WDW 35th and Epcot 25th Rumors

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Apr Thu 12, 2007 11:01 pm

Is there some other 'Disney wide' celebration that coincides with the timing of Epcot's anniversary (apart from the 35th)? I mean, something they could expand to cover all the parks, as in a "Happiest Celebration on Earth" type of thing? I can't think of any off the top of my head (though I'm not trying very hard), but if they already have some other year-long thing in the works, maybe that's why the (apparent) lack of emphasis on Epcot's anni? </random thought>

It does sound like they have some interesting plans for SE. I'm glad the words 'roller coaster' don't appear.

Post by **js3901** » Apr Thu 12, 2007 11:14 pm

DisBeamer wrote:Is there some other 'Disney wide' celebration that coincides with the timing of Epcot's anniversary (apart from the 35th)? I mean, something they could expand to cover all the parks, as in a "Happiest Celebration on Earth" type of thing? I can't think of any off the top of my head (though I'm not trying very hard), but if they already have some other year-long thing in the works, maybe that's why the (apparent) lack of emphasis on Epcot's anni? </random thought>

well, the Year of a Million Dreams will be going on through to December, so that may have something to do with it.

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Apr Thu 12, 2007 11:32 pm

So what are the official close and start-up dates? I'm doing the CP from August 13th to January 4th. I would love to be there opening day for the new spaceship earth. I cant believe this past January will be my last time hearing Jeremy Iron's voice.

They better keep the smell from the Rome burning scene!

I must admit that I really do like the new changes though, they all sound real good though and glad that the "roller coaster" rumor was just a rumor

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Apr Fri 13, 2007 2:38 am

packwingfn wrote:They better keep the smell from the Rome burning scene!

Oh man, yes! This has got to be one of the most memorable smells on property (only it's enjoyable ... unlike other memorable smells, such as 'sweaty people on a bus'...).

I hope they find a way to keep the Roman horse animatronics too. I love those.

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Apr Fri 13, 2007 3:21 pm

New soundtrack??? I must object to that idea. Spaceship Earth has some of my favorite music in the park.

Well as long as their create a new wonderful soundtrack is up to par with this one, then I'm all up for more disney background music

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » Apr Sat 14, 2007 8:12 pm

DisBeamer wrote:Is there some other 'Disney wide' celebration that coincides with the timing of Epcot's anniversary (apart from the 35th)?

Everything I've seen so far says nothing "Offical" is planned. You can read the interview with Brad Rex that Deb (of All Ears) did. Brad is the VP incharge of Epcot.

http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/ep/bradrex.htm

He said that there are some "Cast Only" events planned. But elsewhere I've seen where it sounds like they are going to try to work some things for Epcots 25th into existing events like Food and Wine, and Flower and Garden.

johno

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Apr Wed 18, 2007 9:37 am

This is being reported by several outlets. I'm taking it for fact.

Epcot's 'Spaceship Earth' to Feature Re-Imagined Time-Travel Adventure
and New Finale Presented by Siemens

At Epcot, a re-imagined Spaceship Earth will combine the magic of the iconic attraction's time-travel adventure into the past with a new finale, presented by Siemens, which lets Guests imagine their futures.

Enhancements to the time-travel attraction will encompass changes to each of the ride scenes. New show scenes will be added to the attraction's story along with new lighting effects, costumes, set decoration, narration and musical score. The time travel adventure will be enhanced through new, interactive touch screens installed aboard each "time machine" that will enable guests to create their own visions of the future and see themselves in that future.

As guests disembark the time travel experience, they are invited to visit Project Tomorrow: Inventing the World of Tomorrow presented by Siemens, where interactive exhibits bring to life the ideas and technologies Siemens is developing to help make the world a better place for the future.

The space is filled with fun, interactive games and displays that showcase innovative technologies. Here guests step into the world of tomorrow and glimpse the future of medicine, transportation and responsible energy management across the globe.

Opening to Epcot guests later this month, the first completed phases of Project Tomorrow will include an illuminated globe -- measuring 20 feet in diameter -- that will offer an ever-changing collage of inspirational images that invite guests to imagine the wonders of tomorrow; Body Builder, a 3-D game that enables users to assemble a digital human body; and, Super Driver, a driving simulation video game that showcases motor vehicle accident and avoidance systems developed by Siemens.

