Is Spaceship Earth closing???

[Welsh *Disney* Girlz]

We read on a post by somebody that Spaceship Earth is closing in a couple of years. Is this true?
Although it's always busy first thing in the morning, it's a relaxing ride and it's fun because you're actually inside Epcot's symbol!
Does anyone know whether this is true/not true?

 

[illiram]

no way! that would be like closing the castle at Magic Kingdom!

 

[MikeScott8]

not closing it for good.

But have heard/read they would be closing to rehab/re-do it.

Mike

 

[one_cat]

They do need to redo it. The communications future part is really communications present now. It's really amazing how accurate the people who put SE together were when they put the future part together years ago.

 

[EpcotRanger]

Nope still open...they did drop the AT&T sponsership, but it doesn't look like it is closing anytime soon.

 

[All Aboard]

The current rumor still has it becoming "Time Racers" sponsored by Microsoft. Not sure if the rumor has it as part of "Project Gemini" or if it is a stand alone project. Either way, it's still just a rumor.

 

[laceemouse]

Time racers is a rumor of what could be put into spaceship earth to "update it." Appearently EPCOT is having attendance problems and some people feel that more thrill rides would help matters. Time racers would be more like a roller coaster. I hope this idea flops BIG TIME! Add more thrill rides if you see the need Dsney, but stop getting rid of the old classics!!! My kids would be very upset if this ever comes true. I hope Disney is out there listening!!!

 

[mitros]

The latest I have heard is that a re-hab is scheduled for 2005, possibly for a new ride."thrill" perhaps, but I think that's still up in the air. . I know there are some others on these boards that will be coming on board with some further info as soon as they spot this thread.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

I know everyone keeps referring to SSE: Time Racers as a thrill ride/roller coaster, but this is plan wrong. The structure, size, and shape of the building prohibits any roller coaster type attractions being installed. If one was installed you would end up with a situation like Rocket Rods at Disneyland where the attraction began to rip apart its supporting structure. The change will most likely involve a ride system like that of Journey Into Your Imagination. That is train like vehicles on a roller coaster like track propelled by drive wheels (perhaps why people think it will be a roller coaster). This system is much more friendly to handicap loading/unloading (Spaceship Earth currently has to slow or stop in order to load disabled guests, this often disrupts the onride audio.) It also consumes much less power and requires less maintenance than an omnimover type attraction. The new attraction will also include many new special effects and other elements which could give it more of a thrilling edge.

 

[Planogirl]

Disney needs to be really careful with this one in my opinion. If they turn it into a joke like they did the Imagination ride, Epcot could suffer even more. I think that most people still make it a point to ride the "big silver ball" and I'd hate for people to lose interest in even that ride. Particularly since it's the park icon.

Of course, it would probably be good to install a gift shop at the end.

 

[Pal_Mickey]

...AT&T logos and sponsorship notices are all over Spaceship Earth. The big sign at the entrance is still there, and the AT&T Global Neighborhood area is still up and running as the post-show.

Josh

 

[laceemouse]

OnWithTheShow- I like your explaination! I hope you are right!! An update without a "thrill ride" would be great!

 

[mareka]

Well an update would br nice but I hope not a thrill ride. People like me with back/knee/feet problems tend to avoid the thrill rides.

We need Some a little calm. I avoid the mountains but I do Dinosaur. I even avoid the similator, I tense up and the jerk you around.
Then your back is killing you by the time you get out.
There's so much walking there anyway, I love the gentler rides, Energy - Imagination - Norway - The Land.

We older peolpe choose Disney over Universal. Add a thrill ride but don't take away the gentler ones. There's room for both.

I;m going to be brave next trip and try Splash Mountain. I've done the other mountains -(at least once).


We go a few times a year. And I always try something new.

We'll have to see about Everest.

 

[Horizons16]

Originally posted by gcurling
The current rumor still has it becoming "Time Racers" sponsored by Microsoft. Not sure if the rumor has it as part of "Project Gemini" or if it is a stand alone project. Either way, it's still just a rumor.

You know i really hope this doesnt turn out.... i agree with updates but gutting the ride... no way man

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

OWTS,

How feasible is replacing the ride mech within that building?

Personally, I can't imagine (just from an engineering standpoint) how to replace the ride mech without bringing down the globe (or do you just mean replacing the track along the current path? That might be doable, if expensive).

I'm also concerned about the condition of the RCID jurisdiction in modern times. I just don't think Spaceship Earth could legally be built today, even within RCID. That affects how much you can change an existing structure, as well as new construction.

