The iconic symbol of Epcot Theme Park is undoubtedly Spaceship Earth, an 18-story sphere that welcomes Guests to the park. Chances are, if you have ever visited Epcot, you have a picture of yourself in front of the “giant golf ball.” When my family and I first visited Epcot shortly after it opened in 1982, we were amazed at the “Epcot ball,” and the fact that it housed a ride made it all the more exciting. Spaceship Earth has changed a lot over the years and it is pretty amazing to have experienced each change along the way.
Spaceship Earth, for you newbies, is a continuously loading ride that explores advancements in art, language, music and technology as means of communication. While sponsorship of Spaceship Earth has changed hands several times since 1982, all were communications companies, which is especially relevant as Spaceship earth explores communication through the ages from prehistoric times to smack in the middle of the 21st century. From Bell Systems to AT&T to the present sponsor, Siemens, the main concept of the Earth being “like a grand and miraculous spaceship” has not changed.
Here are a few fun facts you may not know:
- The original narrator (1982-1986) was always assumed to be Vic Perrin. However, in 2008, Imagineer Marty Sklar credited an actor named Larry Dobkin as the voice of the first narrator. This remains a subject of controversy!
- Walter Cronkite narrated the attraction from 1986-1994. Jeremy Irons reigned as the vocal tour guide through time from 1994-2007.
- After the most recent major refurbishment in 2007, Dame Judi Dench emerged as the fourth narrator (and the only female) and hers is presently the voice you will hear leading you “through the dawn of recorded time.”
- The original script for Spaceship Earth was written by uber-famous science fiction author Ray Bradbury.
- In 2000, a 25-story magic wand was added to the outside of Spaceship Earth. While many Guests were not fond of the wand, it remained there until its removal in 2007, just in time for Epcot’s 25th birthday celebration.
- While there are no height or age restrictions to ride Spaceship Earth, many parts are quite dark. If your child is easily frightened, you may want to skip the trip!
My siblings and I tend to remember each incarnation of Spaceship Earth by its narrator … and my paperboy. Those of you avid Disney Parks visitors know what I am talking about. Over the years you get to “know” the animatronics and love them. The young paperboy is arguably my favorite animatronic in all of the Disney Parks. With the advent of the printing press, my sweet-faced paperboy would be standing right in front of my ride vehicle shouting out, “Extra, Extra, New York Daily!” Honestly, the paperboy was my first love, now that I think about it. Imagine my horror when his voice was changed to a deep-throated, gravelly low voice proclaiming, “Extra, Extra, read all about it.” My boy had clearly hit puberty … or at least his voice did, while his small stature remained unchanged. With the newest refurbishment in 2007, I had high hopes that my boy might be brought back to the forefront and perhaps reclaim his old voice. Sadly, Judi Dench’s Spaceship Earth banished my paperboy to the back of his scene, facing away from riders … but at least his voice is similar to the original.
Other alterations across the years include the removal of that catchy tune, “Tomorrow’s Child,” written by Ron Ovadia and Peter Stougaard, a staple during Walter Cronkite’s reign as narrator. I loved this song when I was younger and while the new music is always amazing, I am a bit nostalgic for “Tomorrow’s Child.” Another new addition is the room of lights near the end of the ride, where your vehicle passes through thousands of white lights in perfect columns and rows, symbolizing the brightness of the future in store for our planet.
With each refurbishment came many, many changes to the scenes, musical soundtrack and script. As with anything new, the changes will please some and disappoint others. In 2007, touch screens were brought to the vehicles. At the beginning of the current experience, cameras will snap your picture to be used later in a video created just for you based on your choices for the future. This new addition (unlike some of the others) has been pretty well-received and is one of my kids’ favorite things to do in Epcot. While the general tone of the ride is serious and educational, it is not without a bit of humor. Notably, when “monks toil endlessly recording books by hand,” the snoring monk snoozing away is sure to make you chuckle. Fan favorites like the smell of the burning Library of Alexandria become familiar memories after Guests have ridden more than a few times.
Project Tomorrow, Siemens’ version of the post-ride experience, came along in 2007. This area features stations where Guests can e-mail postcards from the future to themselves, with video and pictures of the futures they have selected for themselves. It is as easy as typing in your e-mail address and knowing your ABC’s. “Thank the Phoenicians; they invented them!” Those pictures also appear on huge screens around the room with maps charting the home location of each visitor as well. Several other interactive games are housed around the perimeter of the room for a bit of extra fun after your journey through time. My kids loved Power City, an interactive game like shuffleboard where they worked with others to power a virtual city. If these details don’t make you excited to ride, Karen’s article offers some great reasons to hop on board!
DIStracted Tip: Spaceship Earth is available as a FastPass+ selection, but lines at off times can be manageable so it may not be necessary to have one. Avoid riding at park opening; it is the first attraction Guests pass when entering Epcot, and many choose to ride it then. For tips about choosing your Epcot FastPass+ selections, be sure to check out this informative article by Christen F.
What are your favorite parts of Spaceship Earth? Are there any changes that you love or things that you miss? We would love to hear from you. And as Judi Dench says, “See you in the future!”
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