I got evacuated in SSE 180top!!!

[Expo_Seeker40]

January 08 was my 6th trip to WDW. I have recently been going in past Januaries and have enjoyed good weather and low crowds between people going back to work and school after new years and before the marathon crowd arrives.

Today was my last day for my annual trip at WDW, and it was spent at Epcot. My party and I decided not to stay at Epcot tonight due to us seeing the night entertainment and IllumiNations plenty of times, let alone it was raining and possibly thunderstorming around 5:30 onward.

I will be posting my trip report for Epcot with reviews and photos sometime tomorrow.

Tonight I will give you my info on my evacutation, 180top, and the descent of Spaceship Earth.

Now I only got to ride SSE once....and the one freaking time I ride it....I get evacuation, but oh no...its in 180top and the descent!!! Martin be drooling over this. :lol: Talk about the year of a million dreams....I GOT MY DREAM!

YES I have a few flash photos I will show here, but I have video of 180top and the descent that I will send to Martin so he can enhance it and can then show it on wdwmagic and mousebits.

Now let me explain what happened.

Odd things were happening with SSE to begin with. There were alot of EVC's and wheelchairs all around the load and unload *I would later see the unload when I went inside project tomorrow to see what was going on*

As we left the unload...we went through creep-mode, and then creep-mode in the 20th century city area.

There are many vehicles, particularly in pares, that are roped off and not useable. Their screens are somewhat on....no picture shows, but a dim light source is produced. Go figure....we were right behind one of these vehicles, and even though our vehicle's screen turned off when it was supposed to...the nonworking vehicle infront of us had their dimly lit screen on the entire time. Let alone Dame Judi was blaring in my ear on how we have created the future one step at a time. The audio was ungodly loud!!!

Anyway when we got intom 180top we went in creep mode the entire time. Well then we stopped. My vehicle stopped right before the floating news screen was from 1994-2007. We were on a flat surface, at the top, only feet away from getting ready to go down the track.

Well Dame Judi keeps yapping, and then our screen turns on in 180top as do the people around me....I answer the questionare thinking they must just be loading unloading handicap guests...but oh no....we waited....I never got to see my future. No one's video loaded...we just kept recieving information about how communication was first written on cave walls and how little girls in windows sometimes get forgotten.

Then after a few audio speils about not getting out...a castmember comes on and says they are going to evacuate us. And we were evacuated from 180top down into the descent and out a side door.

 

[mousermerf]

Any hidden scenery?

 

[EPCOT.nut]

...and how little girls in windows sometimes get forgotten.
.

 

[One Lil Spark]

Oh, I cannot WAIT to see these photos! :sohappy:

 

[mousermerf]

I demand photos! *throttle throttle*

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

The matrix tunnel is brand new. I cannot see any evidence of anything leftover from the old neon network tunnel. The tunnel is longer and wider. All the hardwear is above us and to our sides due to the rear projection effect. The tunnel extends further out in 180top, and we immediately rotate....and the light from the tunnel puts it in 180top.

It is clear...especially after allowing my eyes to adjust up there...that all the behind the scenes storage area was going to be a part of the eleborate moon base that never became. Only the carboard cutout moon rock was used and is still there today along the side of the track.

Where the old news television screen in space was is no longer there. It's wiring and poles are because a scrim, canopy or screen is strong like an overhang from these poles over our heads and connects to the hexagonal shaft wall for the old space station.

This canopy is slightly see through, but allows us to better see our approach to the blue dotted lights. The canopy blocks light so the blue lights look brighter.

The fog machine...thingy...lazer projector from 1994 is gone, as is the fan. In this area...right before the shaft are strings of blue lights hanging from the walls and canopy to create "an entrance" into the old space station shaft.

The space station is still there in the sense that the overhang ceiling is there and yes....the creepy window is still there...and it is still boarded up.

I couldn't take a picture of the window....my camera couldn't focus...but I was able to get my flash to flicker a bit...and yup the window is there....so freaking creepy it is!!!! :lookaroun

The classroom scene is entirely gone. The speakers and other audio and electronic devices are there though. The vacant walls of the space station now have rows and rows of blue lights bolted into them and all their machinery and wiring runs behind the lights. The space station ceiling is hardly visible because the ceiling also has blue lights, machinery, and wiring bolted to them.

