Spaceship in Spaceship Earth

Spaceship Ears

Spaceship Ears

Member
Oh, my, word. I found this thread and had to create an account to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

My name is John, and I am the grandson of John DeCuir, Sr and the son of John DeCuir, Jr. My father designed Spaceship Earth, along with Marty Sklar, John Hench, and Ray Bradbury. Attaching a photo of an early model of the attraction with Marty on the left, John Hench on the right and dad in the middle.

It makes my heart feel happy to know that people are sharing such love for this attraction in a thread that spans sixteen years -- it is just remarkable. You all are right that Spaceship Earth is the heart and soul of EPCOT Center. If any of you haven't read it, you should hunt out Ray Bradbury's early concept draft entitled "MAN AND HIS SPACESHIP EARTH" - PDFs are floating around on the Internet. It really underscores the key and critical importance that SSE has to Future World, and to EPCOT as a whole. While I'm not exactly thrilled with the recent changes to Epcot - that's fodder for another thread - I am glad that our beautiful geodesic sphere is still there and shining the way to a better future.

Dad's still around and I'd be happy to convey any questions you all have for him. While he's getting up in age, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to answer whatever questions you have.

Thanks again for the love and care you all have for Spaceship Earth. As Ray so eloquently wrote in his treatment,
The world lies waiting.
The buried truths wait to be found.
You find them with your mind.
You shape them with your hands.
You be the future that must know and love and change itself!
Then write it in the new Instruction Book!
Carve it on the new walls!
And send it forth into the Future World!
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Attachments

  • Imagineering study model for Spaceship Earth show at Epcot.jpg
    Imagineering study model for Spaceship Earth show at Epcot.jpg
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Figments Friend

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
Spaceship Ears said:
Oh, my, word. I found this thread and had to create an account to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

My name is John, and I am the grandson of John DeCuir, Sr and the son of John DeCuir, Jr. My father designed Spaceship Earth, along with Marty Sklar, John Hench, and Ray Bradbury. Attaching a photo of an early model of the attraction with Marty on the left, John Hench on the right and dad in the middle.

It makes my heart feel happy to know that people are sharing such love for this attraction in a thread that spans sixteen years -- it is just remarkable. You all are right that Spaceship Earth is the heart and soul of EPCOT Center. If any of you haven't read it, you should hunt out Ray Bradbury's early concept draft entitled "MAN AND HIS SPACESHIP EARTH" - PDFs are floating around on the Internet. It really underscores the key and critical importance that SSE has to Future World, and to EPCOT as a whole. While I'm not exactly thrilled with the recent changes to Epcot - that's fodder for another thread - I am glad that our beautiful geodesic sphere is still there and shining the way to a better future.

Dad's still around and I'd be happy to convey any questions you all have for him. While he's getting up in age, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to answer whatever questions you have.

Thanks again for the love and care you all have for Spaceship Earth. As Ray so eloquently wrote in his treatment,
Click to expand...

So glad to have you here with us !
:)

This thread is legendary, and I look forward to your stories and insights related to one of our favorite topics to talk about around here -
EPCOT Center, and the grand and micraculous 'Spaceship Earth'..!

✨

-
 
JoeCamel

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
Spaceship Ears said:
Oh, my, word. I found this thread and had to create an account to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

My name is John, and I am the grandson of John DeCuir, Sr and the son of John DeCuir, Jr. My father designed Spaceship Earth, along with Marty Sklar, John Hench, and Ray Bradbury. Attaching a photo of an early model of the attraction with Marty on the left, John Hench on the right and dad in the middle.

It makes my heart feel happy to know that people are sharing such love for this attraction in a thread that spans sixteen years -- it is just remarkable. You all are right that Spaceship Earth is the heart and soul of EPCOT Center. If any of you haven't read it, you should hunt out Ray Bradbury's early concept draft entitled "MAN AND HIS SPACESHIP EARTH" - PDFs are floating around on the Internet. It really underscores the key and critical importance that SSE has to Future World, and to EPCOT as a whole. While I'm not exactly thrilled with the recent changes to Epcot - that's fodder for another thread - I am glad that our beautiful geodesic sphere is still there and shining the way to a better future.

Dad's still around and I'd be happy to convey any questions you all have for him. While he's getting up in age, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to answer whatever questions you have.

Thanks again for the love and care you all have for Spaceship Earth. As Ray so eloquently wrote in his treatment,
Click to expand...
No questions for your dad but please express my sincere gratitude to him for creating such a wonderful world, he must be very proud.
I had the pleasure of growing up in the age of worlds fairs (NY '64 my first) and then I was lucky enough to go to Epcot in the early years. What a pleasure and joy to recapture that feeling in a permanent setting.
Thanks
 
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DreamfinderGuy

DreamfinderGuy

Well-Known Member
Seems like a bad time to jump into this thread for a couple reasons, but really quickly I tried the aforementioned night mode the other day (mostly to prove a point).
435CEDC2-8AAB-48E4-AB61-A42AEF05CF77.jpeg

As you can see, the motion is too intense to do anything, even with a quick exposure.
85B3B392-D45D-4137-B589-9C35398B39D3.jpeg

Then, in some really cruel irony, my vehicle stopped about five feet after the ship. So you at least have kind of an idea of what could be done with perfect timing.
 
