Disney adds more Orange Team capacity at Mission SPACE

Nov 20, 2015 in "Mission: SPACE"

Posted: Friday November 20, 2015 8:23am EST by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has increased the capacity of the more intense Orange Team ride at Epcot's Mission: SPACE.

Beginning earlier this week, the Orange Team is now using three of the four ride bays, with the Green Team using just one of the ride bays.

The space flight simulator ride, which opened in 2003, added a less intense option in 2006 amid concerns that the ride was too thrilling for many of the parks guests. Until this week's reconfiguration, two ride bays were configured for the intense Orange Team, and two ride bays were configured for the non-spinning Green Team version.

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ShoalFoxNov 26, 2015

Having a full fledged space station was the original intention before it was turned into a thrill ride. It would've used a gutted Horizons ride building to create a bunch of different experiences.

captainmochNov 26, 2015

I'd love a Space pavilion. In fact, how about Mission Space opens up into a Space pavillion once the ride is over. However, for people who don't want to ride a thrill ride, a Seacab-esque omnimover can take you into the pavilion as well. And space is awesome and 100% timeless, making it the perfect new pavilion that can draw in anyone. Honestly, I think it would be cool if every pavilion had both education classic Epcot Center-type exhibits/attractions AND more modern TT/MS/Soarin'/Nemo type attractions. Imagine if Test Track and World of Motion wrapped around each other in a huge full Motion Pavilion that ended in a showroom, or if elements of Seabase 2021 and Nemo were mixed together.

Biff215Nov 26, 2015

I agree, a space pavilion has so much potential. It's interesting that one side of Future World has the pavilion concept, while the other is just individual rides (at least what is open).

FigmentJediNov 25, 2015

Mission Space just needs to be expanded into a full pavilion instead of just "A thrill ride with a McDonald's Playland and ancient computer games at the end of it".

Biff215Nov 25, 2015

Wow, didn't realize this, thanks for sharing. I have been riding green the last few years as my young daughter enjoys it. In our experience, green tends to have its issues and it has "delayed" our rides several times. I assume this is their attempt to stall and get it back up without having to close the entire attraction. I'm sorry to hear that green is now a much longer wait while orange is a walk on. What initially sounded like a decent plan clearly was not discussed with the right people. If I didn't have that otherwise useless tier 2 Fast Pass we probably wouldn't even ride.

NMBC1993Nov 25, 2015

Can we just re-purpose Mission Space to project a ride-though video of Horizons on the screens and not have the vehicles move at all? Interestingly enough, I rode the green side of Mission Space a few months ago for the first time and really couldn't tell much of a difference. Sure, the G's weren't there but if anything I found it to be a more enjoyable version of the ride.

Horizons '83Nov 25, 2015

I agree... I have been on it once and that was enough, guess I'll have to wait for them to rebuild Horizons;)

twilight mitsukNov 25, 2015

Do they acully switch the motors off with a fuse box or something?

SirLinkNov 22, 2015

Oh reread the post I quoted I took Space as meaning SSE or "Space", I have never heard Mission Space as referred to as just Space. Also kinda silly if green goes down orange can't operate. If Disney want to get people to sign waivers if they are worried about Legal implications I see no harm.

flynnibusNov 22, 2015

Or you could have an attraction that cost you more than 100million dollars that is largely being under utilized. Green was good for guests and saved disney's but from having m:s being a ghost town.

MrNonachoNov 22, 2015

And a follow-up to earlier: Green is currently a 60 minute wait. Orange is posted at 65 and it's a walk-on with some bays being only partially filled.

MrNonachoNov 22, 2015

Who mentioned SSE? Mission: Space is likely to go completely 101 more often now. If anything happens to the single Green bay, the Orange bays are not permitted to operate.

SirLinkNov 22, 2015

So why exactly would SSE go down a LOT more? Surely there would be no impact to separate attractions unless you mean people will be sick on SSE?

MrNonachoNov 22, 2015

Yes, and since Green has such limited capacity now it is much more obvious. By late morning now you'll see the wait times posted around 45 for Green and 50 for Orange. The Green one will be about right while Orange is actually a walk-on.