Break The Walls Down
The walls surrounding Spaceship Earth at Epcot have finally come down and the attraction is officially open to the public, despite multiple signs noting the official opening still as February 2008.
It’s Done!
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Epcot’s iconic white sphere, Spaceship Earth, closed for nearly six months, will reopen to the public Friday with a new story line and digital enhancements. The show’s producer Bob Zalk says the new story is about innovations and how they inspire the next generation. The ride features new show scenes, lighting effects and costumes with a new musical score narrated by Judy Dench. The ride’s vehicles remain the same, but include new touch screens. There will also be an interactive component. Disney officials expect to make minor changes before the ride’s formal reopening in February.
Finally, Some Imagination
In what will probably be the first of many, a permit has been filed to refurbish and change the post show area of the Imagination pavillion at Epcot. This will most likely be the first step in revamping the pavillion, which as spent almost a decade in dismay. These plans have been sitting around for a while, but it appears that the conclusion of work on Spaceship Earth has finally opened the door for this project. This particular permit can be found HERE.
Discuss this developement HERE.
SSE Soft Openings
A reader just left us an voicemail reporting that Spaceship Earth is open right now, they are allowing guests on the attraction this evening. If you have seen the new Spaceship Earth and would like to tell us your review or report on the changes, feel free to call our voicemail at 206-350-8232 or email us at wdwnewstoday@gmail.com.
SSE Preview in the Orlando Sentinel
Disney makes changes to Epcot’s Spaceship Earth attraction
Dewayne Bevil |Sentinel Staff Writer 6:38 PM EST, December 6, 2007
Epcot enthusiasts will have a ball again soon. Construction walls near Spaceship Earth, iconic sphere of the theme park, will fall sometime next week, after five months of refurbishment, Walt Disney World officials said. Inside are changes in content, new interactive components and enhancements of items that have marked the attraction since day one.
Its theme has shifted from communication through the ages to one of inspiration and innovation. The most recent script, read by Jeremy Irons, has been scrapped — the new narrator is Oscar winner Judi Dench, whose words guide riders through the generations.
“The story is those building blocks that got us to today,” said Bob Zalk, show producer. The plot winds through several scenes familiar to Spaceship Earth fans: the Egyptians, the burning of Rome (that smoky aroma remains), the Renaissance, the switchboard and more. All scenes up through the 1960s living room remain, but elements have been repositioned and upgraded. Each have new lights and costumes. Some Audio-Animatronics are increasingly lifelike.
“We’ve technologically updated the figures so they can move around more than before,” said Eric Jacobson, senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering. “That’s something we couldn’t do in the ’80s.” Especially striking are a Greek teacher and a Roman soldier.
Fresh content is most apparent as riders near the top of the sphere. New sets representing the invention of the computer mainframe and the garage where the personal computer was developed lead to the darkened, downward second half of the experience. As the cars coast down the rail, passengers answer seven questions about their future on a touch screen. (Do you prefer the journey or the destination? While away, do you worry more about your home or your pet?) Answers are melded into a customized piece of retro-yet-futuristic cartoon for each row.
Other changes blend old and new. The revised living room steers attention to the 1969 moon landing on TV — featuring reports from Walter Cronkite, a former narrator of Spaceship Earth.
“We think the traditionalists will be happy,” Jacobson said.
Finishing touches continue, but a few Epcot visitors may get a peek before the official opening. Elements to come later include language options selected by passenger (a Disney first) and more post-show goodies, including a game called Power City and a big globe pinpointing where each day’s visitors live.
Insider Video Here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/video/?slug=orl-wn-disneyvideo1207067
SSE Almost Ready
The cast members for the newly refurbished Spaceship Earth at Epcot can now be seen roaming Future World in their brand new costumes as they await word on when the attraction will open. The ride will probably have a limited test run within the next week, with soft openings starting by December 18th. By no means is the work on Spaceship Earth complete, a lot of the refurbishment that was supposed to happen on the early scenes of the attraction was postponed due to complaints from Epcot management that the attraction would not be open for the holidays. The attraction will still be very different and refreshed when it re-opens, but as was originally reported, the attraction will probably close again for a few days in February 2008.
SSE Soft Openings
Numerous sources are reporting that Spaceship Earth at Epcot will now be open for the Christmas rush at Walt Disney World. The attraction could open any day now as work on the basic attraction is about to wrap up, given that initial testing with Imagineers and Cast Members manages to go well. If problems arise during the testing, then Spaceship Earth’s scheduled opening will go back to February 2008. We will have more on this as it becomes available.
SSE Narrator
Judi Dench has been confirmed as the new narrator for Spaceship Earth at Epcot. Spaceship Earth is scheduled to reopen in February 2008. We will have more information on this as it becomes available.