I finally rode the re-furbished Spaceship Earth

[Jeff G]

I was able to ride Spaceship Earth last week for the first time since the controversial refurbishment, here is my opinion.

I really liked the changes they made to the first half of the ride. The updates were wonderful the ride was very up to date. I think we rode it four times allowing me to really enjoy the great detail that was paid to each scene (I especially liked the scene in the garage where the PC is being created).

One scene that struck me as odd though was with the advent of the printing press. I didn't find the paper boy in the corner with his back to the riders that odd, I assume he is supposed to be selling to the street scene depicted behind him. What had me puzzled was from all of the times I've ridden SE I assumed this was the early 1900's. The scene and clothing the boy is wearing reminds me of New York city in the 1900 - 1910 range but the news paper headline is the Civil War is over. The scene doesn't strike me as 1865.

The narration by Judy Dench was a major let down. She doesn't have the same commanding style Jeremy Irons has. I tried very hard to give her a fair chance before judging but even after four times riding she just seemed out of place. To be fair, Jeremy Iron narration was an A+ so comparing anyone to him would most likely have been a let down.

And then the ending, let me first start by saying my kids loved it and wanted to ride SE over and over again just because of it. My impression was it's cute but it doesn't fit the ride. The whole first half of the ride is a build up of how communication developed over the years with a very serious tone to it. The ending is a cartoonish look into my future with no relevance. It seems like two different ride styles. I would relate it best by saying if it were in film the first half was Gladiator with Russel Crowe while the ending was Bugs Bunny in a bull fighting skit. They just don't fit well together.

I'd give the refurbishment of the first half an A+, the second half a C (would be an F if not for my kids) and the narration a B-.

On a side note, do you think the imagineer's were trying to appease the Horizon's fans by giving us the ability to finish the ride by choosing our future during the end part of the ride?

[GoinGoofyPlanninThisTrip]

On a side note, do you think the imagineer's were trying to appease the Horizon's fans by giving us the ability to finish the ride by choosing our future during the end part of the ride?Who knows what they're thinking nowadays! :confused:

[btharvey]

IMHO, I think the Imagineers aren't being permitted to actually execute a whole lot of projects these days ($$$) ... just dream them up. So an idea that's infectious in the Imagineerena probably finds its way out in funny ways sometimes.

If they were going to upgrade SE, then I think it's wonderful that they gave the narrative job to a woman, for once. And Dame Judy is as authorative as they come, even though her voicebox doesn't resonate as prior readers' did.

As for the ending, I prefer something interactive to just watching still-lifes pass by the car in reverse. And as for the 1950s-Warner-Bros-Style animation (personally I love the style, so I'm sold on that), even though it doesn't match the rest of the ride in style (what could?), I think someone had a wonderful idea and executed it in a very cute, very interesting manner. I'm in the technology field, and the fact that one snapshot can produce four faces paired properly (and pretty much only faces) and stuck on the figures on the little screen is a blast.

Knowing how hard jobs can be and how hard life is sometimes, I'd rather not castigate someone for changing something from what it used to be. I'm fine with the ride (we rode it four times our last trip, mainly because of the ending). I can live with it all and find what to appreciate in its own right.

[Aurora]

I was really dreading the refurbishment after reading all the reviews but when we rode in June I didn't think it was as bad as I expected. And like the above poster, my older kids loved it and rode it over and over again (9 and 12 years old).

[Orlando Resident]

I think the new SSE is GREAT!! Defiently a well-worth and long overdue rehab. I found the end of the ride to be very enterntainment and well-done, it is supposed to be fun and at the same time interactive. I also like the post-show as the postcard email is always a great souvenier to find in your inbox when you get home, and the best part its a FREE picture! I think SIEMENS is a great sponsor.

[hardingella]

Jeff G, thanks for your personnel view on SE. Sooo many people have dissed it badly, and sometimes not very constructevly.

We all loved the ride, even though I still have fond memories of the way it was. But I was getting tierd of the old ride after riding it a gzillion times.

My DD9 and DS7 too loved the ending. Your Buggs Bunny comparison was wonderful. Couldnt have put it better myself:thumbsup:

[Jeff G]

Knowing how hard jobs can be and how hard life is sometimes, I'd rather not castigate someone for changing something from what it used to be. I'm fine with the ride (we rode it four times our last trip, mainly because of the ending). I can live with it all and find what to appreciate in its own right.

First, let me state that I was being fair by praising the first half of the ride with the change made and I also offered that my kids really enjoyed the ending.

