What Is The EPCOT Ball? | Purpose, Structure & Secrets!
The EPCOT Ball, more formally known as Spaceship Earth, is the iconic symbol of EPCOT, but there's much more to this "ball" than you may expect!
In this guide, we'll dive into just what the EPCOT Ball is, what purpose it serves, and what's actually inside the building (including a few secrets)!
Questions We'll Answer About The EPCOT Ball:
- What Is The EPCOT Ball?
- What Is The Purpose Of The EPCOT Ball?
- What Is Inside The EPCOT Ball?
What Is The EPCOT Ball?
The EPCOT Ball is actually an enormous structure in the shape of a geodesic sphere, which is home to a handful of different mixed-use spaces.
Geodesic spheres are complex objects typically comprised of dozens (or, in EPCOT's case, hundreds) of triangles with icosahedral symmetry.
The complex design of geodesic spheres makes them perfect for unique, eye-catching structures with futuristic touches.
While the EPCOT Ball may look decorative, it has various purposes and is a very versatile space that has seen quite a few changes and different tenants over its 40+ year history.
What Is The Purpose Of The EPCOT Ball?
The EPCOT Ball was created to be the main icon of EPCOT, similar to how Cinderlla's Castle is the main iconic structure of Magic Kingdom.
The EPCOT Ball was created to be a symbol of the theme park that visitors from around the world would eventually associate with and distinguish EPCOT from any other theme park in the world with this iconic structure.
But the EPCOT Ball is more than just a landmark structure.
As mentioned earlier, the EPCOT Ball is referred to as Spaceship Earth, which is also the name of the attraction housed inside the structure!
Spaceship Earth's ride track runs through the EPCOT Ball as it takes you on a journey across time, reliving some of the most iconic moments in history.
Spaceship Earth is actually a multi-purpose space, and along with a ride, the structure also houses an interactive game exhibit, a meeting room, storage space, and bathrooms!
What Is Inside The EPCOT Ball?
The EPCOT Ball is currently used for four different unique purposes.
- Spaceship Earth
- Project Tomorrow
- Event/Meeting Space
- A Secret (Former) Lounge
Spaceship Earth is a slow-moving dark ride attraction that takes you through various periods of human innovation, specifically around advances in human communication.
The ride is approximately 15 minutes long and begins in the prehistoric era before traveling through show scenes set in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, the European Renaissance, and 1969, just as Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, amongst many other scenes.
Spaceship Earth features dozens of animatronics and another dozen uniquely themed environments, all set in different time periods and locations.
On the second floor of Spaceship Earth is an event space that overlooks World Celebration (formerly Future World) and World Showcase areas of the theme park.
The event space itself is very plain and doesn't feature any cool ride elements or take place in any of the show scenes in Spaceship Earth, but there are some great views of EPCOT from the inside!
Currently, Disney only uses the event space for very special events, internal company gatherings, and corporate meetings, so booking a personal event such as a wedding is nearly impossible.
Project Tomorrow is an interactive play area where you disembark from the Spaceship Earth ride.
At Project Tomorrow, you can see the on-board photo taken of you on Spaceship Earth projected onto massive screens, as well as a vast map of where various EPCOT visitors who rode the ride are from.
Finally, there is a secret lounge, which has remained empty since 2017.
This unique and exclusive lounge was an excellent way for Disney's corporate partners to give their clients an extra perk when visiting EPCOT and a perfect opportunity to relax with some food, drinks, and air conditioning.
Spaceship Earth last had a corporate sponsor in 2017, leaving the VIP lounge empty for an extended period before Disney converted the area into event space and general storage as it remains through the present day.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EPCOT!
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