Spaceship Earth RUMOR

Blackie Pueblo · Post by **Blackie Pueblo** » Dec Fri 28, 2007 3:39 pm

Yeah my friend says it's really cool all the way until you get to the very top. But when you start the backward slide he said it literally looks like they ran out of money. The lights at the end looked very cheap and the track goes from very smooth until all of a sudden it starts clacking and shaking again.

I understand the video screens in front of you come on at this point and maybe they want your attention on the screens so maybe that's why they cut back on the scene in front of you.

I can't wait to ride this for myself and see what I think.

"I use the whole planet for ideas."
---Walter Elias Disney

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Dec Fri 28, 2007 6:08 pm

I just got back from two weeks at WDW during Christmas. The walls were still up when we arrived and previwes were going on randomly from being opened for the frist fifteen minutes of park hours to all day perviews. Halfway through the vacation the walls ame down and SSE soft opened a few days before Christmas. The lines are incredible, using both sides of SSE.

Anyway, my opinions of the ride:

- The lighting is classic, you can see the green lights around the mirror column again (I'll try to post a picture later along with the ones I took while the ride got stopped in the new computer scene

)
- The narration is not really bad, just different. Jeremy Irons gave the ride a more serious, yet awe-inspiring tone, and the lady (?) makes it sound really la dee dah, even cracking jokes (something about taxes).
- The soundtrack (if there is one) is extremely quiet (and not very good IMO). The only parts that really stuck out were the alleluias (spelling?) in the Sistine Chapel and the planetarium music. (I think I also heard some generic American tunes in the scenes around the cinema sign)
- Why is the paperboy selling papers to the black void of Spaceship Earth??
- The Animatronics are unbelievable, the best update to epcot since Horizons (was built)

- The Descent is --insert the most negative, repulsive word you know here--
- I do miss the Communication theme, but I guess it wouldn't fit in today's epcot and a "trip to the past" better suits today's epcot anyway, taking the place of all the original EPCOT Center attractions in one sweep. Spaceship Earth now feels like a prelude to all the other pavilions rather than being one among them

edit: Oh yeah, I took a video of it, I'll let you guys know if I end up putting it online, although it's not much different than the ones that are already online, although we did manage to find out why they take your picture at the begining (an effect that wasn't really working during the preview sessions and only began working after the walls were down)

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Dec Fri 28, 2007 8:21 pm

Cheshire Cat wrote:The lines are incredible, using both sides of SSE.

Holy cow. I don't think I've ever seen more than the one side used.

- The soundtrack (if there is one) is extremely quiet (and not very good IMO). The only parts that really stuck out were the alleluias (spelling?) in the Sistine Chapel and the planetarium music. (I think I also heard some generic American tunes in the scenes around the cinema sign)
- Why is the paperboy selling papers to the black void of Spaceship Earth??

Maybe those parts are still being tweaked? Did it look 'finished' when you were on it?

- The Animatronics are unbelievable, the best update to epcot since Horizons

When I read that, my mind inserted 'since Horizons closed'. I'm hoping it's better than that.

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Dec Fri 28, 2007 9:49 pm

Maybe those parts are still being tweaked? Did it look 'finished' when you were on it?

I think the soundtrack is complete. To me, it's so bland that my ears just tune it out except at the parts I mentioned. It sounds much quieter than the pervious version also. As for the paperboy, I really can't tell whether that is where he will be or if the imagineers are still working on his movements, but wanted him in the scene somewhere since his audio is already on the ride. Maybe some imagineer accidentally forgot to turn him around? His audio is the loudest thing in the scene and he's way off in the corner staring into the dark. It's pretty funny.

GhostHost · Post by **GhostHost** » Jan Wed 02, 2008 9:21 am

How about those pictures or video Cheshire? Maybe you posted in another thread?

Edit. Ah, I found them. Thanks!

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Jan Wed 02, 2008 8:53 pm

How about those pictures or video Cheshire?

Oh yeah, the pictures!

Also, is it just my fuzzy memory or at one point in the past did SSE's exterior lighting change colors similar to Cinderella Castle? Or was that just the plexiglass fountain?

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Jan Thu 03, 2008 4:09 am

Ooo, interesting. I like the skirt/boots combo on the female computer scene woman. Groovy.

