I give the outside of Spaceship Earth five stars. It originally opened on October 1, 1982 and still looks cool and futuristic today (2025-2026). It's a major global icon. During our recent visit to EPCOT, our MagicBands+ automatically lit up in sync with the changing lights, colors, and music of the Spaceship Earth sphere. I give the inside of Spaceship Earth, the dark ride, four stars. It's a classic and probably a top-10 ride at Disney World for me. The ride takes you on a journey through advancements in human communication, from papyrus hieroglyphs to radio and TV. A couple of the cooler and more memorable parts for me are the fall of Rome, Gutenberg's printing press, and Michelangelo painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Best of all, this ride is filled with animatronics, which I love. This was my second time doing the ride. The first time was circa 1989-1990. This time, we happened to go right after the 2025 refurbishment was completed. The ride had been closed for months. When we entered the line, a Cast Member told us the ride reopened early the night before. We entered the line at 4:33pm on an ordinary Sunday and there was barely a wait (no Lightning Lane, even though we had passes). We lucked out. Vlogger Adam the Woo (David Adam Williams, @TheDailyWoo on YouTube) did a nice video review of this ride. Coincidentally, he went the same day we did, but at nighttime: https://youtu.be/kTUMy5-E3OY?si=TK0iKQgo000BltMo&t=397 I agree with him on two things: 1. It's a "complete travesty" that Horizons, a similar dark ride at EPCOT (1983-1999), is gone. It was my #1 favorite ride at Disney World as a kid. I even asked my parents to buy me a book that had pictures of Horizons so I could relive it through the pictures. After going on Spaceship Earth again recently as an adult, I realized I conflated scenes from my childhood memories of Spaceship Earth and Horizons. 2. Like Adam, my photo on Spaceship Earth didn't work either. However, my wife's photo worked. She sat in the same time-machine vehicle as me. read more

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Spaceship Earth is what greets you and waves goodbye at Epcot. We noticed this visit it had extremely long waits in the morning. It's likely because it's the first attraction; however, I'd let it calm down and ride it later if you encounter long wait times. In some ways Spaceship Earth is getting archaic and in others, it's completely fine as its scenes tell the story of how we evolved our living conditions, education and languages. The backwards glide down is still peaceful as you're simply there to look at the galaxy of stars. A classic that my family will always ride. Two people per seat. read more

Spaceship Earth - At night - Amusement Parks Near Me - Bay Lake, Florida

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The ride inside of the big Epcot ball is a slow ride, perfect for young kids to go up high without being a roller coaster. On a sunny day, this ride can be a respite from the heat as well as a space to sit and rest while your kids are literally strapped in and can't run away from you LOL. On the day we went, the line was very short. My kids were so excited about this ride- the anticipation: what's inside of that ball? They even wanted to ride it again before we left, so we did. The information in this ride is hopelessly incorrect, but I don't think anyone is going to have their worldview altered by 1 ride at a theme park. For me, it is just nostalgic Disney. The post-ride area is interesting. Very outdated computers and some 'learning' games abound, and my kids thought most of these were great fun- especially the one where you 'push' images on the floor. We played this multiple times. read more

Rumor has it that Epcot's Spaceship Earth is not long for the world despite a very recent total refurbishment. Opened in 1982 inside Epcot's landmark sphere, SE takes you on a slow ride through the history of communication from cave paintings to the Internet and beyond. Admittedly, a little cheesy and very long in the tooth, the ride probably needs to be scrapped and completely reimagined after 44 years but I can't help loving the attempt to be as cutting edge as a rotary dial phone. Five stars for the nostalgia. read more

Spaceship Earth at Epcot is one of those classic Disney attractions that I somehow enjoy more every time I ride it. It's definitely nostalgic, but that's part of the charm, and there's something comforting about the slow pace and familiar storytelling. The ride itself is entertaining in a very relaxed way as it walks through the history of human communication and progress, complete with some wonderfully classic animatronics and scenes that feel delightfully stuck in time. The air conditioning also deserves honorable mention because on a hot Florida day this attraction can feel borderline life saving. Even if you are not deeply invested in the history lesson, it's still a great excuse to sit down, cool off, and enjoy one of the most iconic rides in the park. read more

