn guests about orange’s spinning
and in the past, they gave out information cards.
They encouraged anyone with doubts to ride green to be safe.
Then both pre-shows again warn guests about the spinning and intense nature of the ride.
For almost a decade, both orange and green showed the same ride film.
But in 2017, the green mission was given its own unique film.
Whereas orange always has shown a voyage to Mars, green became a mission around Earth’s
orbit.
This gave those who were able to experience orange incentive to try the green side as
well.
Mission SPACE usually has a decent wait.
Most days it’ll hover around the 20-30 minute mark, but it can peak around the 45-60 minute
mark in the late morning/early afternoon.
Orange usually has a longer wait than green.
The queue line does have some fun visuals, including a massive space wheel that pays
homage to Horizons.
It used to revolve, but I haven’t seen it spin in years.
If you want to avoid a wait, there are a few options.
The free method is to hit this attraction in the first 2 or last 2 hours of the day.
It usually has a short wait during those times.
The paid method is to grab a Lightning Lane, which will bring you to the pre-shows almost
immediately.
The first pre-show introduces the overall mission.
This used to be introduced by Gary Sinise, but it was changed to Gina Torres during the
ride’s 2017 refurbishment.
The second pre-show assigns riders their roles.
You can either be navigator, pilot, commander, or engineer.
While this very much matters on Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run since you influence the
ride experience, it’s more or less a formality on Mission Space.
You don’t actually control the ride experience on this one.
Each centrifuge has 10 capsules.
Each capsule seats 4 riders.
These capsules are super tight.
If you’re claustrophobic, you’ll probably want to skip this ride.
Once seated, you’re secured by an over-the-shoulder harness.
In front of you, you’ll see a small television monitor and a ton of buttons.
The amount of detail that went into recreating a cockpit is incredible.
On the orange side, the experience starts by blasting you into space.
Lift off is the most intense part of the ride.
As the rocket rises upwards, the centrifuge starts spinning faster and faster.
You’re plastered against the seatback and you’ll even feel your cheeks get pushed
back.
Mission SPACE only pulls 2.5 Gs, which isn’t nearly as much as many roller coasters.
However, most coasters only induce positive Gs for a few seconds at a time.
Mission SPACE sustains these Gs for a very long time.
The ride is roughly 4 minutes in duration and you’re subjected to those Gs for much
of the experience.
Once in space, you’ll be given commands.
Specific buttons will light up.
You’re welcome to press them.
But if not, auto-pilot will do it for you.
They’re just for show, but they do let you get into the experience.
The mission then has you slingshot around the moon and enter into a brief period of
hypersleep.
When you awaken, you navigate through a meteor storm and have a turbulent landing on Mars.
During this portion, you’re encouraged to use the joystick to steer, but as with the
buttons, it doesn’t actually change the experience.
It’s just for fun.
But you’ll definitely feel the cabin move up-and-down and side-to-side during this portion.
Now I absolutely want to praise this ride for the audio.
The narration helps drive the story.
The audio cues are perfect.
And the use of music is subtle but strong.
It really enhances the immersion.
However, I do need to criticize the visuals.
I don’t think they look very good.
You’re looking at this little television monitor and I think I have better resolution
on my computer screens back home.
The picture just isn’t as clear as I’d expect from a Disney ride built since the
turn of the Millennium.
And I think the visual quality and set-up contributes to why this ride is so nauseating.
On the green side, the mission also starts with liftoff, but you won’t experience any
G-forces during this section since the centrifuge doesn’t spin.
You’re basically watching a movie at this point.
You then orbit around earth and steer your way through a thunderstorm as you land back
on Earth.
Your capsule will move left-right and up-down like orange during this sequence, but that
motion isn’t accompanied by the positive Gs.
When you exit the attraction, you’re sent through the Advanced Training Lab.
This has a series of attractions targeted towards kids.
You have some games plus a play structure.
So what would I rate Mission SPACE?
I would give this attraction a 6 out of 10.
This is a solid ride.
As a thrill-seeker, I’m genuinely impressed by the sustained positive Gs this ride induces
on the orange side.
That’s particularly true during the liftoff sequence.
I just wish the on-screen visuals were better.
That is one of the most important aspects of any simulator, yet it’s where this one
struggles.
That’s the one thing holding Mission SPACE back for me from being a truly great attraction.
So those are my thoughts on Mission Space at Epcot.
What are your thoughts on this space simulator?
Do you prefer orange or green?
Let me know down in the comments.
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