Exterior work on Spaceship Earth has been quietly progressing as the EPCOT attraction approaches its upcoming lengthy refurbishment.
On August 6, Disney Fanatic reported that crews replaced the dull, white panels on the Eastern side of the Project Tomorrow building attached to Spaceship Earth. This building isn’t the iconic geodesic sphere, but it houses the ride’s post-show experience and the adults-only GEO-82 lounge, which opened earlier this summer. Crews swapped the faded, weathered panels for a reflective metallic silver material.
Just a week later, on August 13, BlogMickey shared that the project had expanded to the Western side of the Project Tomorrow building. According to their report, nearly half of the Western side is now covered in the new silver panels. At this point, it doesn’t look like the actual geodesic structure of Spaceship Earth will be touched during this exterior update.
Walt Disney World Resort has not released any official statement about this exterior work, which comes just weeks before the attraction’s scheduled refurbishment on August 25. There’s still no word on a reopening date or the full scope of the project.
Spaceship Earth was originally planned for a multi-year reimagining as part of Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2021. Like many other projects, the refurbishment was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ride itself is a slow-moving journey through human innovation, taking Walt Disney World Resort guests from cave drawings to modern computers and showing how communication has evolved over centuries. Riders can also use an interactive screen on the way back to Earth to envision their own technologically-advanced futures.
Spaceship Earth will close for refurbishment on August 25. Walt Disney World Resort has not yet announced when the World Celebration attraction will reopen.
What would you like to see change inside Spaceship Earth? Share your ideas with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
I’ve been coming to Disney for 50 years and I think a refurbishment would be great!