Spaceship in Spaceship Earth

[CanadianGordon]

First time poster. I just spent most of my shift reading this thread. Utterly fascinating. I've been to WDW twice. First when I was 5 or 6, so a few years after Epcot opened(!) and I distinctly remember Kitchen Kabaret. I don't recall Spaceship Earth, but it ended up being the first "ride" I rode last year when I went to WDW for a friend's wedding. Sad that so much of the magic that made Disney the top leader has gradually been whittled away. Love the behind the scenes stuff. Just amazing. I finally broke down and became a member since I needed to see the photos that I couldn't see. Glad I did.

 

[KikoKea]

First time poster. I just spent most of my shift reading this thread. Utterly fascinating. I've been to WDW twice. First when I was 5 or 6, so a few years after Epcot opened(!) and I distinctly remember Kitchen Kabaret. I don't recall Spaceship Earth, but it ended up being the first "ride" I rode last year when I went to WDW for a friend's wedding. Sad that so much of the magic that made Disney the top leader has gradually been whittled away. Love the behind the scenes stuff. Just amazing. I finally broke down and became a member since I needed to see the photos that I couldn't see. Glad I did.

Welcome!

 

[montyz81]

I don't see why we need to blame anybody. It's still a great attraction, personally I like the screens in the vehicles. I never was a great fan of the descent before and I'm not overly excited about it now. It doesn't matter why it ended up the way it did, but, it seem to me to make sense that if you are going to provide a show via vehicle screens that having anything else there to distract your attention would be counter productive. If you talk about cost, Do you suppose that all the hundred and some odd vehicles retrofitted with computer screens just fell from heaven and landed in front of the seats. I would think that the cost of that was enough to choke a horse. I'm sure, at one point, they considered different endings for the ride, but, for whatever reason this is what they decided to spend their money on. I don't know about the rest of you, but, I fully intend to enjoy what is their and not obsess over what I think should be there.

I agree with you on all counts. I am just jumping on the "the descent is unfinished" bandwagon. I would only say that having 10 AA's along the decent would likely cost alone what it cost to redo the plastic, build brackets on each omni mover and put screens in. Screens aren't that expensive and I doubt they are a custom size. Here is the bigger issue. If this were the intent of the descent, wouldn't they put in an update budget/plan for what is on the screens? The entire descent feels rushed, especially the software on the screens. When it was released in 2008, it felt very 1998 web design.

I do agree with you though, having screens and AA's along the descent would be distracting. I really can only be one or the other. I just wish they spent more time on the animations. I suspect that the Siemens developers had a fair amount of say in this part since their name is on it.

 

[aladdin2007]

I agree with you on all counts. I am just jumping on the "the descent is unfinished" bandwagon. I would only say that having 10 AA's along the decent would likely cost alone what it cost to redo the plastic, build brackets on each omni mover and put screens in. Screens aren't that expensive and I doubt they are a custom size. Here is the bigger issue. If this were the intent of the descent, wouldn't they put in an update budget/plan for what is on the screens? The entire descent feels rushed, especially the software on the screens. When it was released in 2008, it felt very 1998 web design.

I do agree with you though, having screens and AA's along the descent would be distracting. I really can only be one or the other. I just wish they spent more time on the animations. I suspect that the Siemens developers had a fair amount of say in this part since their name is on it.

there was a design/plan in place back during the redo, they just never finished it, hence the black triangles.

 

[AEfx]

I think that many of us, that saw it before probably feel the same way, however, it is still fun to do and keeps your mind off the fact that you are falling over backwards off a cliff. It's just that others seem to remember the descent as some great work of art, whereas, I was never all that impressed with it. Yes, there were a couple of scenes, a few shadow box type displays, and mostly "screens" the very thing that seems to be awful now, but, other then that, to me, not much to write home about. I feel that we all remember things better then what they actually were. I'm just glad they were able to find a sponsor to invest in it, otherwise, we would be seeing the same thing we saw 20 years ago. It was a good upgrade, different yes, but, not all that bad.

On one hand, I absolutely agree with the statement that as great as it was, the memories of EPCOT tend to loom much larger in folks minds than may have always been reality. It's like going back to your grade school as an adult - things just don't look the same as when you are a wide-eyed child.

On the other - in this case in particular - what is just asinine about it is there is NOTHING there. That's what's frustrating about WDW in general. I always bring up Pan - I was so impressed with the Disneyland version, and that was because it surprised me - it's essentially the same ride but they added all these great fiber optic stars that make it really beautiful. Thing is, in 2016 that effect is dirt cheap - you can do your entire bedroom ceiling using the exact same materials/technology for a few hundred bucks (tutorials online LOL). Even given how much space there is in the ride, that shouldn't be much more than a $25,000 job that would plus that attraction immensely.

