HOLY COW!!! Major Changes Coming To Epcot

[Brisully]

(Reprinted from WESH NewsChannel2000.com)

<b>Report: Spaceship Earth To Get Facelift</b>

The centerpiece at Walt Disney World's Epcot is expected to get a major facelift.

There's been a lot of talk about what major attraction in Epcot would be next on the list to be overhauled, and it appears the icon of the giant park is in for some serious retooling, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.

Since construction began in 1979, Spaceship Earth has always been the centerpiece of Walt Disney's Experimental Prototype City Of Tomorrow.

"Epcot celebrates human achievement and innovation born from imagination," former Disney Chairman Card Walker said.

It's the kind of imagination Walker was talking about exemplified by Spaceship Earth. Visitors entering the giant silver sphere are taken on a slow-moving platform ride through centuries of human development, from cave dwelling primitive culture to modern civilization.

But the technology is old, and inside sources said Disney is preparing to gut and replace the ride in Spaceship Earth in time for the 25th anniversary of Epcot in 2007.

Documents obtained by WESH NewsChannel 2 illustrate a timeline for the overall refurbishment of Epcot named Project Gemini. It shows Disney will close Spaceship Earth in February 2005, replacing it with a new ride called Time Racers.

Because Disney already has a high-speed race track at Epcot, Test Track, sources said the company will most likely build a moving theater-type ride in Spaceship Earth to handle up to 2,400 park patrons per hour.

A Disney spokesman declined comment on the information uncovered, saying it's Disney policy not to talk about projects that have yet to be formally announced.

A former Disney imagineer said he believes Disney is going to use the same ride technology that it uses at its new Disney park, Tokyo Disney Sea, in reconstructing Spaceship Earth.

[Planogirl]

Time Racers? Oh joy. :rolleyes:

[helenabear]

Oh no :( :( :(

[DocRafiki]

:( I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE Spaceship Earth! It never gets old! Are they not going to call it that anymore? This is blaspheme!

I guess I need to find a good video of the ride so it will live on. :(

[Tina]

Another one bites the dust! Just like Horizons. I love new rides, but I like the old ones, too. EPCOT really just needs more attractions - they should stop shutting stuff down and just add more. :(

[nativetxn]

Oh dear, I love SSE, I could ride it over and over again, every trip.

Looks I will have to do an SSE marathon during DISCON

[olena]

That is sad. It doesn't feel old to me.

[RoqueC]

Wait, are they completely doing away with Spaceship Earth, or just refurbing it?

[Disney845]

Oh no! What are those research and developement idiots over there thinking? They already got rid of so much great stuff. Test track is...ok, but it isn't World of Motion. Mission: Space looks nice...but it isn't Horizons. HISTA sucks! Brink back Captain EO. And JIYI...all I can do is shake my head at that mess. RIP dear Figgy and Dreamfinder (in case any of you are going to point out that Figment is back - NO! that is just a sad attempt at fixing a problem they made but creating another one!) I agree that EPCOT could just build more stuff, but leave the good stuff alone. Sigh!!!!! Epcot is my fav of WDW parks and it will always have a special place in my heart but getting rid of SSE? That is worse than those ugly looking stone walls they constructed in front of it and then tricked people into spending more money to put a bad quality pea sized picture of themselves on. Maybe this is just a rumor and won't happen. I have never noticed SSE wanting for riders. I always see people riding it, sometimes with a lengthy line. I always ride it. It is a comfortable and nice ride, although they could ditch the warnings about your ride vehicle turning around, and bring back Tomorrows Child, those are refurbishments I would condone!

[caitycaity]

oh no! SE is one of my favorite rides. :( :( :(

[goofygirl]

Jeez, didnt they ever hear "if aint broke, dont fix it!" ?????

SSE is my favorite. I went on it 3 times last time I was there. I hope they leave it alone!

[PandyPaws]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
:( :( :(

[sandramaac]

I just love Space Ship Earth----it is such a serene and gentle ride----it is thought provoking and reminds of the the possibilites---especially those that Walt had-------that anything is possible-----I will be very sad to see it go----it is my must do ride EVERY time I go to Epcot

Many times I have also asked to get a CD in the park with the music from the ride


I imagine that COP will be going very very soon


Where do the marketing folks at Disney get there info----I have never heard anyone ever say get rid of this ride---a referb yes----a redo---no way very very sad

[Sandy51]

What are they thinking?? SSE is my favorite! I try to ride it first thing when I get to EPCOT, and the last thing I do when I leave the park. It won't be EPCOT without SSE.


Sandy

[Rajah]

I sure hope not.

Can anyone find any other sources to confirm this? Or was it "announced" in only one location?

We could all email/write Disney saying how much we love Spaceship Earth (it's my favorite in Epcot, too), and every time you go maybe stop by guest relations and fill out a comment card on how much you love Spaceship Earth?

They don't exactly have a high track record for improving rides they replace. :(

[Debi]

What are Disney Imagineers thinking?!?!?

[browneyes]

My ds loves Spaceship Earth.:(

[Brisully]

Rajah - here's the link where I found the story...

Yahoo News (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=298&e=1&cid=298&u=/ibsys/20021118/lo_wesh/1394368)

[perfectmatch300]

Oh, no! What a bad idea that is!!!!
Can we start a petition drive or something?? Maybe we should all just chain ourselves to the ride & refuse to be moved! What a mistake this would be!

[BethR]

:( I hope that this does NOT come to be....

[Chuck S]

I like SSE, but the ride system is aging. Too bad they don't just shut it down and replace the track and cars, maybe update a few scenes. They could have done that with the Imagination pavilion, too. I still miss all the neat stuff they had upstairs, the ones they tried to copy downstairs aren't as much fun.

