This last weekend, thousands of fans descended on Anaheim, California, for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. This weekend was full of experiences, panels, presentations, opportunities to meet favorite Disney personalities, shopping opportunities, and a whole lot more! And all of this was just at one of the two locations where the event took place: the Anaheim Convention Center. Over at the Honda Center, some large-scale showcases and a ceremony were happening throughout the weekend. On Friday night, the future of Disney entertainment was revealed during the Disney Entertainment Showcase. On Saturday, Horizons: A Carousel of Progress revealed what Disney Experiences had completed since the last D23, what is being worked on, and what is coming in the future!

One section of the Disney Experiences Showcase focused on three space-related projects. Particularly, it focused on three projects in three parks around the globe and elevated their visibility. In one case, a new project was launched once again. This segment of the evening had host Neil Patrick Harris invite Imagineer Ali Rubinstein and former NASA engineer and YouTube sensation Mark Rober. They talked about Space Mountain at both Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland. They then pivoted to talk about Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. Their conversations and announcements can be found here:

Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris

The big announcement for Disneyland Paris of Space Mountain is that it will be returning to its original version. This will include a return of its original ride music as well. Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune is what the attraction opened as in 1995. In 2005, it became Space Mountain: Mission 2. In 2017, it became Hyperspace Mountain as part of the celebration of the park’s 25th anniversary. Now, it will return to the original version (and fans are delighted). To make this happen, the attraction will close for a few months at the end of 2027.

Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland

At Tokyo Disneyland, Space Mountain has been undergoing a massive change that fans who have visited this beloved theme park have been easily able to see. The original version of the attraction is being replaced by a new and updated look and experience. The completely rebuilt Space Mountain is part of a larger Tomorrowland transformation. When it reopens in 2027, Space Mountain: Earthrise will offer guests the chance to blast into space and experience the wonder of Earth from a completely new perspective. Both the reimagined attraction and Tomorrowland are part of a new experience that is designed to celebrate the beauty of planet Earth while inspiring guests to look toward the future.

Spaceship Earth

Also, while on the topic of Space, a fairly significant Spaceship Earth announcement was revealed! Spaceship Earth is getting an update. This will be the first time in nearly two decades. It marks the next chapter for the attraction that has seen multiple celebrities narrate the attraction through the years as it has grown and evolved. This new version of the attraction will take guests into the internet age and beyond.

Traditionally, the attraction has told the human story through the lens of communication. This new version will see the attraction telling the story of human history, with the focus being human connection. At this time, the exact timeline for when this will happen and the specifics of what will be changing in the attraction have not been revealed. Disney did share the following fun facts about the attraction:

Fun Facts about Spaceship Earth

• Walter Cronkite narrated a script that was added to the attraction in 1986. In fact, since opening, there have been four narrators for Spaceship Earth.
• The structure is called a “geodesic sphere” because it’s a perfectly round structure that is supported in the air by three pillars.
• The attraction stands at 180 feet tall with 2.2 million cubic square feet of space inside the geosphere.
• Spaceship Earth is one of the most complicated ride systems Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created because the ride incorporates a continuously moving train of vehicles that spiral up into the structure before turning “backward” to come back down to Earth.
• The storyline currently follows the history of human innovation, from prehistoric times to the 21st century.

Quite a few space-related things are happening around the globe currently and in the future in Disney theme parks. Along with these three projects, Disney also announced that Disneyland will be getting a new Tomorrowland as well! What do you think of these announcements? Which one are you most excited about? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!