At a Glance
Duration: 15 minutes
Look Out For: animatronics, darkness, and a long ride duration
Opening on October 1st, 1982, Spaceship Earth is an Epcot classic that explores the past, present, and future of technology in a slow, informational, dark ride setting. But how scary is Spaceship Earth? Let’s take a look at the ratings:
1. Ride Length
Spaceship Earth has a duration of 15 long minutes. The ride consists entirely of a very slow dark ride that does travel backwards for about 4 minutes of its run time.
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
Spaceship Earth does not have a height restriction. While there are a fair number of animatronic characters on board, there is no scary imagery or theming whatsoever – so most children should be just fine to ride.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
The Spaceship Earth ride vehicles consist of a train of very slow moving cars – seating 4 passengers in each with 2 to a seat. There is no lap bar and the vehicles come equipped with a pretty snazzy touch screen in front of each row.
4. How does Spaceship Earth Work?
Spaceship Earth works like a standard dark ride – moving the individual ride vehicles along the track with the voiceover coming from the headrests.
5. Is Spaceship Earth Scary?
Spaceship Earth is not intentionally scary at all. However, I did just want to mention that this ride takes place entirely in the dark. It also has some piped-in smells and sounds that you may want to be aware of if someone in your party is sensitive to that sort of thing. But as I stated earlier, there is no scary imagery at all and unless you or your child is afraid of animatronics, it’s a very relaxing and educational ride through history.
6. How High is Spaceship Earth?
Spaceship Earth does not involve heights. While the ride does take place inside of the 180 ft Epcot Ball, you never feel like you leave the ground at all as it’s a gentle, slow-moving, dark ride.
7. How Fast is Spaceship Earth?
Spaceship Earth does not go fast. The ride vehicles move at a very slow pace.
8. Does Spaceship Earth Have Drops?
Spaceship Earth does not have drops.
9. Does Spaceship Earth Cause Motion Sickness?
Spaceship Earth should not cause motion sickness for most riders. I should mention, however, that if slow backwards (and reclining) movement is something that may cause you motion sickness, you should be aware that the ride travels this way for about 4 minutes of its run time.
In my own experience, the backwards movement made me feel more claustrophobic than motion sick (due to feeling a bit disoriented and not being able to see the track in front of me). However, I’d love to hear from all of you – does this type of movement make you feel motion sick? Let me know in the comments!
10. Is Spaceship Earth Claustrophobic?
Spaceship Earth could be claustrophobic to some riders. This is mostly due to it being an indoor track ride with an incredibly long duration and a backwards portion. However, there is no lap bar and the interactive screen on each row could provide some relief to those who can be distracted from their surroundings. Those who are claustrophobic may want to really consider this one if any of these factors might impact your riding experience.
11. Are There Animatronics on Spaceship Earth?
Spaceship Earth has many animatronics. While these are not intentionally scary by nature, some of them are definitely old and could land solidly in the uncanny valley for some riders.
Spaceship Earth Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance can be found outside, directly under the “Epcot ball.” This is an almost entirely outdoor queue and simply winds around outside before taking you up the ramp and directly onto the loading platform.
You’ll hop aboard one of the ride vehicles from a rotating platform (think Haunted Mansion or Voyage of the Little Mermaid). This queue is definitely a good one for those who feel claustrophobic in most lines – as most of it is located right outside in the fresh air.
Spaceship Earth Ride Walkthrough
Once you board the ride vehicles, you slowly make your way through a tunnel and up an incline as an instructional video plays above you. You’ll pass through time and space – or just a neon archway – before you’re greeted by a nebulous landscape and the voice of Dame Judy Dench herself.
You’ll come across a caveman scene featuring several animatronic characters and a screen projection of a woolly mammoth hunt. From there, you’ll enter ancient Egypt, meeting even more historical characters, before proceeding through a few more ancient civilizations. These sets are quite beautiful and immersive, so definitely take a moment to look around and take them in as you pass by.
You’ll step right into the middle ages where you’ll find several more historical scenes and characters – including Michelangelo. Then, you’ll make your way into the industrial age and technology is booming. You’ll witness the beauty of computers and the internet as you finally find yourself at the top of the dome, staring up at our gorgeous blue planet among a sea of stars.
You’ll linger in this educational moment as your car slowly rotates backwards and begins its slow descend back to the loading station. Again, this takes about 4 to 4 and a half minutes. You’ll get to have some fun with that interactive screen in front of you – so enjoy your trip back to earth.
After rotating to face forward again, you’ll be deposited into a pretty cool discovery center to enjoy on your way out.
That’s it! Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not – I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? How scary is Spaceship Earth? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the ride and queue, be sure to check out this video from 4K WDW:
