Disney Addresses Rumors That Infamous Ride Might Have To Shut Down

For years now, there’s been this lingering question floating around EPCOT: is Mission: SPACE living on borrowed time?

Rumors have swirled about Disney possibly pulling the plug on one of its most intense attractions—but if the latest updates are any clue, it seems the ride isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

In fact, the recent work outside the attraction seems to suggest the opposite. Disney has quietly invested in repairing some of the thematic elements around Mission: SPACE, and while that might not sound like a big deal, it’s a pretty telling move when it comes to the ride’s future.

Let’s break it all down—and talk about why Mission: SPACE has been such a lightning rod over the years.

The Disney World Ride That Splits Opinion

If you’ve ever stepped inside Mission: SPACE, you know it’s not your average theme park attraction. Located in EPCOT’s World Discovery area, this ride is meant to simulate a rocket launch and space travel, and it does that with a motion simulator so intense, Disney actually gives guests two different options: the “Orange” side for full G-force, and the “Green” side for a milder experience.

Let’s be real: even the Green side can leave some guests feeling a little queasy.

But for thrill-seekers, Mission: SPACE delivers. The Orange side pushes your body with spinning centrifuge technology designed to simulate liftoff. That’s not something you get at your average theme park ride. And that’s exactly where the controversy comes in.

There have been multiple instances over the years of guests needing medical assistance after riding. Tragically, in the early 2000s, two guests died after riding Mission: SPACE—one from a pre-existing heart condition and another from an undisclosed health issue. While Disney had clearly posted warnings and installed health advisory signs all over the queue, it sent a strong signal to the company: this ride was not for everyone.

After that, Disney added barf bags to the ride vehicles, reworked the warning signs to be even more direct, and eventually introduced the less intense “Green” mission. But the ride’s reputation for being one of the most physically demanding at Walt Disney World stuck—and the rumors about it being on the chopping block never fully went away.

The Persistent Shutdown Rumors

You don’t have to dig too deep in Disney forums to find speculation about the future of Mission: SPACE. Every few months, someone claims to have “heard” the ride is about to be shut down or reimagined. And honestly, it would make sense if Disney ever decided to phase it out.

Compared to other EPCOT attractions, Mission: SPACE is far from the most popular. It rarely sees long wait times unless the park is packed, and some guests just outright skip it. And because of how specific and physically intense the experience is, it’s never been a “ride for everyone.”

That’s probably why, when Disney filed permits for updates or when parts of the surrounding area started to fall into disrepair, people jumped to conclusions.

Recently, the decorative planetary mosaics embedded into the pavement outside the ride had started to deteriorate pretty badly. There were large cracks, missing chunks, and concrete patchwork that left the whole area looking a bit neglected. For fans convinced that Disney was letting the attraction decay so they could quietly shut it down, it all looked like more evidence to support that theory.

But now, there’s a different story emerging.

Disney Quietly Invests in Mission: SPACE

According to a new report, Disney has gone ahead and repaired two of the planetary mosaics outside Mission: SPACE. These mosaics, which were designed to resemble colorful celestial bodies, had taken a beating from years of guest traffic. And while not every damaged mosaic has been fixed, the fact that two were completely restored—along with ongoing exterior refurbishments—says a lot.

It wasn’t just the mosaics either. Disney recently restored the spinning effect on the iconic Earth sculpture near the entrance. That globe had been missing entirely for a while, and when it returned, it still didn’t spin. But after more work behind the scenes, it’s back in motion.

Those two changes alone may seem minor—but in the world of theme parks, they matter. Disney doesn’t invest in fixing something they’re planning to bulldoze. They just don’t. If a ride’s fate was sealed, there’d be no point in doing surface-level refurbishments to make it prettier. Instead, we usually see signs of decommissioning: removal of merchandise, zero repairs, and a slow phasing-out of the attraction in marketing.

That’s not what’s happening here. If anything, Disney’s efforts show they still want Mission: SPACE to be part of EPCOT’s future. It might not be the star of the show, but they’re keeping it in orbit.

So, What Does the Future Hold?

All of this recent activity suggests that Mission: SPACE isn’t going anywhere just yet. Sure, it still may not be the most popular attraction in the park, but it’s unique. No other Disney ride delivers quite the same level of thrill—or controversy. And for EPCOT, which has leaned hard into becoming a park that celebrates both innovation and intergalactic fantasy (see: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind), there’s still a place for a space simulator.

Could the ride eventually be re-themed or even replaced in the long run? Absolutely. But right now? It’s very much alive.

Disney’s repair work, their continued upkeep of the area, and their reluctance to touch the ride’s core experience all seem to point in the same direction: they’re not abandoning this mission anytime soon.

So if you’ve been avoiding Mission: SPACE because you thought its days were numbered, maybe don’t count it out just yet. It’s still here. Still spinning. Still making guests question their lunch choices.

And Disney? They just doubled down on keeping it that way.