Disney’s Now Seemingly Shelved Plans Reportedly Leak Online

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Epcot at night

Credit: Disney

For those who have been visiting the Walt Disney Resort and Parks over the years, you will have surely noticed several big changes going on in the Parks right now.

A group of people on a city street
Credit: Disney

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Disney’s Hollywood Studios recently underwent its biggest change ever, getting both Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as well as the incredibly-cool Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. The Magic Kingdom also saw changes in the form of refurbishments to rides as well as Cinderella Castle at the end of Main Street U.S.A. Animal Kingdom is still reeling in from the success of Pandora – The World of Avatar.

But perhaps the biggest changes are happening at a Disney Park in desperate need of some upgrades.

EPCOT's Spaceship Earth
Image Credit: USAToday.com (Photographer, David Roark)

It was announced a few years back in 2019 at D23 that EPCOT would be undergoing a complete transformation, bringing in the properties, attractions, rides, and lands. We saw the sad demolition of Innoventions, the rework of Club Cool and most excitingly, a refurbishment was announced for Spaceship Earth, the flagship attraction of the Park.

Unfortunately, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, several aspects of this remodel and transformation were halted, with the Spaceship Earth’s transformation being one of them.

Epcot Center with fireworks
Credit: Disney

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While not much is known about it, Spaceship Earth was supposed to get a retheme/remodel, completely changing and upgrading the ride experience which is now quite dated (especially the touch screen portion at the end!). Sadly, the plan to give this ride the treatment has been put on hold.

Spacehip Earth and Monorail
Credit: Disney

Recently, a few of the supposed plans for this remodel were leaked online, giving us a look at what could have been. Below we can see Disney fan DreafinderGuy (@Dreamfinderguy) posted wheat they claim to be images from Spaceship Earth’s concept art. It should be noted that this was not posted by Disney, and therefore, cannot be credited as valid concept art for the attraction. The poster claims that these photos are accurate, however, without Disney verifying this, we cannot be sure and they can also just be fan art disguised as official concept art.

That being said, it is still fun to imagine what the future may hold for the attraction!

More Spaceship Earth stuff is getting out there. The portfolio finds strike back!

As you can see, not much is shown in the supposed plans for the remodel, but we can get a good idea of what we might’ve been able to see if Disney does move forward with the project and if these photos are theirs. It appears that the final sequence of the ride would be getting a big change as shown in the first picture. In the other two pictures, it looks like a complete overhaul of the lighting and theming throughout the ride would be reworked too.

Spaceship earth beacons of light
Credit: Zach Riddley via Instagram

While we are not sure how official these photos are or if the plans have even been scrapped completely, but it is exciting to speculate what could become of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT.

More on the attraction below:

Back to the Beginning

Witness the landmark moments of amazing innovation that made today’s spectacular communications technology possible. 

Travel back to the dawn of humanity, when early man painted on cave walls. Watch new ideas spread like wildfire with the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press. The wheels of time turn ever faster as we enter the modern age of media, from newspapers announcing the end of the Civil War to the televised broadcast of the moon landing—and beyond. 

All of these great moments are brought vividly to life using elaborate sets and advanced Audio-Animatronics figures during this inspirational, 16-minute, Omnimover-style attraction.

world celebration spaceship earth
Credit: Disney

Forward into Your Future

Once you’ve returned to the present day, you’ll have a chance to design the kind of future you want to live in using the touch screen inside your vehicle. Answer several brief questions and get ready to see what your tomorrow looks like!

The Story Behind the Spaceship

It’s the flagship attraction of Epcot and the signature symbol of the park. To create the experience inside the iconic geosphere, Disney Imagineers assembled some of the world’s greatest talents. 

The all-star roster includes Academy Award® winner Judi Dench as the narrator and Emmy® winner Bruce Broughton, who conducted a 63-piece orchestra and 24-voice choir for his musical score. If you listen closely, you’ll notice that the music for each scene features styles and instruments appropriate to the era, transitioning seamlessly into the next—no small feat.

minnie donald goofy and mickey mouse at spaceship earth epcot
Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Guests can visualize these exciting plans for EPCOT at Walt Disney Imagineering presents the EPCOT Experience in the Odyssey Events Pavilion. Here they discover an exhibit showcasing the relentless innovation, energy and excitement driving the park’s future throughout this period of transformation. More information on other previously announced experiences coming to EPCOT will be provided at a later date.

Would you like Spaceship Earth to undergo a refurbishment or stay the same? Let us know in the comments below. 

Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disney World’s water parks, four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!

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