The Final Frontier

Walt Disney World has always celebrated space and science fiction. Even though it's sort of a thematic mess now, Tomorrowland in The Magic Kingdom originally envisioned *dramatic voice with reverb* THE FUTURE in a quaint 50s drive-in-movie-theater kind of way. 

Flight to the Moon, which itself was an updated version of Disneyland's Rocket to the Moon, debuted December 24, 1971 and ran until April 15, 1975. After man set foot on the moon the attraction felt dated so Imagineers updated the destination to Mars. Mission to Mars opened June 7, 1975 and thrilled guests until it eventually closed it's doors almost 25 years later on October 4, 1993.

Not long after Mission to Mars debuted, Space Mountain started rocketing guests to the inky black abyss of deep space. Compared to other thrill rides on property now (and myriad rides at other theme parks which shall remain nameless) Space Mountain may seem somewhat tame, but at the time it was the premier attraction on property.
 
Since Space Mountain is an indoor coaster and entirely in the dark guests did not know what to expect when they first rode. To maintain the theme, when it opened cast members were forbidden from referring to it as a rollercoaster. Not even warning signs outside the ride were allowed to refer to the attraction as a rollercoaster. As a result early riders walked away with bumps, bruises and a few broken bones. We can personally attest to a few abrasions. Possibly even a concussion. At the very least, one lost pair of very nice sunglasses.

The concept of THE FUTURE (sorry we'll stop) continued to be a theme when Walt Disney World opened the doors at Epcot on October 1, 1982. Firstly, there's Future World. Sort of self explanatory there. Perhaps more importantly the iconic geodesic sphere which stands as the symbol for Epcot, houses the Spaceship Earth attraction which takes guests on a journey through the history of human communication and also posits the future of our society.

The geosphere took 26 months to build. It is 185 feet high and 165 feet in diameter with an estimated weight of 16 million pounds. About 1,700 tons of steel were used to create the structure with support pilings buried 120 to 185 feet deep. The sphere itself also uses some space-age (get it?!) technology.
 

A special type of aluminum, alucobond, was used to create the 11,324 silvered facets on 954 triangular panels covering the sphere. The material can withstand the Florida climate and is self-cleaning. Spaceship Earth also has a gutter system which collects rain water and channels it to the World Showcase lagoon.

Most of us here at Second Star Films™ are too young to have a very clear memory of Horizons but we've read countless testimonials on the popularity of the attraction. For those of you who, like us, were not privy to the halcyon days of Future World, the Horizons pavilion, open from October 1, 1983 until January 9, 1999, was devoted primarily to THE FUTURE (boom! one last time).

Mission: Space now stands on the same spot Horizons once stood. This intense thrill ride equally excites and sickens us. That's not an indictment the ride uses centrifugal force (read: spinning) to simulate a rocket launch. It can be a bit...unsettling. In the grand tradition of Disney's Imagineers paying tribute to former attractions, Mission: Space hides some great Horizons references.

Without giving away too much here, pay close attention while you're waiting in the queue. We think you'll find a few really fun references to the former tenant. Also, and perhaps most importantly, the pre-show film also stars Gary Sinise as the commander of the mission. Sinise starred in 2000’s Mission to Mars released by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures. So when you're riding it's imperitive you ask yourself if today is Jimmy Shaker day.

Check out the Second Star Films™ Hidden Disney page for a video about Mission: Space as well as many other attractions.