That said, I was offering my opinion on the ride. I wasn't ripping the ride, I was simply stating how I felt about the changes. Just because some one put hard work into making this doesn't mean I have to like it. I'm sure a lot of hard work and effort went into Stitches Great Escape but I still cannot stand it.

In MY opinion the I don't like the ending. I did my best to detail why and as stated above my kids loved it. One positive note, in the past this was a once and done ride for my family even had I wanted to ride it again. Now my kids were bugging to ride it again.


Jeff G, thanks for your personnel view on SE. Sooo many people have dissed it badly, and sometimes not very constructevly.

We all loved the ride, even though I still have fond memories of the way it was. But I was getting tierd of the old ride after riding it a gzillion times.

My DD9 and DS7 too loved the ending. Your Buggs Bunny comparison was wonderful. Couldnt have put it better myself:thumbsup:

I too love Spaceship Earth and it will continue to be a must ride. The old ending did need an update. There are so many great possibilites and to me the imagineers took an easy way out. A cartoon of me going on a vacation on a solar powered ship just didn't do it for me. My biggest ppoint is it just doesn't flow with the majesty of the rest of the ride.

[FatherForce]

LOL, I remember when everyone was complaining about Jeremy Iron's narration relacing Walter Cronkite.

[Lynn J Mc]

My 7 YO niece loved it! I was shocked and thought she would be bored. She can't wait to go back and ride it again.

[Wickster1970]

Thanks for the review! I can't wait to ride it in a few months.

The last time I rode it was in 2001 - can't remember if it was Irons or Cronkite doing the end narration :confused:

[Jeff G]

Thanks for the review! I can't wait to ride it in a few months.

The last time I rode it was in 2001 - can't remember if it was Irons or Cronkite doing the end narration :confused:

Walter Cronkite was replaced by Jeremy Irons in 1994. I was lucky enough to ride SE a week before they refurbished it in 1994 it so I've been able to hear Cronkite, Irons & Dench.

[TheRustyScupper]

IMHO, I think the Imagineers aren't being permitted to actually execute a whole lot of projects these days ($$$) ... just dream them up.

1) Maybe.
2) But, I seriously think it is a case of imagination going atrophy.
3) The creativity just doesn't exist any longer.
4) Given a budget, one can do a lot if one is creative enough.
5) Sure, there a couple of rides done nicely as of late.
6) But, even odds say you have to get 1-out-of-10 right.
7) But, I can lay a lot of blame on Imagineers for
. . . California Adventure - do I need to explain?
. . . Disney Studios Paris - looks like a row of military quonset huts
. . . Disney Hong Kong - way too small, way not enough rides
. . . Disneyland Paris - will never make money
. . . Animal Kingdom - big, but few attractions

NOTE: I have heard that there is a morale issue among Imagineers. IF that is true, one can easily deduce it is because they realize the poor job done in the new-parks development arena.

[crazypoohbear]

I like the new version of SSE also. The scene that the OP refers to with the boy selling papers that state the Civil war has ended had me perplexed for a different reason.
In the scene there is an African American man that appears to be the editor type of the paper.
According to my history books this war was fought to free the slaves and there weren't any minorities with this type of power. I could be wrong but this is what struck me as odd. It was great to see that Disney is including a diverse group but it didn't seem historically accurate.

Also, the yellow tights with the black go go boots were a riot!

[DisneyNut2005]

I agree with Btharvey and Aurora.

I like the SSE rehab and I feel that it does not deserve the bashing that it gets so often from the Internet minority.

In addition to the things that were mentioned in the above mentioned posts, another thing that I personally like about the SSE updates is the fact that the guests can now choose to hear the narration in one of several specific foreign languages.

After all, WDW IS visited by people from all over the world, so doing anything that breaks down any language barriers to allow non-English-speaking guests to enjoy its experiences even more is a plus in my book.

[MickeysEars]

I like this ride and was disappointed when it was closed in 2007. I was wondering if i would even notice the differences. I hope so.

[Jeff G]

I like the SSE rehab and I feel that it does not deserve the bashing that it gets so often from the Internet minority.



Wow! Because I give my opinion of a refurbished ride and I state I don't like one part of it I'm the internet minority bashing?

I love WDW and most things there. If you read most of my posts I am fair and in most cases in favor of most things at WDW to a fault.

It does seem that more people like the change than not. That doesn't mean I have to join the cattle stampede and follow along. I am very frustrated that I offered a fair opinion of the ride changes and this is the 2nd attack I've gotten for that. Did you not read that I rode this 4 times? I don't dislike the ride but I was disappointed with the ending.