From the things I know and the things I'm pretty sure of, I'm comfortable saying the following: AT&T is gone and Microsoft is waiting in the wings; but the specifics of the deal are cantankerous, as the SE building will not support the kind of upgrade Microsoft felt was its moneys' worth, compared to M:S.

I personally doubt there will be any significant change to the SE building or ride path until the whole thing Horizons all over us. A re-write, new scenery and perhaps new track/train over the exisiting ride path will be done just as fast as MS is convinced to hand over the bling-bling.

 

[Geubux]

As an engineer, it would be possible to put a thrill ride inside of SE. The conceptual plans discussed for the loading/unloading to possibly be in one of the innovention bldgs and go into the globe. You would have to gut existing first, but it is possible. As far as the structure supporting the stress, I didn't look close last time there, but it could be feasible.

 

[d-r]

Ok I don't know the veracity if this so take it with a grain of salt. As of Sat. night, I heard that AT&T had come through with a renewal of their sponsorship agreement at the very last minute. So spaceship earth is still ATT sponsored (and the AT&T was still all over it as someone mentioned). The way I heard it, the plan was for a re-furb if the sponsership fell through; either the "time racers" more thrilling plan, or a less thrilling plan based on a 3-d movie (didn't get a lot of detail on that) based on the available budgets. With the AT&T renewal, those plans are on hold, pending what AT&T wants to spend. So maybe nothing new. Scoop has better epcot sources than anyone, so he may know something more - again, I don't know the accuracy of this, just thought it was interesting.

DR

 

[buzzz1]

Ok, this post reminded me of a question that I would love to know the answer to......
Last time I rode Spaceship Earth, my boys asked HOW did they do this ???
Is there a video out there somewhere that shows the construction of this remarkable ride ????
I think it would be very interesting to see.

 

[eclipseSD]

JimHillMedia.Com reported this about the future of Epcot. Here are the sections pertaining to SSE :

As we push our way through the turnstiles, you'll notice that things really don't look all that different. At first. After all, Spaceship Earth still towers over the main entrance plaza.

But -- as you get closer to that golf-ball-on-steroids -- you suddenly realize that you're no longer able to walk under the left side of Spaceship Earth. That area has now all been enclosed. It serves as the pre-show / queue area for the new attraction that's now housed inside the geodesic sphere. Not to mention providing some much needed retail space for the radically expanded Gateway Gifts.

So what's the name of the exciting new attraction that will zooming around inside Spaceship Earth once October 2006 rolls around? "Time Racers," Epcot's latest and greatest thrill ride, sponsored by Microsoft.

And what's "Time Racers" supposed to be like? More importantly, what's this attraction supposed to be about? Well, you can say "good-bye" to that herky-jerky omni-mover trip through the Ages of Man that AT&T used to sponsor. The next attraction to make its home inside "The Ball" will literally send Epcot visitors racing across time. Using time lapse photography as well as cutting edge technology, the Imagineers hope to give WDW guests the impression that they're fast-forwarding through all of human history. Rocketing forward from the time when we were all still living in caves right up today's modern age ... and beyond.

By eyeballing "Time Racers" site plan, you'll note that the attraction's ride vehicle is actually supposed to exit the show building and -- just like at GM Test Track -- take a quick spin outside before it comes to rest in the post-show area. Which will now be housed in the "Global Neighborhood" area of the old "Spaceship Earth" complex.

Now some of you may be asking "Why change Spaceship Earth?" The short answer is: Because this ride -- which many folks consider to be the thesis attraction for the entire theme park -- hasn't really changed since EPCOT Center first opened up back in October of 1982. Oh, sure. Spaceship Earth's narration (and narrator) has been changed several times. And the ride's finale got radically revamped back in the mid-1990s. But beyond that, this omni-mover based attraction has pretty much stayed the same for the past 20+ years.

Which is why a lot of guests who are making return trips to Epcot just opt to breeze on by Spaceship Earth as they enter the Park. After all, what's the point of getting on this Future World attraction again? It's still going to be the same slow moving ride past sleeping monks and smoking ruins.

But -- if Disney changes Spaceship Earth so that there's now an exciting new attraction hidden inside the geodesic sphere -- guests might once again feel compelled to go check out "The Ball." Particularly those hard-to-please teen and pre-teen visitors, those family members who have never really been big fans of this particular part of the Park.

 

[d-r]

Again, I heard (and I don't know how true it is, I got this 2 weeks ago at wdw) that at the last minute ATT renewed their sponsorship, and any plans to change SE (like the one Jim Hill discusses before that sponsorship was renewed) are on hold until further talks with ATT decide how much they want to do if anything.

Can anyone confirm or deny any part of this, because I don't know if it is true or not? Was the sponsorship renewed? I know that ATT logos are all over it.

DR