EPCOT Spaceship Earth refurbishment coming soon?

[JerseyMan95]

Not sure where y'all are even seeing coverage of the water damage, but I am hearing from my friends of SSE that the damage was relatively minimal. Just a big clean up job.

The universe said we're not getting a refurb catalyst any time soon, for better or for worse.

I’ve seen photos from what happened. A lot of cleanup and some repairs.

 

[HMF]

Have you ever looked forward positively to anything?

I have and been disappointed several times, including the last time SSE went down though admittedly at the time most of us were more relieved they were getting rid of the wand at the time so the actual nuts and bolts of the refurb were a secondary concern at the time though I would happily take the wand back if it meant the Irons version came back with it. Same with the Hat and GMR. I am not automatically saying this will be a bad thing, it could potentially be very good. It's just I hope it is not as extensive a change as was planned back for the proposed Story-light version and absolutely no IP unless it is to illustrate a point such as the Snow White and 20,000 Leagues clips that were in the first three versions.

 

[HMF]

This is karma for killing the way overdue full refurb that was supposed to happen back in 2019/2020.

I am happy that refurb never went through based on what I know about it. I hope a far more restrained refurb indeed happens that will at least try to bring back the feeling of the 1994 version, hopefully.

 

[HMF]

I think they'd fix it if Imagineering didn't project a $550 million budget to do so...

where's that sarcasm font?

Disney likely makes much more than that in a single day.

 

[HMF]

Depends on what the new plans end up being. I'd say we've BEEN dodging bullets ever since Time Racers was canned. But given the (Disney) world we live in, the danger of getting a truly horrible renovation is never going to subside.

To be honest, Time Racers kind of did happen with GOTG only they put it in UOE rather than SSE which really is the better of the two options if we really must have a roller coaster in EPCOT.

 

[peter11435]

Disney likely makes much more than that in a single day.

They don’t

 

[AndyS2992]

Though the ride is a classic and park original, Epcot has changed and it no longer fits with the park. We have a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, Three Caballeros, Moana, Frozen, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo etc and then the big headline icon of the park.. is a dusty old educational ride teaching the evolution of human communication ending in the 1990s. It's not really what modern people expect when visiting a a Disney theme park in 2026. Disney either needs to gut the inside and redo the ride to modern standards with new scenes, animatronics, effects, narration and expand it to today and beyond if they want to keep it or change it to an actual worthy fitting Disney IP attraction so that it fits the rest of the park.

 

[HMF]

Looking bad at the other slate of Epcot plans from that D23, I’m glad. Guardians and Ratatouile were good (the latter a clone which was already a good ride). Harmonious, Canada Far and Wide, World Celebration all terrible changes. The Mary Poppins thing seems like it would have been a big disappointment, as would the weird SSE changes.

I for one LOVED the TT changes. But there is a lot of variable quality from that particular era.

I actually am surprisingly happy with the Canada: Far and Wide film. It feels like what a modern-day EPCOT attraction should be. As with Test Track 3.0 and Awesome Planet though, it is basically shoving a very good appendage to a whole that is pretty much conceptually dead.

 

[HMF]

Though the ride is a classic and park original, Epcot has changed and it no longer fits with the park. We have a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, Three Caballeros, Moana, Frozen, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo etc and then the big headline icon of the park.. is a dusty old educational ride teaching the evolution of human communication ending in the 1990s. It's not really what modern people expect when visiting a a Disney theme park in 2026. Disney either needs to gut the inside and redo the ride to modern standards with new scenes, animatronics, effects, narration and expand it to today and beyond if they want to keep it or change it to an actual worthy fitting Disney IP attraction so that it fits the rest of the park.

So, we should give up and let them kill what good is left. Gotcha!

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Though the ride is a classic and park original, Epcot has changed and it no longer fits with the park. We have a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, Three Caballeros, Moana, Frozen, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo etc and then the big headline icon of the park.. is a dusty old educational ride teaching the evolution of human communication ending in the 1990s. It's not really what modern people expect when visiting a a Disney theme park in 2026. Disney either needs to gut the inside and redo the ride to modern standards with new scenes, animatronics, effects, narration and expand it to today and beyond if they want to keep it or change it to an actual worthy fitting Disney IP attraction so that it fits the rest of the park.

I mean The land, seabase, America, Canada, China, France, Japan, Mexico, Test track, JOW ,mission space all have educational aspects to them still besides SSE.

 

[HMF]

Not sure where y'all are even seeing coverage of the water damage, but I am hearing from my friends of SSE that the damage was relatively minimal. Just a big clean up job.