I think the problem is, that $25K that it actually would cost would turn into $250K or more in the "WDW Imagineering Dollars" conversion process. It's something that, if we had the materials there, we could break in and pretty much do overnight with a small crew. That's why Spaceship Earth's descent is so maddening. We could put together a group here (I nominate @marni1971 President) and do a Kickstarter, and easily raise $100-200K to do the descent. We could put up something pretty neat to look at (as opposed to - nothing) using off-the-shelf products. But Disney, a multi-billion dollar corporation has one of it's very most iconic attractions which is featured in nearly every ad (at least the outside) for it's flagship resort destination, sitting with a big bunch of nothing for the last half of the ride.

They could at least make it pretty - projections of space, planets, etc...

 

[HMF]

We keep saying Disney should bring some of these things back, but doesn't Siemens have a say. They could have been the ones that spearheaded the removal of the decent since it was more communications related and then didn't have the money to put in/update the decent to something new and improved. Instead they got some screens and software developers to build out the decent. I say we put just as much blame on Siemens!

Personally, I would prefer Siemens not renew their sponsorship of the attraction and get a telecommunications company to take over.

 

[aaronml]

Personally, I would prefer Siemens not renew their sponsorship of the attraction and get a telecommunications company to take over.

Hmm, maybe Cisco could take it over?

 

[marni1971]

Sigh....

There is no ”falling over a cliff". I could state the figures but if that's what you think you feel there's not much point. With respect.

I for one was very impressed with the pre 94 descent. It left a huge lasting impression on me. Post 94 was pretty good too. The 94 overhaul only had two projection screens. Hardly mostly. Pre 94 had more but they worked in the context of the scene - which IMHO is make or break for their use.

What we have now is a - whilst technically clever - waste of real space. Which by all accounts no longer works properly.

It's akin to ripping out the Haunted Mansions graveyard, hanging up black curtains, and sticking screens onto the Omnimovers.

 

[montyz81]

there was a design/plan in place back during the redo, they just never finished it, hence the black triangles.

I have heard that before. I am not so sure I believe it. Yes there were probably ideas on the table, but I am willing to bet that what we have now is exactly what was budgeted for. I would be happy if someone could prove me wrong. As some have said, having both screens and AA displays would be way too distracting unless the screens were going to interact with the AAs (Now that is a next gen idea that Disney should consider).

 

[ABQ]

Sigh....

There is no ”falling over a cliff". I could state the figures but if that's what you think you feel there's not much point. With respect.

I for one was very impressed with the pre 94 descent. It left a huge lasting impression on me. Post 94 was pretty good too. The 94 overhaul only had two projection screens. Hardly mostly. Pre 94 had more but they worked in the context of the scene - which IMHO is make or break for their use.

What we have now is a - whilst technically clever - waste of real space. Which by all accounts no longer works properly.

It's akin to ripping out the Haunted Mansions graveyard, hanging up black curtains, and sticking screens onto the Omnimovers.

Is there a full size image of your avatar anywhere in this thread? Couldn't find one and would like to see it clearer, just for curiosity sake.

 

[CanadianGordon]

I rode the ride last year and am saddened to hear the "cartoon" part of the ride isn't working. For the first ride to ride again at Disney it was pretty funny. Ended up saving the video of it. Hope this jewel shines properly again. And that it gets a proper ending.

 

[marni1971]

Is there a full size image of your avatar anywhere in this thread? Couldn't find one and would like to see it clearer, just for curiosity sake.

I don't think there is. I'll see if I've still got it at home.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Sigh....

There is no ”falling over a cliff". I could state the figures but if that's what you think you feel there's not much point. With respect.

I for one was very impressed with the pre 94 descent. It left a huge lasting impression on me. Post 94 was pretty good too. The 94 overhaul only had two projection screens. Hardly mostly. Pre 94 had more but they worked in the context of the scene - which IMHO is make or break for their use.

What we have now is a - whilst technically clever - waste of real space. Which by all accounts no longer works properly.

It's akin to ripping out the Haunted Mansions graveyard, hanging up black curtains, and sticking screens onto the Omnimovers.

It was supposed to be a humorous figure of speech, not a literal happening. Sorry, it it didn't come out clear enough. Sigh...

