EPCOT Spaceship Earth refurbishment coming soon?

[gerarar]

 

[Tjaden]

Lol wow, some of these responses. So you people are happy for this dinosaur of a ride to continue to stagnate in it's current form for another 20+ years when it could be so much better? As I said, it ends in the late 80s/early 90s with the invention of the PC and the internet. We have since had 24 hour news feeds on Cable TV, cell phones, social media, online gaming and entertainment streaming, Uber, DoorDash, StarLink but none of these are mentioned as the ride is 30 years out of date. And then half the ride is looking at cheap early 2000s flash animation where a couple of extra scenes of what could be future communication could be added, think 'Black Mirror' levels of technology. The animatronics alone need replacing with ones from this century that aren't just static blinking mannequins.

I want this ride to evolve in to something worthy of theme park attractions today and yet the usual gatekeepers are scared of change and want it to stay a dusty old dated museum, so much so I get branded as rage bait You people are insane.

We're not insane, we just value different things than you do. It would be cool if they did include DoorDash though.

"Inspiring entrepreneurs realized that with this new wonderous technology people really would pay $45 for cold McDonald's as long as they didn't have to leave the house."

Oh and I am anti-change if I don't like the change because it's entertainment to me as someone that visits once a decade and doesn't care if Disney makes money or not. Josh's priorities aren't my priorities and I don't see the point in trying to like something I don't like pretending I'm in charge of WDW turning a profit.

 

[HauntedPirate]

We're not insane, we just value different things than you do. It would be cool if they did include DoorDash though.

"Inspiring entrepreneurs realized that with this new wonderous technology people really would pay $45 for cold McDonald's as long as they didn't have to leave the house."

Interestingly, the previous iteration of SSE (written in 1994) did a wonderful job of philosophizing about the future, far better than the insipid dialogue that Dame Judi Dench had to record. And there's still space for additional content and audio about the present and the future (not to mention a new script that doesn't treat the guest like an 8 year old). Whether or not they take advantage of that space is the big question.

 

[Tjaden]

Interestingly, the previous iteration of SSE (written in 1994) did a wonderful job of philosophizing about the future, far better than the insipid dialogue that Dame Judi Dench had to record. And there's still space for additional content and audio about the present and the future (not to mention a new script that doesn't treat the guest like an 8 year old). Whether or not they take advantage of that space is the big question.

Irons will always be the best SSE to me as someone born in 89, but I do recognize the difficulty in doing public history with thousands of people who aren't there for stupid learnin on vacation.

The descent is comically empty/cheap in the Dench version but the overall product is still enjoyable to me.

Of course I think a day at the Met is a better day than any day at Disney Park so my opinion is useless.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Lol wow, some of these responses. So you people are happy for this dinosaur of a ride to continue to stagnate in it's current form for another 20+ years when it could be so much better?

Don’t worry. Your wish will come true. They will probably eventually close SSE for 3 to 5 years to convert it to some silly IP based ride.

Eisner waned coaster track to come out of an opening of the geodesic sphere! As awful as that sounds, maybe they will revive that terrible idea for the sake if IPeeing all over SSE!

 

[AndyS2992]

Don’t worry. Your wish will come true. They will probably eventually close SSE for 3 to 5 years to convert it to some silly IP based ride.

Eisner waned coaster track to come out of an opening of the geodesic sphere! As awful as that sounds, maybe they will revive that terrible idea for the sake if IPeeing all over SSE!

IP was plan B. If they aren't going to update the attraction or show any care for it which is what I want then get rid of it. It's an embarrassment in it's current state, especially for an attraction that is the icon and centrepiece of the park which is seemingly falling apart. But wanting Disney to show some love to these attractions and modernise them for the future apparently makes people like me a target for childish snark. If people disagree with my stance, that's fine, but lets discuss it like adults.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The animatronics alone need replacing with ones from this century that aren't just static blinking mannequins.

the AA’s in spaceship earth are not static blinking mannequins.

It’s one of the more impressive theme park rides ever built - all of the AA’s and physical sets are the reason.

I like where the attraction ends - I’d like to see a better finale for the descent - maybe even a quick retro look at Epcot as a concept?

Maybe add in a small scene from horizons, energy, and world of motion as a callback? That would be really cool!

 

[Disstevefan1]

IP was plan B. If they aren't going to update the attraction or show any care for it which is what I want then get rid of it. It's an embarrassment in it's current state, especially for an attraction that is the icon and centrepiece of the park which is seemingly falling apart. But wanting Disney to show some love to these attractions and modernise them for the future apparently makes people like me a target for childish snark. If people disagree with my stance, that's fine, but lets discuss it like adults.

In my opinion -
If you mean fix it, plus it, upgrade the vehicles, make the return trip something really cool but keep the exiting track and theme, then I agree with you.

My fear SSE will eventually go down 3 to 5 years and will be destroyed and replaced with a IP (I hope only on the inside).

What gives me hope, we see CoP has been kept up and gets updated, new seats and Walt animatronic.

Only time will tell.

 

[OptimusPrime]

the AA’s in spaceship earth are not static blinking mannequins.

It’s one of the more impressive theme park rides ever built - all of the AA’s and physical sets are the reason.

I like where the attraction ends - I’d like to see a better finale for the descent - maybe even a quick retro look at Epcot as a concept?

Maybe add in a small scene from horizons, energy, and world of motion as a callback? That would be really cool!

