Expo_Seeker40
Well-Known Member
This is rough, but this is pretty much what it looked like.
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Spaceship in Spaceship Earth
- Thread starter mayoki
- Start date
Hatbox12
New Member
So could she be seen BEFORE the descent?
Expo_Seeker40
Well-Known Member
No, she was behind you.
As you start to go backwards down into the room full of endless blue lights (the former space station room)
The light source coming from her window was the brightest thing in the room. That's why many people that have home movies of SSE in the 80s and early 90s quickly pan over to her.
She was behind your right shoulder. You could catch a glimpse of her at the very top of the room by looking over your shoulder.
Protruding from the bottom of the window was a long, white mechanical arm that was holding onto the satellite dish that an astronaut was repairing.
The ceiling of the space station had pink lights along with tiny blinking lights.
In the 1994 refurb, the astronaut and satellite were removed, as well as the astronaut and satellite equipment out in the dome of SSE.
The space station lights were removed and the entire ceiling was painted from white, to black.
The mechanical arm was removed and the window was painted over.
Up until 2007 you could still turn around in your seat and see the window…a massive structure…about 10-15 feet tall, on the wall with it's glow in the dark paint.
In the 2007 refurb, the entire thing was painted black.
You can only faintly see it now when going right beneath where the endless blue lights end.
Expo_Seeker40
Well-Known Member
This video should help
Expo_Seeker40
Well-Known Member
The photo was taken from inside the space station room.
Notice the person in the white t-shirt looking over their right shoulder.
The girl in the window was right above the photographer when this pic was taken.
The yellow circle is the other astronaut bringing a piece of satellite equipment. He was hanging from the dome ceiling.
The big satellite was INSIDE the space station room. The white mechanical arm is connected to the girl in the window. I believe she operated it.
Expo_Seeker40
Well-Known Member
raven
Well-Known Member
Thank you for posting this! I first rode SSE in August of 1983 (not even a year after Epcot first opened). Some areas I remember vividly while others I cannot remember at all. This video fills in one of those memory gaps for me. Thank you!
joel_maxwell
Permanent Resident of EPCOT
I felt a disturbance in the force... and I was right. A thread bump on the greatest thread in WDWMAGIC history. @marni1971 is right, this thread is like family. Back in 2006... wow, it was intensely captivating.
Carry on fine people. Carry on.
Carry on fine people. Carry on.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
One thing I noticed in the film was something that I think I argued about a while ago. Those overhead triangles on the back trip that some insisted were added to hid stuff after the last update to SSE have actually been there since early on. I thought I remembered seeing them before, but, wasn't confident enough in my memory to carry it very far.Thank you for posting this! I first rode SSE in August of 1983 (not even a year after Epcot first opened). Some areas I remember vividly while others I cannot remember at all. This video fills in one of those memory gaps for me. Thank you!
The view of earth is spectacular from the top, but, was diminished by those other spacecraft items. I don't think it hurt anything, in fact added to the illusion of space travel. I have to wonder what was gained by eliminating them.
Different theme. Endless space as opposed to near orbit.
Remember, the satellites and station were part of a wider theme of skimming the moons surface having arrived from a second space station. This didn't work in practice so part of the themed location was lost even before the park opened. In 1994 180top was made more abstract to match the descent. Indeed, the short lived 94 laser was positioned above the window girl and below the space station roof. I dare say it would have been a thematic clash. Prior to the top of the core was the last real, physical show scene before things got trippy.
Also in 94 the earth projection was enhanced and was brighter. I dare say more ambient light from it would have shown up too many wires or even cast shadows on the roof interior. The new 07 earth certainly would have.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
That makes sense I guess, but, I wonder why it mattered if the concept of EPCOT was always the future. Just because it didn't work then really doesn't mean it wouldn't later when thinking in the anything is possible future outlook.
Doesn't really matter to me now. My favorite part of that whole ride is the space to earth scene. Every time I have ridden I have secretly hoped that the ride temporarily stop just when I get to that scene. Hasn't worked for me yet although just about every place else, has had a handicap delay while I was riding.
180top was set in the "near" future. Space stations and commonplace space walks. Plus the futurist of communications satellite as per the pavilions theme.
Sorry.... I see what you mean. I said didn't work as in the design execution didn't work. It looked false. This was only found when the set was part installed. The forced perspective didn't work. The main moonbase station and ascent station was removed but the satellites and descent station left in place since it was felt these parts did work. This was late summer 1982 with a looming deadline.
As we know to this day the moon surface cut outs on the safety railings still remain too.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Gotcha, yes I do agree with that and as you said, the lighting might easily show things that are better left unseen. Thanks for your reply.
articos
Well-Known Member
Right, in the backstory she was supposed to be operating the arm.
Horizons1
Well-Known Member
Were those large set pieces? What happened to them since they were removed before the park opened?
I assume trashed. There were space station "flats" and lattice work of a space station being built. It's visible in concept art.
joel_maxwell
Permanent Resident of EPCOT
Im still hopeful that one day, an old 35mm roll of film from one of the construction workers or designers surfaces and gets developed with all the original sets that got scraped.
Im looking forward to the day 180 top and the descent return to something more inspiring than the simple star field and matrix. Mainly the matrix.
articos
Well-Known Member
There are photos from the install in the archives. Some of the WED people who built Epcot also have pics that I'm sure will show up eventually.Im still hopeful that one day, an old 35mm roll of film from one of the construction workers or designers surfaces and gets developed with all the original sets that got scraped.
Im looking forward to the day 180 top and the descent return to something more inspiring than the simple star field and matrix. Mainly the matrix.