Disney to Close Spaceship Earth at Epcot for Two Years

The Walt Disney World Resort will close its Spaceship Earth attraction is rumored to close in 2020 for a two-year refurbishment, re-opening during Epcot’s 40th anniversary in 2022, WDW News Today reports.

The overhaul comes as the park, named for the ‘Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow,’ undergoes a facelift to become “more timeless, more relevant, more family friendly, and more Disney.”

As part of “Project Gamma,” dubbed so by Walt Disney Imagineers, Spaceship Earth’s makeover will be so “thorough” the ride will have to undergo a two-year closure to overhaul its ride track and extend the ride length. Disney is also reported to be eyeing construction on new loading and unloading areas and the construction of new structures and a redone post-show building.

The innards of Spaceship Earth will see every scene refreshed through the Industrial Revolution segment, with “grand” changes to alter the remainder of the ride, culminating in the ending dome scene that will be re-imagined using the latest projection mapping technologies when giving guests a look at Earth from space. Its famous shell will see the sphere similarly covered in projection mapping, giving onlookers a colorful nighttime display.

Changes to Epcot comes as Disney is bringing a Marvel-inspired coaster to the park, bringing the east coast its first Guardians of the Galaxy theme park attraction.

Debuting during the Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2021, the coaster marks the first Marvel ride in the Walt Disney World Resort and will be among the world’s longest enclosed coasters, bringing Epcot’s Future World a “one-of-a-kind family attraction” boasting an all-new, innovating ride system as well as a unique story crafted by Walt Disney Imagineering.

Disney made mention of the attraction during D23 Expo Japan, marking the second theme park attraction inspired by Marvel Studios‘ hit Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

“As we build upon its core mission of optimism and hope to inspire the world, the real will become fantastic and the fantastic will become real — in whole new ways at Epcot,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.

Walt Disney World Resort debuted its Toy Story-inspired land earlier this summer and will soon bring a new attraction inspired by Pixar’s Ratatouille to its World Showcase.