BREAKING NEWS ( again! ) : MAY 26th will be the LAST DAY OF SPACESHIP EARTH before it enters a long renovation:
The Reimagining of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT Begins May 26:
From The Disney Parks Blog, by Zach Riddley, Walt Disney World Site Portfolio Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering
Spaceship Earth is more than just the physical icon of EPCOT – it’s a symbol of how the park continues to evolve. The attraction is a crucial piece of the historic transformation already underway at EPCOT, and our team here at Walt Disney Imagineering is excited to start implementing our new vision for Spaceship Earth beginning May 26.
This means Spaceship Earth in its current form will close for a time starting that day, and the ideas we are working on inside that geosphere will be well worth the wait. As we shared at last year’s D23 Expo, the next iteration of Spaceship Earth will focus on the story of humanity, following our long journey from prehistoric humans to today brought to life with magic and depth that only Disney can deliver. Many of the moments you know and love will be updated in amazing ways, blended with brand-new scenes to tell a story about our human experience.
Today we’re excited to share a few additional details of what you can expect when this icon returns. You’ll visit Egypt, which is part of the current version of the attraction, but it will be an Egypt like you’ve never seen before, transformed through the power of light.
Throughout the attraction, you’ll hear new narration and see how light plays a central role in our shared human journey, coming to life in dynamic ways in a celebration of the magic that’s possible when we all come together.
Walt Disney once said EPCOT “would always be in a state of becoming,” and Spaceship Earth has lived up to that vision for generations. This will be the attraction’s fourth – and most ambitious – update since the park’s grand opening on Oct. 1, 1982.
Where Epcot Future World currently stands, three new neighborhoods will spring up: World Nature, World Discovery and World Celebration.
At World Celebration in Epcot, Spaceship Earth will remain the park’s grand icon but the journey will be transformed with new scenes reflecting the universal nature of the human experience. A new guide and all new narration will focus on the storytelling that brings people together. Below, the new look of the exit of Spaceship Earth.
Below, rendering of a new scene coming to Spaceship Earth.
A new pavilion will be the perfect place for live events, and the home base for Epcot’s signature festivals. It will provide a stunning elevated view of the entire park and an ideal spot to witness Epcot’s nighttime spectacular. This beautiful three-level structure will have one of the most remarkable architectural designs at any Disney park, featuring a plaza level, a middle expo level, and a park that sits in the sky on the top level.
Epcot’s entrance plaza will be transformed with new experiences that connect us with the world, welcoming you with a reimagined fountain, new pathways and sweeping green spaces that beautify the entryway. The design will pay homage to the origins of Epcot.
World Celebration in Epcot will also feature breathtaking views at Dreamers Point, lush gardens, a wishing tree, an interactive new fountain and a new statue celebrating the legacy of the original dreamer, Walt Disney.
In tribute to Epcot 30th celebration, here is a series of articles with Epcot's WDI original artwork. In this part one we will have a closer look to the original renderings for Epcot icon: Spaceship Earth. Mot of the renderings below were done by artist/illustrator Claudio Mazzoli, except the rendering on the top which was done by Herb Ryman.
We begin by this Herb Ryman painting showing the exterior of Spaceship Earth. Next are some artwork for the cro-magnon cave sequence.
Strangely, it seems that a scene with dinosaurs was considered before being cancelled.
Here is the rendering of the egyptian temple sequence.
This one is for the Phenician scene.
Three renderings , now, for the Gutenberg press scene.
Artwork for the Michelangelo - Sixtine chapel scene.
Two artwork for a scene called "the age of invention"
The model for the telephone-telegraph scene of the "age of invention"
Let's end with three artwork for the outer space "planetarium" sequence as it was envisioned at the beginning
More Epcot original artwork coming soon! In the meantime, those of you who like WDI renderings will be happy to know that you can find 250 gorgeous WDI artwork in the Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality book which has until September 30 a great special offer!