The creepy window would be barely noticeable. It has nothing bolted to it, but dangling blue lights from the space station ceiling block most of it. Yes it is still possible to see through the gaps in the space station ceiling, but it is pretty hard to.

As we enter the gas clouds and lightning area, that all works! :sohappy: It was working today. But in our old 180top thread wasn't there mention of a light, or effect that rotates or spins? Something was spinning in this area. Some mechanical fixture. I think it was on the same side the gas clouds and lightning effect was.

On the opposite wall are well fixed curtains and peg boards with stars in them, as well as on the ceiling. This is clearely a finished scene, but it is done properly IMO.

As we enter the old peppers ghost area with the people talking on the videophones this scene looks questionable to me.

I honestly don't know if the old people talking on videophone scene is there or not. It probably is...well I hope something replaces it because it is very loose and cheap and thin black curtains that are not fascened together properly with twinkling blue light boxes behind them. The holes in the curtain create the effect of blue stars. On the opposite wall, where the effects needed to create the peppers ghost was, is gone as far as I recal. The false drop down ceiling gone, and now a ledge with lights hang for us to walk down in an evacuation. The wall itself it black with tight black curtains on it. Clearly nothing will be happening on this wall, it is finished. As for the videophone wall/scene....who knows, but its not pretty right now.

As we approach the model city area...this scene looks finished....sorry folks but the model city must be gone...everything looks gone from this area. The ceiling has blue and white lights hanging from it. New ones not old ones. There is no drop down ceiling from 1994 or overhang canopy from 1994. The wall area where the model city was is tightly wrapped black curtains with twinkling blue stars.

The opposite wall has black walls with tightly wrapped black curtains and no effects. It seems that the entire first half of the descent tunnel itself has no effects on the viewer's left hand side. The side that had the videophone scene...model city...and model sse are all curtains.

As we approach the model SSE scene....sorry folks its gone! the model is gone. :hammer: :lookaroun

The overhang canopy from 1994 is still there with neon lights and fiberoptic lights. They are not on, but they are there.

There is nothing on the model SSE side except for the twinkling lights that used to be next to the model. How random is that! The opposite wall is...no shock...black walls with tighly wrapped curtains! Clearely the left hand side of the ride is finished.

The overhang canopy from 1994, while not using any of its effects....now has small blue and white lights hanging from the ceiling. It seems the entire descent tunnel has blue and white lights above us....nothing to our left...and blue twinkling star curtains on our right. This area is full of props, junk, and a ladder!!!! I really hope this scene is not finished, it has so much potential.

As we make our way further down and to the very end. The black curtains remain placed in 1994 to cover the long gone pegboard walls. Junk and storage is behind them. Some of it shows right under the curtain. :zipit:

The immediate ending area....where the old AT&T anytime anywhere sign was...is the only complete area I can find. It too has an overhang canopy from 1994 with blue and white lights hanging from the ceiling, but has blue and white star curtains on both sides if I remember correctly.

There you have it. I fear this may pretty much be the dull and uninspiring ending we have gotten. Oh sure the touch screens are neat, cool, fun, and interesting....but the neon and fiber optics should come back. They are there, and they would be a great element to surround us.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

Here are the few photos I have that came out. The rest is video that I will email to Martin tonight.

The first is where we were stuck. I am looking to my left toward the old moonrock set. The cable is used for the pole and canopy.

The second photo is looking bedhind me, where the old space station scene would be down there.

The next photo was taken on the model city/model sse side. It is where the black curtains are from 1994, as well as the 2007 star curtains added on to them. There is a cluster of junk behind those curtains. UGH!!!!!! Clean up your mess Disney!

The last photo I have is from the very end of the ride.

 

[mousermerf]

You kept saying blue and white - in my rides down i've only seen white once you leave the grid. Also, the canopy for the old "swooshy" multicolor effect had only the white lights turned on or wired into it whenever i rode.

