When it comes to EPCOT, is there anything more iconic than the spiky ball itself? The pretty orb is also the classic ride, Spaceship Earth. But it’s been around since 1982, and it even survived some lightning strikes right to the dome. It has built quite the reputation for breaking down. But there’s one funny thing a group of cast members was caught doing recently on the very day it was announced that Spaceship Earth is getting refurbished.
If you didn’t catch the D23 Entertainment Showcase last weekend, tons of announcements were made about Disney Parks, like the return of Expedition Everest’s Yeti and a reimagining of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. And for Spaceship Earth, it’s going to finally get the redesign fans have been talking about for years.
Amidst the news, some fans who were already at EPCOT ran to ride Spaceship Earth. Here’s what happened next:
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Spaceship Earth had broken down… again when the fans arrived there, but the cast members tried to make them feel like they were on the ride. They straight up reenacted the ride between the four of them, and what a show! As the Instagram user wrote, they “deserve a RAISE!” What a goofy, but very fun thing for them to do. I have to wonder how often they do this.
Since its opening, Spaceship Earth has told the history of human innovation from prehistoric times to the 21st century. It may be an old ride, but it has one of the most complicated ride systems Walt Disney Imagineering has ever thought up, given it involves a continuously moving train of vehicles that spiral up into the round structure before making its way back down to Earth. Currently, Judi Dench narrates the journey.
The new version of the EPCOT ride is set to have an updated theme of “human connection”. And what better way to celebrate that than with these cast members giving all they had to reimagine the ride with their own play? I mean, they must have memorized it with no sweat given they work at the attraction.
Along with Spaceship Earth getting updated, it was announced this month that there’s going to be a TV series inspired by the ride. It’s being developed by Loki creator Michael Waldron for those with a Disney+ subscription. It’ll apparently be about a group of teens from Earth’s past and future who band together to “confront a threat as vast and mysterious as time itself”.
In addition to all these Spaceship Earth updates, D23 also announced that a Figment and Dreamfinder ride would be added back to EPCOT. There’s a lot of upcoming Walt Disney World attractions, but what’s going on with Spaceship Earth is big!
