At a Glance
Duration: 3 minutes, 45 seconds
Look Out For: extreme claustrophobia and motion sickness, some moderate peril and blaring sirens
Opening on August 15, 2003, Mission Space is an intense spaceflight simulator launching guests into rigorous astronaut “training.” But how scary is Mission Space? Let’s take a look at the ratings:
NOTE: this guide will mostly cover the Orange (more intense) version of the ride. If you would like a separate guide for the Green version, don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments!
1. Ride Length
Mission Space has a ride duration of 3 minutes and 45 seconds. This, however, does not include the pre-show experience – which spans around 15 minutes altogether.
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
Mission Space has a height requirement of 42 inches for the Orange (more intense) version and 40 inches for the Green (less intense) version. It is also advised that riders with high blood pressure or heart, back, or neck problems do not ride.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
The Mission Space ride vehicles consist of compact simulators seating 4 passengers, each with their own overhead harness.
4. How Does Mission Space Work?
Mission Space works by spinning its ride vehicles at a high speed to provide the sensation of extreme G-forces and weightlessness. This attraction uses centrifugal force (much like the carnival ride that presses you against the wall) but you won’t be able to tell you’re spinning at all from inside.
However, if you choose the Green (less intense) mission, your ride vehicle will not spin – relying only on basic simulator movement for it’s action – think Star Tours.
5. Is Mission Space Scary?
Mission Space is not intentionally scary, but is still a highly intense thrill ride. In fact, this attraction is one of the few rides in Disney World that is consistently too intense for many adults.
While this ride’s intensity is mostly due to the G-forces and thrilling simulator movement, this ride is also extremely claustrophobic and involves some loud noises, moments of peril, and darkness. If you or someone in your party is prone to claustrophobia, sensory sensitivity, or motion sickness, I would seriously consider skipping out on this one.
6. How High is Mission Space?
Mission Space does not involve any actual heights, but is a space-flight attraction simulating launch, flight, and landing on Mars. This attraction is extremely immersive and it can be pretty frightening to feel like you’re hurtling towards the sky, sling-shotting around the moon, and looking down at our own planet from miles above earth.
7. How Fast is Mission Space?
Mission Space does go fast. While the ride vehicles technically spin at 35 miles per hour, you can’t actually tell you’re moving. However, the 2.5 Gs you experience on this ride really sell the sensation of blasting off the earth and soaring through space at much higher speeds.
For reference, these are significantly less powerful G-forces than Rock n Roller Coaster (4.5 Gs at launch). However, this ride felt much more intense to me, as you’re exposed to these G-forces more than once and for extended periods of time – rather than for a few seconds on a coaster. In my experience, these forces are very disorienting and left my husband and I dizzy long after we exited the ride.
8. Does Mission Space Have Drops?
Mission Space does not have drops. While not a traditional coaster or thrill ride by any means, many of its thrill elements are still very intense.
9. Does Mission Space Cause Motion Sickness?
Mission Space causes extreme motion sickness to many riders. Even those who are completely unbothered by most rides (like me) can feel a little queasy after this one. Since the simulator relies on spinning at high speeds, it’s no wonder that many have an issue with this attraction.
While going through the queue, you’ll find many warnings and instructions for how to handle motion sickness on this ride – namely, keeping your head back in the seat and your eyes open. My husband and I found that this worked for the most part – but the extreme dizziness we experienced after every spin made it really hard to keep our eyes open and focused on the screen.
Just as a side note, however, I was able to ride this attraction with absolutely no issues as a child. For some reason, the G-forces, disorientation, and dizziness only started affecting me once I was out of college. This may not be the case for every young rider, but if your child walks off this ride with no problem while you’re doubled over a flower pot – there may be something to this ride affecting adults more than youngsters.
10. Is Mission Space Claustrophobic?
Mission Space is extremely claustrophobic. While most simulators (think Star Tours) are confining on their own, this attraction literally only gives you inches of space between your face and the walls. You are locked into place with an overhead harness and, in my experience, can’t even see the person next to you over the ride restraints.
The actual ride duration is pretty standard – at around 4 minutes long – but, like Flight of Passage, this ride can have a significant delay after boarding. This is due to the many other ride vehicles needing to be set and ready before the ride can begin. When I rode a couple of months ago, I ended up waiting in a delay for longer than the actual ride duration. While staring at a blank screen for 5 minutes might not bother most guests in the slightest, it was much more uncomfortable than the actual ride for me.
11. Are There Animatronics on Mission Space?
There are no animatronics on Mission Space.
Mission Space Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance is located outside in the World Discovery section of Epcot. As one of the few entirely indoor queues in WDW, the line takes you through a space-training facility where you’ll find some very cool props and theming. You’ll wind through a large windowless area and then head down a hallway towards the pre-show rooms.
Much like Flight of Passage, you will be led by a cast member through several rooms and stations before boarding the ride. The first brings you to a small enclosed room (with space suits on the far wall) where you will watch a 2 and a half minute video introducing you to the “training” plan and space craft. You’ll then be led to another waiting area right outside the loading station where you will be reminded of all of the safety warnings and precautions before boarding.
Mission Space Ride Walkthrough
Once seated in the ride vehicle, you will pull down your overhead harness and the cabin will close around you. The screen and control panels will come towards you and lock into place, leaving just a few inches between you and the walls. As stated before, this ride is extremely claustrophobic and definitely not for the faint of heart. There is cool air blowing in your face and barf bags within reach.
After a potential delay, the ride will begin, thrusting you right into the action as you prepare for launch. After a brief countdown, you’ll hurtle into space – experiencing some of those G forces I mentioned – and then suddenly feel weightless as you enter outer space. These many sensations in such a short amount of time can be extremely disorienting on top of the dizziness you’ll probably feel from launch. Just remember to keep your head back and your eyes focused on the screen – as hard as it may seem.
The weightlessness doesn’t last for long as you start accelerating towards your slingshot around the moon. This part is just as intense as the launch and will most likely also leave you dizzy and disoriented. From there, you’ll enter into hypersleep as the screen briefly frosts over and goes black, only to be jarred awake by a blaring siren.
You’ll find yourself in the middle of a meteor storm and will have to evade the huge rocks before beginning your descent. You’ll experience more G-forces as you break through the atmosphere and then have a rocky landing across the surface of Mars. You’ll hurdle through canyons and cliffs and burst through a barrier before coming to a stop right on a canyon edge. You’ll teeter dangerously for a moment before finally landing safely – the ride coming to an end.
That’s it! Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not. I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? How scary is Mission Space? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the ride and queue, be sure to check out this video from 4K WDW:
