Fans Think Disney Dropped the Ball on This EPCOT Ride — Here’s Why

EPCOT’s iconic Spaceship Earth just added a BRAND-NEW lounge, but the classic ride itself is still in need of some long-overdue TLC.

Spaceship Earth has been the icon of EPCOT since the park opened over 40 years ago, and the attraction inside the massive geodesic sphere has been the first attraction experienced by millions of visitors entering the park. Recently, Disney opened a new addition to the attraction, though it’s not the one many fans were hoping for.

When EPCOT first opened in 1982, the dark ride within Spaceship Earth was one of the park’s highlights and was similar in content to what’s there today. Guests would board their Omnimover and climb up the sphere, where they would then pass by animatronic scenes that told the story of human history and communication. The ride moved through various eras, from cavemen through ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, right through (at the time) modern computer technology and space travel.

While that description could arguably still describe Spaceship Earth now, the attraction has gone through several refurbishments over the years. In 1986, the ride’s narration was rerecorded by veteran news anchor Walter Cronkite (initially, the narration was done by either actor Laurence Dobkin or radio host Vic Perrin. Both men had ties to Disney, and it’s still unconfirmed which of them was the actual narrator), while the post show was changed to skew to then-new sponsor AT&T’s corporate vision after initial sponsor the Bell System was broken up by the U.S. government.

In 1994, the ride received its first truly major refurbishment in conjunction with AT&T renewing its sponsorship agreement. While Jeremy Irons replaced Cronkite on narration, the first half of the ride remained relatively unchanged, while the latter portion saw the most changes. The animatronic scenes featuring heavily 80s technology were replaced with updated scenes featuring videophones, and the aforementioned climax of the ride saw a larger projection of the Earth, the removal of the astronauts and satellite, and the complete blacking out of the space station and its animatronic. This refurb also saw the addition of several dioramas depicting various futuristic communication methods on the backwards ramp that ended the ride, and a redesign of the ride’s post-show to The Global Neighborhood.

The 1994 version of Spaceship Earth remained unchanged for over a decade (though there was a plan in the early 2000s known as Project Gemini, part of which would have seen Spaceship Earth completely gutted and replaced by a roller coaster known as Time Racers. Yes, really). However, the same couldn’t be said for the exterior. In 1999, as part of the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration, a 25-story representation of Mickey Mouse’s arm, wielding a magic wand and spelling out the number 2000, was affixed to the sphere. The following year, the 2000 was replaced by the word EPCOT in a scripted font. The wand was, to put it mildly, unpopular amongst many Disney fans. However, despite this outcry to remove it, the wand remained for years.

The wand remained until 2007, when it was removed as part of another major refurbishment. Once again, the narrator was changed, this time to Dame Judie Dench. Also, once again, the first half of the ride remained essentially the same story and scene-wise, though many animatronics and effects were updated or removed from these sequences, while the major changes were saved for the back half of the attraction. These included new scenes depicting the invention of the first Apple computer featuring an animatronic that was a melding of company founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, an early super-computer from the 1960s, and a new interactive ending replacing the dioramas in the backwards tunnel.

Outside of Siemens sponsorship ending in 2017, the 2007 version of the attraction is essentially still operational today… but that wasn’t supposed to be the case. In August of 2019, it was announced that Spaceship Earth would be reimagined as part of a larger refurbishment of EPCOT. According to Disney at the time, the attraction would be “updated with a new narrative about the human experience and the art of storytelling.” Concept art seemed to show preexisting show scenes plussed up with new effects. However, the entire EPCOT project was put on hold with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and when work resumed in the early 2020s, Spaceship Earth was NOT included, and the project was scrapped.

Disney’s next major announcement regarding the attraction came in 2024; however, it had nothing to do with the ride. Instead, Disney announced that a new bar was coming to the attraction. In June 2025, Disney opened the new GEO-82 Lounge at the back of the attraction, in an area previously occupied by a sponsor lounge.

According to Disney, the bar & lounge is a “sophisticated hideaway nestled within the iconic geodesic sphere at EPCOT that’s home to Spaceship Earth,” where guests can “experience global flavors blended with culinary artistry in classic cocktails and small plates.” The establishment pays homage to the attraction through its name – a reference to Spaceship Earth’s shape and opening year – as well as “the storied history and enduring legacy of this timeless EPCOT icon” through its theming and decorative elements.

While the new lounge has proven popular with fans, the fact that Spaceship Earth is nearing 20 years since its 2007 refurbishment — by far the longest period between refurbs in its history — many fans are antsy to see the EPCOT icon receive the love it deserves. Especially with the removal of the Rivers of America, it shows that any classic element of Walt Disney World is potentially on the table for removal.

While GEO-82 has changed Spaceship Earth forever, the attraction still desperately needs some upgrades. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on EPCOT.

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Would you like to see a refurbishment come to Spaceship Earth? Let us know in the comments below!

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