News Spaceship Earth Refurb - 2 Year Closure

[jt04]

You know, I never thought about that. As much as I would hate it, I could see them re-doing SSE with Mickey and Friends telling the story of human achievement. Basically keeping the ride as-is yet modernizing it and replacing all the AAs with Disney characters. I hate the idea, and I hope it never happens, but I wouldn't put it past Chapek.

I hope they just modernize it and fix the descent. Make it like the Cronkite or Irons versions, but with cutting edge 21st century technology.

Hoping the uphill stays traditional, everything from the dome and after is fair game. They should make that part revolutionary. Or at least not boring.

 

[tree123]

After yesterday’s announcements about dumping more IP into Epcot (particularly the new closing show) I’m very concerned about the IP-ification of SSE. I’ve always been of the mindset that “they wouldn’t do that to the icon of Epcot”, but now reality is seeming more like “why wouldn’t they do that to the icon of IPcot”.

Based on their current actions, turning SSE into “a journey through the history of communication as told through classic disney music and starring your favorite Disney characters” seems plausible. I can see Donald operating the Gutenberg press right now.

I always feared that Ralph Breaks The Internet might end up there. Internet is communication.... The new play area also makes me think I’m right.

 

[Gabe1]

SSE just seems to be one 'experience' after the other. I understand the Powers do not want to take another people eater down until new attractions open....but...after watching water flow out the bottom of SSE one trip, the next trips always bring something new and not in a good way.

This past week it was the doors to the vehicle malfunctioning. If you listen to or read the sign as your vehicle enters SSE it says your Doors will close automatically. lol

Truth, first ride upon return to Earth my door only opened a few inches. Other guests were squeezing through sideways, me in a walking boot, not so much. Just before my vehicle was to re-enter the tunnel a frantic CM busy with other doors slides mine open and says please get out...umm...so not my fault and I'm in a boot, need more time not a leap out.

Next visit about 1/3 of the doors were not closing at all and the CM is bolting from vehicle to vehicle sliding doors closed before they enter the tunnel.

Me, I'll be surprised if the attraction limps along until 2020.

 

[Rich Brownn]

SSE just seems to be one 'experience' after the other. I understand the Powers do not want to take another people eater down until new attractions open....but...after watching water flow out the bottom of SSE one trip, the next trips always bring something new and not in a good way.

This past week it was the doors to the vehicle malfunctioning. If you listen to or read the sign as your vehicle enters SSE it says your Doors will close automatically. lol
View attachment 334592View attachment 334593

Truth, first ride upon return to Earth my door only opened a few inches. Other guests were squeezing through sideways, me in a walking boot, not so much. Just before my vehicle was to re-enter the tunnel a frantic CM busy with other doors slides mine open and says please get out...umm...so not my fault and I'm in a boot, need more time not a leap out.

Next visit about 1/3 of the doors were not closing at all and the CM is bolting from vehicle to vehicle sliding doors closed before they enter the tunnel.

Me, I'll be surprised if the attraction limps along until 2020.

Well, when the ride first opened it malfunctioned so badly for the next year they had someone standing at the top manually turning and locking the cars!

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

I think they have have fixed that door issue, witnessed it a at the start of the week. Rode again two days ago and yesterday a few times and it no longer occured.

All references to Siemans are now gone from the monitors but audio references during ascent and descent remain.

 

[GlacierGlacier]

I think they have have fixed that door issue, witnessed it a at the start of the week. Rode again two days ago and yesterday a few times and it no longer occured.

All references to Siemans are now gone from the monitors but audio references during ascent and descent remain.

I think the Siemens references will stay until the refurb at this point.

 

[rle4lunch]

They're just gonna change out the lightbulbs and put tape over the screens in the cars..

one could only hope for the last 5 minutes of the ride to contain something. maybe they can incorporate a new IP that hasn't been used in there?

 

[Gabe1]

Well, when the ride first opened it malfunctioned so badly for the next year they had someone standing at the top manually turning and locking the cars!

I don’t recall that and was there but it was long ago. A good chunk of vehicles have reverted to 1983 standards I guess. Disney seems to be having a door issue it seems everywhere.

 

[GlacierGlacier]

They're just gonna change out the lightbulbs and put tape over the screens in the cars..

one could only hope for the last 5 minutes of the ride to contain something. maybe they can incorporate a new IP that hasn't been used in there?

If you think a 2-3 year refurb is going to only entail surface-level alterations then I have sincere worries.

