Walt Disney World has introduced the return of Spaceship Earth, which has been closed for a refurbishment of indefinite period for the reason that 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 every part we all know; plus commentary about why it is best to mood your expectations concerning the reimagining, which nonetheless may be coming in 2026.
As background, Spaceship Earth briefly closed for a routine refurbishment starting August 25, 2025. When asserting that closure over the summer season, Walt Disney World declined to share a particular 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 development partitions) at its entrance entrance with Solid 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 way of mentioned 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 prevailing schedule starting on October 25, 2025. The journey will reopen throughout Early Entry beginning at 8:30 am as of that date.
Whereas Walt Disney World has a spotty monitor report with calendar updates, that is most likely 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 mentioned, refurbishment dates are all the time topic to vary, and it’s not unusual for delays–or reopenings to be moved ahead by just a few days.
Truthfully, we have been hoping the closure would final about one month longer. Though October by way of December is EPCOT’s busiest stretch of the yr, the true peak of that’s throughout the EPCOT Worldwide Pageant of the Holidays, from November 28 by way of 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 at the least Veterans Day, if not Thanksgiving, to get as a lot TLC as potential. The journey 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 large journey 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 journey reopens on October twenty fifth.
In different phrases, you shouldn’t count on a “Story Mild” or new present scenes. That gained’t occur throughout this refurbishment. Each as a result of tight timeframe and its routine nature, which is Disneyspeak for saying it gained’t embody main substantive adjustments.
Our expectation is that this Spaceship Earth will embrace the restoration of damaged results, an improved descent, upgraded cameras, and lighting. There are additionally widespread rumors of swapping out the screens on the journey automobiles for OLED, which has already occurred with a take a look at automobile.
With that mentioned, we do know that one thing occurred throughout the refurbishment past simply fundamental TLC as a result of Walt Disney World filed development 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 acquired infrastructure work on its underlying journey system.
The excellent news is that the fully-fledged Spaceship Earth journey reimagining may nonetheless be on the horizon.
Whereas we have now no insider info, our suspicion is that that is just like the Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster refurbishments during the last couple of the years. These occurred in two phases and addressed the underlying journey 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 deal with 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 Take a look at Monitor, which reopened from its year-long reimagining earlier this summer season. Take a look at Monitor 3.0 is a smash success, averaging the best wait time (75 minutes) at Walt Disney World within the final month. This elevated reputation might bode properly for the prospects of different journey reimaginings.
Though there are zero rumors to corroborate as a lot, our hope is that Walt Disney World is taking a equally phased strategy to an overhaul of Spaceship Earth as was performed with Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster.
Begin by conducting infrastructure work throughout the low season, then deliver the journey again on-line throughout peak season dates earlier than closing it for a reimagining in 2026. That undertaking then wouldn’t should be as prolonged due to the prior refurbishment, and will conceivably be accomplished by the 2026 EPCOT Pageant of the Holidays. All in concept, in fact.
It’s most likely 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 may be to perform a ‘duct tape’ refurbishment of Spaceship Earth to maintain it coasting by way of 2026 and 2027, throughout which period Journey into Creativeness lastly will get the year-plus journey reimagining therapy. If we’re actually daydreaming, may as properly throw that in because the best-case state of affairs!
As you may 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 because 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, rather a lot 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 for the reason that Spaceship Earth reimagining idea was developed, and rather a lot 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 probably that there are main adjustments to what’s deliberate. About the one factor we will be sure of is that the descent will likely be overhauled. Hopefully, it’ll even have present scenes once more, moderately than resting on the crutch of screen-based interactivity.
In the end, we’re nonetheless trying ahead to extra adjustments to Spaceship Earth, and left questioning when the inevitable reimagining undertaking may occur. Take a look at 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.
Apart from GEO-82, there was nothing for EPCOT in Walt Disney World’s 5-year Plan that was revealed ultimately yr’s D23 Expo. Clearly, that must change. EPCOT can’t coast with nothing new till 2030. And because it doesn’t seem like getting any brand-new rides or pavilions throughout that point, journey 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 appear 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 identified!
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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 journey reimagining? Ideas on when the reimagining undertaking will truly 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 might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!