“It’s Not Horizons…” Photo
Mission: Space is not Horizons. For this reason alone, I don’t think it will ever get a fair shake among serious Disney fans. To be sure, I’m not saying that Mission: Space is superior to Horizons. While I have incredibly vivid memories of Journey into Imagination, World of Motion, Body Wars, and other EPCOT Center attractions, I don’t really recall Horizons (likely because my parents didn’t care for it, so we didn’t go on it much when I was a kid). Given my normal preferences, I think it’s safe to assume that I’d prefer the long, story-driven Horizons over Mission: Space, but I still enjoy Mission: Space. Unlike a lot of classic attractions that have been replaced by abominations (I’m looking at you, Journey into Imagiantion), Horizons was replaced by a pretty decent attraction in Mission: Space. Some people will never acknowledge this, though.
While Mission: Space might have cost too much, might not be as ambitious as early plans for a space pavilion, and might already be dated from a tech-perspective, it’s still a pretty good attraction, overall. I think the architecture of the building is really impressive, and it’s certainly fun to photograph. I enjoy the queue a lot, and its details there make the experience really immersive. Similarly, I think the music adds a lot to the experience.
But, at the end of the day, it’s still not Horizons…and that’s all that matters for some.
Technical details: Nikon D700 and Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 Lens. See our Disney Photography Guide for more photography equipment recommendations.
I Have Only Been Brave Enough To Do The Orange “More Intense” Ride Twice Since I’ve Been Back Visiting Epcot…
It’s Def. NOT Horizons ! I Remember Going To Epcot In 2002 And Seeing My Beloved Horizons Gone And A Big Wall In It’s Place Where Mission Space Is Now…Thankfully I , As Well As Many Others Have Videos Of My Favorite Dark Ride Of All Time…Mission Space Is Pretty Cool Though I Guess !
OK, I acknowledge that I am “one of those” old timers who liked “Horizons” a lot better than Mission: SPACE. Nobody has ever has a heart attack on Horizons, for one thing! Personally, I don’t enjoy rides that might kill me. Call me old fashioned!
Horizons was one of my all time favorite EPCOT attractions. I was sad when they tore it down and built Mission: SPACE. Even my wife, with an iron stomach, gets woozy on Mission: SPACE. I will not ride it and never have. When it opened, a lot of guests were getting sick and some had heart attacks.
Like I said, I am not into rides that will kill you. That is why I love Radiator Springs Racers. It’s an exciting ride, but it won’t kill you (most people anyway). I believe the Imagineers need to take you physically to a certain point of fun or thrill, but not take you to the hospital or mortician.
So, I will take Horizons over Mission: SPACE any day of the week. Everybody could ride Horizons. Not everybody can ride Mission: SPACE. I can’t. It might kill me. And I don’t want to die at a Disney theme park doing something that I could have avoided!
You just told me that your favorite attraction was Radiator Springs Racers…not everyone can ride that, either! 😉
I’ve ridden both the intense and the less intense rides at Mission: Space. While the more intense ride comes with an added level of realism, I prefer the less intense version — it’s just as fun, and it doesn’t come with physical side effects.
I do miss Horizons…although, my biggest problem with Mission: Space for me is that it seems like most of the people I travel to WDW with cannot ride it because they are afraid of motion sickness. So I generally “opt out” as well. *le sigh*
The ‘less intense’ version of Mission: Space shouldn’t affect people with motion sickness.
After skipping it for several years, we finally visited Mission: Space back in December, and we loved it! We kept saying, “Why have we not done this before?” Of course, I still miss the GE lounge in Horizons that my dad had access to in the 1980s, but Mission: Space was much better than I expected it to be.
I’ll bet hanging out in that GE lounge was a pretty cool!
Yes it was. They had a great big 12′ diagonal television screen that sometimes showed sports and sometimes showed the view from the camera mounted on the Horizons roof. Oh yeah, and free soft drinks! And air conditioning! And no wait to get on Horizons! Not that there ever was much of a wait…