It would appear as though some EXTREMELY lucky people were allowed into Spaceship Earth on Wednesday night an hour before park closing at Epcot.

From what I'm reading, SSE has a "Horizons" feel to it now, less of a communications history class. The show hasn't changed much, though there are changes in nearly every scene.

Was anyone lucky enough to have ridden Spaceship Earth during one of these random previews?

On one of the rollercoaster sites, screamscape i believe, they had like 2 pictures. But Im not really sure cause Im not that familiar with Space Ship Earth, so I didn't know exactly what I was looking at. LOL

I know of a very reputable podcast that spoke of the changes to SSE. one of the scenes close to the end, where they had the lights connecting computers and all("internet" scene), was changed. they've added an animatronic that looks a lot like a young Steve Jobs. Jobs, is of course, the head of Pixar and founder of Macintosh. i'd have to listen again to get all the details that have changed.

they've added an animatronic that looks a lot like a young Steve Jobs. Does he stand there and scream at his employees irrationally?

If not, it's not really Jobs.

:asd:

After reading quite a few reviews and watching two videos of the ride today, I have come to a conclusion of my thoughts: The ride is nowhere near completion. The first part of the ride looks great! Everything looks touched up, some new scenes were added, other scenes were removed, and the new storyline is decent. Judi Dench isn't a plus for the ride, yet she isn't a negative either. In my mind, riding with the deeper, more "epic", voice of Jeremy Irons fits the attraction much better. What disappoints me the most is the descent from the top of the ride. It's in near complete darkness, excepting some lighting effects, but they're not being viewed due to too much attention being focused on an animation played on your screens. Something more needs to be done with the descent, which is why I am hoping the ride is nowhere near completion.

The official opening day is still set for February 19th, which is quite some time away, enough to fix up the ending.

Sorry to spam the thread if I am but what exactly is this Space Ship Earth ride?

you know the "golf ball" at the front of Epcot? Space Ship Earth is inside it, and it's a journey through the history of communication between humans. the ride starts with caveman and wall drawings and proceeds through the different and new ways to communicate.

The Steve Jobs looking, Disney isn't saying it's him, animatronic is in a garage building a computer. Steve only got "psychotic" after they really started growing.

Oh, so is it's like a tour ride?

Oh, so is it's like a tour ride?I seem to remember you're familiar with Disneyland, so I'll answer that way. It's mostly like the Haunted Mansion. (For you geezers, a combination Haunted Mansion and Adventures Through Inner Space.)

There is a long line of vehicles (like the Doom Buggies in a way, but more open and closely connected) on a track, each with a place to sit and with speakers for the narration.

This, as noted, is inside the large geosphere which is the landmark of Epcot. The vehicle track snakes upward inside the sphere, and you're treated with multimedia (mostly audioanimatronic characters) that show you the evolution of human communication. It starts with cave paintings, on through Greek theater, Roman oration, Renaissance art, Shakespeare, the printing press, on through electronics (telegraph, telephone, television, computers).

At the top, the cars turn around completely and you go down backwards as you get a glimpse of what might be in store in the future.

I hope that explains it.

Thanks, Im more of a "disneyland local" since Ive never been to WDW or really known much of there rides, only a few, so im not really familiar with WDW that much.

Well, there ya go then. :)

As a side note, for you SSE fans, Dench makes the fourth narrator of the attraction.

On opening (1982), it was longtime Disney voice Vic Perrin.
In 1986, it was changed to Walter Cronkite.
In 1994, it was changed to Jeremy Irons.
In 2007, it was changed to Judi Dench.

Fascinating, what? :sleep8:

After reading quite a few reviews and watching two videos of the ride today, I have come to a conclusion of my thoughts: The ride is nowhere near completion. The first part of the ride looks great! Everything looks touched up, some new scenes were added, other scenes were removed, and the new storyline is decent. Judi Dench isn't a plus for the ride, yet she isn't a negative either. In my mind, riding with the deeper, more "epic", voice of Jeremy Irons fits the attraction much better. What disappoints me the most is the descent from the top of the ride. It's in near complete darkness, excepting some lighting effects, but they're not being viewed due to too much attention being focused on an animation played on your screens. Something more needs to be done with the descent, which is why I am hoping the ride is nowhere near completion.

The official opening day is still set for February 19th, which is quite some time away, enough to fix up the ending.


I went in late Nonvember and was told that although that is the set date, it will most likely be finished, post-show and entire ridethrough, around September or October of next year.

im going to epcot soon
maybe ill be lucky enough to ride it?
its my brothers birthday soon, and one of the "gifts" he wants is to ride sse.
he was devestated when we came in august and found out that we had just missed a last ride.

Previews have been happening later on during the day, an hour or so before closing. I'd check SSE numerous times during the night, however.

