Spaceship Earth!

[Gator]

I was listening to some Disney parks music today and the most recent version of SSE came on. It made me realize how much I love this attraction. Odd, when I first rode it back in 2002, I felt it was a tad boring. I thought it would be so much more. But by the end of the ride, I "got it". Epcot is so different with it's attractions compared to other parks, and SSE is the crown jewell.

I must say that I really love the new theme music they came up with about 5 years ago. And I think Judi Dench does exceptional with the narration. I still love when you get to the top and the narrator says "...on this, our spaceship Earth." I still remember the first time I heard that said - it was mind-opening.

I could talk some more about it, but I'll let you jump in.

[Bruegge]

I was listening to some Disney parks music today and the most recent version of SSE came on. It made me realize how much I love this attraction. Odd, when I first rode it back in 2002, I felt it was a tad boring. I thought it would be so much more. But by the end of the ride, I "got it". Epcot is so different with it's attractions compared to other parks, and SSE is the crown jewell.

I must say that I really love the new theme music they came up with about 5 years ago. And I think Judi Dench does exceptional with the narration. I still love when you get to the top and the narrator says "...on this, our spaceship Earth." I still remember the first time I heard that said - it was mind-opening.

I could talk some more about it, but I'll let you jump in.

I last rode it back 1989. Looking forward (after your praise) to riding in June. I didn't think it was thrilling... but I was a lot younger then and just married. A lot of people here slammed the new version (I don't remember any of it from 25 years ago) So, I wasn't looking forward to it... Am now!!!

I'll report back in 60+ days

[DonaldDuckUSA]

YES! I have loved this ride since I was a little girl. I love the history (even if it is slightly oversimplified), the music, the staging and animatronics. I've always thought it was unique and special. Thanks for posting!

[Scallywag]

Soarin and SSE are my two favorite rides @ Epcot. SSE is usually the first ride we hit when we start our vacation.

[Dulcee]

I love it too but I miss Jeremy Irons and the original ending. I hate the darn computers!

[azcavalier]

It is still one of my favorites, but it seems...incomplete. They spend all this time talking about the history of communication, and they essentially END with the creation of the personal computer at the end of the 70's. I mean, do you know how much innovation there has been in worldwide communication since 1980? No mention of cell phones or the internet. THE INTERNET. C'mon. That HAS to be in there. Add some more stuff for the trip back down from the top of the ride, like they used to have.

I actually like the touch screens in the cars with the interactive feature. But they could shorten it to accommodate more scenes on the way back down.

[Gator]

I didn't think it was thrilling... but I was a lot younger then and just married. A lot of people here slammed the new version (I don't remember any of it from 25 years ago) So, I wasn't looking forward to it... Am now!!!


Same with me - saw it on the honeymoon and thought it was just ok. But I came to love it once I understood the concept of Epcot.

And I really don't get all the slams it's getting. Nothing was taken out of it, the scenes were improved, animatronics are better, music is waaaayyyy better, the computer interaction at the end is fun for me AND the kids, and I like the soft touch that Dame Judi brings to it (James Bond meets History 101). But I don't claim to be smarter than an Imagineer - I prefer to just sit back and enjoy their creations. And SSE is just what the doctor ordered!

[Main Street Jim]

It is still one of my favorites, but it seems...incomplete. They spend all this time talking about the history of communication, and they essentially END with the creation of the personal computer at the end of the 70's. I mean, do you know how much innovation there has been in worldwide communication since 1980? No mention of cell phones or the internet. THE INTERNET. C'mon. That HAS to be in there. Add some more stuff for the trip back down from the top of the ride, like they used to have.

I actually like the touch screens in the cars with the interactive feature. But they could shorten it to accommodate more scenes on the way back down.The Jeremy Irons version was a LOT better than what's there now. There *were* scenes after the "peak" of the ride (on the way back down) of the Internet in use: the two international kids using video chat; the school kids using Internet technology and CAD engineering; the mom who just gave birth using computers and video technology to sing a lullaby to "big brother" at home.


I think Judi Dench does exceptional with the narration. I still love when you get to the top and the narrator says "...on this, our spaceship Earth." I still remember the first time I heard that said - it was mind-opening. I'm not sure which version you were listening to, but, as far as I can recall, the current Dench version doesn't have this quote. The Jeremy Irons version *did* - and the music peaked for your journey back down to the Global Neighborhood.