[Phantasia]

1) Maybe.
2) But, I seriously think it is a case of imagination going atrophy.
Why would "imagination" atrophy? There are new, fresh Imagineers in the ranks, and some older hands, I'm sure, who have proven their worth ...


3) The creativity just doesn't exist any longer.
Again, why would you say that? Just look at Expedition: Everest, or some of the other attractions in AK ...


4) Given a budget, one can do a lot if one is creative enough.
Having until (very) recently worked in a creative agency, if there's anything that I've learned, it's that often constrained budgets are what yield the most CREATIVE ideas! Never believe anyone that throwing more cash at a problem will produce a more "creative" result.

Personally, I can't WAIT to see the refurbed SSE!! I am a huge Dame Judy fan, and while I loved both the Cronkite and Irons narration, I'm looking forward to the new spiel.

[Polynesian Dweller]

In the scene there is an African American man that appears to be the editor type of the paper.
According to my history books this war was fought to free the slaves and there weren't any minorities with this type of power. I could be wrong but this is what struck me as odd. It was great to see that Disney is including a diverse group but it didn't seem historically accurate.
It might be a reference to Frederick Douglass (quite the story really) though his paper apparently stopped in 1860. There were other black papers during that time.

JeffG, i think you wrote a very good and fair review. I'll be riding SSE in about two weeks and will be interested in seeing how it works for me. Thanks for the reviews.

[Grizz16]

I don't like Spaceship Earth anymore. I won't go out of my way to avoid it, but it's no longer a "must ride". If I ride it, fine. If not, no big deal.

[Aggie97]

I think JeffG's review is extremely fair, and my feelings about the refurbished ride were fairly similar.

I really enjoyed the changes to the first half of the ride. I was pleased with Judi Dench's narration (I can't say that I preferred either it, Walter Cronkite's, or Jeremy Irons' versions).

As for the ending... the first time we rode in Feb., we thought it was funny and clever. The second time we rode in Feb., it was cute enough. But we had a strong feeling it would get a little old on subsequent rides. And when we rode a couple times in June, we were pretty tired of it.

We could hear loud peals of laughter from the riders around us. We don't have kids yet, but I know my nieces and nephews would love the ending. And I understand that a very great number of WDW guests will ride SSE only once or twice in a decade, or even in a lifetime, in which case the ending would be fabulous.

I do not believe that having a negative impression of the new ending of SSE -- and expressing it quite reasonably -- qualifies as "bashing."

I enjoy reading different people's perspectives about WDW on Intercot... whether or not I agree with them.

I also feel that's the wonderful thing about WDW -- there's a little something for everybody. :mickey:

[iDisney]

The first half of SSE is fantastic! I love the cave writings, the animatronics, and everything they have done. (I do miss the little guy on the chariot that went around the block over and over in Rome though.) I even like the new scenes.

The second half of the ride was a major let down. The first time I rode it, it was cute. Nothing more. There is so much wasted space on the descent that it is not even funny. To me, it feels like they weren't given a big enough budget or they ran out of money and said "Lets just cover this and put up some sparkly lights". I know there is probably some pretty serious technology behind the photo and animation, but they could have (should have) done something different. Even if they didn't project into the future of communication as they did before, they could have slowed the pace down a bit and taken us up to present day.

I don't mind Judi Dench as a narrator, but she simply doesn't have that... mystique that Jeremy Irons had. (I don't remember Walter Cronkite. I was only 5 when he was replaced.) Her narration could be a lot better if the script wasn't a stinker. Throughout the whole ride I felt like I was being talked down too, like she was afraid to use big words. (Remember how easy it was to learn your ABC's... thank the Phoenicians!) I understand that they were trying to make it more kid friendly, but did they have to take it to this level? I hardly noticed that there was music during the ride. The new score might not be bad, but at least make it audible. (Maybe I had a bad car?) I doubt it would live up to the previous score though, it was great!

If they wanted to incorporate the touch screens and photo technology they should have done something along the lines of asking you where you were from and at the end (when you have caught up with today's technology) and showed you communicating with someone across a great distance.
Example: The rides begin and you select your Continent, Country, State and possibly region (northern, central, southern, etc). It takes your photograph and stores it until the end. Fast forward to the final scene. You see and animation of yourself on the left (or right, depending on what side you were sitting on) talking to the animation of whomever is sitting beside you. There would be a "communication beam arcing from one side to the other. The backgrounds would clearly show someone on vacation in a distant place. The last line of the narration could be something along the lines of "And that brings us to today, where people can communicate with friends and loved ones instantaneously across the globe... whenever they wish! What will the future bring for our Spaceship Earth? Well, get out there and find out!"