I rode Spaceship Earth this past weekend.

Here are my thoughts:

Narration-
The narrator is not as bad as some make it out to be. The script is a combination of the first one, the last one it just had, and a newer version. It sounds like she is speaking to you individually - not reading a report.

New scenes added-
The new scenes were very well done. All though there is a few scenes I miss (like the light tunnel!) all of the new ones are very well put together. The full theater is very good looking. The family watching TV looks like a real home (even with the board game Mouse Trap on the floor!). The computer scene is by far awesome. Also the garage scene is very very cool. After the garage is a matrix scene - very cool also.

Removed scenes-
The complete way down (from your view of earth onward) is completely gone. Your entire attention is toward the screen. The only thing there on the way down is fiber optic lights looking like stars. When you first start your decent there is loads of stars then it goes down to almost no stars. There is no music on your way down. The video looks like the jetsons. You can plainly here the ride noises on your decent. So your journey down is certainly not pleasant! I hope they add more things by the opening in February.

I also noticed that the ride was not as bumpy as it use to be. Still a little bumpy but not bad at all!

I'm glad the three hours of running from Project Tomorrow (to see if the ride was moving) and to the entrance payed off!

I hope everyone gets a chance to ride it. It still is a very unique ride.

-slinkyman

I rode Spaceship Earth this past weekend.

Here are my thoughts:

Narration-
The narrator is not as bad as some make it out to be. The script is a combination of the first one, the last one it just had, and a newer version. It sounds like she is speaking to you individually - not reading a report.

New scenes added-
The new scenes were very well done. All though there is a few scenes I miss (like the light tunnel!) all of the new ones are very well put together. The full theater is very good looking. The family watching TV looks like a real home (even with the board game Mouse Trap on the floor!). The computer scene is by far awesome. Also the garage scene is very very cool. After the garage is a matrix scene - very cool also.

Removed scenes-
The complete way down (from your view of earth onward) is completely gone. Your entire attention is toward the screen. The only thing there on the way down is fiber optic lights looking like stars. When you first start your decent there is loads of stars then it goes down to almost no stars. There is no music on your way down. The video looks like the jetsons. You can plainly here the ride noises on your decent. So your journey down is certainly not pleasant! I hope they add more things by the opening in February.

I also noticed that the ride was not as bumpy as it use to be. Still a little bumpy but not bad at all!

I'm glad the three hours of running from Project Tomorrow (to see if the ride was moving) and to the entrance payed off!

I hope everyone gets a chance to ride it. It still is a very unique ride.

-slinkyman

I have not been near this thread for a while but I agree with you slinky for I myself of been lucky enough to preveiw it. By the way if you go the the main disney home page, and look under the operating dates, they did have open for a while on certain dates. However, they also change this part of the site so often it might not say that as of now.

Who knows?

-Santa Stitch

Looks like WDI has destroyed the ending and has no intention of returning it to its former glory.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Epcot's iconic white sphere, Spaceship Earth, closed for nearly six months, will reopen to the public Friday with a new story line and digital enhancements.

The show's producer Bob Zalk says the new story is about innovations and how they inspire the next generation.

The ride features new show scenes, lighting effects and costumes with a new musical score narrated by Judy Dench. The ride's vehicles remain the same, but include new touch screens. There will also be an interactive component.

Disney officials expect to make minor changes before the ride's formal reopening in February.

Minor changes? I doubt they mean the ending, that is a major part.

I have recently rode SSE yet again, and this time they told me that they will try to open SSE everyday from now on, however they might close very suddenly.

-Santa Stitch

I hope I get to ride it soon, I still don't get the touch screens... but it sounds cool!

I hope I get to ride it soon, I still don't get the touch screens... but it sounds cool!

What's not to get? Your entire ride backwards (aka return to earth) the screens come on and ask you questions. Based on your answer selection they will customize a video and recently they have been super-imposing your face on the characters since they take your picture at the beginning.

-slinkyman

I was lucky enough to ride it. My family and I were exiting the park, (really ready to go home.) I saw people rounding the corner of what looked like a line for the ball. I was so excited to preview it.

I like the new scenes. I get a kick out of the 70's scene. (I wondered why they put Foxy Cleopatra in there though.)

I'm really disappointed in the new narration. I don't like that woman's voice. I miss the old guy's voice. Other than that the attraction is pretty well done, and the new computer is great.

That new voice will take some getting used to.

I was lucky enough to ride it. My family and I were exiting the park, (really ready to go home.) I saw people rounding the corner of what looked like a line for the ball. I was so excited to preview it.

I like the new scenes. I get a kick out of the 70's scene. (I wondered why they put Foxy Cleopatra in there though.)