Disney Parks fans and Marvel fans are functionally the same in that the limit of their creativity is “what if they reference this thing from my childhood?” And get mad whenever something isn’t a reference to their childhood

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

And get mad whenever something isn’t a reference to their childhood

I’m open to other ideas for the finale - what would you suggest?

 

[Ayla]

In my opinion -
If you mean fix it, plus it, upgrade the vehicles, make the return trip something really cool but keep the exiting track and theme, then I agree with you.

My fear SSE will eventually go down 3 to 5 years and will be destroyed and replaced with a IP (I hope only on the inside).

What gives me hope, we see CoP has been kept up and gets updated, new seats and Walt animatronic.

Only time will tell.

Wasn't the pre-covid refurbishment rumored to keep SSE closed for 2+ years? I thought I remember reading that, but I could be wrong.

 

[TheRealSkull]

Wasn't the pre-covid refurbishment rumored to keep SSE closed for 2+ years? I thought I remember reading that, but I could be wrong.

Something like that. I imagine that would have been almost an entire gutting of the ride.

 

[James Alucobond]

Something like that. I imagine that would have been almost an entire gutting of the ride.

Doubt it. Most of the scenes looked similar with additional projection mapping for the story light element. I think part of the slowness was simply down to the nature of how removing and refurbishing the ride vehicles works, plus they planned to redo the entire rear structure, eliminating Project Tomorrow and the space GEO-82 now occupies to create a more direct exit onto and at the level of Dreamers Point.

 

[Jambo Dad]

Irons will always be the best SSE to me as someone born in 89, but I do recognize the difficulty in doing public history with thousands of people who aren't there for stupid learnin on vacation.

The descent is comically empty/cheap in the Dench version but the overall product is still enjoyable to me.

Of course I think a day at the Met is a better day than any day at Disney Park so my opinion is useless.

Timothee Chalamet - is that you?

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Irons will always be the best SSE to me as someone born in 89, but I do recognize the difficulty in doing public history with thousands of people who aren't there for stupid learnin on vacation.

The descent is comically empty/cheap in the Dench version but the overall product is still enjoyable to me.

Of course I think a day at the Met is a better day than any day at Disney Park so my opinion is useless.

Irons' voice is equal parts soothing and epic, which is part of what made the attraction exciting and engaging. Despite the fact that the script was relatively more "complex" than what we have now. He just has a natural talent in making things sound very cool.

I do think Judi Dench is a great actress, but actually feel like she's a poor fit for narrating SSE. She's really good at playing rigid aristocratic authority figures. Like posh Shakespearean stage plays and BBC productions (she played Lady MacBeth once back in the late 70s and it's probably the best portrayal of the character i've seen). But her performances often remind me of a strict by the books school teacher (the kind who will smack you with a ruler), and that is definitely the vibe I get from her performance in SSE. It's not really what I want out of the ride's narrator. Doubly weird though given the relatively less extravagant script they gave her compared to Irons.

And don't get me wrong, I also like Walter Cronkite as well. That was the first version I experienced. But Irons to me is the best one. Same of course goes for his variant of the descent.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

Wasn't the pre-covid refurbishment rumored to keep SSE closed for 2+ years? I thought I remember reading that, but I could be wrong.

Something like that. I imagine that would have been almost an entire gutting of the ride.

Iirc the plan was to take it down in 2020 and have it back up in 2023, coinciding with the rest of the first phase of the overhaul wrapping up. Gutting would have taken place (as it has for the last two refurbs) but it would not have been the whole ride, it was mostly removing figures and installing projectors. The bulk of the work was demolishing Project Tomorrow and installing new load/unload platforms and an interior queue in the new building taking its place.

 

[davis_unoxx]

Imagine if they had Nvidia become a sponsor? Founder and CEO of Nvidia has been partnering with Disney... He showed off the Olaf Animatronic for Disneyland Paris this month...

Just imagine....

 

[HMF]

For those of us who did not have the privilege of knowing the original Epcot in any shape way or form, I’m sorry and it sucks to know what something once was and losing that. But if you follow the quoted chains, this started with someone saying they should go full IP or just finally get rid of what’s there currently.

Excuse us for defending what we sentimentally know as old Epcot because there’s still plenty of Epcot’s spirit left throughout the park. Sure maybe it’s 30% of what used to be, but it’s 100% of what I have ever known

The last remnant of it died in 2019. I myself didn't have my first experience with EPCOT until November of 1999 which was after most of "Classic" future world was mostly gone but SSE 94, ROE and TON were powerful enough for me to get the gist of what the park was about and JIYI didn't jump out at me at the time because I had no reference point to what it replaced. To me it started to become obvious that they didn't care anymore after the 1. 2. 3. punch of Nemo, 3 Cabs and SSE 07 that made it apparent to me they had given up on trying to be serious and losing ROE just put the nail in the coffin for me. There are still elements such as the new Canada film, Awesome Planet and TT 3.0 which are steps in the right direction, but the overriding logic and theme of the park is largely gone now.

 

[HMF]

This only further illustrates the awfulness of the current script.

 

[HMF]

Doubt it. Most of the scenes looked similar with additional projection mapping for the story light element. I think part of the slowness was simply down to the nature of how removing and refurbishing the ride vehicles works, plus they planned to redo the entire rear structure, eliminating Project Tomorrow and the space GEO-82 now occupies to create a more direct exit onto and at the level of Dreamers Point.

Judging by the art that was released, a lot of the sets would have likely remained the same, but the staging would have been different like how they swapped out the original Greek Theater scene for the current math lecture in the last refurb.