Monday, December 10, 2007

Dec 10: Simulation Sickness

On this day in 2003, motion-sickness bags were first placed in the capsules of Epcot's thrill ride Mission: SPACE. It was the first time Disney World (or any theme park in history) made motion-sickness bags available on any of its attractions! Motion sickness is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement.
Although fans do blow air gently at riders of Mission: SPACE to help avoid motion sickness (and a magnified display in front of each rider simulates a window to space with high-resolution computer-generated imagery) some guests still feel queasy.
In May 2006, Disney began offering a less intense version of Mission: SPACE (called Green Team, or Half-Throttle), where the centrifuge does not spin, thus eliminating the forces of lateral acceleration ... and hopefully the need for motion-sickness bags.

Click HERE for more December 10 history.

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