As one of the newer attractions at Epcot, I am sure many have heard of the arrival of “Mission Space”. This amazing experience was opened in the summer of 2003. It is a spectacular feature, designed as an array of planets in orbit!!
Basically, it is a multi-sensory experience, with so much going on inside a capsule that no journey will be exactly the same! Each guest is assigned a specific role and must perform tasks in order to land their X-2 spacecraft safely on Mars. It is this interactivity that makes this attraction rather unique. Not only do you as the guest “riding” the space craft have something to do, but the tasks are specific to you, and they affect what you actually feel in the training mission. This whole experience really immerses you in the experience of being an astronaut, and excited children coming off the experience can be heard, exclaiming “Wow! I got to control the rocket!” One, particular feature I loved about this attraction is that it is truly an experience that can get a family working together as a team!
On a cautionary note, the experience is not for everyone.
There was no visual clue that you were spinning, this by the way may be good news for people easily upset by such rides, as it is this that usually the visual affect that causes nausea, but bad news for people who have a hard time with motion simulator rides like Star Tours or Back to the Future.
Ignoring the warnings given to you, may cause riders to feel the spinning sensation, which can lead some to nausea. However, keeping your eyes ahead with the capsule's monitors, flashing lights, and other crewmembers to either side of you is difficult.
While everyone I spoke with seemed to experience it differently, I, like many others, felt my face muscles were the main thing the bare the brunt of the Gs.
For all of the warnings, I personally didn't hear of one guest actually losing his or her lunch on the attraction, though a few said they felt a bit queasy both during and after the ride.
If you have a problem with claustrophobia, however, beware that Mission: SPACE places guests in extremely tight quarters. The capsules do have a lot of cold air circulating, which helps keep claustrophobic feelings at bay; if anything, the cabin was a bit too cold.
After the training mission, guests move to the Advance Training Lab post-show area. Activities include: a sophisticated video game called Expedition: Mars, the interactive, multi-player Mission: SPACE Race game, the Space Base play area for children, and Postcards from Space, a computer program that allows guests to email pictures of themselves cavorting around the galaxy.
Our daughter , it must be said, remains a massive fan, and although it is an extremely popular “ride”, she discovered that as a single rider you can pretty much just walk on every time!!