Today we are going to look the history of the ride within the icon of Epcot.
Spaceship Earth is the ride about the history of communication inside the large geodesic sphere that towers over the park. It weighs over 16,000,000 pounds and is 180 feet tall!
When I was a kid I would watch the videos online with the construction of the gigantic “golf ball” and I was fascinated by it. I was lucky enough to go to the park within the first year it opened, and I was so excited to see the ride inside!
An Origin from Science and Science Fiction
The WED Enterprises team (pre-Disney Imagineering) wanted an scientific and visually impressive structure, that would also become an icon for the park. Gordon Hoopes was assigned to be the project designer on Spaceship Earth. He said he wanted to:
“create an atmosphere for our guests that raises their spirit and kindles an excitement for the human experience in the future.””
Originally they were going to do more of a dome shape, but they decided to instead go with the sphere. The design and ideas borrowed from many sources. The name Spaceship Earth was not a new one. At this point Buckminster Fuller had already popularized the term “Spaceship Earth” from his 1968 book Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth. He was also known for his earlier work in geodesic domes. Fuller did not invent the geodesic dome, but he was awarded the US patents.
When they wanted to develop the actual attraction the team consulted with several third party organizations like the University of Southern California, the Smithsonian Institute, and the University of Chicago. They also hired MIT to research wind tunnel models to determine a plan for construction taking wind pressure into account on a sphere.
Originally they wanted the six legs around the attraction to support it, but they couldn’t distribute the weight properly. Improper distribution could lead to collapse. To keep the design with the legs they decided to create a “table” with the legs and engineer the sphere to help support itself. So the outside shell is supported “independently of the legs.”
After a plan was made, construction took a little more than 2 years. There are actually two spheres used in this attraction. The outer sphere is the facade we see today. It utilizes a material called Alucobond,a special plastic with aluminum sheets on either side. The name comes from it’s make-up, ALUminum Composite BOND. The pieces of Alucobond are cut and formed into the triangular, pyramid shapes visible to guests.
Behind the outer shell is a two-foot space to the inner sphere. In that space between spheres, a special gutter system collects rain water and directs it away to the World Showcase Lagoon.
The Ride Inside
The inner sphere contains the ride vehicles and attraction.
The ride system used is an Omnimover system and speakers in the vehicles to provide narration on the journey through time. In 2007, screens were added for the current interactive ending.
The track itself is actually arranged in two helix shapes, spiraling the vehicles to the top of the sphere and then back down to the unloading area. You can tell when you are going back down….backwards.
The ride itself is full of special effects and animatronics. There are dozens of animatonics throughout the ride. The story is that many of the male characters are re-purposed Hall of Presidents animatronics from the Magic Kingdom. James Buchanon is Gutenberg.
Andrew Jackson could be the animatronic as Gutenberg’s assistant.
William Taft is the Egyptian priest.
Teddy Roosevelt is a Roman senator.
Zachary Taylor is the Centurion Roman Soldier.
John Adams is one of the monks
John Tyler is one of the Turkish scholars
Franklin Pierce is another scholar
Dwight D. Eisenhower is the mandolin player
Another fun fact the lira da braccio player is the daughter from Carousel of Progress
Throughout the years a few things have been changed besides the narration.
There are a lot of minor costume or wig changes and some more noticeable ones.
Here are a few examples:
Originally, when you entered the Greek area it was a theater scene and it later changed to an “educational” one.
One of the most requested fixes is the chariot. In the original version there was an animated chariot racing across the screen in the Roman area. It has since been removed, but I always looked forward to it.
The scene with the Turkish scholars used to have four scholars instead of the 3 you see now.
Printing Press Scene
The pressman has been updated and the newsboy, who was originally facing the riders, has been replaced and turned away from the omnimover track.
Communications Radio
The current version has a a man in the booth with a sound technician. The earlier version had 2 actors doing a radio drama with a sound technician.
The Computer Era Scenes.
There once was a boy video chatting with a friend (they got that one right!) This was the 1994-2007 version.
Originally there was a Bell Systems Operations Segment. It was slightly changed a couple of times with the woman and logos being removed.
Main Frame
In the current version, both sides of the track are being used. Instead of the Systems Operations being used we now have a large 1960’s inspired Main Frame installation.
We possibly get to see some of the old animatronics from previous parts of the ride reused.
There was a scene where a man was working on a small computer. It’s the new garage scene now.
This also ties into an earlier scene change with the Gutenberg press. Originally there was another animatronic there setting the type. It’s believe that he became the young man at the computer in the scene above.
Home office segment with a woman.
