Spaceship Earth

[wbk]

Epcot's Spaceship Earth to reopen mid-December

Christopher Boyd

Jason Garcia and Scott Powers, Sentinel Staff Writers

December 3, 2007


Epcot's Spaceship Earth ride is expected to reopen in mid-December for sneak previews with a new story overlay, new technology and a whole new soundtrack -- created by 10-time Emmy Award-winning composer Bruce Broughton, a 63-piece orchestra and a 24-voice choir.

Walt Disney Imagineering announced late last week that Broughton's music has been fitted to each scene in the attraction's storyline, which follows the history of human innovation from one generation to the next, from prehistoric times to the 21st century.

The ride was closed earlier this year as the entire system also has been updated with new show scenes, lighting, costumes, set decorations, interactive features for riders and a new narrator, Academy Award-winning actress Judi Dench.

For the musical score, each scene was infused with styles and instruments appropriate to the time period.

"To have that score transition smoothly as vehicles travel from one time period to the next is extremely difficult," said Walt Disney Imagineering show producer Bob Zalk. "The first time we rode through the attraction accompanied by that music, we were amazed."

The 180-foot-tall Spaceship Earth geodesic sphere opened as Epcot's centerpiece in 1982 with a ride storyline that originally focused more on the history of human communications. It has had occasional updates, but this year's overhaul by Walt Disney World and the attraction's sponsor Siemens AG was the first major change.

 

[wildernessgirl]

We are down here at Disney right now and yesterday when we were in EPCOT, the cast members at SSE had their new uniforms on and were saying they were going to open it, BUT after some "higher cast members" appeared, something wasn't working right so it was not going to open that day. We are going back today to see if they are going to try another soft opening. Hopefully everything will be up and working so we can go on it!

We'll keep you posted!

 

[agnes!]

I am SO stoked about this news. We will be at WDW the weekend of December 14th. I am hoping that SE will be open then, maybe for AP previews? It's one of my DD"s favorite rides, she was thrilled when they installed the new games in the exit area.

agnes!
PS - It's funny, we never knew the Siemens brand-name before, but we sure do since they took over this attraction's sponsorship.

 

[wildernessgirl]

Well, we GOT TO RIDE IT TONIGHT!!!! They had problems yesterday that they had been working on all night and all day to correct and about 8pm they opened the doors! If you want to know about the ride and it's changes highlight the below. I will type it in white. IF you don't want to know, don't read the below:

The beginning is pretty much the same. The "people in the ride have been giving new costumes and a much needed make up job. Judy Dench as the narrator did NOTHING for me! Sorry! you couldn't really hear her! The cars are the same but now have a touch screen in the front and back seats that you use at the end of the ride. Most of the beginning is the same! YEAH!!! The cave sceen, pharroh, ship, play (without the masks though) Rome (but without the line of "all roads lead to Rome", burning scene (new burning smell, but still burning! Monk artists, Church painting, newspaper (except the newboys back faces you??? His voice matches his body now, but they have him in a corner with his back facing you waving the newspapers?) and morse code, telephone operators, movie theater (except it's a newsreal and no more Snow White and 10,000 Leagues. the TV scene with the family is set in 1969 and looks really good. It looked like my mom's living room! LOL! The only major change to the beginning "Up trip" is they boy's bedroom scene is gone and is replaced with a HUGE computer room and the story about the first computers wouldn't fit in anyones home... then comes a garage scene with a college guy sitting there making the first PC for individual use. I guess from what was being said... is how the first PC came about. But like I said before, it was VERY HARD to hear Judy Dench. the Earth scene is still there, but with lots more stars!! Then as you return to earth, your touch screens come back on and ask you to touch your answers to questions like are you a planner or a wing it type of person. If you leave on vacation are you concerned about your pet or home. Do you travel for work, leisure, health etc.... Then your screen comes up with this cartoon-y "trip" that combined your answers . Sorta like a Jetson's type of space travel kind of thing. There is no more scenes going down. You just watch your screens. If you do look up, you see this "black net type of things with lights in it" as you travel downwards. To me it looked sorta cheap. No more mini spaceship earth at the end or moving lights. SO, to rap this up, the beginning and the changes were great! The ending, a little disappointing. My husband said he thought it took away from the ride concept. I have to tend to agree with him on that. It's still one of my family's favorite! JMHO


Overall rating 8 out of 10.

we are going to try and ride it again before we leave on Monday, so if you have any questions... I can try to answer them for you. It's still a MUST!!

 

[wildernessgirl]

duplicate post

 

[enyaj40]

i read your review

thanks for sharing that

i've replied to a spoiler below in white

>>>>i hope they fix dame judy dench's narration...i love her

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Why have none of the news articles on this been calling her Dame Judi Dench? OK, that was quite a random question to ask, but I was just curious.

Stuff in white below:

I do hope they up the volume on her commentary. Did you make sure that message got back to the Imagineers, so they can fix it before the full opening?

The bit at the end sounds kind of like a cheap trick to get customer data. It's a bit like those surveys that pop up when you're browsing the website, only they're trying to make it 'fun'. It's a real shame that the old stuff that was there is gone; I used to love that bit. They also could have done a lot more with the touch screen stuff, or, better yet, put the touch screens after the ride. Speaking of which, is there anything in the area you get to after departing the ride?

Well, I guess it looks like I'm going to have to plan another trip soon in order to see this. What a shame!

 

[MJMcBride]

http://www.mouseextra.com/2007/12/07/as-spaceship-earth-approaches-opening-details-emerge/#respond

here's some more on it