Mission to Mars (attraction)
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| Mission to Mars | |
| Land | Tomorrowland |
| Designer | WED Enterprises |
| Attraction type | Circular theater with air-cushioned seats |
| Theme | Exploration of Mars |
| Hosted by | Third Officer Collins |
| Ride duration | 15 minutes |
| Audio-animatronics | 1 (Mr. Johnson in the pre-show) |
| Sponsored by | McDonnell-Douglas |
| Disneyland | |
| Opening date | March 21, 1975 |
| Closing date | November 2, 1992 |
| Replaced | Rocket to the Moon (1955-July 1967); Mission to the Moon (July 1967-January 1975) |
| Replaced by | Toy Story Funhouse (1996); Redd Rocket's Pizza Port (May 22, 1998-Present) |
| Magic Kingdom | |
| Opening date | June 7, 1975 |
| Closing date | October 4, 1993 |
| Replaced | Flight to the Moon (December 24, 1971-1975) |
| Replaced by | ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (June 20, 1995-October 12, 2003) |
Mission to Mars was an attraction located in Tomorrowland at Disneyland and at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
Contents |
[edit] History
The show was originally Flight to the Moon and opened in 1955 along with Disneyland. In 1975 the destination was changed to Mars because man had already been to the moon.
[edit] Show
The show was designed in cooperation with NASA and was a revised and updated version of the previous attraction Flight to the Moon. Guests would now be launched on a spacecraft into space and then land on the surface of the red planet Mars.
Guests would first enter a viewing area known as Mission Control and be introduced to an Audio-Animatronic named Mr. Johnson. He would then explain to you how man had made numerous advances in space travel and also learned how to deal with the effects of space. He then showed you the inner workings of the spacecraft that you would soon be boarding.
After the pre-show, guests would move on and finally board their spacecraft. Inside, was a completely spherical theater with stadium-like seating with circular flat screens on the ceiling and floor. During your mission you could look at the views from outside your craft from either of these screens. There were also screens that surrounded you on the walls of the theater. Third Officer Collins was your tour guide and would familiarize you with your mission as you explored space and Mars. Eventually, a volcanic eruption damaged the ship and you had to quickly head back to Earth. The seats in the attraction would simulate the vibrations and g-forces from Hyper-space during take-offs and landings by filling up with compressed air. Finally, you landed safely back on Earth and Officer Collins would then urge you to return and visit again, as he explained, "there's a lot more to see on Mars".
[edit] Disneyland Aftermath
The attraction closed at Disneyland on November 2, 1992, having first been removed from most visitor documentation by 1991. One reason behind the closure was that the controversial attraction, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, was to open in the building as part of then-CEO Michael Eisner's ambitious "Disney Decade". Along with Alien Encounter, The Timekeeper and "Plectu's Fantastic Galactic Revue" would have opened in the radical and richly-detailed "Tomorrowland 2055".
However, The "Tomorrowland 2055" project was canceled in early 1993 when the Euro Disney Project suddenly found itself in almost a billion dollars debt. Michael Eisner started cutting costs around the company, and was not happy with the estimated cost of the Tomorrowland project, but had liked the idea. Start of construction on Disneyland's new Tomorrowland was changed from Fall 1994 to Spring 1997, but Alien Encounter, The Timekeeper, and Plectu's Fantastic Galactic Revue never opened. The building remained unused until it officially reopened as an Italian restaurant, Redd Rockett's Pizza Port in Disneyland's new Tomorrowland on May 22, 1998.
[edit] Magic Kingdom
The show closed its doors in Walt Disney World at the Magic Kingdom in Florida on October 4, 1993. It re-opened as the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter as part of the Magic Kingdom's New Tomorrowland on June 20, 1995, along with The Timekeeper. Alien Encounter eventually closed down, mostly due to its dark content, and the similar Stitch's Great Escape! was created in its place.
