New SSE improvement!!

[marni1971]

They do?

The original plans showed minor rotation (maybe 15 degrees) but I don't know if it was ever implemented. The way they rotate now is via a slot in the track that engages the cars. I don't recall seeing any slots anywhere but at the top.

These plan are what I was going off of too. Reffering specifically to the SOPs `87 SG, the 53 to 80 ft level has a slight rotation towards the wall right of the cave scene, about 20 degrees to the greek temple and roman road, and about 10 degrees towards the phonetian merchants.

80 to 115 ft has a slight bias towards the abbey, and also to the left approaching Michaelangelo.

115 to 52 just has the 180 degree spin which begins about 15ft inside 180 top and completes as you enter the straight track portion to begin the return to earth.

 

[planet7]

They do?

The original plans showed minor rotation (maybe 15 degrees) but I don't know if it was ever implemented. The way they rotate now is via a slot in the track that engages the cars. I don't recall seeing any slots anywhere but at the top.

A slot in the track? Are you sure? The way a traditional OmniMover rotates is with a cam following a cam rail. How does the slot work?

G7

 

[Neptune]

Very good. I'm really hoping at some point they will send the ride down to a complete refurb to permanently fix all of the broken effects.

Agreed. It'd be worth the wait.

 

[v_misses_epcot]

okay guys!!

I just wanted to tell you that about two days ago I went on the most amazing tour ever in my life so far. I love spaceship earth and they're giving new awesome tours to cast members and it's so popular that they only allow 17 on the tour. I've been on standby for the last 2 months and finally on the 11th, I was able to go on the tour.

I can't explain my happiness right now....I got to see it with the lights on, got to climb all the front stairs leading up to the path on the side of the ride you see. I got to know what every scene is saying and even got to touch and feel some of the animatronics. I got to see earth and got to see where mickey was launced up through to stand ontop of spaceship earth. I got to get some secrets that I never ever knew before from the SSE and I'm so freaking happy. I'm still shaking. It was worth the stair climb, cramped spaces, squeaky noises....they turned off the audio for this tour so it was really freaky!! And we went to "the attic" omg......I'm speechless....they even got to show us the ladder that goes down to the old space shuttle with the astronuts circling around it. Anyone remeber that scene? It's still up but you can't see it while riding.....And of course, I loved the 39 degree steep climb down!! <3

As for changes, they have tons in store, I'll tell you that much!! And not only is there fog, no one noticed that in the egyptian(spelling) scene, the kings feather man is bowing down once more. =D

Ohhh!! and and I'm sure all of you know that most of the animatronics are from the hall of presidents...but I'm sure all of you knew that. <3

 

[The Mak]

I'm happy you had the privilege to take that tour. It's too bad it's restricted to cast members, I would really love to know a detailed explanation behind each show scene. SSE is a magnificent dark ride and my absolute favorite ride on the planet.

What did they say about the light tunnel before 180top? That part of the ride is mesmerizing.

 

[marni1971]

Anyone remeber that scene? It's still up but you can't see it while riding.....

Thank You!

 

[v_misses_epcot]

I'm happy you had the privilege to take that tour. It's too bad it's restricted to cast members, I would really love to know a detailed explanation behind each show scene. SSE is a magnificent dark ride and my absolute favorite ride on the planet.

What did they say about the light tunnel before 180top? That part of the ride is mesmerizing.

The light tunnel? as in the tunnel with all the noises and stuff? Ohh!! Well according to the tour guide, it's said that is"us" the humans going through somesort of ummm, i can't remember the name of it...some sort of AHHHH when I think about it like that, it kinda reminded me of blood going through the human body....something like that....that we end up going "through the stream of communication." That's the way he put it.

 

[v_misses_epcot]

Thank You!

your welcome??? You told someone that it was still up and didn't believe you?? Well, I'm only 25 and I still remember that scene or somehow I still remember that.....maybe I didn't see it but people have been telling me about it so much that I do remember it. I did go on that ride when I was much younger. Didn't they take the astronut scene out around 94?? correct me if I'm wrong. If that's the case, I did see it. But yeah, it's all painted black and you can't see it while you're riding. He took us to the top where you can see the shaft in where you could actually get into the shaft if you wanted to...It looked scary and abandoned....and I loved that.....

Also you know when you're going down back to earth, you see that huge tv with the teacher and the children and whatnot....well it's very blurry, but it's like that because it has 10 years worth of dust collecting back there and there's not way to get up there sadly..... I was like wow....that bites!! The way someone built that wasn't thinking at all.

 

[marni1971]

I took part a few months ago in an interesting thread regarding 180 top and Spaceship Earth in general pre 1994 - the props in the planetarium featured prominently in the discussion http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=76004

Some of the questions were are the props (satellite, animatronic astronaut and girl-at-window) still up there, what the original layout was, and where was everything located.

Now, about this `shuttle` - we know of the space station set, satellitle and astronaut, but where was the shuttle?

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

I'm thinking the shuttle and space station are the same but different phrases.

In the opening day mural outside of SSE, atleast in proposal work, there are three astronuats, yet only in the two photos we've found, there is merely one astronaut working on the satelite. In the mural the satelite is connected via some sorta wire or tube to the space station.....it doesn't even look like a shuttle.

I think we can agree that the earth projection has always been in the same spot. There is the possibility the satelite was moved from the center of the 180top to the corner, but the space station is the hexagonal or octagonal room we go down on that steep slope with that scary...um...very scary black painted window. Only through nightvision can we see the detail of the space station roof.

