RetroWDW was able to obtain an original copy of the the upper scanner 16mm film from Mission to Mars, we immediately had the it scanned in HD and then we improved the color/clarity by implementing a few different restoration methods. The result is nothing short of amazing – you’ve never seen this film in this clarity before. Even in the attraction, due to a series of mirrors, film degradation, fuzzy focus and the fact that the screen was 40+ feet away from you, the film was always kind of hazy and not super clear. You’re going to see details that you never knew were there, in fact the screen in the attraction was circular so parts of this film you never saw!
Those with a keen eye may notice that some scratches/dust appear for more than just one frame – especially in those frames that have a very slight color shift over time (Watch after liftoff when it turns a light blue). We believe to save money these frames were duplicated, dust/scratches intact! Normally our software would remove these if they appear on just one frame, however the software got tripped up by the double and sometimes triple frames of the same piece of dirt. We’re going to see if we can tweak these sections in the future.
After the restoration we synced the original in-ride audio to make this film a bit more interesting. The attraction had 3 different films that were syncronized: the lower, middle and upper scanners. While it is a long term project of ours to locate the other two films and complete the trifecta; for now this upper scanner film will most certainly take you back. If you know the whereabouts of the other films please contact us at podcast@retrowdw.com We’d be happy to work with you and give proper credit so that someday we can all enjoy all 3 screens in one presentation!
If you are really adventurous, project this on a ceiling of a darkened room; sit back in a chair and enjoy flight 2-9er-5 to Mars…
Mr Johnson, we are go for launch!
This video is amazing, and really takes me back. My first visit to WDW was in 1984 and I do have a memory of going on Mission to Mars… probably because even at 4 years old I realized this attraction was a bit cheesy!
Mission To Mars is one of my favorite old school Disney attractions. Much like If You Had Wings, it seem to have something unique about it. Quirky, yes! but it has heart too. Thanks for restoring this treasure. Keep up the amazing work and passion for these lost gems!
Bravo! One of the first ride I have done on my first visit to WDW. Memories…
I loved this attraction as a kid and would love to go on it again. Thanks for posting!
This was fun. I used to work Mars at WDW back in 79-80. Favorite job I had at WDW.