This is all going to sound like I hate the ride, but I don't. Do I prefer the older version? Yes. Do I enjoy the new version? Yes, just nowhere near as much. Will I still ride it repeatedly on my trips? Of course. It was one of my favorite rides and still is, it's just lower on my list that it previously was. I don't think that they have "ruined" the ride, so much as damaged it. It can always be fixed.

Just my :twocents:.

[Imagineer1981]

1) Maybe.
2) But, I seriously think it is a case of imagination going atrophy.
3) The creativity just doesn't exist any longer.
4) Given a budget, one can do a lot if one is creative enough.
5) Sure, there a couple of rides done nicely as of late.
6) But, even odds say you have to get 1-out-of-10 right.
7) But, I can lay a lot of blame on Imagineers for
. . . California Adventure - do I need to explain?
. . . Disney Studios Paris - looks like a row of military quonset huts
. . . Disney Hong Kong - way too small, way not enough rides
. . . Disneyland Paris - will never make money
. . . Animal Kingdom - big, but few attractions

NOTE: I have heard that there is a morale issue among Imagineers. IF that is true, one can easily deduce it is because they realize the poor job done in the new-parks development arena.

If the Imagineers are having a morale issue and need inspiration, they can gladly hire me. I have been trying to get into Imagineering forever and if I can go be of help, I will gladly do it.

Honestly though, I don't think its a lack of passion, I think its budgets. I work in kids shoes, and do license products. I can make some of the coolest shoes, with lights and characters and they are very exciting, but by the time the shoe is priced and sold, it becames a shell of what it once was. The creative Imagineers with the Blue Sky sessions probably have the best ideas to date yet, but when budgets and construction constraints come in, the idea looses the luster it once had

["SULLEY "RULES!!]

Dh and I are looking forward in riding it again. We'll miss Jeremy as the narrator. He has such a cool voice. "Scar" from the Lion King of course. 7 weeks to go and counting ...:thumbsup:

Next trip: 11/24 thru 12/5 @ the POP

[SpecJoe Magic]

Jeff G, I appreciate your fair and honest review of the ride. I pretty much agree with everything that you said.

That being said, I don't think Judy Dench's narration is bad, but it seems bad in comparison to Jeremy Irons narration because of his majestic voice, and he had a much better script. I think the current narration and script are fine as long as I don't compare them to the former narration and script.

As for the ending, I can see why kids really enjoy it. I must admit that I got a chuckle out of it, but I imagine that I will grow tired of it very quickly. Even so, I never thought the previous version's ending was great (I thought it was decent), so the lackluster ending of the current version is not a huge deal to me, but I wish they would improve it at least a little bit.

The bottom line for me is that I like the current scenes during ascent a lot better, but I liked the previous version better in every other aspect. Taking into account that the ascent scenes are the most important aspect of the ride for me, I conclude that the update is about as good as the previous version but not any better.

As for if they are trying to appeal to Horizons fans with the screen selection ending, I did think of that almost immediately when I first heard about the update prior to riding it. After riding it, I now know that they didn't succeed if that's what they were attempting to do.

[btharvey]

First, let me state that I was being fair by praising the first half of the ride with the change made and I also offered that my kids really enjoyed the ending.

That said, I was offering my opinion on the ride. I wasn't ripping the ride, I was simply stating how I felt about the changes. Just because some one put hard work into making this doesn't mean I have to like it. I'm sure a lot of hard work and effort went into Stitches Great Escape but I still cannot stand it.

In MY opinion the I don't like the ending. I did my best to detail why and as stated above my kids loved it. One positive note, in the past this was a once and done ride for my family even had I wanted to ride it again. Now my kids were bugging to ride it again.



I too love Spaceship Earth and it will continue to be a must ride. The old ending did need an update. There are so many great possibilites and to me the imagineers took an easy way out. A cartoon of me going on a vacation on a solar powered ship just didn't do it for me. My biggest ppoint is it just doesn't flow with the majesty of the rest of the ride.

Jeff, I didn't mean to cast aspersions on you in any way. Lately there have been a lot of posts about "hating" things about the parks, despising this ride, another ride should be destroyed and so on. I did not mean to infer that you were in any way doing harm or being unfairly critical ... just that posting a thread on how let down I am about something is a task I'd leave to someone else -- I'd rather not vent online. Perhaps my defense of the good stood up too fast! ;)

In any event, no harm was meant, and no castigation was meant, either!