Spaceship Earth Structure Removed After EPCOT Work Completed

Construction walls have come down near Spaceship Earth at EPCOT as some restoration work comes to a close. Let’s dive into what we know about the project.

In August 2019, Walt Disney Imagineering announced that Spaceship Earth would be refreshed and modernized as part of Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2021. This would occur as part of a larger EPCOT transformation, with three new neighborhoods replacing Future World: World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature.

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed EPCOT’s construction plans, and many promised attractions and areas opened long after the 50th anniversary celebrations ended. The transformation officially finished in 2024 with Communicore Hall and Plaza opening in the World Celebration neighborhood. It included the grand opening of attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana.

But not every promised project came to fruition. In the summer of 2020, a Disney spokesperson confirmed that the Spaceship Earth refresh and a promised Mary Poppins (1964) ride in the United Kingdom World Showcase Pavilion were indefinitely delayed.

At D23 Expo 2024, Walt Disney Imagineering announced that a new Spaceship Earth-themed lounge is coming to the former Siemens lounge attached to the attraction. Crews are hard at work on this lounge, which is expected to open later this year.

However, recent construction inside and outside the Spaceship Earth building appears unrelated to the all-new lounge. A few months ago, construction walls appeared outside the Eastern entrance/exit to Project Tomorrow, the interactive exhibit at the exit of Spaceship Earth.

On Tuesday, BlogMickey reported that crews had removed the construction walls, revealing some of the mystery work. According to the report, crews patched and painted part of the ceiling inside and outside. The outside construction walls appeared to have been preventing guests from accessing the areas where ceiling work was being done.

Tarps cover part of the ceiling inside the entryway. It’s unclear if this ceiling restoration is related to the construction work above Project Tomorrow for the upcoming Spaceship Earth lounge. However, the lounge entrance is expected to be on the West side of Project Tomorrow, taking over the entrance to the former Siemens lounge.

What do you think of EPCOT’s recent transformation? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!