Again, we have a differing of opinion and I'm alright with that because I like what I like and you like what you like and they do not necessarily have to be the same thing. You express and have expressed your opinion and I have expressed mine there is no reason to try and figure out who is correct because no matter what, it is opinion. It no longer works by your opinion,but, it works by mine.

When would anyone use the units on the ride vehicles if they were distracted by other scenes. I don't doubt that there were other plans kicked about over the course of the rehab, but, this is what they went with and it serves it's own purpose and isn't a huge downer for everyone. I and my family all thought it was fun and have tried a new experience every time we ride it, so not everyone sees it as a failure. I found that those screens were technologically fascinating especially used the way they were and with the specifics of each two riders in the vehicles. I guess it's not impressive enough for some, fine, but, I thought it was a positive change. The story was done, we were just one our way to the unload area, not a big deal.

Some do not work and haven't, periodically and randomly, since they started it. But, I can say that well over 90 percent of the time that I rode it, they worked. That was all that anyone can ask for with technology. Has anyone done the math to figure out how many times on a ride that, in reality, never stops all day long, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, one can reasonably expect that everything will work perfectly every time, when I can't get my computer at home to stop freezing up on a regular basis?

 

[ShoalFox]

When would anyone use the units on the ride vehicles if they were distracted by other scenes. I don't doubt that there were other plans kicked about over the course of the rehab, but, this is what they went with and it serves it's own purpose and isn't a huge downer for everyone. I and my family all thought it was fun and have tried a new experience every time we ride it, so not everyone sees it as a failure. I found that those screens were technologically fascinating especially used the way they were and with the specifics of each two riders in the vehicles. I guess it's not impressive enough for some, fine, but, I thought it was a positive change. The story was done, we were just one our way to the unload area, not a big deal.

I understand the POV of how technologically impressive the '08 descent is, I truly do. I agree that the facial recognition and green screening is very impressive and totally fits Epcot's original mission. That said, I do think the ending gets old after the first few times and just becomes annoying. I also believe that something, anything, to look at in the tunnel would be much better than the black, unfinished void.

 

[Matt_Black]

I understand the POV of how technologically impressive the '08 descent is, I truly do. I agree that the facial recognition and green screening is very impressive and totally fits Epcot's original mission. That said, I do think the ending gets old after the first few times and just becomes annoying. I also believe that something, anything, to look at in the tunnel would be much better than the black, unfinished void.

Ah, but Spaceship Earth is all about Man's Progress. And, in the end, the black, unfinished void awaits us all. Enjoy your vacation!

 

[NearTheEars]

I rode the ride last year and am saddened to hear the "cartoon" part of the ride isn't working. For the first ride to ride again at Disney it was pretty funny. Ended up saving the video of it. Hope this jewel shines properly again. And that it gets a proper ending.

I just rode last week and everything with the screen descent was working fine. Or is something else broken?

 

[NearTheEars]

I understand the POV of how technologically impressive the '08 descent is, I truly do. I agree that the facial recognition and green screening is very impressive and totally fits Epcot's original mission. That said, I do think the ending gets old after the first few times and just becomes annoying. I also believe that something, anything, to look at in the tunnel would be much better than the black, unfinished void.

Agree about it getting old. I think we've already run through most of our possible futures. Or at least it seems like it.

 

[marni1971]

It was supposed to be a humorous figure of speech, not a literal happening. Sorry, it it didn't come out clear enough. Sigh...

That blasted interweb removing intended emotion again...

 

[Goofyernmost]

I understand the POV of how technologically impressive the '08 descent is, I truly do. I agree that the facial recognition and green screening is very impressive and totally fits Epcot's original mission. That said, I do think the ending gets old after the first few times and just becomes annoying. I also believe that something, anything, to look at in the tunnel would be much better than the black, unfinished void.

I, surprisingly, agree, but, we are looking at it as a quantity visitor. We do have to take into consideration that we are the minority in the world of theme park participants. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, in WDW that will not get stale if we see it enough. Sure we enjoy it, but, it isn't like the early experience of discovery. It is just memorabilia at the point, until we get tired of it, then it becomes just awful and a big mistake. For us, it is, for the rest, it is not.

It may well be a let down for people like us that experienced something different, but, the majority not only do not see it as a failure, but, instead it is entertainment in a place that otherwise would just be dark.

 

[marni1971]

in a place that otherwise could have fantastic, stimulating and jaw dropping show scenes

Fixed that for you

If only the accident during refurb hadn't cost them the time and money they had for set decor on the descent.

Anyway, Siemens sponsorship ends next year. Let's see if they renew or not and what happens.