I'm really disappointed in the new narration. I don't like that woman's voice. I miss the old guy's voice. Other than that the attraction is pretty well done, and the new computer is great.

That new voice will take some getting used to.

I agreen in that they should put the guy's narration back in. They should put something else in for the end.

-Stitch

(i have been to sse) i have seen the viedo of the newer verison of see and i like guys voice, i have read all of your post and im disapointed to hear that they took those tube colored lights out along with that awosome music that went with did they take out the mini verison of space ship earth? if we could get a exact list of what scenes they took out and what new ones they put in. disney needs to bring back the guys voice!

I'm really disappointed in the new narration. I don't like that woman's voice. I miss the old guy's voice. LOL

That woman is Dame Judith Dench (M in the current James Bond series). The old guy is Jeremy Irons.

They are both fairly important people.

I've heard of them!

I'm just glad I got to hear it with Walter Cronkite. Ah, the good old days.

I'm just glad I got to hear it with Walter Cronkite. Ah, the good old days.Want good old days? I got to hear the original Vic Perrin narration my very first time in the attraction.

No Morocco, no Norway, no Living Seas, no Wonders of Life, no Horizons. The original Universe of Energy, World of Motion. The Odyssey Restaurant was open. Kiosks with the first public touch screens, and a video connection to live CMs for questions and to make reservations. There was even a double-decker bus to take you around World Showcase.

The days of Ron Miller. *sigh*

Want good old days? I got to hear the original Vic Perrin narration my very first time in the attraction.

No Morocco, no Norway, no Living Seas, no Wonders of Life, no Horizons. The original Universe of Energy, World of Motion. The Odyssey Restaurant was open. Kiosks with the first public touch screens, and a video connection to live CMs for questions and to make reservations. There was even a double-decker bus to take you around World Showcase.

The days of Ron Miller. *sigh*

Sort of the topic but I take you have been in the CommuniCore building when it was called that. What was in it back then? (CommuniCore is what they called Innoventions back "then"(forgot when they changed the name) )

-Stitch

So that's why SSE was closed when I went not too long ago... I was pretty upset since that's the first attraction my mother and I got to ride when we get to EPCOT. Aww, I liked the ride the way it was, it was actually interesting and educational =/

I love to see changes though, I hope my mother and I will enjoy them.

Sort of the topic but I take you have been in the CommuniCore building when it was called that. What was in it back then? (CommuniCore is what they called Innoventions back "then"(forgot when they changed the name) )

-StitchI did indeed go into Communicore. I think it was more interesting than Innoventions. Little of it was corporate commercials, and it had a huge number of interactive technological displays. Think of Wonders of Life, but with robots, computers, and the like.

I even remember the show you could go see: The Astuter Computer Revue. You'd sit above the Sperry Univac computer room (who here remembers those?) that ran the park, and there was an on-glass projection of the host to make it look like a hologram.

I think it closed some time in the early 90's. My guess is 93/94, when all the troubles at Disney really started.

And that's why I'm a rooter
for me computer.
Everybody needs a friend.


Now back to our regularly scheduled thread. (BTW, I remember owning a shirt with the Bell Telephone symbol on it, and there were mouse ears on it. Not a legal shirt, implying that Bell was a Mickey Mouse organization. I wore it on SSE when it was sponsored by Bell and got some funny reactions.)

Random thought.

Did they ever announce the results of the EPCOT Person of the Century poll? I remember they had kiosks all over the place, and even a few out at DLR. I took part in it, but never heard what happened.

Did anyone who rode notice less technical difficulties? Almost every time I rode, it would pause a lot. I know that sometimes they have to stop it for people to get on, but sometimes it would take up to 15 minutes. (At least they have A/C)

Random thought.

Did they ever announce the results of the EPCOT Person of the Century poll? I remember they had kiosks all over the place, and even a few out at DLR. I took part in it, but never heard what happened.My guess it was Eisner, but when he was forced out, they covered up the fix.

:D

Now it's open, but not "officially" open yet. The touch screen thing was cool at the end. I liked how they interpreted each of the animatronics differently. Like, it used to be about communication, and now with the same animatronics, it's a new story.

LOL

That woman is Dame Judith Dench (M in the current James Bond series). The old guy is Jeremy Irons.

They are both fairly important people.


Haha, I had no idea that was Dame Judi Dench. Still her voice isn't as good as Jeremy Irons. That name sounds familiar. I need to go look him up.

Haha, I had no idea that was Dame Judi Dench. Still her voice isn't as good as Jeremy Irons. That name sounds familiar. I need to go look him up.Look under "Scar" in The Lion King.

Look under "Scar" in The Lion King.

Noted. I also know him from Casanova and The Man in the Iron Mask. I knew that name sounded familiar.