Just returned from a trip to Disney recently, and of all the things I did there, the one that keeps returning to me is my encounter with the ride named Mission: Space.

It's my own fault! Lulled by years of typically tame, cutesy Disney rides, it never occurred to me for a second that this thing could seriously be dangerous. I (literally) ignored the numerous warning signs, ignored the ominous barf bags, Ignored the claustrophobia-inducing tiny enclosure, and thought of the whole thing as a personal challenge.

Before I even got on, the ride was trying to scare me, but its Disney, right? How bad could it possibly be? 🤠

Oh boy..... Have any of you fearless fellow sim-pilots ever been on this thing? Pressed into your seat by an adolescent elephant rapidly attempting to reach its full adult weight in two minutes or less... without giving up its comfy spot on your chest, was not quite the experience I was expecting.

And oh, yeah.... Nausea.

Questions come/came immediately to mind. When this was over, would I barf? An imaginary crowd in my head was enthusiastically making wagers, and I was honestly worried about being able to convincingly walk straight in a manfully unaffected manner upon exiting the compartment.

The surprising G-forces eased intermittently as the video "window" in front of me showed our simulated craft powering through various maneuvers, but I came to the conclusion pretty snappily even as I pressed the designated lighted buttons to "control" the craft, that I was not having fun, and was in fact pretty much simply holding on till it was over.

Exiting the ride afterward, using considerable willpower, I barely managed to walk straight, glad to avoid the embarrassment of wobbling/wandering around like a kid in a family circle cartoon, while my internal monitoring systems returned various forecasts on probabilities of losing the smoked turkey leg I had recently eaten.

It seems I might have to temper my dream of a ride with space-X.... 🚀

Anyways.... I was thankfully (mostly) okay within a few minutes, but already certain things were very clear, primarily that at no time during the remainder of my stay on earth was I ever getting on that ride again; and secondly, why was this thing even at Disney. Had other people had issues?

Later, I found that people regularly end up under medical care at local hospitals after this ride, and that at least two people have literally died.

I would have been unsurprised to find this ride at Universal, but its not quite what I expected from the Mouse!

If you are going there and have never experienced this ride, be warned!

 

Edited April 10, 20233 yr by HiFlyer

Speaking of rides, I have often wondered why people raise their arms in the air when riding on a roller coaster.  In my yeanger days I used to ride roller coasters but people didn't do that then.

I would like to ride that Disney ride.  I've ridden in the back seat of a Citabria with my flight instructor at the controls trying to make me sick.  He failed.

Noel

3 hours ago, HiFlyer said:

Later, I found that people regularly end up under medical care at local hospitals after this ride, and that at least two people have literally died.

 

Good grief... that thing should be banned. A wonder they haven't been sued. 

Edited April 10, 20233 yr by martin-w

Apparently one person that died had an undiagnosed heart condition. The other had a brain hemorrhage and had long standing and sever high blood pressure. 

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

Speaking of rides, I have often wondered why people raise their arms in the air when riding on a roller coaster.  In my yeanger days I used to ride roller coasters but people didn't do that then.

I would like to ride that Disney ride.  I've ridden in the back seat of a Citabria with my flight instructor at the controls trying to make me sick.  He failed.

Noel

There are two versions, green and orange, I believe. 

One is for people who intend to hold on to their lunch, and the other is for the daredevils.

Here is how it works, and a "trip to Mars" is performed:

 

Think I'll stick to the "safe and sane" ride to the moon! 🚀

 

51 minutes ago, martin-w said:

Apparently one person that died had an undiagnosed heart condition. The other had a brain hemorrhage and had long standing and sever high blood pressure. 

True. Yet of the zillions of people who flock through Mouseland, how many (probably quite a few) have undiagnosed conditions.

Nope, I don't think the ride should be banned, though I am surprised you don't have to sign a waiver. (perhaps its already understood and addressed amongst the other legal boilerplate accompanying all tickets to the park.

I was just wondering how many people here might have tried it and what were their reactions.

I hear the new Guardians of the galaxy ride is the newest barf-bag up and comer, but I whooped and hollered on that one with no difficulty at all.

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

Speaking of rides, I have often wondered why people raise their arms in the air when riding on a roller coaster.  In my yeanger days I used to ride roller coasters but people didn't do that then.

Its a show of bravado. Also supposedly it makes the ride feel a bit more intense. I would feel silly doing it, so I never do.

This reminds me of my sister, who would always wildly rock the cars of the swinging Ferris Wheel at Coney Island when we were kids, knowing it scared the word not allowed out of me.

It was years later, in my teens, that I went back alone one day went on the ride again and again until I wasn't afraid anymore.

Rite of passage.

10 hours ago, HiFlyer said:

Just returned from a trip to Disney recently, and of all the things I did there, the one that keeps returning to me is my encounter with the ride named Mission: Space.

 

I will say though I turned my head and looked over at my wife when we were on it made me a bit nauseous,but its only because I turned my head. The G forces were pretty mundane compared to the Gs I've pulled in my Yak-52 in real life.

Edited April 10, 20233 yr by n4gix
Removed the ridiculous overquote!

1 hour ago, martin-w said:

A wonder they haven't been sued. 

The family of the little boy who died apparently received a wrongful death settlement of about 10 million.

37 minutes ago, z06z33 said:

The G forces were pretty mundane compared to the Gs I've pulled in my Yak-52 in real life.

I've read that the g-forces are actually less than the maximum on many roller coasters.

What gets people in trouble is the fact that instead of momentary bursts at various points like on a roller coaster, Mission Space gives you a sustained 2.5g for minutes at a time....

For those who have never been on the ride, that's strong enough to actually pull your cheeks and lips back.

Make sure your ticker is in good condition! 🙃

Edited April 10, 20233 yr by HiFlyer

Is there an age limit for the ride?  I'll probably never make it out there but if I ever do I would like to give it a shot.  My ticker is in excellent condition.  My systolic blood pressure averages in the mid 120s and my pulse rate is usually in the 60s.

Noel

5 hours ago, birdguy said:

Is there an age limit for the ride?  I'll probably never make it out there but if I ever do I would like to give it a shot.  My ticker is in excellent condition.  My systolic blood pressure averages in the mid 120s and my pulse rate is usually in the 60s.

Noel

I actually was curious and looked this up a few weeks ago.

This article conforms to what I found at the time: https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/22/health/roller-coaster-age-limit/index.html

9 hours ago, martin-w said:

 

Good grief... that thing should be banned. A wonder they haven't been sued. 

not  when  there  are plenty of  warning  signs  before  you enter, its  like  when  golf  fans  go  to  watch the  majors  you  enter  at  your  own  risk  for  any  injuries  that may  occur   weather  being  hit  by  golf  balls  or  falling  trees  as  it  nearly  hapened  at  the  us  masters  this  week

Edited April 11, 20233 yr by pete_auau