Spaceship Earth at Epcot (A Resorts Gal Ride Guide)
Spaceship Earth is an Epcot attraction that takes guests on a journey through time, exploring the history of human communication. It dates back to the Stone Age and continues through the computer age. Spaceship Earth is also the park’s icon, similar to Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom. Guests can see the magnificent sphere-shaped structure from most locations within the park. At 18 stories, it’s among the tallest geodesic spheres or domes in the world.
Often, there’s a little humor tied to speculation about the ride. Don’t be surprised if you overhear any of the following in the park: No, it’s not a giant golf ball. Yes, there is a ride inside, but it’s not Space Mountain. Below, we’ll go over the details for experiencing Spaceship Earth during your Walt Disney World vacation. This slow, dark ride is a classic.
Below are a few quick details for experiencing this attraction on your next vacation.
| Spaceship Earth | Epcot Attractions |
|---|---|
Location: | World Celebration (Park Entrance, Formerly Future World) |
Early Theme Park Entry: | Yes |
Extended Evening Hours: | Yes |
Height Requirement: | Any Height |
Lightning Lane: | Yes, with Multi Pass (Tier 2 Category) |
Our Traffic Signal: | Red Light |
Ride Type: | Slow-Moving, Omnimover |
Seats Per Vehicle: | Two per row. Two rows per vehicle. |
Rider Switch: | None |
Duration: | approximately 16 minutes |
Good For: | Anyone |
Scare Factor: | None |
Must-Do List: | Medium |
Perfect For: | All Ages |
Special Mention: | Light shows are projected onto the exterior of Spaceship Earth each evening. |
Additional Info: Guests must transfer to a wheelchair and then to the ride vehicle to experience this attraction. Audio description and handheld captioning are available. Details for those with mobility issues (e.g., wheelchair, ECVs) are available on Disney.com. Service animals are permitted with caution.
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Spaceship Earth
Spaceship Earth is the first thing you’ll encounter at the park’s main entrance and the last thing you see on your way out. As you walk underneath Spaceship Earth, you’ll see an exterior queue. One side of the queue is for standby, while the other is for Lightning Lane. This attraction is part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
Spaceship Earth can have significant wait times from late morning until early evening. However, after 7:00 p.m., waits are usually lower than the rest of the day. So, if you would like to experience this attraction midday, it might be worth using Lightning Lane. But as it gets later, you probably won’t need one. Of course, there are always exceptions, like visiting during the holidays.
Spaceship Earth is a slow, Omni-mover attraction. You’ll step onto a moving platform to load and unload. (However, it does stop to accommodate guests with accessibility issues.)
Dame Judi Dench, an Academy-winning actress, narrates the current rendition of Spaceship Earth. In addition, Emmy-winner Bruce Broughton composed the ride’s background music. The musical score was created using a 63-piece orchestra and a 24-voice choir. Interestingly, the score features musical styles and instruments from each respective scene’s era. Listen closely as the scenes transition throughout the ride. Previous narrators for the attraction include Vic Perrin, Jeremy Irons, and Walter Cronkite.
During your travels, you’ll see various scenes throughout human history. These scenes date back to ancient civilization, including a stop in burning Rome, the Renaissance Period, and Steve Jobs’s garage, where the first consumer computer was invented. Most of the scenes feature animatronics.
Fans of the attraction often have a favorite scene. For example, we love the film reel with Jesse Owens winning an Olympic medal. This scene hits close to home, as he grew up down the street from our childhood home.
Most of the scenes throughout the ride feature audio-animatronics. Overall, your total travel time will last approximately 16 minutes. Toward the end of the attraction, there’s an interactive display on the screen in your ride vehicle. Guests can select their desired answers on how they hope their future will play out.
Before exiting, a short video shows how your future will look according to the answers you provided. It includes a photo of you taken when you ascended to the top of the attraction. So not only do you travel back in time, but you also get to look ahead to the future, “your future.”
At the end of the attraction, you’ll exit into Project Tomorrow. This area has several interactive games for guests to play. Children love this area. So, if you’re in a hurry, you might rush them out at the end of the ride before they notice too much. But we think that this kind of space is what Epcot’s all about. Therefore, if you have the time, let them play. Did I mention it’s an air-conditioned space?
Overall, Spaceship Earth is a classic attraction. It’s also the perfect place to end up during the heat of the day or in the event of an afternoon rain shower.
Light Projections on Spaceship Earth
Not only is Spaceship Earth an attraction on the inside but it’s also become a form of entertainment on the outside. Each night, the geometric sphere begins to glow as the day turns to dusk.
However, in recent years a special lighting package was added. Now, the attraction changes colors where the points of light are installed. After dark, guests can gather in front of Spaceship Earth to see one of these light shows. At the time of this update, guests might have the opportunity to see a variety of light shows. Each festival has a light show. Here are a few examples:
- Encanto and Pocahontas Light Show (Flower and Garden Festival)
- Beauty and the Beast Light Show (Epcot Flower and Garden Festival)
- Figment Light Show (Epcot Festival of the Arts)
- Frozen Holiday Wish (Epcot Festival of the Holidays)
These light shows run nightly, approximately every 10-15 minutes. So, if you’re in the area, you can find a place to sit and wait until the next one begins.
Video of Epcot Projection on Spaceship Earth
Here is a video of the Spaceship Earth Projection, which was created for Epcot’s 40th anniversary a few years ago. This particular one doesn’t play often, but it will provide an idea of what to expect with the other light shows.
The Resorts Gal Spin on Spaceship Earth
This attraction used to be a must-do for us. But sadly, it’s become so dated that we don’t ride it nearly as often as we did in the past. Hopefully, this iconic attraction will eventually get the overhaul it desperately needs. If you have never visited before, don’t miss it. But if you’ve done it plenty of times on past vacations, we won’t give you the side eye if you skip it! However, the projections shown on Spaceship Earth are a treat! Grab a snack and a bench at the front of the park and take it all in! It’ll be the best break you’ve had all day!
Resorts Gal Traffic Signals
Green Light
We give an attraction the green light if we consider it a must-do, regardless of the posted wait. We also give the green light for attractions we deem suitable to experience anytime. For example, some attractions have high capacities. Therefore, the lines continuously move and you shouldn’t have a long wait unless the attraction experiences downtime.
Red Light
We recommend checking the posted wait times for red light attractions. Then, make a quick judgment call on whether to wait, skip it, or return later. We also red light some attractions that we feel might not be suitable based on our experience.
For more details, we have an entire planning guide for Epcot. You might also enjoy some of these individual articles:
- Journey of Water Inspired by Moana
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Test Track
- Living with the Land
- Soarin’ Around the World
Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? If so, you might enjoy browsing our list of Walt Disney World Resorts. If you haven’t decided where to stay, try our Disney World Resort Reviews. That article provides an overview of every Disney resort. Some of our favorites include the resorts on the Skyliner. Since the Skyliner opened, these resort reviews have been popular.
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort Review
- Disney’s Art of Animation Review
- Disney’s Riviera Resort Review
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Review
In the Comments
So, what do you think about Spaceship Earth? Is this attraction a must-do every time you visit the park? Or do you prefer to enjoy it from a distance?