Spaceship Earth - Amusement Parks Near Me - Bay Lake, Florida

This ride is inside the iconic giant globe at Epcot. The line gets crazy long as soon they open, going over 40 minutes of wait time. We used the fast pass to skip the line and got to the ride within 10 minutes. The ride itself is slow and steady. It goes through the timeline on human civilization, but mostly highlighting the accomplishments of past century that contributed to the development of space exploration. It's about 10 minutes long, fun ride for everyone. read more

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One of my favorite rides at Epcot because of how much there is to look at, learn about and the nice relaxing ride it is. The length of this ride is amazing and takes its time going through the history of the world. It continuously moves so you need to be quick with the help of amazing cast members showing you where to sit. I love that it's two seats so you won't ever be put with a random person. I love how the design of this ride is a giant sphere and you slowly ascended it until you're at the top "looking" over the world after the history you went through! I love being able to see paintings on the wall move during the age of cavemen and learning how and when taxes (which aren't fun) were created! One of my favorite portions of this ride is seeing what the "future" was thought to have looked like during their most recent refurbishment a few years ago. At the end of the ride, when you exit, there are a few little games you can play. My favorite game is the 3D game where you need to put together a skeleton. It is a ton of fun and I've played it many times when I stop by this ride! read more

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"The Edu-Tainment" attraction at EPCOT Center. The huge white globe takes you on a journey of the technological achievements of human kind, specifically in the field of communication. One of the longest rides I've been on at Disney World, this 15 minute slow pace trek takes you on a trip back in time highlighting historic milestones to the near present. At the end, check out the activities and test your skills and knowledge. read more

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This is the Disney I love. It's a little outdated but it's wonderful and educational. I have a lifelong memory of the interactive element when my son made a sustainable virtual home. And then the kids loved the games at the very end. I do wish there was padding on the headrest when the ride is reclined because that's unpleasant on the back of the head/neck. read more

Spaceship Earth is located at EPCOT. You will need a park reservation for most tickets as well as a park ticket to ride this attraction. This attraction is a sit down, slow moving, ride that takes you through the history of communication, starting with cave men writing on the walls. This is a classic and such iconic EPCOT attraction. It has been updated over the years, but this will always bring back childhood memories. The vehicle holds 4 total, 2 in the front and 2 in back. They can accommodate wheelchairs, just let the cast member at the front know and they will direct you. The walkway to step onto the vehicle is always moving, but it moves slow. If you need it to be slower, the cast member can always slow it down even more to the point of stopping. Again, just let them know. The start of the ride, they take your photo which is used later in the ride. This is a slow-moving ride, the entire ride lasting almost 20 minutes. In every scene they are using elaborate sets and advanced Audio-Animatronics figures. It takes you through the history of communication and how we as humans communicate differently. Some of the different scenes include landmark moments of innovation, cave men painting on walls, Gutenberg's printing press, the start of the radio and newspaper and even the televised moon landing. The climax of the ride is when you actually reach the top of Spaceship Earth and start your journey back down. This is when your vehicles actually turn around and you head back down, going backwards. You also get the opportunity to design your future by answering a few simple questions using the touch screen on the vehicle. This is where the photo from the beginning comes into play. It is actually really neat, and we always try to change our answers to get a different "future". This is EPCOT's flagship attraction, it has been here since park open. The line is not as busy later in the day, evening. I would recommend visiting later in the day. The morning is always busy. It is narrated by Judi Dench as well. This is one of our favorite attractions and a must visit each time for us. If you haven't been, make sure to check it out next time. read more

