Continuing with all the news that was announced this weekend, we’re moving on to EPCOT. There were a couple of things announced for this park, and one announcement in particular has longtime Figment fans excited.
The Return of Dreamfinder and Figment
This was such a big announcement that Neil Patrick Harris dressed in character for it. There were not a lot of details that were released, so this seemed to be more of a teaser, but an exciting one nonetheless. Dreamfinder will be returning to EPCOT, in some capacity, with Figment. The Dreamfinder was a character that appeared in EPCOT from 1983 to 1998. I remember this area when I was a kid and I’m hoping it’s returning in some form. It would be great if the tunnel would return, I remember walking through that as a kid and loved it. Plus, it was a great backdrop for pictures.
Spaceship Earth Reimagining
It’s been 20 years, but Spaceship Earth is finally getting an update. This ride has needed some TLC for a little bit now, and there had been talk about a refresh years back, so it’s nice to see this on the list of announcements. Included in the reimagining will be scenes that touch on the internet age and beyond. While the ride currently focuses on human communication, Imagineers will be refocusing the ride to show the importance of human connection, which isn’t that far from the original theme of communication.
Since a refresh was announced years ago and then put on hold/scrapped, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this refresh actually goes through this time. It will be great to see how it looks after and who the narrator will be (I’m hoping they keep Dame Judi Dench, but we’ll see).
Disney posted some fun facts about Spaceship Earth with the announcement.
Fun Facts about Spaceship Earth
- Walter Cronkite narrated a script that was added to the attraction in 1986. In fact, since opening, there have been four narrators for Spaceship Earth.
- The structure is called a “geodesic sphere” because it’s a perfectly round structure that is supported in the air by three pillars.
- The attraction stands at 180 feet tall with 2.2 million cubic square feet of space inside the geosphere.
- Spaceship Earth is one of the most complicated ride systems Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created because the ride incorporates a continuously moving train of vehicles that spiral up into the structure before turning “backward” to come back down to Earth.
- The storyline currently follows the history of human innovation, from prehistoric times to the 21st century.
No closing date for Spaceship Earth has been announced, so I’ll keep an eye out for when that. Hopefully the refresh doesn’t take too long once it does close, because Spaceship Earth is one of the rides that usually has a quick moving line. The ride has an omnimover station, which means it has a constantly moving walkway and guests step into the ride vehicles as the walkway and vehicles are moving. That setup generally keeps the line moving pretty quickly, which is nice, especially on really hot days.
Are you excited about either of these announcements for EPCOT?
Thanks for reading!
Liz
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Liz
I love all things Disney, but my main love is for Disney World and I'm always planning for the next trip. Before becoming a Disney blogger, I was a radio DJ, so I guess I'm just continuing in the communication industry, just in a different form. I love talking Disney and I could talk about Disney all day. That's why I started blogging and created the Facebook group. The Disney community is full of friendly, helpful, and happy people...and I love being a part of it! If there is any Disney subject you would like to see covered just let me know! Need help planning your Disney vacation. Feel free to contact myself or Melissa at Never Stop Dreaming Travel Co. We love helping people plan their trips! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to check out our Countdown to Disney app! Feel free to email me with suggestions of things you would like to see in the app :-)