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Spaceship Earth

Gift Guide: Disney Magic for Your iPhone!

25 November 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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It’s holiday time, and that means it’s time to pick up some Disney swag for the main Mouse in your life. But what should you wrap up in pretty paper and put under the tree this year? Jen from MickeyFix.com has put together a quick list to help you select the perfect protection for your giftee’s ever-present iPhone.

Best Disney iPhone Case for … Epcot Nerds

What do all Epcot nerds love more than a geodesic sphere? A retro-styled geodesic sphere! This Spaceship Earth iPhone case will not only protect your holiday honey’s precious device, it’ll also allow him to show off his unrelenting love of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

epcot-case

 

Best Disney iPhone Case for … Haunted Mansion Spooks

If the thought of damaging her iPhone gives your Mouseketeer hot and cold running chills, we have the perfect gift for her: this perfectly disquieting Haunted Mansion iPhone case. There’s no turning back now …

mansion-case

 

Best Disney iPhone Case for … Star Wars Geeks

This is not the case you were looking for … it’s so much better! The Force is strong with this one, and your Star Wars geek will carry the Mickey Ear Death Star iPhone case with pride.

deathstar-case

 

Best Disney iPhone Case for … Disney Dreamers

If thoughts of Pixie Dust and Neverland make her heart skip a beat, let her enjoy it on a daily basis with this Peter Pan iPhone Case. Just make sure she avoids that Hook…I hear he’s no good. 😉

Peter Pan Case

 

Which of these cases is right for the Disney obsessive in your life?

 

About the author:
Jen S. spends her free time chronicling v. cool Disney things over at MickeyFix.com. If you don’t see something you like here, check out other Disney Gift Guides on Mickey Fix!

 

 

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Filed Under: Disney Merchandise, Guest Authors Tagged With: death star, Death Star iPhone case, Disney artwork, Disney designs, disney gift, Disney Gift Guides, Disney iPhone covers, Disney magic, Disney Merchandise, Disney shopping, Disney shopping guide, Epcot, Epcot iphone case, experimental prototype community of tomorrow, geodesic sphere, Guest Authors, Guest posts, Haunted Mansion, Haunted Mansion iPhone case, iPhone covers, Mickey Fix, MickeyFix.com, peter pan, Peter Pan iPhone case, pixie dust, Spaceship Earth, star wars geeks

Inside the Siemens VIP Lounge in Epcot’s Spaceship Earth

21 September 2012 by Suzannah Otis 11 Comments

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As an EPCOT Center child, once I discovered that Future World lounges existed, it was on my bucket list to see them all. For the most part, it’s been happy accidents that I’ve seen them, just being with the right people or at the right event, and today was another example of that. I can now cross the Spaceship Earth lounge off my list thanks to an event put on by the Disney Interactive Media Group promoting the upcoming Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion game for the Nintendo 3-DS. I’ll have a post on that event soon, but for now, let’s head into the lounge!

 

Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Comfy chairs and couches, with LED color-changing lamps
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
The ceiling also changes colors – there are windows behind this screen
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
View from seating area overlooking Innoventions
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
View from Siemens VIP lounge windows
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
LED Light-up walkway to the “Observatory”
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Walkway to the bar area
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Overview of Observatory
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Ladies room at the VIP lounge
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Ladies room at the VIP lounge
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Ladies room with baby changing area at the VIP lounge
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
More seating in the Explorer’s Lounge
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Explorer’s Lounge area with microwave, mini kitchen and drinks
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
The Explorer’s Lounge
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Down the hallway to the left of check-in
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Siemens check-in desk
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
The Explorer’s Lounge
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
railing overlooking the stairs
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Siemens VIP lounge dedication plaque
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Explorer’s Lounge
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
LED color-changing walkway to the “Observatory”
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Couch area with color-changing ceiling
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Overview of Observatory from window area
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
An alternate view of the Mickey flower bed behind Spaceship Earth
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Can you see the American pavilion?
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
These lamps have little antennae so the colors can be changed remotely
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
View from the Observatory
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
More couches and tables
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Bar area
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Pub tables and chairs in the Obsertavory
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
On our way out, the red tiles were orange
Siemens VIP Lounge Spaceship Earth Epcot
Display at entrance downstairs to the Siemens lounge
Warren Spector
Warren Spector discusses how Epic Mickey Power of Illusion was born

Pretty cool, right? I love how the various parts of the lounge can change color at a whim. Very Future World! Prior to the redesign in 2007 with Siemens, the lounge was run by AT&T and Bell System before that. Siemens employees can check in here and take advantage of the lounge during their stay at Walt Disney World.

The other lounges within Future World are the GM lounge (currently under reconstruction with Test Track’s refurbishment), the HP lounge at Mission: Space. The former United Technologies lounge at The Seas, The Wonders of Life lounge and one above The Land are sometimes available for special events. The former Kodak lounge at Journey into Imagination and the Universe of Energy lounge are no longer used. There are World Showcase lounges above the American Adventure and the Norway pavilion which are also used for special events.

in the Siemens VIP lounge
I was happy to be experiencing the Spaceship Earth VIP lounge with my friends Amanda Tinney and Nicole Siscaretti! A fun night for all.

Have you been in an EPCOT corporate lounge?