All Good Things Must Come To An End
One of the saddest parts, to me, of the changes has been the ending. As a kid I always loved it. (pre-1994)
There used to be a space station with a woman looking out and astronauts working on satellites. The space station is still there, but it’s painted over and hidden.
The ending has been changed a few times. Originally it was the Tomorrow’s Child version.
But my favorite was the 1994-2008 version.
You spiraled back down while watching various interactions using telecommunications (accurately predicting today) and then traveled past a gorgeous fiber optic city.
Fiber optic city. It was absolutely beautiful to see. It’s really hard to find photos.
This one is from Magic in Pixels
The current renovation added new cars with a touch screen. The ending is a “choose your own adventure” type ending where you make choices to determine your future.
I’m not a fan of this. Mostly because the journey back down is very boring now. IT’s all mirrors and lights and nothing like the previous versions.
Sponsorship
Over the course of the years there have been a few different sponsors for the attraction. Originally Bell System sponsored the ride from 1982-1984. Then AT&T sponsored the ride from 1984-2004. Then Siemens took over in 2005 until the withdrew last year in 2017.
There have also been different narrators. Usually changing when renovations were done to the ride.
Lawrence Dobkin Opening October 1, 1981-May 25, 1986
Walter Cronkite May 29, 1986 – August 15, 1994
Jeremy Irons November 23, 1994 – July 9, 2007
and finally Judi Dench February 15, 2008–present
Wikipedia has this great time-line up on their site
- “October 1, 1982: Spaceship Earth opens with the opening of EPCOT Center. Sponsored by the Bell System.The narrator is Lawrence Dobkin.
- May 26, 1986: Attraction reopens from first major renovation. AT&T is now the sponsor, having signed on in 1984. New narration by Walter Cronkite. Finale music changed to Tomorrow’s Child.
- August 15, 1994: Closes for second major renovation. “Home computer”, “Office Computer”, “Network Operations Center”, and “Space Station” scenes removed. New final scenes installed and replace old final scenes. Earth Station closes. Tomorrow’s Child ending removed.
- November 23, 1994: Attraction reopens. New ride narration by Jeremy Irons. New ride score by Edo Guidotti. The Global Neighborhood replaces Earth Station.
- September 29, 1999: The Mickey Mouse arm holding a wand is dedicated with “2000” over Spaceship Earth.
- November 24, 1999: The Global Neighborhood is replaced with The New Global Neighborhood, a new exhibit space serving as a hands-on playground for Spaceship Earth’s post show.
- May 2001: The Mickey Mouse arm holding a wand is changed to say “Epcot” over Spaceship Earth.
- January 1, 2004: AT&T Corporation sponsorship ends.
- April 2004: The New Global Neighborhood is removed and the area is boarded up. AT&T references removed.
- November 2005: It is announced that Siemens AG will sponsor Spaceship Earth for twelve years.
- April 11, 2007: Major changes coming to Spaceship Earth are announced.
- April 25, 2007: The new exhibit space in Spaceship Earth’s post show called Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future opens.
- July 5, 2007: Epcot Vice President Jim Macphee announces the removal of the wand structure in time for the park’s 25th anniversary on October 1, 2007.
- July 9, 2007: Closes for a fourth renovation. Removal of the wand structure begins.
- August 24, 2007: Removal of the wand structure completed.
- December 2007: Guest previews of fourth edition begin.
- February 15, 2008: Fourth edition opens to the general public. New narration by Dame Judi Dench.
- March 4, 2008: Spaceship Earth is rededicated.
- October 1, 2012: Spaceship Earth and Epcot celebrate their 30th anniversary.”
If you are a big Spaceship Earth fan and would like to see an amazing site that takes you through every scene in the ride, and adds fun historical facts, and information check out TikiSpaceshipEarth.com. It is a Fantastic site!
For many people Spaceship Earth is a beloved, classic attraction. My parents shared it with me and I have shared it with my kids. Three generations all love it!
There have been rumors about IP updates, or removal of the attraction completely. I HOPE that Disney doesn’t do either. Instead update what they have here and there. I wish they would change the current ending to something more like the previous one. But keep Spaceship Earth, mostly Spaceship Earth.
Do you love Spaceship Earth? Comment and let us know.
Sources: Wikipedia, Theme Park Tourist, Undercover Tourist, Malloryobryant, TikiSpaceshipEarth,
Image Sources: Tikispaceshipearth.com, Dailydot.com, ingrum, Imagineering Disney, flickr, Wired, flickr, Allears.net, burnsland, Allears.net, JeffLangeDVD, amusementauthority, magicalmountain, intercot, Allears.net,