The Dench version makes me feel like I'm...*stupid*....or *old*...I guess. "Do you remember when you learned your ABC's?" No, Judi, I'm too freakin' old to remember that far back...

And, there's *nothing*....NO---THING...to *see* on the descent. A cartoon. In your ride vehicle. :/ It's *OK*....but....I REALLY liked the Cronkite version, but, Jeremy Irons' was the best.

[Dulcee]

Ohhhhh I miss the "on this, our spaceship earth"

Why they pulled it from the new narration I'll never know. They also lost quite a few scenes when they switched over to the interactive end. I get the reason for it but feel like they lobed off most of the 21st century with it.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

There *were* scenes after the "peak" of the ride (on the way back down) of the Internet in use: the two international kids using video chat; the school kids using Internet technology and CAD engineering; the mom who just gave birth using computers and video technology to sing a lullaby to "big brother" at home.

For some reason (which I really can't remember) we didn't go on SSE on our first trip to Epcot, so we've only seen the current version. I wish we could have seen "the best" ... the screens are OK, but the above would have been cool.

Still, it is one of our family's favourites. :)

[texas211]

Spaceship Earth and Living w/ the Land are some of our favorite WDW rides.

I do miss the Walter Kronkite version. But I don't mind the Judi Dench and computers.

[Terra]

The Jeremy Irons version was a LOT better than what's there now. There *were* scenes after the "peak" of the ride (on the way back down) of the Internet in use: the two international kids using video chat; the school kids using Internet technology and CAD engineering; the mom who just gave birth using computers and video technology to sing a lullaby to "big brother" at home.

I'm not sure which version you were listening to, but, as far as I can recall, the current Dench version doesn't have this quote. The Jeremy Irons version *did* - and the music peaked for your journey back down to the Global Neighborhood.

The Dench version makes me feel like I'm...*stupid*....or *old*...I guess. "Do you remember when you learned your ABC's?" No, Judi, I'm too freakin' old to remember that far back...

And, there's *nothing*....NO---THING...to *see* on the descent. A cartoon. In your ride vehicle. :/ It's *OK*....but....I REALLY liked the Cronkite version, but, Jeremy Irons' was the best.
I agree 100% with you on this Jim.
I miss those scenes on the descent as well!! Much more "now" than what is there currently. Hanging stars?

And the "...On this our Spaceship Earth." Under him was fantastic. With the music crescendo.
I still like SSE but not near as much as the old version.

[Lindsey310]

I am obsessed with this ride and had my husband ride it with me twice in February. It never gets old for me and it's a must do on every trip. Timeless. :mickey:

[2Epcot]

I'm long overdue for a trip to Epcot. I haven't been there since the last revision of Spaceship Earth. It has always been one of my favorite attractions at Epcot since my first trip in 1985. We also usually ride it twice on every visit to the park.

[TheHD]

Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land are my two favorite rides in Epcot and near the top of my list on overall attractions at WDW.

I ride it numerous times each trip and I'll still never forget the one time I napped in it from extreme exhaustion of the long days and heat. I tried to fight it tooth and nail and finally gave up.

[Bruegge]

A post of funny things heard at the parks from a blog I read long ago....

Two older ladies upon leaving Epcot on the monorail were overheard saying ..."If they got rid of the big golf ball they'd have room for a another big ride!"

[HiHoKermitTheFrogHere]

"Do you remember when you learned your ABC's?" No, Judi, I'm too freakin' old to remember that far back...
Thank you!!! I have been saying this since the Judi Dench narration went in. The narration went from intelligent and informative to pandering to us as children.

[tiggerbuddy]

I agree !!:number1:

I love it too but I miss Jeremy Irons and the original ending.

[CanadianWDWFan]

Jeremy Irons' narration should have been left in. It is kind of sad what they did after the peak. Now it just really boring going down backwards staring at your screen. They really did mess it up, by removing the scenes. I mean throwing up some black curtains and small lights to cover up empty scenes really is a cheap way to "enhance" your ride on Spaceship Earth..

Still love going in and enjoying the cool trip after walking around the park mid-summer.

[MargaretMessler]

I still enjoy SSE for the nostalgia factor, but I do miss when they had more scenes on the way down. The interactive features take away from it, not add to it, IMO.

[PirateLover]

Just to clarify, yes, the Judy Dench narration does include "This, our Spaceship Earth."
I still love the ride, and we make it a point to go on it multiple times, but I preferred the previous iterations.

