About this Attraction
Location: Futureworld, Epcot
Type: Omnimover
Duration: About 16 minutes
 Fastpass: No
 Flash photography and video lighting not allowed
 Pal
Mickey Interaction
 Best
time to visit: Before 10am or after 4pm
Tips & Fun Facts
 Many guests tend to make Spaceship Earth their first stop when entering Epcot and as a result, lines will be longest earlier in the day. Leave it until later in the afternoon when wait times will be small to zero.
Don't worry if your 'time vehicle' stops momentarily, it occurs frequently to allow wheelchair or elderly guests time to board.
 Spaceship Earth weighs 16 million pounds and is 18 stories high! It has an outside surface of 150,000 square feet.
The outer 'skin' of Spaceship Earth is made up of 11,324 aluminum and plastic-alloy triangles.
During rainstorms, guests do not have to dodge water running off the side of Spaceship Earth. Why? Because unique "gutter" systems are built into the 16-million-pound geodesic sphere that catch rainwater and channel the runoff into the canals that surround Epcot.
Spaceship earth is in fact made up of two spheres, one inside the other. The inner core supports the ride whilst the outer protects from the elements.
Walter Kronkite narrated the attraction from its opening in 1982 until a substantial rehab in 1994 saw Jeremy Irons replace him. Several new audio-animatronics and a new ending theme (replacing 'Tomorrow's Child') were also added during this time.
Regular visitors to Epcot will have noticed the sphere now has a Mickey wand surrounding one side. It was added as part of Epcot's millennium celebrations and had '2000' where the word 'Epcot' now sits. Opinion is divided amongst Disney World fans whether it's an improvement or an eyesore.
The musical score was composed by Bruce Broughton, who has won a record 10 Emmy Awards and has been nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy during a career writing in every medium -- from theatrical releases and TV feature films to the concert stage and computer games. A 62-piece orchestra and 24-voice choir brings his latest composition to life.
Additional Information
 Guests must be able to transfer from wheelchairs to board the attraction
 This attraction is not recommended for guests who experience anxiety in dark, narrow, or enclosed spaces.
 Reviews & Ratings |
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Recommended For
 Pre-Schoolers
Children
Teens
Adults
Seniors
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Post-Show
As guests disembark the time travel experience, they are invited to visit "Project Tomorrow: Inventing the World of Tomorrow," where interactive exhibits bring to life the ideas and technologies Siemens is developing to help make the world a better place for the future.
The space is filled with fun, interactive games and displays that showcase innovative technologies, including:
- Body Builder, a 3-D interactive game that enables users to assemble a digital human body, simulating the Siemens technology developed to perform remote surgeries.
- Super Driver, a driving simulation video game that showcases motor vehicle accident avoidance systems developed by Siemens.
- Innervision, a view into the future of medical diagnostics in the home.
- Power City, a game that demonstrates how to manage power in a growing city.
Hidden Mickeys
 In the Renaissance Italy scene, look closely at the page of a book behind the sleeping monk.
Near the end of the ride, notice the hat and alarm clock in the teenage boy's bedroom.
Related Links
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Maps
 Park Map
 Photos
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As building designs go, they don't come more unique or impressive than Epcot's landmark attraction "Spaceship Earth". Affectionately known as the 'golf ball' (for obvious reasons) the giant geosphere takes guests on a slow moving journey through the history of communication.