This is fantastic news and something everyone has been saying Disney needs to do. It is so frustrating....complain when they don't update, complain when they do update, complain when a certain attraction is closed during MY vacation......it is incredibly frustrating. Refurbs need to be done, I don't think anyone would argue with that. Major refurbs need the rides to be closed or the work would take years to complete. Not everything can or should wait during the offseason. It costs as much to enter the parks during the off-season as it does during the summer, even though hotel rates are higher.
This is incredibly exciting news in my opinion and appears to be credible so I will comment on it. It sounds like WDW is getting another major upgrade/refurb of a major attraction...one that may alter the focus of Spaceship Earth to an overall vision of progress and glimpse into the future, a perfect fit as the park's central attraction vs one focused solely on the history of communication.
I'm very exicted....updated lighting, sets, NEW sets, and INTERACTIVE SCREENS ON THE TIME MACHINES indicating some type of upgrade to the ride vehicles all while keeping the attraction in its original form (in that it won't be gutted to be a thrill attraction through a light show...)
With this, I can't see why Disney wouldn't celebrate Epcot's 25th. In the past 2-3 years, more has been done to ready the park for this milestone then ever was done for DL's 50th. Put some banners up around the park, consider a new ending to Illuminations and they have it set. Doing the refurb now insures that it won't be closed during its 25th anniversary 'year', even if it is closed October 1st.