Changes Coming to Spaceship: Earth

At long last, Disney and Siemens AG have announced plans for significant updates to Spaceship: Earth at Epcot. Siemens signed on as the official sponsor of Spaceship: Earth in late 2005, and fans have been waiting for news on what updates we might expect. Here's what the Orlando Sentinel said on April 12:

Walt Disney World and Siemens AG are giving Epcot's Spaceship Earth a new spin, updating the ride and its technologies.

Work already has begun in the attraction's post-show area, which is now closed as Disney installs new interactive features to transform it into "Project Tomorrow: Inventing the World of Tomorrow." Broader changes, including updates throughout the ride, will be phased in over the next few months, forcing a closure of the ride later this year.

Spaceship Earth, housed in Epcot's signature structure, a 180-foot geodesic sphere that can be seen for miles, offers visitors a slow, circling, indoor train ride past a series of panoramic scenes depicting the march of time, technology and creativity from cavemen through the late 20th century.

The ride has had minor updates since it opened with Epcot in 1982, but no major overhauls until now.

"We're building on Spaceship Earth's existing attractions and taking it to the next level," said Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez.

The first changes take place in the post-show area, which will reopen late this month with three of several planned new exhibits. The new features will be a 20-foot-high globe offering an ever-changing collage of images of the future; a 3-D game called "Body Builder" enabling visitors to assemble a digital human body; and a driving simulator showcasing motor-vehicle accident and avoidance systems.

For more detail, read the Sentinel's article. The article also notes that all of the changes will be inside Spaceship: Earth. That means the giant Mickey Mouse hand and wand will stay.