Epcot’s Spaceship Earth Is My Disney Castle

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For a fuller reading experience, play this in the background. Trust me.

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When Epcot opened in October of 1982, the park’s icon, Spaceship Earth, had its grand debut.

Featured prominently near the front gate of Epcot’s Future World, Spaceship Earth was (and still is) a 15 minute slow dark ride through history. Suitable for the whole family, the attraction celebrated communication as the key component to human survival. We thrived when we began to communicate and share ideas globally. An important lesson then and probably even more important now.  We all have a common interest: our planet.

When I went to Disney World as a kid, Epcot didn’t exist yet. 

I was 7 years too early and didn’t experience the park until I was an adult. Epcot’s “old school” Future World was part children’s museum, science center and theme park. It sounds like it was fantastic and I can understand why a lot of folks miss the Future World of their childhood. By the time I visited, a lot of the big attraction buildings were mostly empty, garishly carpeted ghost towns.  While I love that dome, I can’t say the same about Future World in general.

I am forever getting lost in Future World.

Even though I can use Spaceship Earth as a reference point when I’m in Future World, I still get turned around easily. I don’t have those memories of World of Motion or Universe of Energy to tether me.  Innovations East and West sound like names for industrial parks not a theme park. In the end, most of Future World just seems like something I have to navigate around to get where I want to go.

The Land Pavilion and The Seas with Nemo and Friends are more up my alley despite their 80’s/90’s shopping mall vibe. Both still house various attractions that folks flock to which makes it seem more vibrant. It also helps that one of my other favorite attractions, Soarin’, is located there. There is also Living with the Land; an oasis attraction for hot and tired park goers. Love those two attractions, but…

Spaceship Earth is MY kind of Disney castle. 

I immediately loved Epcot’s Spaceship Earth and all of its dusty animatronic, cheesy LED-starred goodness with ALL of my heart.  Dame Judi’s soothing voice added just the right authority to command my attention. I loved the smells. ALL of the smells, but particularly the burning of Rome. I even loved the creepy moon landing scene. Yes, creepy. Am I the only one that half expects the family, particularly the little girl, to turn their heads around Exorcist-style as your ride vehicle passes by? No? Forget I mentioned it.

On my first trip back after many decades, I saw Spaceship Earth before I saw Cinderella’s castle. I think that may be why it has a big piece of my Disney loving heart. Sure, I love the whole Main Street experience when you turn the corner and see the castle. Gets me every time. But there is something about seeing Spaceship Earth that lets me know I’m home.

Here are just some of the things that I adore about Epcot’s Spaceship Earth attraction:

It’s for Everyone

No height requirement. Just a leisurely meander through history. No drops. No thrills.  (Although my sister would beg to differ. She fears plummeting to her death at the end when the ride cars tilt back and rattle downhill.)

It’s Educational

You learn something in a way that doesn’t feel like learning something.  Think of it as a mobile 3-D History Channel show with smell ‘o vision and hypnotic narration.

It’s Relaxing

Again, Dame Judi Dench’s hypnotic narration. The attraction is also at Epcot which is, for now, the hottest park with the most concrete. It is also where we regularly clock the most insane number of steps. Double digit miles are easily logged during an Epcot day by lunch time. No joke. Spaceship Earth offers a seat and air conditioning for a full 15 minutes. Bliss.

Knowing I Would Have Loved it as Kid

Vague memories of Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and the Country Bear Jamboree remain from my only trip to Disney World as a child. I’m certain that this ride would have nestled itself into my core memories as well. I have always enjoyed history.  Terrified of thrill rides, I would have gotten all of the thrill I needed from this attraction.

Okay. I am a wee bit dramatic, BUT I would have been all into that as a kid. I still am. Thrill is relative, people!

The Final Scene

That breathtaking turn where you finally see THE “grand and miraculous spaceship”? Yes, please. It may be outdated in terms of technology but it never gets old.

The Reclined Descent 

My favorite part and my sister’s least favorite part about Spaceship Earth. I love to lean back, look at the LED “stars” and let my son select our future shenanigans on the touch screen.

When they announced that Epcot’s Future World was getting a makeover with a substantial Spaceship Earth refurb I may have freaked out just a little. Hearing that it would require one of my favorite attractions to be closed for an indefinite amount of time, I was wary. 

Yep. You could say that I have some concerns. That being said, the old girl does need some sprucing up. On our last couple of trips, many of the ride cars were out of commission, the touch screens were offline and the audio narration was sometimes inaudible. As Epcot’s icon, she needs an upgrade to match the new changes coming to the park. I understand the need for refurbishment, but I’m still going to miss her.  Please keep her best parts Disney, but dazzle me with upgraded technological magic.

I love Epcot’s Spaceship Earth but I’m okay with waiting a couple of years for a new and improved version. 

Like Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland, Future World became quickly outdated. The computer and technology tableaux at the end of Spaceship Earth have more in common with the last scene in Carousel of Progress. The 1970’s garage scene depicting home computer pioneers is on par with the “kitchen of the future” now. Think how much technology exploded after that! Clunky monitors replaced by smart phones. Paper tickets upended by Magic Bands.

Our technology has gotten smaller and smarter.

Too small to fill those gigantic Innoventions’ buildings. Both Future World and Spaceship Earth have gone through various refurbishments just to try to keep up with the present.  Even my beloved version of Spaceship Earth is 13 years old folks! It’s time.

I think the direction that Future World is heading in now makes more sense. 

The new plan feels more cohesive with Epcot as a whole. The upcoming “neighborhoods” of World Celebration, World Discovery and World Nature slide into place with World Showcase. It was a complicated puzzle to put together, but I think the Imagineers are on the right track. Most Disney parks fans seem to be excited as well, but we are all generally a teeny bit resistant to change particularly when it comes to favorite attractions. 

I had my last ride in Dame Judi Dench’s Spaceship Earth last spring. 

Just before I posted this, we found out the exact date of her closing: May 26, 2020. We won’t be headed to Epcot again until early summer 2021 and who knows if she will be up and running again by then. I had to say my goodbyes last spring but I’m looking forward to what’s coming next. For now, I’m taking my cue from Epcot’s new slogan: The Magic of Possibility. I can get behind that. 

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As an added bonus….Fear not fellow Dame Judi Spaceship Earth lovers! I’ve got you covered. Put in your ear buds and listen to our spaceship earth with narration. Dame Judi will live on forever in our hearts and on YouTube. No park ticket required.

If you are curious and really want to geek out, MartinsVidsDotNet has a great and very thorough look at the evolution of Spaceship Earth and Epcot’s Future World. Check out his videos .