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Yes, it seems as if it's been here forever and it has! It's a tried and true ride. It's a ride that refreshes one's memory of the history of the world - without censorship. It's relaxing, refreshing, and worth repeating. On Tuesday (1/9/24) we rode it before leaving the park. The line was nonexistent, and for the first time our pictures looked good superimposed on our future wishes - space travel, for example. The folks who helped us get into and out of the moving cars were as courteous and kind as before. read more

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This ended up being my first ride at Epcot as Frozen ended up temporarily closed when we were lining up there (it eventually opened later that day). The wait wasn't too long, maybe 45 minutes at most. The ride was quite long (about 5 minutes), and it's very educational. It's a good "relaxing" ride where you can interact along the way in building how you envision your future to be. It's particularly iconic that this ride is located inside the Epcot ball. I'd definitely say it's one of those "yeah you definitely should" kind of rides, even though it's not your typical thrill ride. At least the wait never seemed to be long here! read more

A BETTER RIDE SINCE 2025 REFURBISHMENT We recently went on Spaceship Earth for the first time since its 2025 refurbishment. We read that there was no major overhaul to Spaceship Earth - maybe it was just wishful thinking on our part but Spaceship Earth felt like a better ride. The lighting seemed brighter and the animatronic movements of some characters (the pharaoh in the papyrus scene and the lecturer in ancient Greece) appeared sharper and less sluggish. The Project Tomorrow interactive feature at the end of the ride usually is a blurry mess. This time, the cut-and-paste video with park guest headshots seemed crisper with more vivid colors. We wish we had taken out our cell phone to record our Project Tomorrow video. read more

I'm not a big fan of this one. It's not thrilling at all and just thought it would be better with more lights and less talking. The only thing that is funny is my face. read more

Spaceship Earth - Amusement Parks Near Me - Bay Lake, Florida

Writing this review as I sit on the ride ad we are not currently moving (as the ride has broken down twice since we've started but this doesn't normally happen)! I feel like this is such an iconic Epcot ride (since it's in the iconic Epcot ball) and wait times are never long. We didn't even have to wait this time around, as the track never stops so everyone can keep loading on. It's also really nice to go through the timelinr of the world and learn some new facts! It's not the most exciting ride but it's perfect for all ages! read more

Spaceship Earth is located in the giant golf ball-looking sphere in the center of Epcot. This ride stepped through the history of communication and how it evolved from scriptures to giant computers the size of rooms to personal handheld computers. It was a slow ride in the dark so I got to see the different characters and the people just seemed so real. At the end of the ride you use the screen in front of you and based on your preferences you can design your personal future on Earth. read more

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Even though this ride is super dated, I still love it as a leisurely ride through the evolution of technology! Judy Dench narrates the ride as you climb the interior of the giant ball at the entrance of EPCOT on a train ride. The animatronics are pretty cool, but the sets could use an update / cleaning. One word of caution: the ride occasionally breaks down and you'll have to hang out in the car. Or, sometimes there's an issue with someone getting on or off. Again, this is supposed to be a casual ride - so just relax and enjoy! read more

Spaceship earth is a motion cart ride located not just at Epcot's Disney theme park but inside the iconic golf ball that is at the forefront on Epcot park. The ride takes you through a classic Disney animatronic and artsy decorated designed stroll through time. You get to see world history unravel on this slow moving and dark lit adventure. Overall not my favorite ride but it is a long term staple of Epcot park and it is cool you are riding inside the giant golf ball. read more

