Walt Disney World has introduced the return of Spaceship Earth, which has been closed for a refurbishment of indefinite period because the begin of the low season. We now have a reopening date earlier than the beginning of the favored Christmas season at EPCOT. Right here’s all the pieces we all know; plus commentary about why it is best to mood your expectations in regards to the reimagining, which nonetheless is perhaps coming in 2026.
As background, Spaceship Earth quickly closed for a routine refurbishment starting August 25, 2025. When saying that closure over the summer time, Walt Disney World declined to share a selected return date, however did point out that Spaceship Earth was anticipated to reopen later in 2025.
Since closing, Spaceship Earth has been surrounded by rolling planters (no building partitions) at its entrance entrance with Forged Members stationed within the space to clarify the closure to visitors and redirect them elsewhere. The post-show has additionally been closed, once more with rolling planters and curtains. That is regardless of the exit doorways being open, as a result of the brand new GEO-82 Lounge (which is accessed by stated exit doorways) has remained operational throughout the refurbishment.
The most recent growth is that Walt Disney World has revealed that Spaceship Earth will reopen on Saturday, October 25, 2025.
This information comes not through a press launch or replace to the alert bulletin on the highest of the Spaceship Earth attraction web page, however through a quiet replace to the park hours. Spaceship Earth has been added to the present schedule starting on October 25, 2025. The experience will reopen throughout Early Entry beginning at 8:30 am as of that date.
Whereas Walt Disney World has a spotty observe report with calendar updates, that is in all probability correct. Somebody needed to proactively add it to calendar that’s already posted, and it’s much less widespread for that to happen in error. With that stated, refurbishment dates are all the time topic to vary, and it’s not unusual for delays–or reopenings to be moved ahead by a couple of days.
Actually, we have been hoping the closure would final about one month longer. Though October by December is EPCOT’s busiest stretch of the yr, the true peak of that’s throughout the EPCOT Worldwide Competition of the Holidays, from November 28 by December 30, 2025.
Spaceship Earth goes to be closed for the autumn break spike, so at that time, it’d as properly keep offline till no less than Veterans Day, if not Thanksgiving, to get as a lot TLC as doable. The experience wants it, badly. It has wanted it for the final 5+ years, lengthy earlier than COVID cancelled the deliberate multi-year undertaking.
The unhealthy information is that that is not the massive experience reimagining and refurbishment deliberate for Spaceship Earth. That a lot ought to be evident from Disney dubbing it “routine,” but additionally that it’ll have solely been closed for two months when the experience reopens on October twenty fifth.
In different phrases, you shouldn’t count on a “Story Mild” or new present scenes. That received’t occur throughout this refurbishment. Each because of the tight timeframe and its routine nature, which is Disneyspeak for saying it received’t embody main substantive modifications.
Our expectation is that this Spaceship Earth will embody the restoration of damaged results, an improved descent, upgraded cameras, and lighting. There are additionally widespread rumors of swapping out the screens on the experience automobiles for OLED, which has already occurred with a take a look at car.
With that stated, we do know that one thing occurred throughout the refurbishment past simply primary TLC as a result of Walt Disney World filed building permits. A kind of was assigned to Engineering Design Providers, a agency that “specializes within the technical spine of themed sights.” That means Spaceship Earth obtained infrastructure work on its underlying experience system.
The excellent news is that the fully-fledged Spaceship Earth experience reimagining would possibly nonetheless be on the horizon.
Whereas we’ve no insider info, our suspicion is that that is much like the Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster refurbishments during the last couple of the years. These occurred in two phases and addressed the underlying experience system with out reimagining the curler coaster. That laid the groundwork for the change from ‘Starring Aerosmith’ to ‘Starring the Muppets’ to happen in a extra condensed timeframe in 2026; that undertaking can now give attention to the thematic window-dressing versus the underlying infrastructure.
