Rumor Siemens is going to end their sponsorship with the parks - Spaceship Earth and IllumiNations

Bob

Bo0bi3$
Premium Member
It's not happening. Let that go....
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Lora Baines Bradley

Well-Known Member
I'm sorry, but, I have to ask... Who in the hell said that SSE was closing. Man, you guys must have a whole fleet of earth moving equipment in your yard otherwise it would be impossible to make as many mountains out of mole hills. SSE has had more then one sponsor over the years and spent quite a bit of time without one at all. It is simply amazing how many people believe everything that they hear or read. How can so many jointly yell out fire
in a theater?

Apologies. I misinterpreted the thread. I saw that a sponsor was lacking, people were flipping out and I jumped to conclusions. My post was also poorly worded.
 

Jedi Stitch

Well-Known Member
After watching that 1983 Epcot center video also on this site, even Roy Disney and Walt expected to have Epcot continuously change. The basic items that cause me concern are:
1: it takes a new sponsor to come in and update the old tech, so SSE earth will eventually in the next decade need to be updated and it will be a new sponsor.
2: It was GE controls for the entire park in the GE Days, and Now Seimans, so who will step in for a multi billion dollar contract to replace all the controls. This in its self doesn't seam bad, but like my old '97 Mustang, the Computer was gen 1 but the ABS was gen 2 and due to proprietary tech, they did not like to talk to each other. Ever wonder why so many older rides need reboots and restarts after an upgrade refurbish.
3: Disneyland has every ride sponsored, so every ride sign says the ride name brought to you byXXX. Do you want to see say the Elen World of Energy brought to by Tampax in your vacation photos, for everything.
 

PorterRedkey

Well-Known Member
I don't expect it to still be open mid September. That's as precise as I can be. And I wish I were wrong.
Me too. If it is open Sept 9th, I will be there for one last ride.
To me, this is like Time Racers replacing SSE. This is a classic long-form dark ride. GMR is the thesis statement of the park, like Horizons. Even if replaced by an awesome 8 minute Mickey ride. How does the Mickey ride tie all of Hollywood together in a singular attraction? It doesn't. That's why it belongs in the Animation Courtyard.

Refreshing your defining ride with modern effects, and having TMC pay part of the bill would make people want to ride GMR again. When the ride starts with a broken down scene like Footlight Parade, guests are not impressed. I know Horizons got torn down because of a lack of a sponsor, but Disney said no to a TMC sponsor, just to replace this classic ride. It is sad that this is how TDO thinks of opening day attractions.

Some people may not like it in its current form, but with a few new scenes and updated effects and animatronics, GMR could be an E-ticket attraction for generations to come.
 

SpaceMountain77

Well-Known Member
SSE will NOT become the Death Star.

Right, because it is slated to become home to the second Tivan collection, which will be a slow-moving ride showcasing the acquisitions of Taneleer Tivan. Will we travel in time and explore the history of communication on a ride that takes us from the Stone Age to the computer age? No. We will travel through a warehouse/fortress and explore the collection of Taneleer Tivan on a ride that takes us from his earliest acquisition to his latest, the Guardians of the Galaxy. :mad:
 

HMF

Well-Known Member
After watching that 1983 Epcot center video also on this site, even Roy Disney and Walt expected to have Epcot continuously change. The basic items that cause me concern are:
1: it takes a new sponsor to come in and update the old tech, so SSE earth will eventually in the next decade need to be updated and it will be a new sponsor.
2: It was GE controls for the entire park in the GE Days, and Now Seimans, so who will step in for a multi billion dollar contract to replace all the controls. This in its self doesn't seam bad, but like my old '97 Mustang, the Computer was gen 1 but the ABS was gen 2 and due to proprietary tech, they did not like to talk to each other. Ever wonder why so many older rides need reboots and restarts after an upgrade refurbish.
3: Disneyland has every ride sponsored, so every ride sign says the ride name brought to you byXXX. Do you want to see say the Elen World of Energy brought to by Tampax in your vacation photos, for everything.
I do wonder if AT&T would be willing to come back on board. I would bring them back in a heartbeat.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Apologies. I misinterpreted the thread. I saw that a sponsor was lacking, people were flipping out and I jumped to conclusions. My post was also poorly worded.
I quoted your post, but, it wasn't actually a put down of you. You were only reacting to the mob mentality that is a discussion board. I was really just trying to let you know not to get overly upset by what you have read. As Samuel Clemens said after a newspaper accidentally ran his obituary. "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." If every sponsor in the Disney fold were to leave tomorrow, if they wanted to continue to have that cash cow that is WDW, they would continue, business as usual with slightly less gross profit and considerably smaller executive bonus's.
 
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MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
SSE will NOT become the Death Star.

...again.

;)


Part of the issue -- aside from those who jump to conclusions -- is that there seems to be no agreed upon terminology to distinguish the ride from the structure. Is the ride "Spaceship Earth" or is the Epcot ball (Disney's words, not mine, see here) called "Spaceship Earth"?

[And why is a history of human communication called "Spaceship Earth" anyway?]

So when people talk of the future of "Spaceship Earth" being in jeopardy because of a sponsorship pull-out, then there are those thinking the geosphere (again, Disney's words, IBID) is going to be demolished rather than the ride being in jeopardy.

So, would Disney ever change the ride? Possibly. Maybe highly doubtful for the near future. Would Disney ever demolish the geodesic sphere? It would be insanity to think so.

Would they alter the sphere? Again, insanity. Would they do projection-mapped projections as part of a night show... could happen... again.
 

Brad Bishop

Well-Known Member
They see the WDW parks as advertising not as works of art and some of the best planned in city planner terms public spaces ever constructed.

This brings to mind the wrapping of the Monorail trains. I never really was a fan of this. It started innocently enough with various celebrations but it wasn't long until they were fully plastered with ads for upcoming movies. It reminded me of a city bus or subway having the same kind of wrap.

Yeah, they were done well (the wraps) but I'd prefer just the Monorail being the Monorail.
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon

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