[hauntedmansiongirl]

I love SSE! And surprisingly, so does my roller coaster loving husband. So we ride it at least 10 times every trip. And it never gets old. I loved the old and I love the new... And we really enjoy the computer screens. We always make a goofy face for the camera and laugh at ourselves both in the computer and afterwords in the exit arcade on the big globe! And we always have to play the 3D skeleton game.

[Gator]

I'm not sure which version you were listening to, but, as far as I can recall, the current Dench version doesn't have this quote. The Jeremy Irons version *did* - and the music peaked for your journey back down to the Global Neighborhood.


I've got it on home video with her saying exactly that line. Look for "Spaceship Earth - Dame Judi Dench" by WDWFacts on youtube. Click to about 18:50 and you'll hear it.

[BhamWriter]

I love SE, too, and it's my youngest son's all-time favorite WDW ride (he's 26 now, but it's been his favorite for years).

I sometimes count the number of time Ms. Dench says "futah" (14, I think).

I miss "Behold, the majesty of the Sistine Chapel" (or something similar). Now, you pass under it without narration (but still hear "The Hallelujah Chorus").

[Main Street Jim]

I've got it on home video with her saying exactly that line. Look for "Spaceship Earth - Dame Judi Dench" by WDWFacts on youtube. Click to about 18:50 and you'll hear it.*Eh*...doesn't evoke quite the same....*emotion*....as the Jeremy Irons version.

"After 30,000 years of time travel, here we are: a truly global community, poised to shape the future of this....our Spaceship Earth."

[DizneyFreak2002]

Judy Dench does not have that "majestic" voice this attraction should have.... She is monotone and coma inducing... The beginning of the attraction, the first half show scenes are just fine... The last half is a disgrace... WDI should be ashamed... Siemens should be embarrassed they floated the money for this one...

If they didn't want Jeremy Irons back, Patrick Stewart would have been the obvious choice.. or James Earl Jones... Morgan Freeman... Judy Dench? FAIL.... The script? Bigger fail... The script was written, it seems, on a 1st grade reading/writing level.. Seriously, listening to it feels like they are talking to a 5 year old...

[Polynesian Dweller]

I too preferred Jeremy Irons but it was Siemens that didn't. Or rather they wanted everything that had to do with the AT&T version be taken out and that included all the stuff in the final drop. Siemens pays the bills so they got what they wanted.

[DonaldDuckUSA]

Of course the "peak" of the ride doesn't show the kids in two different countries talking and the mom singing her son a lullaby. That time is here. We have that kind of technology already. It would look antiquated if they kept things that have already happened on the portion where we look toward the future.

I like Dame Judi, but I LOVE Jeremy Irons. Funny story: DBF rode it said he liked Dame Judi. I said "Yeah, not bad. Although Jeremy Irons used to do the narr..." and he cut me off and said "BRING BACK JEREMY IRONS!" even though he never experienced that version of the ride.

[Melanie]

Like a grand and miraculous spaceship.......

Ah, yes, SE is a shell of what it used to be. I miss the earlier versions. The script, the (lack of) scenery, the deep voice, etc. It's all lacking, IMO.

I guess I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the original Future World, as I sit here listening to The Living Seas original preshow....the deluge!

Funny story when we first rode SE after the most recent redo, my then 12 yo son immediately says "It's M!" We love us some James Bond. And we love Dame Judi. She's just not right for SE.

[dnickels]

Ah, yes, SE is a shell of what it used to be. I miss the earlier versions. The script, the (lack of) scenery, the deep voice, etc. It's all lacking, IMO.

I guess I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the original Future World, as I sit here listening to The Living Seas original preshow....the deluge!


That's pretty much the way I feel about Spaceship Earth and most of Future World. The prime Future World attractions told a story that described the beginning, the present, and the future of whatever field or technology the ride/pavilion was geared towards. Now they're almost entirely cartoons or celebrities and the scripts that remain have been dumbed-down to the point of absurdity.

[Mickey'sGirl]

A little off topic ..... but, I remember going through as a teenager (during the Cronkite era) and then going outside and booking our dinner reservations at one of the interactive kiosks right there!

[Melanie]

A little off topic ..... but, I remember going through as a teenager (during the Cronkite era) and then going outside and booking our dinner reservations at one of the interactive kiosks right there!

Oh yeah Jen, I remember that well. We would go first thing in the morning and book our reservation. The good old days before PS's. ;)

[Dulcee]

Like a grand and miraculous spaceship.......

