Spaceship Earth: Epcot’s Iconic Journey Through Time and Innovation

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Epcot, one of Walt Disney World’s iconic theme parks, is a celebration of human achievement, innovation, and the spirit of exploration. At the heart of Epcot stands a colossal geodesic sphere that embodies these themes: Spaceship Earth. This architectural marvel not only serves as the park’s symbolic centerpiece but also offers visitors an immersive journey through the history of communication, from the dawn of humanity to the present day.

As visitors approach Spaceship Earth, they are greeted by its gleaming silver surface that reflects the changing colors of the sky. This iconic spherical structure, designed by futurist and visionary R. Buckminster Fuller, stands as a testament to human ingenuity and the endless possibilities of technological advancement.

The attraction within Spaceship Earth takes guests on an engaging and enlightening journey through time. Housed within the sphere, this dark ride guides visitors through animatronic scenes that depict key moments in human history. From the invention of written language to the creation of the printing press, and from the Renaissance to the digital age, each scene showcases the evolution of communication and its impact on society.

One of the most memorable aspects of Spaceship Earth is the narration provided by a rotating cast of iconic voices. The narration guides guests through the attraction, providing insightful commentary on the progress of communication technology and the ways it has shaped human interaction. The attraction’s tagline, “Tomorrow’s Child,” encourages visitors to consider the future they wish to create and the role communication will play in it.

The attraction concludes with a futuristic scene that envisions the potential of communication in the years to come. Guests are invited to create their own vision of the future using interactive touchscreens in their ride vehicles. This personalized touch underscores Epcot’s overarching theme of celebrating human creativity and innovation.

Spaceship Earth also serves as a beacon of illumination at night, with its reflective surface transforming into a canvas for dazzling light shows and fireworks during special events. Its presence in Epcot’s landscape is truly a sight to behold, offering a sense of wonder and anticipation to park-goers as they explore the pavilions and attractions of Future World and World Showcase.

In conclusion, Spaceship Earth is more than just a geodesic sphere; it’s a captivating journey through time and innovation that encapsulates the essence of Epcot’s vision. Its iconic silhouette has become synonymous with both Disney and the spirit of human progress. As visitors step inside and travel through the ages, they are reminded of the power of communication to shape our world and inspire us to create a brighter future. Spaceship Earth stands as a testament to the past, present, and future, inviting us all to embark on an inspiring voyage of discovery.

Guest Jumps Out of EPCOT Ride Vehicle to Sit With Animatronic

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

A visit to Walt Disney World Resort’s EPCOT is not complete without a visit to the iconic Spaceship Earth attraction. But one Disney Park Guest made the poor choice of jumping out of the ride vehicle to sit with an animatronic.

The nostalgic Spaceship Earth attraction not only serves as the iconic focal point for EPCOT, but it also features a time-traveling experience that Disney fans can’t get enough of. As you disembark on the time travel ride, Guests explore the history of human communication from the Stone Age to the computer age.

One Guest experiencing the attraction seemingly makes the decision to get out of the Spaceship Earth ride vehicle to sit with an ancient Greece educator during the ride experience.

@pharmd23 took to social media on November 15, 2022, to share the following video of a Guest on Spaceship Earth. Check out the video in the tweet below:

According to the comments in the post, apparently, Spaceship Earth was momentarily paused when the Guest decided to exit the ride vehicle to visit one of the attraction’s many animatronics. It’s not uncommon for the attraction to stop mid-ride for slower-moving Guests to enter and exit the attraction.

We immediately can think back to the cucumber incident, when a Guest jumped out of a ride vehicle to grab a cucumber while riding EPCOT’s Living with the Land attraction. Sadly, a decision such as this can easily result in being banned from the Disney Parks.

Disney describes the iconic Spaceship Earth attraction experience with:

Back to the Beginning: Witness the landmark moments of amazing innovation that made today’s spectacular communications technology possible.

Travel back to the dawn of humanity, when early man painted on cave walls. Watch new ideas spread like wildfire with the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press. The wheels of time turn ever faster as we enter the modern age of media, from newspapers announcing the end of the Civil War to the televised broadcast of the moon landing—and beyond.

All of these great moments are brought vividly to life using elaborate sets and advanced Audio-Animatronics figures during this inspirational, 16-minute, Omnimover-style attraction.

Lightning strikes Spaceship Earth at EPCOT!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Tonight, as storms rolled through the theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida, a video posted online appears to show the Spaceship Earth structure at EPCOT being struck by lightning.

As two Guests were live-streaming from EPCOT during the storms tonight, the sky was filled with the illumination of episodes of continual lightning. At one point during the live stream, a huge lightning bolt pierced the night sky and reached down toward the Spaceship Earth structure, seemingly striking the structure.