Dragonman

Dragonman

Well-Known Member
HMF said:
Not quite, I think that was the peppers Ghost Area. The City area I am pretty sure is a cluster of triangles.
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I guess this confirms all the figures have finally been removed. The graduation caps were still hanging around a while ago, not sure if they’re gone yet though.
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Gringrinngghost said:
My condolences to you Martin.

On a fast side note, right past the Led room, and sorry for the blurred mess.

View attachment 619417
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Dragonman said:
What exactly are we seeing here? (Besides a dust zoo lol)
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Gringrinngghost said:
iirc the city diorama was there
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Thank you.

This is just after the girl in the window / LED hell and way before the 1994 city. Originally the poles supported little lights on the end of thin arms (you can see one arm clearly) which would slowly revolve. Here they are (kind of) in action:




They’ve been there since 1994, when they would be just before the dioramas and just after the classroom projection. Here they are in 2006:

4D7A38D0-4C7F-47DF-80DC-08BAE80E1174.jpeg
 
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aladdin2007

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
It was like a galactic glowing cosmos with star lights and little lightning strikes in the background, at least during the irons ride, if I remember right..another area in there they have just let go and quit on maintaining.
 
DisneyGentlemanV2.0

DisneyGentlemanV2.0

Well-Known Member
Spaceship Ears said:
Oh, my, word. I found this thread and had to create an account to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

My name is John, and I am the grandson of John DeCuir, Sr and the son of John DeCuir, Jr. My father designed Spaceship Earth, along with Marty Sklar, John Hench, and Ray Bradbury. Attaching a photo of an early model of the attraction with Marty on the left, John Hench on the right and dad in the middle.

It makes my heart feel happy to know that people are sharing such love for this attraction in a thread that spans sixteen years -- it is just remarkable. You all are right that Spaceship Earth is the heart and soul of EPCOT Center. If any of you haven't read it, you should hunt out Ray Bradbury's early concept draft entitled "MAN AND HIS SPACESHIP EARTH" - PDFs are floating around on the Internet. It really underscores the key and critical importance that SSE has to Future World, and to EPCOT as a whole. While I'm not exactly thrilled with the recent changes to Epcot - that's fodder for another thread - I am glad that our beautiful geodesic sphere is still there and shining the way to a better future.

Dad's still around and I'd be happy to convey any questions you all have for him. While he's getting up in age, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to answer whatever questions you have.

Thanks again for the love and care you all have for Spaceship Earth. As Ray so eloquently wrote in his treatment,
Click to expand...
Thank you for the note - we thank your father for such a wonderful contribution to all our lives.

I also think we don't talk enough about Ray Bradbury. He was the Walt Disney of Futureworld - the one who provided optimistic vision of all that could be.
 
TikibirdLand

TikibirdLand

Well-Known Member
DisneyGentlemanV2.0 said:
Thank you for the note - we thank your father for such a wonderful contribution to all our lives.

I also think we don't talk enough about Ray Bradbury. He was the Walt Disney of Futureworld - the one who provided optimistic vision of all that could be.
Click to expand...
LOVED Ray Bradbury as a kid. Martian Chronicles was my favorite book back then. Of course, Fahrenheit 451 was a close second. Now, I'm gonna have to go back and read those along with his script for Spaceship Earth!
 
Spaceship Ears

Spaceship Ears

Member
TikibirdLand said:
LOVED Ray Bradbury as a kid. Martian Chronicles was my favorite book back then. Of course, Fahrenheit 451 was a close second. Now, I'm gonna have to go back and read those along with his script for Spaceship Earth!
Click to expand...
Bradbury's Spaceship Earth treatment is a short read, and I highly recommend it. It really is so different from the attraction we ultimately got; don't get me wrong, I love them both - but Bradbury's script really explains why Spaceship Earth is the linchpin to all of Future World.

(Not that we have a Future World anymore, but don't get me started,...) :)
 
aladdin2007

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
Spaceship Ears said:
Bradbury's Spaceship Earth treatment is a short read, and I highly recommend it. It really is so different from the attraction we ultimately got; don't get me wrong, I love them both - but Bradbury's script really explains why Spaceship Earth is the linchpin to all of Future World.

(Not that we have a Future World anymore, but don't get me started,...) :)
Click to expand...
where do you find it?
 
T

techgeek

Well-Known Member
V

vikescaper

Well-Known Member
Maybe I am going crazy but it seemed like the descent was brighter today. It could be a case of me never paying attention to the lighting that is aimed at the triangles.
 

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