Epcot Spaceship Earth

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Spaceship Earth Overview

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Spaceship Earth is a wonderful ride that shows you communication through the ages. From caveman to new millennium, this 16 minute ride will bring you through different scenes of communicative discoveries and inventions. You will see the New Kingdom of Egypt where the papyrus was invented, 9th century BC Phoenicians invent the alphabet, Renaissance in Italy, the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Ancient Greece, Dark Ages and Destruction of Rome, the Age of Enlightenment, and the invention of the printing press. As the ride moves closer to the new millennium we see communications that take place today and the possible communications technologies that will be developed in the future.

The ride is currently narrated by Jeremy Irons, but in the past was narrated by Walter Cronkite and Vic Perrin.

Spaceship Earth History

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Spaceship Earth opened in 1982 with its sponsor being Bell System. Sponsorship has changed through the years, with AT&T being the next sponsor through January 2003. It was announced in November 2005 that Siemens AG will be the next sponsor for 12 years.

Aside from sponsorship, this ride has an interesting history. The name "Spaceship Earth" came from the work of Buckminster Fuller, an American visionary, designer, architect, poet, author, and inventor. Ray Bradbury, a science fiction writer, was instrumental in the design for the ride.

Throughout the years it has had a few remodels/changes to reflect the changing technology of the day. A major change took place in 1999 with the addition of the 25 story wand with the year 2000 on it attached to the side. In May of 2001, this was changed yet again to say Epcot. Construction took 26 months and 40,800 hours to complete. One impressive feature is the cladding on the exterior. It is designed so that when it rains, the water falls into 1" gaps that funnels the water through a gutter system and is channeled into the World Showcase Lagoon.

There is also a VIP room located in the back of the building. This is used for employees of the sponsoring company to relax and get away from the crowds in the park.

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Spaceship Earth Trivia

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• Spaceship Earth is 164 feet in diameter and can fit inside the tank in The Living Seas, which is 203 feet in diameter.
• There are over 250,000 sparkling red metallic "eye catchers" that adorn the word "Epcot" which sits upton Spaceship Earth.
• There are 11,324 triangular facets on the "skin&qout; of Spaceship Earth. These facets are made up of 954 inter-connected, triangular panels (different sizes and shapes) and are made up of an aluminum and plastic-alloy compound called Alucobond. This compound is self-cleaning, and is designed to withstand the harsh Florida climate.

Spaceship Earth Hidden Mickeys

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• Look beind the sleeping Monk in Itay to catch a wide awake hidden Mickey.
• When you pass by the teenage boys bedroom be sure to be on the look out for a Mickey hat and alarm clock.

Spaceship Earth Reviews

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8/11/2008

Reviewer: Adriana, Miami, FL, USA
I like spaceship earth...its relaxing and soothing after a long day in Epcot. I also love the new system of the touch screen and how you can create your future! I think thats fun!

5/22/2008

Reviewer: Brandon, MI, USA
Another classic Epcot ride that never seems to age. I seem to disagree with most on the new ending that was added. While it does feel like it's missing something, I still found it quite entertaining.

12/12/2007

Reviewer: Mark T., Burlington, VT, USA
Although it's not completely done, the test for the new Spaceship Earth was absolutely incredible. It's a stunning improvement, including new touch screens on the back of the seats and some very realistic animitronics.

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