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Yes, I know. It's an old ride, and not as technological as it used to be despite being updated periodically throughout the years. It's still somewhat nostalgic, even though I visited this park for the first time as a young adult in the early 90s. What I remember is the narration by Walter Cronkite, and that it's a slow moving ride that takes about 15 minutes to get from the past to the future in the time machine vehicle. The advantage is that there is not much of a line anymore. It's also great to ride in the afternoon since it's dark, air conditioned, and comfy. It's a somewhat smooth ride. There are some steep climbs as you're traveling up through Spaceship Earth. You're in a backwards decline on the way down (hence, the comfy part). There were some changes to the ride. There's a new narration by Judi Dench. The audio-animatronic figures have newer costumes. They've added a facial recognition element that captures you when they tell you to look at the camera. It later transposes your facial features on futuristic caricatures. Be on the look out for that. I didn't even notice it until my husband pointed it out on the screen in front of us. There are questions that you answer along the way. You answer them on a touch screen. It passes the time away as you're ascending or descending in between scenes. Did you know that science fiction writer Ray Bradbury helped with the design of the structure as well as with the original script? Another interesting tidbit was that the Tampa Steel Erecting Co. played a big part in fabricating the steel using an earlier form of CAD. That was pretty advanced for its time. Yay, Tampa! Make this ride a part of your day at EPCOT. Just be sure to check the Genie app tip board on the wait times before meandering over there from the World Showcase. It's a long walk (big park). We got over 20,000 steps that day. read more

Spaceship Earth is located at EPCOT. You will need a park reservation for most tickets as well as a park ticket to ride this attraction. This is one of my favorite rides and something we always have to go on when visiting EPCOT. This ride is a sit down, slow moving, ride that takes you through the history of communication, starting with cave men writing on the walls. This is a classic and such iconic EPCOT attraction. It has been updated over the years, but this will always bring back childhood memories. The vehicle holds 4 total, 2 in the front and 2 in back. They can accommodate wheelchairs, just let the cast member at the front know and they will direct you. The walkway to step onto the vehicle is always moving, but it moves slow. If you need it to be slower, the cast member can always slow it down even more to the point of stopping. Again, just let them know. The start of the ride, they take your photo which is used later in the ride. The ride itself lasts almost 20 minutes. In every scene they are using different sets, different points in time and different Audio-Animatronics figures. It takes you through the history of communication and how we as humans communicate differently. Some of the different scenes include landmark moments of innovation, cave men hunting, the Renascence, the burning of Alexandrea, radio and TV and even the moon landing. The highpoint of the ride you are at the actual top of Spaceship Earth, this is where you start to journey back. If you look really close you can see the outline of Spaceship Earth's spheres. As you head down, your vehicle will turn and you go back down backwards. You will also answer a few questions to design your future and they use your answers to show you a little video of your future with the photo they took at the beginning. This is the best part and if you go multiple times, try to choose different options. This is EPCOT's flagship attraction, it has been here since park open. The line is not as busy later in the day into the evening, this is when you should go. It is narrated by Judi Dench as well. This is one of our favorite attractions and a must visit each time for us. If you haven't been, make sure to check it out next time. read more

More educational than thrilling. The ride took us through time to show the progression of human communication from the Stone Age to the current Information Age. At the start, the ride took a poorly cropped picture of our faces for its animations - a cute, silly feature. Considering the fast line, 15 minute duration, slow pace, and mild motion, I think this is a nice place to give your feet a break while still checking off the attractions list! read more

Spaceship Earth - best done at night, in my opinion - is the ride within the Epcot Ball! You will notice that the theme of my Epcot day was to find every available ride/surface to sit and relax on and Spaceship Earth was no exception! This ride is leisurely, similar to Living With The Land, but has a bit of elevation, rather than being all on one surface level the way LWTL is. It takes you up into the ball, educates you on the "history" of people and then take you into the future as well. It's a tiny bit interactive, but mostly just hilariously campy and rickety in a way that is truly endearing. This is apparently a core memory of me as a Kid coming to Epcot as this and test track were the only rides I remembered from my time here. I remember going up and down the trippy "starlight" tunnel of Spaceship Earth and the gentle rotation and tilts of the cart, so it was lovely to experience again as an adult, absolutely wrecked from a full week of Disney fun! Judi Dench's voice is now engrained in my new Disney core memories from this trip as she is the one who narrates the Spaceship Earth ride lolol! Also, be forewarned (I mean, they give you plenty of time to "prepare" for this moment) that they'll take a blinding-flash picture of you. I just was past my point of care at this time so I couldn't even muster a smile. Please enjoy my RBF in the attached photos! :') read more