Ah, yes, SE is a shell of what it used to be. I miss the earlier versions. The script, the (lack of) scenery, the deep voice, etc. It's all lacking, IMO.

I guess I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the original Future World, as I sit here listening to The Living Seas original preshow....the deluge!

Funny story when we first rode SE after the most recent redo, my then 12 yo son immediately says "It's M!" We love us some James Bond. And we love Dame Judi. She's just not right for SE.


DH was just laughing at me the other day for listening to that. All I can say is that preshow may have had a lot to do with me pursuing a research career in science.

[Altair]

"Behold, the majesty of the Sistine ceiling." - Walter Cronkite.

I really miss that line. :mickey:

[Bruegge]

A little off topic ..... but, I remember going through as a teenager (during the Cronkite era) and then going outside and booking our dinner reservations at one of the interactive kiosks right there!

1989... I don't know how long the kiosk with video of your reservation CM was around .. but it was in 1989.. I booked upstairs at Chefs.. don't remember what it was called.. bistro maybe... To THAT date.. most expensive Lunch the Wife and I had together...$62.00... We still mention that place today.

[BlueDorrie]

I love SSE and I adored the Jeremy Irons naration. Judi Dench, not so much. I love her as an actress but she sounds so condesending on the naration. But I will still ride SSE as many times as I can because its still so fantastic and relaxing.

[Spang88]

I'm not 100% sure, but I thought the quote "this...our spaceship earth" is still in there at the peak (as of last November when we most recently rode the ride).

I love SSE because of what it means to the whole Epcot concept. I may be biased a bit being a high school Social Studies teacher lol.

I must admit my two kids 6 and 8, love this ride as well. They also really enjoy the interactive computer segment on the way down, so maybe it appeals to that generation. While I do miss what they have taken out on the way down, I understand the current version's place in the ride as it is a hands-on look at recent communication developments.

Very cool ride then and now in my opinion.

Great discussion everyone!

[BhamWriter]

"Behold, the majesty of the Sistine ceiling." - Walter Cronkite.

I really miss that line. :mickey:

Ah, thanks for reminding me of the exact line. I believe Irons used the same line.

[Ian]

I hate the new version and loved the prior versions. I find the Judy Dench narration to be one of the worst they've ever done. First off her voice and tone is completely wrong for a ride as majestic and epic as Spaceship Earth once was. She comes off as pedantic and condescending and it just totally ruins it.

Disney managed to take an attraction that was once in my top ten and drive it through the floor.


Like a grand and miraculous spaceship.......

Ah, yes, SE is a shell of what it used to be. I miss the earlier versions. The script, the (lack of) scenery, the deep voice, etc. It's all lacking, IMO.

I guess I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the original Future World, as I sit here listening to The Living Seas original preshow....the deluge!
:ditto:

[Gator]

Disney managed to take an attraction that was once in my top ten and drive it through the floor.

:ditto:

See, this is what I just don't get. Now if Ellen, Kelly Rippa, or Oprah did the narration, then I'd get the disgust. But I'm not getting the hate for M. Such a cool voice. Plus, the music is so much better than it once was. When the music changed, it was "about time" as it had become dated.

Sorry for being disagreeable but I was shocked by the "hate" word. Seems pretty strong for a great attraction. But that's just me.

[Scallywag]

I love the music on SSE. The narration may not be as good as Irons, but they could have done a lot worse the Dench. I don't mind her voice at all.

[garymacd]

There is one thing I miss on the new ride as well as some others.

There were family connections between Horizons, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and another ride, I think. Maybe Dreamflight.

You saw the same family in each ride doing what they do on Earth, in space, under the ocean, in the desert. I thought that was incredible and helped tie all of Future World together.

[SandmanGStefani24]

I still remember the first time I heard that said - it was mind-opening.

I feel weird saying this to non-WDW fans, but the first time I rode SE (1995), it changed my life!

I'll go more into this later, but short version, I was a kid from a lousy nowhere town where nobody seemed to go anywhere or do anything and I rode SE and saw people and places of things I'd only read about and never dreamed could really exist. The last few scenes of the kids chatting online and the cables connecting us all made me realize the boundaries were all in my head and I could go anywhere and see anything. I've traveled a bit since then, but each time I ride SE I am taken back to that place in time and I remember that kid I was and I don't feel a day older.

The current version is still amazing, but I always find myself finding the 95 version on youtube for old time's sake. I just hate the new animated ending....seems like filler.