Don’t Wimp Out on EPCOT Mission Space
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
The Mission Space ride at EPCOT has been given a bad reputation. First it occupies the location where the most fabled attraction at EPCOT once stood. Then there was an unfortunate health- condition related death after a guest was on the ride. The stories of people complaining of motion sickness resulted in the addition of the “no spin” option. What would the point be to ride it that way? Without the G forces any “realism” would be gone. What’s next? Making a version that’s not enclosed for people who don’t like the cramped quarters! Gary Sinise would be ashamed of you. You’re supposed to be making use of your imagination and the “temporary suspension of disbelief”. All of those design elements and details help you with that. The Disney Imagineers did a great job of making the experience real. It’s a far cry from the old Mission to Mars at the Magic Kingdom where you had to check your brain at the door to make it seem real. (I know, the deflating seat never made anyone sick.)
It’s unfortunate that anyone ever told us that the ride was spinning. Visions of that old carney ride that stuck you to the walls make people panic. Anyone who gets sick on Mission Space simply didn’t follow the instructions. How many times do they need to tell you to not look from side to side? (That girl in the demo video is a troublemaker.) Look around, ignore your assigned orders for the mission and skip using the joystick to guide yourself in for that harrowing landing on Mars and you will likely get sick. It’s because they understood the physiology of motion sickness. Every boater knows that the one steering the boat never gets seasick. Your mind isn’t confused when you are controlling, or think you are controlling, the craft. Having your hand on that joystick, seemingly guiding the simulator from side to side and pulling back to bring it to a stop will keep you from having any twinge of sickness. It’s a brilliant piece of ride design.
I remember the very first time I went on the ride. Being a wannabe space traveler all of my life, the launch simulation actually brought tears to my eyes. It was an experience like none other. It was easy to imagine myself being a real astronaut and I don’t think any of them would opt for the centrifuge that didn’t spin.
