The Epcot ride is evolving via 'Project Tomorrow.'
Walt Disney World and Siemens AG are giving Epcot's Spaceship Earth a new spin, updating the ride and its technologies.
Work already has begun in the attraction's post-show area, which is now closed as Disney installs new interactive features to transform it into "Project Tomorrow: Inventing the World of Tomorrow." Broader changes, including updates throughout the ride, will be phased in over the next few months, forcing a closure of the ride later this year.
Spaceship Earth, housed in Epcot's signature structure, a 180-foot geodesic sphere that can be seen for miles, offers visitors a slow, circling, indoor train ride past a series of panoramic scenes depicting the march of time, technology and creativity from cavemen through the late 20th century.
The ride has had minor updates since it opened with Epcot in 1982, but no major overhauls until now.
"We're building on Spaceship Earth's existing attractions and taking it to the next level," said Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez.
The first changes take place in the post-show area, which will reopen late this month with three of several planned new exhibits. The new features will be a 20-foot-high globe offering an ever-changing collage of images of the future; a 3-D game called "Body Builder" enabling visitors to assemble a digital human body; and a driving simulator showcasing motor-vehicle accident and avoidance systems.
Those features and others that will be wired into the ride are based on technologies developed by Siemens. The Munich, Germany-based company with operations in Orlando is involved in a variety of technology fields including automobiles, high-speed rail, water, wind energy, medical equipment and light bulbs. Siemens and Disney signed a sponsorship deal in late 2005, in which Disney pledged to spend $100 million on Siemens' technologies over 12 years.
Cara Allen, another Disney spokeswoman, said the globe renovations will take place later this year, updating everything from the lighting and audio effects to the exhibits themselves. There even will be interactive touch screens installed in ride cars, enabling visitors to create their own visions of the future.
Spaceship Earth's overhaul is not expected to affect the controversial, giant Mickey Mouse arm and wand structure that was added in 1999. The structure has been the target of heated criticism from some Epcot fans who say it clashes with the park's architecture.
Allen said all the changes will be on the inside.
Scott Powers can be reached at
spowers@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5441.