It’s been our understanding for some time that Walt Disney World has refurbishment and reimagining tasks lined up for EPCOT. The primary of these was clearly Check Monitor, which reopened from its year-long reimagining earlier this summer time. Check Monitor 3.0 is a smash success, averaging the very best wait time (75 minutes) at Walt Disney World within the final month. This elevated recognition might bode properly for the prospects of different experience reimaginings.
Though there are zero rumors to corroborate as a lot, our hope is that Walt Disney World is taking a equally phased method to an overhaul of Spaceship Earth as was achieved with Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster.
Begin by conducting infrastructure work throughout the low season, then carry the experience again on-line throughout peak season dates earlier than closing it for a reimagining in 2026. That undertaking then wouldn’t must be as prolonged because of the prior refurbishment, and will conceivably be accomplished by the 2026 EPCOT Competition of the Holidays. All in concept, after all.
It’s in all probability wishful pondering, however we sincerely hope that’s what’s taking place with Spaceship Earth. That Walt Disney World acknowledges that Spaceship Earth badly wants extra than simply routine upkeep, and did this refurbishment to put the groundwork for a fully-fledged reimagining.
Alternatively, the plan is perhaps to perform a ‘duct tape’ refurbishment of Spaceship Earth to maintain it coasting by 2026 and 2027, throughout which period Journey into Creativeness lastly will get the year-plus experience reimagining remedy. If we’re actually daydreaming, would possibly as properly throw that in because the best-case state of affairs!
As you would possibly recall, Spaceship Earth’s “Story Mild” reimagining was introduced on the 2019 D23 Expo after over a yr of rumors. In late February of the next yr, Imagineering revealed that Spaceship Earth would shut a few months later. Earlier than that would occur, all of Walt Disney World closed as a consequence of COVID and remained closed till mid-July. When EPCOT reopened, Spaceship Earth returned with it.
When EPCOT reopened after its 4 month closure, Walt Disney World had quietly eliminated idea artwork and scenes from the Epcot Expertise overview video and launched this assertion: “As with most companies throughout this era, we’re additional evaluating long-term undertaking plans. The choice was made to postpone growth of the Mary Poppins-inspired attraction and Spaceship Earth at the moment.” That was the final official replace on the Spaceship Earth reimagining. Clearly, so much has modified within the final ~5 years.
The idea for the eventual reimagining of Spaceship Earth will certainly ‘evolve’ from what was beforehand introduced. It’s been over 5 years because the Spaceship Earth reimagining idea was developed, and so much has modified since then–from management to budgets to know-how.
Whereas there may very well be components of the Spaceship Earth: Our Shared Story undertaking that come to fruition, it’s additionally possible that there are main modifications to what’s deliberate. About the one factor we may be sure of is that the descent shall be overhauled. Hopefully, it’ll even have present scenes once more, reasonably than resting on the crutch of screen-based interactivity.
In the end, we’re nonetheless trying ahead to extra modifications to Spaceship Earth, and left questioning when the inevitable reimagining undertaking would possibly occur. Check Monitor is completed and is proving to be a smash success, and there’s nothing else on deck for EPCOT in 2026 or 2027…or at any level within the subsequent few years.
Other than GEO-82, there was nothing for EPCOT in Walt Disney World’s 5-year Plan that was revealed eventually yr’s D23 Expo. Clearly, that must change. EPCOT can’t coast with nothing new till 2030. And because it doesn’t look like getting any brand-new rides or pavilions throughout that point, experience reimaginings must fill the hole.
The reimagining of Spaceship Earth might then be a part of a second section of the EPCOT overhaul, becoming a member of Journey into Creativeness and [insert whatever else is on your personal wishlist here]. With nothing introduced at Vacation spot D23, it doesn’t seem to be both of those tasks are on the horizon within the close to time period, however we’ll preserve you posted as extra turns into recognized!
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Your Ideas
Excited that Spaceship Earth will reopen on October 25, 2025? Happy that the closure is ending after 2 months, or want it have been lasting longer and have been a fully-fledged experience reimagining? Ideas on when the reimagining undertaking will really happen–if in any respect–now that it’s been delayed indefinitely? Do you agree or disagree with our ideas right here? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