It is possible to see the window, you don't have to look behind you, and the window is HUGE! Marni1971 I guess this is the girl that you have on your videotape because it wouldn't be too much of an extreme angle to film her in SSE 1990?

Through the CM's we heard from via that forum the satellite and astronaut(s) were removed during the 1994 rehab of SSE. There was the proposal to keep them but move them to a different position but time and money caused the already disasembled pieces to be scrapped.Perhaps this ladder is merely all that is left to get you down to the disasembled set?

 

[beanboon]

A slot in the track? Are you sure? The way a traditional OmniMover rotates is with a cam following a cam rail. How does the slot work?

G7

Yeah, I'm sure. The cars have a little horizontal wheel that engages the slot and rotates the upper half of the vehicle. You can see the slot in this picture (the sensor you see makes sure the vehicles haven't derailed on the rotation). Take a flashlight and hang over the side of the car. You can REALLY see it with the house lights on.

 

[Captain Hank]

okay guys!!

I just wanted to tell you that about two days ago I went on the most amazing tour ever in my life so far. I love spaceship earth and they're giving new awesome tours to cast members and it's so popular that they only allow 17 on the tour. I've been on standby for the last 2 months and finally on the 11th, I was able to go on the tour.

I can't explain my happiness right now....I got to see it with the lights on, got to climb all the front stairs leading up to the path on the side of the ride you see. I got to know what every scene is saying and even got to touch and feel some of the animatronics. I got to see earth and got to see where mickey was launced up through to stand ontop of spaceship earth. I got to get some secrets that I never ever knew before from the SSE and I'm so freaking happy. I'm still shaking. It was worth the stair climb, cramped spaces, squeaky noises....they turned off the audio for this tour so it was really freaky!! And we went to "the attic" omg......I'm speechless....they even got to show us the ladder that goes down to the old space shuttle with the astronuts circling around it. Anyone remeber that scene? It's still up but you can't see it while riding.....And of course, I loved the 39 degree steep climb down!! <3

As for changes, they have tons in store, I'll tell you that much!! And not only is there fog, no one noticed that in the egyptian(spelling) scene, the kings feather man is bowing down once more. =D

Ohhh!! and and I'm sure all of you know that most of the animatronics are from the hall of presidents...but I'm sure all of you knew that. <3

I've been trying to get on that tour for the last two times it's been offered. I'm really hoping that it'll be offered again in the near future. I think I missed the opening of registration for that by one day, and it was already full. Here's hoping for next month...

Congratulations for making it in!

 

[planet7]

The light tunnel? as in the tunnel with all the noises and stuff? Ohh!! Well according to the tour guide, it's said that is"us" the humans going through somesort of ummm, i can't remember the name of it...som

It's the Telemetry Tunnel. According to a description I read--it was either in my Walt Disney's EPCOT book or the pre-opening souvenir book, I believe--you're shot "on a burst of telemetry*" into space.

* Radio signal.

G7

 

[planet7]

I've been trying to get on that tour for the last two times it's been offered. I'm really hoping that it'll be offered again in the near future. I think I missed the opening of registration for that by one day, and it was already full. Here's hoping for next month...

Congratulations for making it in!

Is this available only to Cast Members? Is this a paid thing? And if not, why are they doing it? When I worked there, I managed to get an "unofficial tour" here and there--the pit/War Wagon at American Adventure, a walk through World of Motion during an evac class, behind the show scenes at Pirates--but it was all very unofficial. I asked around a lot, but was turned away more often than not, citing insurance reasons. If I wasn't on the clock, I wasn't covered by woker's comp, and if I was on the clock, of course, I was working.

G7

 

[Scar Junior]

How many CM's does it take to change a light bulb?

Three. One to notice the light is out, one to get the new bulb, and one to comp every guest complaining about the inconvenience of having to endure the burned out bulb.

HAHA so true!

(sorry, a little late... I've been busy)

 

[Scar Junior]

Well now ...

Seven.

One CM to notice it and tell their coordinator.
One coordinator to enter the data into the automated maintenance dispatching system.
One manager to print the data and keep track of it.
One maintenance manager to make sure it gets done and maintenance isin't sleeping.
One maintenance CM to make sure the light bulb is there and to redeploy the problem for night maintenance.
One guest relations CM to comp everyone who complained.
One night maintenance CM to install it after hours once the park is closed.

You forgot the ladder...

 

[v_misses_epcot]

Is this available only to Cast Members? Is this a paid thing? And if not, why are they doing it? When I worked there, I managed to get an "unofficial tour" here and there--the pit/War Wagon at American Adventure, a walk through World of Motion during an evac class, behind the show scenes at Pirates--but it was all very unofficial. I asked around a lot, but was turned away more often than not, citing insurance reasons. If I wasn't on the clock, I wasn't covered by woker's comp, and if I was on the clock, of course, I was working.

G7

Yes, it's only for cast members.
They're doing it because they can.
It's all free baby.

I've already gotten the haunted mansion, rockin roller coaster and train tours that the university has provided and omg, all three of them were freaking awesome!!! All official and new!! I'm still so freaking out about the space ship earth tour, it was amazing. Such a beautiful geosphere I swear! And riding rockin roller coaster with the lights on = GASP!!! A MUST DO!!

 

[planet7]

Yes, it's only for cast members.
They're doing it because they can.

How about guests of Cast Members?

G7

 

[v_misses_epcot]

How about guests of Cast Members?

G7

That's a negative sir.