Don't miss the special offer on the DLP book! : Order a copy of the acclaimed Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality book this month of September and save $45 including Free Shipping! You'll find all infos to order an ENGLISH edition HERE and for the FRENCH edition it's HERE. Watch below the video showing the whole book!
Legendary sci-fi author and Walt Disney's friend Ray Bradbury has died yesterday at 91, in California. Ray Bradbury who was born in 1920 in Waukegan, Illinois, became almost instantly a literary celebrity when "The Martian Chronicles " was published in 1950 - a series of intertwined stories that satirized capitalism, racism and superpower tensions as it portrayed Earth colonizers destroying an idyllic Martian civilization. At that time he was only 30, and three years later "Fahrenheit 451", one of his most famous books was also published. Since then Ray Bradbury has written dozens of novels or short stories and even wrote the screen play for John Huston 1956 movie "Moby Dick".
Generally labeled as a science fiction writer, Bradbury resists that categorization, however: "First of all, I don't write science fiction. I've only done one science fiction book and that's Fahrenheit 451, based on reality. It was named so to represent the temperature at which paper ignites. Science fiction is a depiction of the real. Fantasy is a depiction of the unreal. So Martian Chronicles is not science fiction, it's fantasy. It couldn't happen, you see? That's the reason it's going to be around a long time—because it's a Greek myth, and myths have staying power." Ray Bradbury was not only a brilliant author, but also a poet.
In early 1960 Ray Bradbury met Walt Disney for the first time: "I was walking down a street in Beverly Hills and a man passed by with so many gifts he couldn't seem to hold them all. And then I saw it was Walt Disney!" Bradbury asked Walt if they might have lunch together but Walt turned the offer into an invitation and both had lunch the next week: "I got there at noon and Walt's secretary warned me that I better be out by 1 p.m. because he had a lot of work to do. Walt gave me a tour of the lot and showed me some hippos they had been building as well as the work they were completing on the audio-animatronics figure of Abraham Lincoln. When we got back around 3 p.m. his secretary just glared at me, and I told her it was Walt's fault!" Bradbury said with a laugh.
Bradbury described his relationship with Walt as a "quiet friendship" characterized by a mutual respect for each other's work. During the next few years, Bradbury consulted with Walt, sharing numerous ideas and suggestions. In appreciation, Walt asked him what he could do to repay for the author. "Open up your vaults!" Bradbury replied and to his amazement, Walt did exactly that and let Ray select 20 items that Bradbury cherished all his life. Here is a video of Ray Bradbury talking about his first encounter with Walt.
Later, Bradbury was asked by Walt Disney to be a consultant for the American Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair and later helped design the geodesic sphere of Spaceship Earth at Epcot and wrote the original story of the attraction. When Bradbury was contacted to work on Spaceship Earth, he said, "I wanted to put in some of the ideas Walt and I talked about many years ago." There was a reason why Disney and Bradbury connected, because they both genuinely cared for the future. Even though Bradbury is still somewhat reluctant of technology today, he believes in its proper use for good, as did Disney. Bradbury once quoted in Beyond 1984: The People Machines: "People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is prevent it. Better yet, build it. Predicting the future is much too easy, anyway. You look at the people around you, the street you stand on, the visible air you breathe, and predict more of the same. To hell with more. I want better!"
Ray Bradbury also did a direct contribution on another well known WDI attraction that Disneyland and Disneyland Paris guests ride every day: the Orbitron. “For Orbitron, I suggested that the planets should move in the opposite direction of the rockets. This makes the rockets seem to move at twice their actual speed.” A small detail, certainly, but an important one!
But Bradbury is also the author of the very famous quote about Walt Disney Imagineers when he said, back in 1976 that they were "Renaissance People". Two years ago, thanks to a eBay auction i found back the origin of the quote in a rare document called ""You are Renaissance People" Excerpts from two addresses by Ray Bradbury to WED and MAPO Imagineers on December 23, 1976". The document has only four pages but what a great piece of history! On the first one is the title "You are... Renaissance People" and on the last one only the copyright with a Mickey logo, but it's the middle pages who are of great interest as it is there that you find the complete text that Ray Bradbury adresses to WED and MAPO Imagineers on his talk, back in 1976.