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Attractions, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Base 21, Epcot, EPCOT Center, Epcot corporate lounges, Future World, Future World lounges, Future World VIP lounges, hidden lounges of Epcot, lounges, siemens, Siemens VIP Center Base 21, Spaceship Earth, VIP Lounge, VIP lounges of Epcot

Guest Post: What’s So Great About Spaceship Earth?

31 August 2011 by Suzannah Otis 5 Comments

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I am so very pleased to be able to share this piece from Tom Bricker (@wdwfigment on twitter) which not only showcases his writing, but also is ahhh-mazing photography. If you have not seen his blog, please check out the link at the end of the post. His work is just jaw-droppingly stunning. Let’s show Tom a great welcome with lots of feedback so he offers to share more of his work with us here in the future! 😉 (and for the record, I completely agree with his sentiments below – be sure to share your thoughts too!) (Also, please click on the photos below to see them in their full-sized glory!)

…

 

Splash Mountain. Haunted Mansion. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Expedition Everest. Pirates of the Caribbean. These are some of the attraction names that are commonly thrown around when the conversation turns to the best attraction at Walt Disney World Resort. While a compelling case can be made for each of these attractions, I think perhaps an even stronger case can be made for Epcot’s flagship attraction, Spaceship Earth.

I’m sure some of you reading this aren’t yet convinced. You might be scoffing at the suggestion, thinking that it’s not even the “flagship” attraction in Epcot, a title that could arguably be reserved for Soarin’, the American Adventure, or even Test Track. (If you think Test Track is the top attraction in Epcot, you might as well stop reading now, as you’re a lost cause!) Since I think one of the best cases for Spaceship Earth is its strong aesthetic, a large portion of my case will be made through photos. So with all of this in mind, let’s delve into the question,
“what’s so great about Spaceship Earth?”

Location – The geosphere that houses Spaceship Earth, the attraction, is undeniably one of, if not the, coolest icons in all of the Walt Disney World. Given how unique it is, I’d place it above Cinderella Castle, which has no attraction on the inside, and definitely higher than the Tree of Life or Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Its scale is amazing, its design is spectacular, and it is absolutely gorgeous all lit up at night.

If there is any question that Spaceship Earth is the coolest looking attraction/icon at Walt Disney World, see below.

Like A Grand And Miraculous Spaceship...

Walt Disney World - Spaceship Earth

EPCOT Center's SpaceShip Earth @ 11mm

This, Our Spaceship Earth

Quality – As an attraction featuring an incredible number of Audio Animatronics and incredibly detailed sets, Spaceship Earth is a high quality attraction with an incredible amount of detail. It is quite the contrast to many other attractions, new and old alike. Other older attractions, specifically Fantasyland style dark rides, offer sets with less depth and less complicated characters. Similarly (although by very different means), many newer attractions over-rely on technology and lack actual depth and dimensionality. While Spaceship Earth did adopt some of this technology, quite poorly, in the attraction’s now-darkened descent as a result of its last refurbishment, this refurbishment also refreshed several Audio Animatronics and substantially improved the first two-thirds of the attraction. So overall, it’s a net gain.

Walt Disney World - EPCOT Center - SpaceShip Earth

Ultra Wide Angle SSE

EPCOT's SpaceShip Earth - Michelangelo Paints the Sistine Chapel

Spaceship Earth - The Science of Disco

Duration – If you’re anything like me, an attraction’s duration is a big deal. Don’t get me wrong, things like Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster are enjoyable, but if I wait in line even for 20 minutes for an attraction, I’d like it to last for more than just a couple of minutes. At approximately 16 minutes in duration, Spaceship Earth is a wonderfully long and relaxing Omnimover attraction that actually takes time to tells its story. It’s also one of the few attractions where the payoff usually lasts longer than the wait in line for the attraction.

EPCOT Center-ness – Although it has changed some over the years, Spaceship Earth is still true to the original incarnation of the attraction, and accordingly, is one of the last vestiges of the original EPCOT Center Future World. The other epic Omnimover attractions: Horizons, World of Motion, and Journey into Imagination (unless we count the new one which is neither epic or even much of an “attraction,” for that matter), are all gone. It’s one of the last attractions in Future World that still embodies the theme of “edutainment” that was characteristic of all of the Future World attractions at one time.

The Dawn of a New Disney Era

Spaceship Earth may lack a 6-story drop, inversions, or other thrills that modern park-goers seem to demand, but it excels at offering the rich Disney Details, depth, and almost poetic storytelling (go ahead and roll your eyes at that one, I stand by it!) that so many of its contemporaries lack. Almost ironically, as the future of theme park attractions race past it it terms of technology, it continues to do an excellent job telling the story of the evolution of communications technology on this, our Spaceship Earth, engaging its Guests and offering an extremely compelling argument for it being the top attraction at Walt Disney World Resort.

Tom Bricker and his wife operate DisneyTouristBlog.com, a website featuring accounts of their adventures at the Disney theme parks. He is also a photographer and blogger for TouringPlans.com. You can contact Tom at [email protected].

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Filed Under: Disney Attractions, Guest Authors Tagged With: amazing Disney photos, best attraction in Epcot, Disney icons, Disney photos, Epcot, Guest Authors, Spaceship Earth, Tom Bricker, wdwfigment

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