Spaceship Earth - Spaceship Earth ride inside the Epcot Ball! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Bay Lake, Florida

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This is my best friends favorite ride. For some reason I always block it out but it's really actually super interesting and cool, especially if you're a history lover. The seats are interactive and you'll laugh the whole time from being put into different scenes, and you feel at points like you're moving through time and space. It's an older ride with some modern updates, and it's super cool in my millennial opinion. It's a nice break from the heat too so I recommend hopping one for an info and cool down session. read more

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This a great ride to relax on. We always enjoy the video that it creates at the end with the passengers. If there's a long line then skip it. read more

One of the most iconic and classic rides at WDW! It's old but in a nostalgic way! Best 20 minute of A/C at Disney! read more

Spaceship Earth - Spaceship Earth! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Bay Lake, Florida

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The iconic symbol of EPCOT. Well worth going if you want to experience a relaxing old school Disney attraction. You actually go all the way tomorrow to the top of the sphere. We never skip it. read more

Lol, how is this ride a lightning lane? I love retro Disney and I'm glad they've kept things like the Transit Authority people mover and Carousel of Progress, but yikes, this ride was the first dark ride that made me think, "When does this end?" I get the idea of dark rides like this- they're good for sitting down and enjoying air conditioning or to hide from the rain, but after awhile I was getting impatient with this ride. I'd be really mad if I'd stood in a long line for this, but this ride is for babies and maybe that's all it has to be, but I'm not doing this ride again. read more

Spaceship earth is the centerpiece and one of our favorite attractions of Epcot. Its one of the best rides that Disney has created in its entire park history! I would highly recommend this ride to all ages, and it offers a nice slow ride through air conditioning without having to walk around; if you need a rest from the other rides in the park, this one is it. Usually the line moves quickly. A must at Epcot. read more

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Doing Spaceship Earth means you get to experience being in a giant golf ball while Dame Judi Dench tells you a story! The ride is about human communication throughout history. It's actually a good mesh of the themes of the social studies part of the park (World Showcase) and the science/tech areas of the park. This was our first and final ride at EPCOT. It's usually only a short wait. We hadn't planned it like that. I don't recommend this ride if you've gotta be somewhere. It breaks down too often. It usually resumes after a few seconds or minutes, though. Room for improvement: animatronic Michelangelo ought to be standing with his neck craned back. That's where the scholarship on the painting of the Sistine Chapel currently is, anyway. read more

A pretty cool ride that takes you on a technological journey inside the icon Epcot sphere. You ride in a small moving capsule where it explains in voiceover significant scientific developments that shape the world. The ride is pretty slow, and it slowly takes you up until you reach and see the top of the sphere from the inside. They then have a short interactive session with the screen, where they create a cute short skit using the responses that you input. Was a very fun and cute way to end the ride read more

One of the most quotable and iconic Disney rides, Spaceship Earth is one of (if not) my favorite rides. It's the big ball that's almost the centerpiece of EPCOT, and for a while I too didn't know there was a ride inside. The narrator currently is Dame Judy Dench from the James Bond saga and the ride takes you throughout the history of time, from the stone ages to the renaissance until now (or maybe as last updated 20 years ago). It's an awesome portrayal of how far the human race has come and how much further progress there still is to make! I go on every time I'm in EPCOT and I highly recommend you should too! Also the music is fantastic! read more

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The iconic Giant Ball at Epcot is home to Spaceship Earth. This is one of the oldest rides harkening back to the good old days where you sit in a slow moving car on a guided tour of animatronics. The theme here is the history of man, where you are whisked through time from cavemen to a vision of the future. The animatronics are top quality, but the overall attraction is a little dated compared to modern attractions like Star Wars. Similar to many other attractions at Epcot, you feel like you are in a school field trip due to the educational nature of the ride. read more

