Review: 4 key changes to Mission: Space at Epcot and why you’ll love them

It has been a while since I sat in the cockpit of the X-2 Space Shuttle at Mission: Space in Epcot. I was excited to embark on the new Green Mission as it officially launched yesterday (Aug. 14, 2017) at Disney World.

Mission: Space at Epcot in Disney World.

The ride has been closed for refurbishment, so when Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts announced at July’s D23 Expo the attraction was getting an overhaul, I was happy to hear something new was coming.
Mission: Space originally sent guests on a mission to Mars — with one version, the Orange Mission, offering a more intense experience where a centrifuge spins and tilts to simulate G-forces of a spacecraft launch and reentry. The less-intense Green Mission left out the centrifugal forces that gave the feeling of weightlessness—and, not incidentally, the motion sickness that all too often went along with the ride.

The revamped Orange Mission still goes to Mars, but the new Green Mission sends you into orbit around the Earth in a sort of Soarin’ through Space.

Here are some of the specific changes to the attraction and some thoughts:

1. Height requirement: Kids who are now 40 inches tall can go on the Green Mission. They need to use a booster seat to get into the capsule. This is a major change and opens up the ride to a lot more younger kids.

New Capcom Chief Gina Torres in the new pre-show video at Mission:Space.

2. New Capcom chief: Gina Torres replaces Gary Sinese in the pre-show, giving instructions at the start of the mission. Torres, of course, is a sci-fi veteran who she starred in the short-lived but much-loved space adventure “Firefly.”

3. The Green Mission: This is the big change. The mission starts with your standard blast-off into space where you then go into Earth orbit. As you move over various regions, the computer explains what you see below, including sights like the Great Wall of China and Paris. Think of it as a space version of the Soarin’ Around the World ride on the other side of the park. (Soarin’ is a flight simulator where you glide over famous world landmarks—at a much lower altitude.) The visuals are stunning, but you do need to have what you see explained to you. The view can be a bit disorienting as the Earth spins fast below. It will take you only a few minutes to do one orbit; in real life, it takes about 91 minutes for the International Space Station to make one complete orbit. Then there is the landing, which—well, you need to have at least one surprise on the ride. The view of space is amazing and could very well inspire the new restaurant that is going to be built adjacent to the attraction and feature a dining experience high above Earth.