@streamingthemagic

Wow! Lightning strikes spaceship earth at Epcot Disney World during Kristen & Adam’s live stream on Streaming The Magic #disneyparks #spaceshipearth #lightningbolt

♬ original sound – Streaming The Magic

However, since Disney has hidden hundreds of lightning rods throughout the parks, it’s unlikely that the bolt actually hit Spaceship Earth; it’s far more likely that it hit a lightning rod atop the nearly 200-foot-tall structure.

According to Weird Disney, Central Florida sees more lightning than any other part of the country–on average, the area sees more than 50 lightning strikes per square mile. Lightning can be beautiful and awe-inspiring from a distance, but it can be deadly too.

lightning

That’s why there are lots of hidden lightning rods scattered around the Walt Disney World Resort–many in plain sight, but you might never know they were lightning rods. For example, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Mickey Mouse that stands atop the high tower of the Crossroads kiosk near the entrance to the park is a lightning rod; well, his right ear is. It’s made of copper and, as with any other non-Mickey lightning rod, it attracts the lightning to it. Once a bolt strikes the rod, the rod channels the millions of volts of energy produced by the lightning through the copper around the structure and into the ground below.

crossroads of the world disney hollywood studios

The weather vane atop the Hall of Presidents structure at Magic Kingdom‘s Liberty Square is also a lightning rod, as are the spires at the topmost point of the Hollywood Tower Hotel that houses the Tower of Terror attraction at Hollywood Studios. (That place was struck by lightning back in 1939, and 5 people in the elevator disappeared and have never been seen again. Or so the story goes.)

lightning rod hall of presidents tower of terror disney world

Seeing a lightning flash can be fascinating, but because of the dangers associated with lightning    Disney has very specific procedures in place in the event of a lightning storm anywhere within 10 miles of the Walt Disney World Resort.

Per Disney’s website, the Walt Disney World Lightning Policy states the following:

“Event operations will shut down when lightning is 10 miles out from the event areas. Event operations will not resume until the lightning is 10 miles out moving away from the event areas. The event management team will consult with Walt Disney World Resort Management on a course of action to utilize the operational rain plan, delay the event or cancel the event.”

Concept Art Leaks of New Spaceship Earth Attraction

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Via wdwnt.com

More concept art for the delayed (and possibly abandoned) reimagining of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT has emerged. These were shared from an anonymous source on the WDWMagic forums.

This image shows a glowing Spaceship Earth with ride vehicles moving in front of it, likely for the top of the attraction when vehicles begin their descent.

This shows a fiber optic forest of trees lit up like lightning, with the ride vehicles moving through them.

This 3-D model also seems to show the attraction’s descent below colorful waves.

The above image is a collage of different designs by the artist — only the images in the top left and bottom right are of Spaceship Earth. The top left looks like a tunnel of starry circles. At the bottom right is simply a blue outline of Spaceship Earth. Next to it is a child with an array of celestial bodies in a line above him.

The reimagining of Spaceship Earth is indefinitely delayed but may still happen. If it does, it will likely be different from what was originally planned and may not include any of these concepts.

Above is official concept art previously shared by Disney of a reimagining of the Egypt scene.

Beacons of Magic Lights Being Tested On Spaceship Earth

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Over at EPCOT, they are testing the lights for Beacons of Magic. This will be another addition to the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World starting on October 1st, 2021. Guests have seen Spaceship Earth lighting up and changing color. The lights are changing from green to blue to white to red which looks like Spaceship Earth is changing. Although we are not officially able to see this masterpiece completed yet, it will be very exciting and another amazing photo opportunity. For those that don’t know what this is about, here is what Zach Riddley shared on Instagram back in August: 

“Last week we shared an exciting new look at all four Beacons of Magic coming to life as part of the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary. Our new lighting system for Spaceship Earth is something entirely original – a first-of-its-kind programmable LED lighting system invented by our very own Imagineers to integrate seamlessly into the iconic Spaceship Earth façade.  I’m proud to share today a few pics from behind the scenes of the project, led by Imagineers Jason Read and Galen Lande. Take a look!!

Installation of the system is nearly complete, and our team has been hard at work testing. Jason, Galen, and their team are leveraging a “pre-cueing” system to pre-visualize and program this new system virtually – allowing us to test many different ideas before locking in on our best look. And we are finding some very cool effects – giving the surface of Spaceship Earth an entirely new feeling and visual identity visible from all corners of the park.

We are exploring visual poetry that respects the lighting legacy of this grand icon while bringing rich new depth and motion to life – all inspired by colors and textures that evoke stardust and the mystery and wonder of our universe. And we’ll be able to tie this program into the surrounding Main Entrance Plaza and new fountain and pylon lighting to fully immerse Guests with an experience that is … EPCOT. We have more work to do before we’re ready to reveal this to the world as part of the Most Magical Celebration on Earth, starting Oct 1st!!‌”

There are so many exciting things coming for the 50th Anniversary at EPCOT. Including an all new firework show called Harmonious and a brand new ride called Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. We are looking forward to all the new things at Disney is bringing.