Hey there, SSE fans. Having only been on SSE about 9 times and all of them in the past year, I'm trying to store the knowledge in my head here about this ride's past because I'm just a happy geek for irrelevant old-school Disney trivia.
Since I read this thread this morning while visiting the resort, today I went and rode SSE twice in the late afternoon while the sunset was shining on the sphere (not sure if that would light up the top any more, but I figured why not give it a shot.) On the second time, we got stuck up top briefly so I had a lot of time to stare hard at things and figure out if I'm seeing something on the wall or just the usual triangular design of the wall.
I believe I can see a satellite, somewhere up to the right when you turn to face the Earth on the wall. It's kind of above the communication tunnel you come out of. There is a disturbance in the star field there, and a bit of a 3D-ish effect there that makes me think there's something there, but I could just be seeing things. Looking right immediately after turning backwards, I don't see much.
However, looking directly behind you in the classroom scene reveals a VERY visible cylinder-shaped object that kind of looks like a rocket engine or something. Also, when looking straight up during the TV newscasts I can see a V-shaped dark object against the stars, attatched to the top of the tunnel you go backwards into. I'm guessing that was part of the space station. As for the classroom, aside from the cylinder, I can't see anything. Looking down and to the right reveals what looks like a pile of rocks but hides the speakers.
I'm from conversation that the cylinder is the "rocket ship" CMs were telling me about later on.
I have no idea where the covered window that used to hold the Asian-looking girl is.
As I got out, I asked a young man on unload if he's ever seen the sets with all the lights turned on and he said yes, so I asked him about this stuff. He said "it's all still there" and talked about how the rocket is there, the satellite is there, and the astronaut frozen in a spacewalk pose. I then left, and thought about Expo_Seeker's comment about the AA in the window and whether she was repurposed for the translation scene. Personally, I'm not sure since they have a live-action video of a girl with the same apparence in that room, but then again the boy AA doesn't look much like the kid on her screen either.
Anyway, the guy at the post-show wall wouldn't let me walk back up the exit to talk to the first guy but offered to take my questions, and he also confirmed everything the first guy said and when I asked about the girl he said it's "very possible." He then drifted into this thing about Walt Disney, the World's Fair, and the hall of Presidents. This was kind of lost on me because as far as I know the only President AA made for a world's fair was Disneyland's Lincoln made for the state of Illinois in '64. I'm not sure if he meant OLD HoP AAs from the MK or what. Either way, he said that most of the AA figs in SSE are former Presidents. And that the guy playing the mandolin in the Rennaisance is Eisenhower.
I know CMs have a tendency for pulling legs and tall tales, and since I can't remember Walt building any Presidents other than Lincoln it's raised a red flag, but I thought I'd throw this to the crowd and find out what anyone else thinks, or if this is commonly known trivia (I'm a DL vet and not much of a WDW info-hound.)
Anyway, if anyone in the next 12-15 hours after I post this can tell me what to specifically look for aside from the "rocketship" behind the classroom, I'll gladly go take a look tomorrow. I never saw the original ride so I don't exactly know what to keep my eyes attuned for.
Also, if there's anything someone (Martin in particular since I know he's working so hard on this) wants me to ask around to the various CMs at the ride tomorrow, please let me know promptly. They seem to know what it looks like with the house lights on and some of them are quite eager to talk about their attraction. Thanks.