Double-click on the picture below to read this historical text.
In this chapter Ray Bradbury remembers some of his meetings with Walt Disney, back in the 1950's:
And Marty Sklar tell us how WDI asked Ray Bradbury to work on Epcot's Spaceship earth concept:
Few lines below it's Bradbury himself who describe how he had conceived Epcot's iconic attraction:
Years later, as i've said, Ray Bradbury worked again with WDI Imagineer Tim Delaney on the Orbitron concept for Disneyland Paris Discoveryland. Imagineer Pat Burke who worked on DLP Frontierland, including Phantom Manor remember: "Ray Bradbury was a common fixture walking around the halls of WED, as he was the New Voice for Walt's Epcot and World Showcase for Walt Disney World. Walt's friend John DeCuir Senior could visualize what the project could possibly become. Harper Goff realized it on a working plan. Ray Bradbury expressed it in words that we could all visualize as we worked on the many concept models and pieces of the Bigger Pie as we sometimes called the model. We often sat with Ray Bradbury at lunch and listened to his stories and concepts. I was able to attend his play on his Martian Chronicles at a small theater near the old Disney Hyperion Studio. Having read it in school in the early 60's, this was a great event seeing it with the actual writer present and get his questions and answers afterwards. When Disney produced in 1983 "Something Wicked This Way Comes" starring Jason Robards and Jonathan Pryce, based on the Bradbury novel of the same name, we were allowed to preview it at the Studio, as we were often allowed back then. We were all amazed at the special effects in the film and how some of the film treatments might be used in our projects at WDI, as we were called by then. The corpse in the Mortuary window coming to life in the coffin was an eerie experience. The Carousel scene that followed was hypnotic. I had hoped these could be used in the Haunted Mansion or even our DLP Thunder Mesa, when we were going to have a carriage barn for the Manor. I had even located 2 hearses for the Manor and wanted to employ Ray's Coffin effects. Budget cutbacks erased the DLP plans but not the thoughts and Images Ray had created for us on many levels".
So, you see, Ray Bradbury was not only a legendary sci-fi or fantasy author but he also has been a lot of inspiration for WDI Imagineers.
As there is nothing better than to see Ray Bradbury talking in person to understand how great - and cool - he was, i've embedded these videos. The first one was filmed in 2001 and Bradbury who was at that time 81 years old did a speech at the Sixth Annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea where he delighted his audience with stories about his life and love of writing. Take the time to watch the video, Ray Bradbury is fantastic on it!
The next video - in two parts - was filmed at Disneyland Club 33 in 2007. On this 2007 Halloween evening Disneyland honored Ray Bradbury's with his very own Halloween Tree, which will be decorated every Halloween forever more. Tony Baxter and Tim Delaney of Walt Disney Imagineering were the hosts of the event.
May Ray Bradbury rest in peace, wherever he is now...probably on Mars!
Pictures: copyright DR, Disney
Ray Bradbury has also written a great untitled essay about Walt that you can read on Mouse Planet HERE.
You've probably heard before that Ray Bradbury, the legendary Sci-Fi author of "Martian Chronicles" and "Fahrenheit 451" once said that WDI Imagineers were "Renaissance people". This Bradbury quote is very famous but do you know why and when Ray Bradbury said this? Just like you probably, i didn't knew... until two days ago, when i saw this Ebay auction: "Rare 1976 Walt Disney Imagineering Ray Bradbury Speech".
Described as "Original paper given to Disney Imagineers "You are Renaissance People" Excerpts from two addresses by Ray Bradbury to WED and MAPO Imagineers on December 23, 1976", this Ebay item intrigued me. So, you know how i am, i had a closer look to it and realized that this was probably the origin of Ray Bradbury's famous quote!
