Legoland Florida is taking inspiration from an old Disney (DIS) theme park attraction from the 1950’s that closed long ago.
The Disneyland Tomorrowland attraction was operational until the beginning of 1975, as its popularity had started its slow decline after space travel became a reality.
The attraction originally opened in July 1955 as Rocket to the Moon, but Disney changed the name of the attraction in 1971 to Flight to the Moon. This change came about after NASA began sending astronauts to the moon. The new name gave the attraction a new life and extended the excitement to be included in a NASA launch.
The Disney attraction was a flight simulation from Earth to space and back down to Earth again. Soon after NASA landed on the moon, the simulation of going into space became more of a lackluster attraction, exciting but as technology advanced, the ride simply could not compete with what science was doing in reality. This was a realization the Walt Disney always had. He knew that as long as creative advances were made, Disney would have to reinvent itself.
In 1975, the Flight to the Moon simulation was changed to a Mission to Mars, since the idea of people travelling to Mars had not been achieved. Mission to Mars flew at Disneyland until it was closed in November 1992, and in 1998 the location became Redd Rocket's Pizza Port restaurant.
Disney
Legoland Journeys into Space
What seems like an old tired out idea, going to space, is getting a facelift and new home. Legoland in Florida and California have launched their own versions of a Rocket to the Moon in Lego City Space areas inside the theme parks' Imagination Zones.
Now that non-astronaut citizens can really travel in space, albeit at a huge price tag, the excitement about traveling to space may reignite. Legoland guests in the theme parks' City Space in the Imagination Zone are in charge of their own space travel exploration. While Legoland is borrowing the concept of guests going into space, it is really just an updated version that allows guests a more immersive experience than that of what Disney had offered decades before.
In the flight to the moon within the new Legoland exploration, guests will travel to space by walking through an airtight chamber simulation. Walking out of the chamber, space travelers will find themselves on the moon.
Guests Choose Their Mission
At the beginning of their mission, they will have to make a choice on which space adventure they want to pursue. The new astronauts can choose Mission A or Mission B to build a space rocket or a space rover vehicle. After the build is complete guests will need to pass through some tests to be able to complete their Moon mission.
Getting a memory to take home is always a great take away for any family vacation. The neat way Legoland is incorporating that into their Lego City Space is a photo op that has guests who visited the new Moon attraction a chance to appear as if they are floating through space.
