News Space 220 Restaurant dining experience at Epcot's Future World

[ThatMouse]

Does not destroy an existing attraction. CHECK. Not based on a movie. CHECK. Imagineers might be making a come back!

 

[trainplane3]

Imagine that.

But some guy from Monty Python told me I had no imagination.

This is the building you said was going to be banana shaped, right?
Edit: Dang it. I've been having a bad week of not reading everything before I post. I just saw @cosmicgirl linking to your picture.

 

[Disone]

God I hate admitting I was wrong

Right there with. I wonder if the restaurant is going to be serving this Humble Pie I'm enjoying right now?

 

[DavidS1234]

I'm curious what sort of menu this will have. The idea is great (and I love that it connects to the pavilion, which was originally supposed to have more to do there anyways), but I have no idea what 'Space Food' would be.

Maybe have a menu based on all the cool, unique stuff at LWTL and call it futuristic food?

I'd love to see a clever and tasty use of something freeze-dried.

 

[DavidS1234]

Anyone else get a Ten Forward vibe?

Actually it reminds me of an outer space version of The Coral Reef restaurant, due to the architecture.

 

[DavidS1234]

I think you are right about larger space based area emerging on that side of FW: GotG, Mission Space, Space restaurant and TT. What I am hoping for is that they find a cohesive theme for the other side as well. Then SSE could stay as is (well, I won't complain if they decide to plus it), sort of on its own between the two or perhaps even as some sort of a thematic bridge.

SSE is the single most iconic attraction in the park, so it needs to be a flagship experience. It was exactly that when it first opened. It felt futuristic, like a time machine... but now it is feeling dated. What if they scrapped everything inside and dedicated the whole thing to what we've learned about space? Starting with the moon, visiting each of the planets all the way to Pluto (yeah, yeah)... and finally the top level could be for the Cassini probes. If it's done right, it could really simulate a trip through the solar system. The exit area could be used to show recent technological advances in space exploration.

 

[Kman101]

I'm a little curious why anyone thought it wouldn't be where Martin has stated it'd be from the start?

 

[TrojanUSC]

SSE is the single most iconic attraction in the park, so it needs to be a flagship experience. It was exactly that when it first opened. It felt futuristic, like a time machine... but now it is feeling dated. What if they scrapped everything inside and dedicated the whole thing to what we've learned about space? Starting with the moon, visiting each of the planets all the way to Pluto (yeah, yeah)... and finally the top level could be for the Cassini probes. If it's done right, it could really simulate a trip through the solar system. The exit area could be used to show recent technological advances in space exploration.

The only thing that is dated, oddly, is the ending that was tacked on a few years back.

 

[DisneyJayL]

Well, I guess that’s that.

 

[Haymarket2008]

I'm a little curious why anyone thought it wouldn't be where Martin has stated it'd be from the start?

I've been wondering this exact same thing for.....months lol. It has been definitively stated for a WHILE.

 

[FigmentForver96]

God I hate admitting I was wrong

It's ok...somehow I imagine you grasping your chest dramatically, martini glass in one hand and the phone in the other. A dramatic tumble down the stairs...

 

[HMF]

SSE is the single most iconic attraction in the park, so it needs to be a flagship experience. It was exactly that when it first opened. It felt futuristic, like a time machine... but now it is feeling dated. What if they scrapped everything inside and dedicated the whole thing to what we've learned about space? Starting with the moon, visiting each of the planets all the way to Pluto (yeah, yeah)... and finally the top level could be for the Cassini probes. If it's done right, it could really simulate a trip through the solar system. The exit area could be used to show recent technological advances in space exploration.

Over my dead body.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

God I hate admitting I was wrong

How so?

 

[Unplugged]

I thought for sure they'd use one of the centrifuges so they could spin the dining room around really fast creating an artifical gravity with tables on the "walls". Looks like they'll have to go mainstream with this design. I guess it'll do just the same. Something new is something new. (Actually looking forward to this when/if it opens.)

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

SSE is the single most iconic attraction in the park, so it needs to be a flagship experience. It was exactly that when it first opened. It felt futuristic, like a time machine... but now it is feeling dated. What if they scrapped everything inside and dedicated the whole thing to what we've learned about space? Starting with the moon, visiting each of the planets all the way to Pluto (yeah, yeah)... and finally the top level could be for the Cassini probes. If it's done right, it could really simulate a trip through the solar system. The exit area could be used to show recent technological advances in space exploration.

If Spaceship Earth is feeling dated it's only because of a hackjob refurbishment that left the attraction unresolved for the first time in its life. There's nothing about its premise that isn't relevant today, certainly no more than any other classic attraction's premise. That it acts as the mission statement to the park reinforces the usefulness of it's proposal; traveling through time so we can learn to build a better world and future together. I won't say it's a sacred cow and shouldn't be touched at all - least of all in it's current iteration - but I think it merely needs a refresh and not a rethink. It's a pretty glorious idea that's currently being let down by its execution.

Your idea does sound super interesting, and I'd actually love to see an attraction like that somewhere in Epcot. I don't think Spaceship Earth is the place for it, but something like that could be a cool add to flesh out Mission: Space as a pavilion rather than just an attraction.

 

[ChrisFL]

so I wonder if there will be a separate entrance or they'll somehow merge this into the mission:space entrance

 

[Sir_Cliff]

If Spaceship Earth is feeling dated it's only because of a hackjob refurbishment that left the attraction unresolved for the first time in its life. There's nothing about its premise that isn't relevant today, certainly no more than any other classic attraction's premise. That it acts as the mission statement to the park reinforces the usefulness of it's proposal; traveling through time so we can learn to build a better world and future together. I won't say it's a sacred cow and shouldn't be touched at all - least of all in it's current iteration - but I think it merely needs a refresh and not a rethink. It's a pretty glorious idea that's currently being let down by its execution.

It could do with a refresh, as could all attractions as the decades go on, and the current version leaves a little to be desired. Overall, though, I don't think SE does come across as dated at all. Particularly now that all the other audioanimatronic-heavy attractions have disappeared from Epcot, SE stands out for its impressive sets, use of AAs, and even storytelling amongst all the Epcot attractions. In short, it's the only ride that has the scope of a classic Disney attraction. Who knows what the feedback from guest surveys is like, but I would be very surprised if it gets low scores compared to the other stuff that's in the park at the moment.

 

[lazyboy97o]

so I wonder if there will be a separate entrance or they'll somehow merge this into the mission:space entrance

If you look at the aerial image you’ll see a little square sticking out of the building’s south side. This is the never used sponsor showroom and meeting space. It has an entrance from the park and will finally be used as the entrance to the restaurant.

 

[Dr.GrantSeeker]

It will be a nice addition to Mission Space. Will feel more like a true "Outer Space" pavilion.

 

[Coaster Lover]

I guess this also further's the mystery of what's going on with the WoL pavilion? Putting the space restaurant in there seemed like the "easy" explanation as to why they're doing all that roof work, but now that we definitively know that the space restaurant is going elsewhere, I guess we can continue to debate what they're going to do with WoL.

Any of the insiders have any idea of when the Space Restaurant will open in comparison to the Star Wars Hotel? I mean, it seems logical that both installations will heavily rely on a lot of the same technology (projections instead of windows, possible space elevator as a means of entrance, etc). I just didn't know if they would use the Space Restaurant as a means to pilot the technology and work out any kinks before opening the Star Wars Hotel or if both may debut at more or less the same time.