As of August 25, 2025 Spaceship Earth, the iconic “giant golfball” of EPCOT, closed down temporarily for a refurbishment. While all attractions at Walt Disney World need regular maintenance, there is a question as to whether this closure is simply for regular, ongoing maintenance, or will the attraction that has us “thanking the Phoenicians” be getting an upgrade or two?
Spaceship Earth in Epcot at night – Photo Credit: M. Montanaro
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At this time, no reopening date is announced other than the very vague “later this year” which has many wondering, “what’s going on in Spaceship Earth?”
The 2019 Spaceship Earth Upgrade That Never Was
At the D23 Disney Fan Expo in 2019, one of the major announcements was the largest overhaul in the history of EPCOT. As part of that overhaul, Spaceship Earth was to receive a complete “reimagining” both inside and out. To be titled, “Spaceship Earth: Our Shared Story,” the iconic attraction would have a completely new narrative focused on the “Story Light” and the universal human experience of storytelling, rather than just technology.
Spaceship Earth in EPCOT at Walt Disney World – Photo Credit: Marvin Montanaro
The update promised a new narration, musical score, and show scenes. However, the project was indefinitely postponed in 2020 due to the global lockdowns and was very quietly later scrapped due to massive budget cuts. The only upgrade Spaceship Earth did get was to the exterior — new LED fixtures over the entire surface that, along with various musical scores, create a recurring nighttime show: the Beacons of Magic.
This light show opened to coincide with Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary in 2021, and can be viewed nightly, with new variations of the show added seasonally.
The Big Spaceship Earth Upgrade of 2025: Alcohol!
While the Spaceship Earth never received the upgrade it was supposed to that would accommodate guests of all ages and families enjoying vacations without any necessary upcharge, one major change has come to the big golfball: a bar.
Not a lounge welcoming guests of all ages either. No, this bar is restricted to only patrons over 21 years of age.
Epcot Spaceship Earth Walt Disney World Orlando 2010. Photo Credit: chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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Geo 82 (a nod to the geodesic sphere and its opening year of 1982) opened on June 4th, 2025 in a space that was once reserved only for corporate sponsors, on an upstairs level of the building portion of Spaceship Earth that houses “Project Tomorrow,” the exit of the ride attraction. The bar is accessed by reservation only, and serves adult beverages ranging in price from $17 to the $49 bourbon flight. It’s another move by corporate Disney signaling the company now prefers to cater to dual income adults with no kids, rather than the traditional family.
What’s On the Horizon for Spaceship Earth?
So what about this current refurbishment? There has been no indication from Disney that they plan the overhaul that was going to be a part of the major EPCOT renovation of 2020. However, due to no announced reopening date, some speculate that there may be more to this current refurbishment than “routine maintenance.”
While this enters in to “rumor and speculation territory,” there has been talk of possibly refreshed narration; perhaps a new musical score, with some suggesting the return of elements from the original “Our Shared Story” plans. Hope also exists for an update of the animatronics as some have been seen not to be working properly or at all in recent times.
Spaceship Earth in Epcot – Photo Credit: M. Montanaro
The track needs maintenance, and perhaps we may see new video elements updated at the end of the ride that takes you backward from the top of the sphere to the bottom. All we can do for now is speculate, and hope that this classic EPCOT attraction retains its original authenticity, as it is one of the few remaining opening day rides. As such, it retains the “edutainment” aspect of the park that was the initial intention of what was at one time a bright, and hopeful Future World.
Do you think Spaceship Earth is getting an upgrade? How do you feel about an adults only bar in this classic attraction space? Share your thoughts and sound off in the comments below.
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