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GRAND & MIRACULOUS The best ride on Disney property. This slow moving ride takes you on a beautiful journey through the history of our plant and gives you a personalized sneak peak at your future. Through your journey you will see the creation of language, mathematics, the library of Rome burning, renaissance art, and the creation of computers until you teach the top of the EPCOT ball and slowly make your decent back to earth. It's an oldie but a goodie. Plus the wait is never long! read more

Spaceship Earth - Amusement Parks Near Me - Bay Lake, Florida

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The ride was amazing the ride is a history teacher but better the ride shows acts of history and then at the end of the ride you can make your own future read more

I wrote a review yesterday that stated I have never ridden this ride. It wasn't until getting on it again today that I started to remember things about this ride that are no longer. When I first rode it, there was a tv screen with Walter Cronkite narrating. Once you were on the ride, it felt like you were being shot into outer space. Today, the narrator is Dame Judi Dentch and you sit in a two person carriage which is called an Omni mover. Supposedly this is the tallest Disney attraction and it certainly isn't the scariest. It had the title of tallest attraction for a couple of years because there was an added feature to commemorate the millennium and that was Mickey Mouse 's hand and his wand. It takes about 15 minutes to ride this attraction. I thought the Omni mover took you around the globe and into the building next to it. I found out that this is not the case. The mover actually circled up around the sphere and you ride backwards to the bottom looking up at the earth. I found out another fact. It's a sphere inside a sphere. Basically, this is a Time Machine that takes you back to the beginning of human existence. Dame Judi schools us on the history of cave men, the invention of the A, B, Cs, and even gives credit to the invention of home computers giving homage to Steve Jobs without saying his name. The animatronics are a little cheesy, but follow Dame Judi's history class and you will learn something. The quiz at the end seem a little out of character, but Max and I took the quiz anyway. It was then that I learned what that flash of light at the beginning of the ride meant. The end of the quiz reveals what your dream world would look like. If you look closely at the cartoon characters, you will see your face. I didn't realize it at first and then the lightbulb came on. It was cute to hear others near you also get the glowing light bulb and laugh at their character. Nice ride as it moves slow, it is cool temperature wise, and cool to know that there are really people inside the sphere and not on an Omni mover in some building behind the big globe. Another thing that made me remember I had been on this ride before. Many, many years ago. When you got to the top, there was an actual Cast Member that turned your carriage around so it would go back to the bottom. When we got to the top, there was no one there. Leave it up to progress. read more

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This is the best park icon!!!! It has a ride in it!!! The other parks wish they had a giant golf ball for a mascot!!!

I love how dated this place is and that is a majority of the appeal of this place. It's original and some may consider this to be a work of art. I think a lot of people forget that the symbol of Epcot is still a ride. The line for this wasn't too bad, but I did use the app to secure my place in line well before I arrived. There is still a line for those that chose not to use the app, and the looks you get from them as you basically jump in front of them is kind of amusing. Once inside is is a leisure ride that slowly takes you up inside the ball and back down. Taking you through some historical events the world has seen and some futuristic scenes of what could be. It wouldn't be a Disney ride if you didn't get stuck at some point. For me, I got stuck between the American Civil War and the Berlin Olympics. Not the best time period to be stuck in, but luckily it is just a ride and not time travel. It looked exactly how I remember it from my first trip here with my family. It was a bit nostalgic for me. Reminded me of simpler times. read more

Honestly, boring as hell. It was extremely slow and stopped 2 times for 5-10 minutes. It was cool learning about some history, but they didn't really try to make the ride fun. If you are scared of rollercoasters, this one is for you. read more

You can tell it's an older ride as most of the graphics are worn down. However i enjoyed the older graphics. Could use modernizing to the card themselves read more

This is a classic ride at Epcot and very slow moving! It is the ride that goes into the iconic sphere. I felt like it was educational in that it shows you how technology developed overtime and also included an interactive portion where you get to input what kind of futuristic world you see yourself in. The ride does take your photo as well and does something with it that's kinda funny, but I don't want to spoil anything. I'd say this one is ideal for all ages and people who get motion sickness. It is more of a relaxing, educational tour ride. read more