 

[One Lil Spark]

You know how some say that orbs in photos are spirits captured on film? The descent must be really haunted by the looks of your photos. :lookaroun

I really appreciate you posting this. I can't believe how just the flash of a camera reveals a world of disrepair and mediocrity on our beloved SSE.

 

[EPCOT.nut]

The next photo was taken on the model city/model sse side. It is where the black curtains are from 1994, as well as the 2007 star curtains added on to them. There is a cluster of junk behind those curtains. UGH!!!!!! Clean up your mess Disney

I dunno! Sometimes that junk is wonderful old props and stuff....I wouldn't mind having some of that "junk" at my house! :lol:

Thanks for the great pics!

 

[mousermerf]

You know how some say that orbs in photos are spirits captured on film? The descent must be really haunted by the looks of your photos. :lookaroun

I really appreciate you posting this. I can't believe how just the flash of a camera reveals a world of disrepair and mediocrity on our beloved SSE.

You think they'd fix it up, and they really seem to think that's not visible as you go down - but sadly it is.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

oh, they must look blue with the evac lights on. You're right, from the videos of scene of SSE only the blue dots have that color, everything else in the descent is white.

Merf, any chance you can take nightvision for us of the descent?

For anyone who doesn't know....the creepy window...or little girl in the window is a joke we have used sense we did a thread on what used to be at the top of SSE.

From 1982-1994, the area that now houses the blue dot grid, and formerly floating news screen and floating classroom scene, used to be a space station. It was very simple with white paint, and some fixed light, and blinking lights.

There was an astronaut repairing a satelite dish, while another astronaut was brining in a replacement part.

Directly behind us was a very large window where a little girl was looking at an waving at the astronauts. In 1994 the astronauts, satelite, and satelite replacement part were removed. The lights were taken out or turned off, and the entire scene was painted black.

The window is a very large set. The entire frame is at least 6-8 feet tall and 5-7 feet wide. The window frame itself was a small square frame. It is unkown if the girl was ever removed from the window prop.

The entire window, including frame, and upper wall which is about 4-5 feet long and 2 feet wide...is covered up with a board.

It's just plain creepy being up there! :lookaroun

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

you know, you people owe me a churro or something next year I go to WDW. I got a retro monorail shirt and red sleeve logo shirt today though!

 

[One Lil Spark]

It's just plain creepy being up there! :lookaroun

Maybe all those orbs in your pictures ARE spirits... :lookaroun

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

it's just the girl giving off her energy on how ed she is being stuck up there and not in walt dated world with her astronaut friends. :ROFLOL:

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

Spaceship Earth was not open again when I left. I have no idea why it did this.

Hey I can't complain that I got to see something so many of you want to see. But seeing it with the lights on makes me fear what is done and what needs to be finished. Perhaps it will be a good thing when the ride reopens in february, but yeah....I never got to see my future. :dazzle: It would have kick @$$ too, I smiled for the camera too.

Alright, I'm gotta shower and sleep. I've had too much magic. I smell like sunscreen, rome burning, and a carpet smell in Innoventions. See you all tomorrow!

 

[EPCOT.nut]

....I never got to see my future.

I am going to have nightmares about my "future" - if I wind up there on down the road I will know that Peter turned me down at the pearly gates.

I never liked the Jetsons.

:lol:

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

I sent the videos to Martin last night via yousendit. Hope it worked! :sohappy:

 

[joel_maxwell]

You know how some say that orbs in photos are spirits captured on film? The descent must be really haunted by the looks of your photos. :lookaroun

I really appreciate you posting this. I can't believe how just the flash of a camera reveals a world of disrepair and mediocrity on our beloved SSE.

dont get me started.... i really get upset when things are left just covered up from years past effects. i know that it is money and time.... but tell me what the hell is this? space junk? im sure it is apart of the ventilation system or some electrical.

wait a minute? if they didnt leave all this being cutains etc, then what would we have to go by about the previous versions. :drevil:

OH, thanks for the pics and update. is it me, or does the grid lights on the descent look even cheap/cheesier then when in the dark? i hope they have a nice dark appearance.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

the junk I was referring to was equipment clearly not part of the ride i.e. a ladder (Not thee ladder though), buckets, and other equipment that is stored against the walls.