ORLANDO, Fla. — More details have emerged about changes to Epcot’s Spaceship Earth, thanks to a recent Instagram post by Imagineer Zach Riddley. They enhance the announcement regarding the celebrations tied to Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary this year.
“Spaceship Earth is a unique structure recognized around the world,” Riddley writes. “To honor this idea, our Imagineers have created custom lighting features that literally emerge from her unique architecture. These features will shine across Spaceship Earth’s silver panels and ‘connect’ with one another, resembling shimmering stars in a nighttime sky.”
The round building’s multicolor lighting design will be “maintained and accentuated through new colors and intensity in programmed expressions that extended into the new main entrance fountain and the entire World Celebration area that continues to take shape before our eyes,” Riddley says.
“World Celebration” is the designation for the central part of Epcot’s current Future World. The ongoing transformation of the theme park includes a rebranding of areas, where Future World West (the Soarin’ side) will be dubbed World Nature and Future World East (the Test Track side) will become World Discovery. World Showcase’s naming will remain unchanged.
All four Disney World theme parks’ icons will be given touch-ups for the 50th celebration, including Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Tower Hotel/Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” is scheduled to begin Oct. 1 and continue for 18 months, the company said last week. Also announced: New costuming for Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse for the occasion.
Riddley’s post repeated that Spaceship Earth’s lighting system will continue to be used beyond the 50th anniversary festivities. More “technical innovation and artistry” are to be revealed, he said. His Instagram account is @thezachriddley.
