Disney World guests have seen a steady stream of classic attractions disappear as the resort continues to shift toward movie-based experiences. EPCOT, especially, has changed dramatically over the last several years, with longtime fans watching many of the park’s original concepts either close completely or undergo major franchise-driven overhauls.
Now, another EPCOT attraction keeps finding itself at the center of fan conversations online.
Mission: SPACE has divided Disney fans for years. Some guests still love the intensity and unique space-training concept. Others avoid the ride completely after one experience. But lately, more fans have started asking the same question: should Disney finally replace it?
And if that ever happens, many people already think they know the perfect replacement.
Disney Continues Leaning Into Major Franchises
Disney has made it very clear that recognizable IP now drives many of the company’s biggest theme park decisions.
EPCOT alone has undergone major changes. Maelstrom eventually became Frozen Ever After after Frozen (2013) exploded into one of Disney’s biggest modern franchises. Universe of Energy disappeared to make room for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Other parks have followed the same formula. Splash Mountain transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, inspired by The Princess and the Frog (2009). Muppet*Vision 3D closed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as Disney prepares for the upcoming Monstropolis area.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is also changing quickly. DinoLand U.S.A. is gone as Disney moves forward with the Tropical Americas project featuring Encanto (2021) and Indiana Jones.
That pattern has convinced many fans that Disney would not hesitate to overhaul Mission: SPACE if the company believed another franchise could attract bigger crowds.
Mission: SPACE Still Struggles With Guests
Mission: SPACE has always had a reputation unlike that of almost any other Disney ride.
Disney opened the attraction in 2003 and promoted it as one of the company’s most intense experiences. Riders board simulated training capsules and experience spinning forces designed to mimic a rocket launch to Mars.
Even now, the attraction remains covered in warning signs cautioning guests about motion sickness and physical intensity.
Disney eventually introduced two versions of the attraction. Orange Mission remains the more intense spinning experience, while Green Mission offers a reduced-motion alternative. Even with that change, many guests still avoid the attraction altogether.
Some Disney fans appreciate how different Mission: SPACE feels compared to other rides. Others argue the attraction feels outdated and focuses too much on discomfort instead of fun.
Guests Rarely Wait Long To Ride
One issue that keeps coming up among fans is Mission: SPACE’s consistently low wait times.
While rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Flight of Passage, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and TRON Lightcycle / Run can easily climb past an hour, Mission: SPACE often sits around five to fifteen minutes.
That contrast has fueled more conversations about the attraction’s future.
Fans online regularly point to complaints about nausea, headaches, claustrophobia, and dizziness as reasons many guests simply skip the ride entirely. Others feel the attraction’s technology no longer feels as impressive as Disney’s newer experiences.
As a result, many EPCOT fans have started pitching entirely new ideas for the pavilion.
Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary Became a Popular Fan Idea
A lot of those conversations now revolve around Project Hail Mary (2026), Ryan Gosling’s major sci-fi hit.
The movie earned nearly $680 million globally and became one of the year’s biggest surprise successes. Critics also embraced the film, which currently holds a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The story follows Ryland Grace, played by Gosling, during a dangerous mission to save humanity. Audiences also strongly connected with Rocky, the alien engineer who quickly became a fan favorite.
Many Disney fans believe the movie’s themes already fit naturally inside Mission: SPACE’s existing concept.
Across Reddit and Disney forums, fans have pitched ideas ranging from updated ride vehicles to entirely new storylines featuring Ryland Grace and Rocky guiding guests through missions.
One fan even suggested that Disney create a free-roaming Rocky animatronic that could interact directly with EPCOT guests.
Disney has not announced any plans to retheme Mission: SPACE. Still, the conversation surrounding the attraction continues growing as fans wonder whether EPCOT’s next big overhaul could already be hiding in plain sight.