 

[montyz81]

Is this refurb confirmed. What IP are they going to shoehorn into SSE?

 

[justintheharris]

Is this refurb confirmed. What IP are they going to shoehorn into SSE?

Not confirmed and I'm hoping Disney has the sense to keep Spaceship Earth free of IP. I mean, they didn't shoehorn in IPs at Soarin' or Test Track or Mission:Space during their updates so... I hope Spaceship Earth gets the same respect

 

[mikejs78]

Not confirmed and I'm hoping Disney has the sense to keep Spaceship Earth free of IP. I mean, they didn't shoehorn in IPs at Soarin' or Test Track or Mission:Space during their updates so... I hope Spaceship Earth gets the same respect

The way the refurb has been described, I don't think there will be IP. Unless they decide on having an IP narrator...

 

[Gabe1]

These were literally for promotional events and less than a day. That's not objectionable. It's like the people that were complaining about Maurice's Popping Machine on Main Street USA while the cart was being refurbed.

PICK YOUR BATTLES.

So true. I remember the nightmare meltdowns over MIKE one SSE. Very different than the Wand that wore out its welcome.

 

[rle4lunch]

If you think a 2-3 year refurb is going to only entail surface-level alterations then I have sincere worries.

Nah, they'll do more I'm sure. But I'm not getting my hopes up on anything spectacular.

 

[Gabe1]

Why do I feel that as part of the EPCOT overhaul, they're gonna start putting crap like this on SSE every night?

Well....you are not probably going to care for this...We are just home from the World and currently they are projecting "GOOD NIGHT" on SSE at the end of the evening as guests are exiting.

 

[Gabe1]

They've been doing that for years. I have no problem with it, because I was talking about projecting characters onto SSE.

Wow! We go to WDW frequently and that was the first time I saw that. Then again exiting via the WS mostly that could play into it.

 

[HMF]

Not confirmed and I'm hoping Disney has the sense to keep Spaceship Earth free of IP. I mean, they didn't shoehorn in IPs at Soarin' or Test Track or Mission:Space during their updates so... I hope Spaceship Earth gets the same respect

If they get the same team that did Test Track 2.0 for SSE I can sleep at night. Heck, They should have given the entire Epcot overhaul to the TT 2.0 team. That should have been the direction the park should have gone.

 

[JJJ]

If they get the same team that did Test Track 2.0 for SSE I can sleep at night. Heck, They should have given the entire Epcot overhaul to the TT 2.0 team. That should have been the direction the park should have gone.

I agree with you about 50% of the way. While I do think the idea behind TT 2.0 was really cool (Build your own car! Compare them on the SimTrack! More active participation and investment in the attraction!), I think the implementation left a lot to be desired. Besides the intermediate check points after each test where you see your car's score (which probably makes up 5-10% of the attraction and is never a suprise because you already know your car's score and you're probably not interested in the other cars on the screen because your party likley worked together to create the car you've already seen the score for), your car's design is never really present in the attraction. Plus, when the score screens are delayed (which happens relativley often, unfortunatley), the whole point of the attraction is lost. I know it's easy to say what they should've done after the fact and it's much harder to do while designing the attraction, but it would've been great for the guest's designs to be more present in the attraction, perhaps racing with you on the giant projector screens besides the car. It also would have been nice for them to enclose the power-test section and have animations to play alongside the cars to give you something to look at besides the back sides of showbuildings. That being said, TT is one of my favorite attractions at Epcot and, while its implementation misses the mark, I really appreciate the (slightly shallow but still valuable) edutainment model that it tries to execute.

Also a small pet peeve, the audio starts playing too early after the seat belt check so there are a few seconds of silence at the top of the ramp.

Sorry for the rant, I've just had some small issues with TT 2.0 that I needed to scream into the void.

 

[The Pho]

If they get the same team that did Test Track 2.0 for SSE I can sleep at night. Heck, They should have given the entire Epcot overhaul to the TT 2.0 team. That should have been the direction the park should have gone.

This is the first positive thing I have ever seen related to Test Track 2. I very much disagree here.

 

[The Pho]

Long before any Future World overhaul was announced or even rumored, I thought that they should make the rest of Future World match new Test Track. I think it could have looked quite nice, and the Tron Coaster could have even gone in somewhere and worked well.

Visually it could work, but to me Test Track 2 is the perfect example of why reskins simply do not work well. It went from a must do attraction to possibly my least favorite on property. The visuals themself are fine but they did not do it well in regards to what the attraction is. So I would certainly be concerned if the same team was doing similar things to other places.