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| Photo: wdwlive.com |
Spaceship Earth is the Icon of the EPCOT Park at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, FL. EPCOT (an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) opened in 1982 as the second theme park at Walt Disney World, making EPCOT a household name and Spaceship Earth an international icon.
The world’s first complete Geodesic Sphere, Disney Imagineers (a term coined by Walt Disney as a combination of Imagination and Engineer) worked closely with Architect Buckminster Fuller. Fuller had invented the geodesic dome in the 1940s (and also introduced the term Spaceship Earth), however Disney Imagineers wanted to construct a full sphere, a feat that had never before been realized.
For the geosphere, the same system of prefabricated triangles used to make Fuller’s domes was employed. In 26 months with 40,800 hours of labor, the Imagineers were able to create a self-supporting dome that rests on a circular platform with the remaining quarter of the sphere hanging from the base of platform. The entire dome could then be suspended eighteen feet above the ground using three sets of double legs that were arranged in a triangle.
Over ten thousand triangles cover the sphere, giving it a unique look many compare to that of a golf-ball. The sphere is 164 feet in diameter and has a hidden gutter system within the triangles that prevents water from falling onto the park’s guests and channels it into World Showcase Lagoon. The geosphere has proven to be incredibly strong as well, with Spaceship Earth withstanding winds of 200 miles per hour.
Spaceship Earth has over two million cubic of interior space, held within a waterproof inner sphere, that houses one of EPCOT’s flagship attractions, an omnimover ride also named Spaceship Earth. The ride Spaceship Earth is a journey through civilization and communications from the dawn of humanity through the age of the Internet and beyond.
Spaceship Earth is a representation of the goals of EPCOT, promoting a global neighborhood and showcasing technology. It blends the two aspects of the park perfectly. The globe represents the World Showcase section of the park that promotes international unity while celebrating culture while embracing Future World’s focus on technology and innovation.
Spaceship Earth has only seen a few exterior changes in its tenure as EPCOT’s icon. Stripes added to its supporting legs to echo the lines of the “Leave a Legacy” plaza have been removed, returning the legs to a light blue color. A Mickey Mouse arm holding a wand was added in 1999 for Walt Disney World’s Millennium Celebration. When first added the wand had giant numbers commemorating the upcoming year 2000. After the Millennium Celebration ended, the numbers were replaced with the word Epcot. Later, with the introduction of Siemen’s as a new corporate sponsor, the Mickey Mouse EPCOT wand was removed.
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| Photo: Jodi Beyer |
DeCaro, Frank. "Style over Substance; Hey, Mickey, 'Auld Lang Syne' Already?(Style Desk)." The New York Times (1999): NA.
Hench, John. Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show. New York City: Disney Editions, 2008.
Imagineers. "Future World Central." The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot. Ed. Jody Revenson. vols. New York City: Disney Editions, 2006. 28-39.
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"Spaceship Earth: Attraction at Epcot". Lake Buena Vista, 2010. web page. (2010): Walt Disney Company. April 11 2011. <http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/attractions/spaceship-earth/>.
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