The temporary closure of Walt Disney World has placed a dark cloud over the significant transformation of Future World at Epcot. As questions swirl about budget cuts and what lies ahead for Epcot’s construction projects, Spaceship Earth has reached the date when it was supposed to officially close.
Previously, Disney announced that Spaceship Earth would close May 26, 2020 for an update that would add new scenes, update familiar scenes and make necessary updates to the ride structure itself. Now, the Walt Disney World website has been updated to indicate that Spaceship Earth is officially closed for refurbishment.
As seen on Epcot’s attraction page:
It’s worth noting that this could have been a scheduled website update that was added well before the parks temporarily closed. There is a remote possibility that the attraction could still reopen if the refurbishment project is deemed to be an expense that needs to be delayed. Everything is subject to change during these strange times.
Disney has already stated that they intend to reduce capital expenditures for the year (if not years) ahead following these unprecedented closures. That could mean projects will be altered, delayed or even cancelled entirely. Spaceship Earth needs an update, but the planned overhaul was extensive both in cost and in time.
Will the planned Spaceship Earth refurbishment continue as originally announced?