[Rajah]

Originally posted by Chuck S
I like SSE, but the ride system is aging. Too bad they don't just shut it down and replace the track and cars, maybe update a few scenes. They could have done that with the Imagination pavilion, too. I still miss all the neat stuff they had upstairs, the ones they tried to copy downstairs aren't as much fun.

I agree.


And Bri -- I wasn't doubting you, just wondering if this has appeared in any place besides that one source? We've seen rumors come from one source that never came to pass. But when they're reported from various sources, it's more likely.

Screamscape did mention there is a "Project Gemini" in the works somewhere in Epcot, but they didn't have any details.

[mickeyfan1]

Remember when Walter Chroncite was the narrator? That changed during the last refurb a few years back.

This doesn't surprise me, in March we heard that the current sponsor was thinking of pulling out at the end of this year. Which makes me sad because I work for them, and we got good discounted tickets. If it's all true, I guess I will be ordering a few more tix before the end of the year.

Yes, a lot of people love this ride, but times change, so I guess everything has to move on, once the popularity starts to slip.
It used to be lines all day, but now, it's almost a walk on.

[Dan Murphy]

A great ride it is. Love it. http://disneysounds.virtualave.net/spaceshipearthintro.wav



http://screamscape.com/html/walt_disney_world.html

[Brisully]

Rajah - I know you weren't doubting me. I just wanted to let everyone read it where I read it.
:cool:

[Jeff in BigD]

I think these days Disney doesn't want any ride that lasts longer than about 10 minutes. Think a ride as long as PotC or Indy would be made these days? :(

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

That is so sad if they dismantle that ride. My dd loves it, as well as EVERYONE I know. I personally don't know anyone who thinks overwise. Pass me the tissues please :( :( :( :(

[Chil Sung]

>>>Test track is...ok, but it isn't World of Motion. Mission: Space looks nice...but it isn't Horizons. HISTA sucks! Brink back Captain EO.<<<

Oh my god!!!!!!

[CarolA]

Well, I think it is time to change it. However, I know that I am in the minority here. Epcot was NOT designed to be static and keeping the exact same things for years is static.

Horizons had gotten to be a joke when they finally pulled the plug and I personally like Space Track much better than World of Motion. So as far as I can see the only real disater was the Imagniation Paviolion.

[CarolA]

Well, I think it is time to change it. However, I know that I am in the minority here. Epcot was NOT designed to be static and keeping the exact same things for years is static.

Horizons had gotten to be a joke when they finally pulled the plug and I personally like Space Track much better than World of Motion. So as far as I can see the only real disater was the Imagniation Paviolion.

[FergieTCat]

(To be said in a high-pitched whine, causing crystal to shatter and dogs to howl ...)

But I LIKE SE!!!

Wahhhhh!!! :(

[Disneydenise]

I read that they are going to close it in 2005 and retoole the ride for the 25 year clebration of Epcot. Oh well. I think I better get to editing my videos for the best copy I have of the original ride.

[Miss Jasmine]

Nothing has been confirmed and this has been heard from a "source" plus a FORMER imagineer is cited as to what system will be used. Don't know how credible it truly is.

[grinningghost]

That will be like a losing and old, dear friend. :(

[Disney-Kim]

I don't like fast rides.....and the slow rides sure are disappearing. :( :( SE is such a relaxing ride at the end of the day when you are exhausted.
I agree with the poster about the ride lengths....they sure are getting shorter......:rolleyes:

[kaabost]

First time I went to EPCOT, I noticed that many of the rides had the same basic concept. SSE, Horizons, WoM, and JIYI were all relatively long, continuous, rides that took you on some kind of themed journey that was both entertaining and informative. This created my concept of the EPCOT ride experience. I understand that things must change and do not argue that. I was sad to see WoM and Horizons go BUT I like Test Track and I am excited about Mission: Space. Imagination was a wonderful ride but quite annoying now. That leaves SSE, the only representative of the old "EPCOT ride experience." For this reason, I too, hope that they refurbish the ride but hope that they do not change the whole ride concept.

[Blondie]

SSE is one of my favorites. At least they're giving us fair warning so that we can ride it over and over and over and over again before it's closed down.

[DocRafiki]

Kaaboost, I think you hit the nail on the head.

I liked World of Motion a lot, but I can understand the change to Test Track. I never really cared for Horizons much, maybe because it wasn't there during my first trip, and I'm anxious to see Mission Space. Imagination... they screwed up twice now, IMO, but at least we still have Figment.

It just seems like sacrelige to mess with SSE. That and the American Adventure are the central nervous system of Epcot. (I hate to think of the day when they remove the American Adventure show and replace it with a coaster -- oh yeah THAT teaches us a lot about America!) I do think that SOME things are sacred and should always remain.

And why don't they scrap that stupid Energy ride? I could only stand to ride it once in the past 10 years!

Of course, SSE is always a walk-on when I'm there. I guess they don't care if people love it, as long as they're not riding it. Maybe we should stop taking our favorite attractions for granted.

[Boots]

Space ship earth has always been my favorite ride. I really don't want it to change!

[Micca]

I wouldn't mind an update/upgrade for SSE. I love what it is, but they could improve it with more modern technology. They wouldn't have to totally abandon the concept, just add scenes with more interesting effects and up-to-date animatronics.

[Poohbear123]

Flame me if you want but.......SE is a little Boring.:o I ALWAYS expected something MORE with this ride, and never got it.:confused: Anyways, times they are a changin and its time--at least you have till 2005 to enjoy it the way it is. Oh! And they need to do something about Malestrom-it is the SHORTEST ride EVER!:rolleyes: :eek:

[DocRafiki]

I guess this could be another example of the dumbing-down of the American public, too. I mean, anything educational is boring, right?

[Poohbear123]

Are you talking to ME???:eek: