Walt Disney Imagineering has its name on a new construction permit for Spaceship Earth, marking one of the first visible changes to an EPCOT attraction that was supposed to be overhauled five years ago.
A Permit With a Notable Signature
On April 21, Walt Disney Imagineering submitted a Notice of Commencement to the Orange County Comptroller's Office for work at 2060 Avenue of the Stars — the address of EPCOT's iconic geodesic sphere.
The listed scope of the project is to “Install Signage,” with Kentavo named as the third-party contractor. The company has appeared on similar signage filings at other Walt Disney World Resort locations recently, including “it's a small world” and Aloha Isle at Magic Kingdom Park and “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
What sets this filing apart from routine maintenance is who filed it. Walt Disney World Resort's Facility Assets Management team typically handles permits tied to infrastructure upkeep and behind-the-scenes work. When Walt Disney Imagineering files directly, it generally signals something with a guest-facing component.
The Overhaul That Never Happened
Spaceship Earth was slated for a complete reimagining ahead of Walt Disney World Resort‘s 50th anniversary celebration in 2021. The project was ultimately shelved when the COVID-19 pandemic derailed those plans, leaving the slow-moving journey through the history of human communication untouched. The permit filed this week is the first concrete sign of Imagineering activity at the attraction since those scrapped plans.
That said, a full overhaul isn't the only possibility. The permit has a one-year expiration, meaning the work could be tied to any number of upcoming events rather than a large-scale refurbishment. The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival runs through June 1, followed by the International Food & Wine Festival in August and the International Festival of the Holidays later in the year — all of which have historically brought temporary signage and theming changes to various parts of the park.
Disney Fanatic will continue tracking this permit and any additional developments at Spaceship Earth.
Were you disappointed when the Spaceship Earth overhaul planned for Walt Disney World Resort's 50th anniversary was shelved? Disney Fanatic would love to hear from you in the comments!
