Credit: Inside the MagicDisney World may have started a new tradition: soft openings for its updated rides and attractions. That tradition continued on Saturday night.
Without any warning, Disney offered guests at EPCOT on Saturday a soft opening of the refurbished Spaceship Earth. The ride officially shut down in late August and wasn’t expected to reopen until next week, but Disney gave EPCOT guests a special treat.
According to guests who went on the updated ride, there are very few noticeable differences. Apparently, the ride closed for nearly two months for routine maintenance and to fix some of the animatronics.
The soft opening has become a new tradition for Disney World lately. Over the summer, Disney reopened Astro Orbiter and the Hall of Presidents without any notice to guests. However, the biggest soft openings would come in July.
Disney opened the brand new Test Track 3.0 a few days before its announced reopening date for a soft opening. Less than a week later, Disney debuted its Starlight: Dream the Night Away Parade at Magic Kingdom, a few days early, shocking some of the guests in the park at the time.
The soft opening strategy gives guests a surprise preview of the rides/attractions, but it is also beneficial for cast members to work out some of the kinks before the crowds rush the attraction. Unlike in the past, it also gives Disney Imagineering a chance to run through the ride with guests to ensure it’s ready for prime time.
Disney Imagineering learned its lesson from the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disney World and Disneyland, which was plagued by malfunctions and broken animatronics. Now, Disney can hopefully work out those problems before more guests show up at the park specifically for that ride.
If you’re lucky enough to be at EPCOT over the next couple of days, you may get to ride the updated Spaceship Earth before its official reopening next weekend.
What do you think of Disney’s new soft opening strategy? Let us know in the comments.