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Spaceship Earth

created by MaxPowers

(thing) by juliet (11.6 mon) (print)   ?   (I like it!) Mon May 22 2000 at 0:57:02

An Epcot ride, sponsered by AT&T. They tell the history of communication, from cavemen, to what is availible now, to what may come.

(idea) by jafuser (11 mon) (print)   ?   (I like it!) Thu Oct 12 2000 at 7:49:37

An interesting bit of trivia that hasn't been mentioned here yet... The term "Spaceship Earth" was coined by Buckminster Fuller (the inventor of the geodesic dome). If you haven't ever been to Epcot, you might be interested to know that the attraction many people call the "ball" (properly named "Spaceship Earth") is actually a very close resemblence to a geodesic sphere. This makes it quite obvious that the structure of the attraction is definitely intended to pay homage to Mr Fuller.

(idea) by mr100percent (5.3 d) (print)   ?   (I like it!) Mon Nov 26 2001 at 14:15:02

The first attraction you see as you enter the main gate of Epcot. It looks like a huge silver golf ball. on a tripod and with a line entering the base. In 2000, there was the letters, 2000 glittering in red and lit at night, along with a big Mickey Mouse hand holding a wand to it Not it just says Epcot in big letters. When people think Epcot, they picture the Ball.

As you enter, you see a bunch of 4-5 seat blue cars that you board, very similiar to those you find in Tomorrowland. You sit in it and the doors close. All the cars are connected on a track, and you hear speakers behind you narrate the history of Communication.

The ride goes up into the sphere, and you start off seeing cavemen and cave painting. From there you move to animatronic Egyptians and Heiroglyphics, moving up to Greek and Roman theater and communication.

From there you see a glimpse of the Dark Ages as communication crumbled, and the Middle East scholars preserving all the information. Then you jump past the Enlightenment and Rennaissance to the Printing press, Telephone and finally Television.

As you see some Disney movies playing on the walls, you see the future (from the 80's): videoconferencing. Following that is a nice view of the top of the dome, stars, and Earth being called a Spaceship.

At the end, you disembark, and see AT&T's new Global Neighaborhood concept, with your narrator, @. Here are videophones, and cool multiplayer sorta online games with other resorts.

Overall, the ride isn't the best of Epcot, but the line moves very fast, it's air conditioned, and a great way to sit and kill time as you wait for dinner reservations. Plus, it's educational, and in no way scares little kids.


printable version
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Buckminster Fuller EPCOT Take off, eh The Music of Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Epcot Center
geodesic dome Whole Earth Catalog How To Levitate Dymaxion Dwelling Machine
Advantaging all without disadvantaging any Canopus Dyson Sphere geodesic sphere
Two Guys, a Girl & a Pizza Place Asian brown cloud fullerene Dinosaurs were just lizards who got too much oxygen
The Outermost House stating the obvious Notelet Nodelet Squawkbox Client The Late Great Planet Earth
tarmac HTML attributes John Adams's 1799 State of the Union Address The Killer Angels
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