So is that the descent you were dissenting about in your original post? It doesn't look that terrible, from those pics. Or is it after that part that you didn't like (or including that part, and afterward).

Cheshire Cat wrote:Also, is it just my fuzzy memory or at one point in the past did SSE's exterior lighting change colors similar to Cinderella Castle? Or was that just the plexiglass fountain?

I think it used to gradually change colors, in sort of a reverse sunset pattern. I don't think it ever changed as dramatically as the castle did/does. I did notice when we were there in December they were putting up the words on it again after Illuminations (goodnight in different languages). I thought that was kinda neat; haven't seen that in a long time.

GhostHost · Post by **GhostHost** » Jan Thu 03, 2008 8:03 am

Cool, thanks for posting those! That old man in the lab coat looks like Grandpa from the Carousel of Progress! That whole scene looks like left over set pieces from the Mission to Mars ride! Hey, even if it was I would not care. I love to see classic things reused in a new space. Judging from the pictures I would say that things look good and I can't wait to see it this year. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

yodiwan1 · Post by **yodiwan1** » Jan Thu 03, 2008 1:06 pm

That old man in the lab coat looks like Grandpa from the Carousel of Progress!

with Disney's history of re-using old animatronics and molds, that veyr well could be the grandpa from COP!

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Jan Thu 03, 2008 4:38 pm

So is that the descent you were dissenting about in your original post? It doesn't look that terrible, from those pics. Or is it after that part that you didn't like (or including that part, and afterward).

The computer scene is where the cinema screens used to be (now condensed into one movie theater). Then there's an additional apple computer scene where the boys bedroom used to be (the boy seems to have joined his family in the living room). After that there's a new "electronic babble" tunnel, although I think it's now supposed to be the inside of the computer (whatever it is, the shape of the tunnel is weird leaving a big openess to the left hand side). Then the planetarium. When your vehicles rotate backwards is where the real trouble begins.

If I took pictures of the descent there would be literally nothing to see. I'm working on the video up, I'll let you guys know when it's up (probably some time tonight).

I think it used to gradually change colors, in sort of a reverse sunset pattern.

That sounds pretty cool. I wish I could remember it.

EDIT:
I've posted two videos on youtube. It's actually my dad taping (as I had the camera). Youtube really messes up the video quality, but I think it's still pretty decent. What really amazed me was how good the narration audio turned out, I guess the video camera was right next to the speaker.

First video is the ride to the top (I've even thrown in a free breakdwon spiel

)

Second video is a comparison of the Irons descent and the new descent because I was feeling creative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2mqWLlOoIA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeKT0YxkYqo

Both are spoilers obviously...

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Jan Sat 05, 2008 3:28 am

Wow. First of all, thanks so much for putting the videos up.

Judi Dench seems to fit, to me. I don't like the new soundtrack as much as the old one; it's definitely not as 'soothing'. Though the point of the ride isn't to soothe so I don't know ... might have to hear the whole track stand-alone before I decide thumbs up or down on that one.

And now that I've seen the descent... also wow. But the bad kind of wow this time. It's almost profoundly disturbing to think I'll never see that fiber optic 'swoosh' again, especially when it's been replaced by -that-.

Esmeralda · Post by **Esmeralda** » Jan Sat 05, 2008 10:00 am

Does anyone know if they're still doing a soft opening, or is it shut down until the official opening now?

Thanks for all the sneak peaks, Cheshy!

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Jan Sat 05, 2008 11:05 am

What really bothers me is that the descent video is now the only reference to the future in all of future world. It's not even a plausible near future, but a sci fi future, something taht would have fit in Horizons' "Looking Back At Tomorrow" Sequence.

Blackie Pueblo · Post by **Blackie Pueblo** » Jan Sat 05, 2008 7:14 pm

WOW! Great pics Chesire! I can't thank you enough. The problem is you are all killing me with anticipation to ride this!!

"Everything in EPCOT will be dedicated to the happiness of the people who live, work, and play here..."
---Walter Elias Disney

FlyingMouse · Post by **FlyingMouse** » Jan Sun 06, 2008 12:19 am

I hope they paid Hanna-Barbera some royalties for their Jetsons knockoff on that descent video.