With phased renovations occurring through the year, Spaceship Earth's makeover is scheduled to be fully completed in early 2008.

Post by **subsonic** » Apr Wed 18, 2007 10:26 am

The sound of this is promising. Of course, what goes through my head is exhibits and and ending that brings back the feeling of what EPCOT really is. I hope it's not done on the cheap.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Apr Wed 18, 2007 12:01 pm

Siemens, from what I understand, is putting a lot of money into EPOCT. I don't think any of it is being done cheap.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Apr Wed 18, 2007 12:38 pm

I'm not nearly as concerned about the price tag as I am about the thought put into it.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Apr Wed 18, 2007 12:58 pm

I have a life long friend who has been a tech at EPCOT for going on 18 years and he's very impressed by what's been going on now. As he has told me, " Things were done so badly for so long, it's just good to see it done right for a change." This from someone who has been very upset about the way Disney (Eisner) ran the place on the cheap for so long!

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Apr Wed 18, 2007 3:09 pm

I'm with shnemo on this one: they better be putting some thought into this. They've been advertising it like a time machine ride and whatnot with how you can pick your own future. This was Horizon's job. Spaceship Earth is supposed to be the story of communication, not future living. At this point, I'd rather have them leave everything alone and just update the AA to be more life-like such as the new Jack Sparrow AA. That would be money well spent to me.

I also cannot bring myself to believe that they are going to change the narration or the soundtrack

update: lol, two seconds after I finished writing this, I followed a link on this site to a blog where they wrote an entire article on this matter: http://epcot82.blogspot.com/

update after rereading the main article:

The new features will be a 20-foot-high globe offering an ever-changing collage of images of the future; a 3-D game called "Body Builder" enabling visitors to assemble a digital human body; and a driving simulator showcasing motor-vehicle accident and avoidance systems.

These things sound like they belong in WoL and Test Track (they also have nothing to do with communication) Why oh why are they changing this classic??? All they've ever been doing is changing things lately, not updating them...

FlatlandMounty · Post by **FlatlandMounty** » Apr Wed 18, 2007 11:34 pm

I think the upgrade will be great. Its just too bad that Spaceship Earth will be closed for the 25th anniversary

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Apr Fri 20, 2007 10:00 am

I just wish I could ride this version of Spaceship Earth one more time before it closes. But at least I will be down there when it reopens if it reopens as scheduled.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Apr Sun 22, 2007 1:51 pm

Cheshire Cat wrote: update after rereading the main article:
The new features will be a 20-foot-high globe offering an ever-changing collage of images of the future; a 3-D game called "Body Builder" enabling visitors to assemble a digital human body; and a driving simulator showcasing motor-vehicle accident and avoidance systems.
These things sound like they belong in WoL and Test Track (they also have nothing to do with communication) Why oh why are they changing this classic??? All they've ever been doing is changing things lately, not updating them...

I didn't see anywhere in there where it said that the actual story line of the ride was being altered. SSE has always uses Time Travel Vehicles - it's nothing new. As for the new finale, the current incarnation does include visions of the future so I'm not sure what your issues are? The rest of the stuff is in where the global neighborhood used to be with interactive games and stuff. The reason it's not going to be communications based in there any more is that Siemens is not a communications company - they do a lot of medical and other technologies which would explain what they have planned for the post-ride area. I think the only real change to the story line will be the editing of the narration to be more broad in terms of scene descriptions rather than simply focusing solely on communications etc. I'll miss Jeremy Irons' soothing voice, but there's always SSR for that I guess.

I've been thinking a lot about EPCOT and all the nostalgia I have around it, and I sincerely believe that in a lot of ways many of the changes are necessary for what the park supposedly stands for. It shouldn't really be the same park it was in 1982, as fondly as we all may remember the older days. Now, I'm not giving them a free pass - I still think they're infusing way too much Disney animation into the park and giving it much more of a fantasy land, rather than a tomorrow land feel (and I use tomorrow land loosely, especially not considering the current TL at either park - "The Land of Tomorrow that Never Was"...) - but they can't rely solely on AA technology that Walt himself helped create almosr 1/2 a century ago.