The universe said we're not getting a refurb catalyst any time soon, for better or for worse.

Well, that's a relief we know how they handled supposedly damaged things in that attraction before. Just ask the paper boy talking to the wall.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

Though the ride is a classic and park original, Epcot has changed and it no longer fits with the park. We have a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, Three Caballeros, Moana, Frozen, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo etc and then the big headline icon of the park.. is a dusty old educational ride teaching the evolution of human communication ending in the 1990s. It's not really what modern people expect when visiting a a Disney theme park in 2026. Disney either needs to gut the inside and redo the ride to modern standards with new scenes, animatronics, effects, narration and expand it to today and beyond if they want to keep it or change it to an actual worthy fitting Disney IP attraction so that it fits the rest of the park.

Bait used to be believable

 

[Jwhee]

No. It was upgraded and replaced with LED so they can change colors as needed for the various shows. Some of the old spotlights are in their spots but newer LED fixtures replaced them, some of them directly next to the old (unused) lighting.

Any clue why they’d let the it sit in the dark all night instead of turning on the old lighting?

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Though the ride is a classic and park original, Epcot has changed and it no longer fits with the park. We have a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, Three Caballeros, Moana, Frozen, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo etc and then the big headline icon of the park.. is a dusty old educational ride teaching the evolution of human communication ending in the 1990s. It's not really what modern people expect when visiting a a Disney theme park in 2026. Disney either needs to gut the inside and redo the ride to modern standards with new scenes, animatronics, effects, narration and expand it to today and beyond if they want to keep it or change it to an actual worthy fitting Disney IP attraction so that it fits the rest of the park.

I couldn't disagree more, really. I think it still fits perfectly into EPCOT. It is EPCOT. It is the most important attraction in the entire park. It was when it opened, and it has remained so even as EPCOT has evolved.

SSE, even with all of the changes the park around it has gone through, still ties the whole park together and lays out what the whole thing is and what it means. Now, some may claim that the park isn't that anymore because they don't like a ride or two being there, or they don't like the new spine, but EPCOT is still about what it was always about. I's just telling that story in new ways. Not everyone will agree with those new ways, but EPCOT is still today telling the story it was telling when it opened.

SSE still is representative of EPCOT's story, and they can update it periodically without getting rid of the purpose it serves in the park. It does not need to be IP based, because they can put IPs elsewhere that help tell the story. There's no need to get rid of the park's thesis statement.

 

[larryz]

I get why the points of light would be down if power was turned off, but why would the flood lights on SSE go out?

They hired Barnum and Bailey to design the electrical, and of course, they drew up a... wait for it...

Spoiler

three ring circuits

 

[DisneyJayBama]

It was kinda upsetting that this wasn’t open while I was down.

 

[muddyrivers]

Not sure where y'all are even seeing coverage of the water damage, but I am hearing from my friends of SSE that the damage was relatively minimal. Just a big clean up job.

The universe said we're not getting a refurb catalyst any time soon, for better or for worse.

I’ve seen photos from what happened. A lot of cleanup and some repairs.

Have either of your sources told you what part of the attraction was affected in terms of scenes? Any estimate as to when they expect to reopen (couple days, weeks)? Obviously the situation is fluid and estimates can change, just curious if they are taking it day by day or they're expecting this to be an "unplanned refurbishment"

 

[Ayla]

Both SSE and TT are currently down.

 

[larryz]

Both SSE and TT are currently down.

Well, it's a good thing it isn't Spring Break or anything like that...

 

[WondersOfLife]

I couldn't disagree more, really. I think it still fits perfectly into EPCOT. It is EPCOT. It is the most important attraction in the entire park. It was when it opened, and it has remained so even as EPCOT has evolved.

SSE, even with all of the changes the park around it has gone through, still ties the whole park together and lays out what the whole thing is and what it means. Now, some may claim that the park isn't that anymore because they don't like a ride or two being there, or they don't like the new spine, but EPCOT is still about what it was always about. I's just telling that story in new ways. Not everyone will agree with those new ways, but EPCOT is still today telling the story it was telling when it opened.

SSE still is representative of EPCOT's story, and they can update it periodically without getting rid of the purpose it serves in the park. It does not need to be IP based, because they can put IPs elsewhere that help tell the story. There's no need to get rid of the park's thesis statement.

I disagree. I dont believe it represents epcot anymore. I love it and hope it stays forever, though. Mr. Edison might have invented this bifocals I'm wearing... But I can assure you they are not rose colored.