Above: Ray bradbury in 1975
The document has only four pages but what a great piece of history! On the first one is the title "You are... Renaissance People" and on the last one only the copyright with a Mickey logo, but it's the middle pages who are of great interest as it is there you'll find the complete text that Ray Bradbury adresses to WED and MAPO Imagineers on his talk, back in 1976.
Double-click on the picture below to read this historical text.
In this chapter Ray Bradbury remembers some of his meetings with Walt Disney, back in the 1950's:
And Marty Sklar tell us how WDI asked Ray Bradbury to work on Epcot's Spaceship earth concept:
Few lines below it's Bradbury himself who describe how he had conceived Epcot's iconic attraction:
Years later Ray Bradbury worked again with WDI Imagineer Tim Delaney on the Orbitron concept for Disneyland Paris Discoveryland. Imagineer Pat Burke who worked on DLP Frontierland, including Phantom Manor remember: "Ray Bradbury was a common fixture walking around the halls of WED, as he was the New Voice for Walt's Epcot and World Showcase for Walt Disney World. Walt's friend John DeCuir Senior could visualize what the project could possibly become. Harper Goff realized it on a working plan. Ray Bradbury expressed it in words that we could all visualize as we worked on the many concept models and pieces of the Bigger Pie as we sometimes called the model. We often sat with Ray Bradbury at lunch and listened to his stories and concepts. I was able to attend his play on his Martian Chronicles at a small theater near the old Disney Hyperion Studio. Having read it in school in the early 60's, this was a great event seeing it with the actual writer present and get his questions and answers afterwards. When Disney produced in 1983 "Something Wicked This Way Comes" starring Jason Robards and Jonathan Pryce, based on the Bradbury novel of the same name, we were allowed to preview it at the Studio, as we were often allowed back then. We were all amazed at the special effects in the film and how some of the film treatments might be used in our projects at WDI, as we were called by then. The corpse in the Mortuary window coming to life in the coffin was an eerie experience. The Carousel scene that followed was hypnotic. I had hoped these could be used in the Haunted Mansion or even our DLP Thunder Mesa, when we were going to have a carriage barn for the Manor. I had even located 2 hearses for the Manor and wanted to employ Ray's Coffin effects. Budget cutbacks erased the DLP plans but not the thoughts and Images Ray had created for us on many levels".
So, you see, Ray Bradbury has been a lot of inspiration for WDI Imagineers. This Ebay auction with this historical document will end today Feb 17, 2010 at precisely 16:02:18 PST (1 A.M Paris time, Midnight London time). If you're interested you still have time to bid on it. At the time i post this article the top bid is $11.50 which is ridiculously low for such a piece of Imagineering history. But remember: there is only one copy of it, and only one of you will get it!
There's nothing better than to see Ray Bradbury talking in person to understand how great - and cool - he was. So i didn't resist to embed this 2001 video. Bradbury who was at that time 81 years old did a speech at the Sixth Annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea where he delighted his audience with stories about his life and love of writing. Take the time to watch the video, Ray Bradbury is fantastic on it!
LAST COPIES of the acclaimed Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality 320 pages book in its ENGLISH edition. Only TWO copies are left, in perfect “new” condition and price for each is 250€ ( + 28€ shipping worldwide ). To place your order, send me an email at: amplittaye@gmail.com with your name and shipping address and i'll tell you how to proceed to the payment. Paypal or credit card payments are accepted. Click on the book cover above for more infos. Le livre Disneyland Paris, De l’Esquisse à la Création n'est plus disponible en édition Française. Si vous ètes Français et souhaitez commander un exemplaire du livre en version imprimée anglaise je joindrais un PDF du texte original en Français. Il reste deux ex en anglais, en état neuf, et le prix est de 250€ ( +26€ de frais d'envois ). Pour placer votre commande il faut m'envoyer un email à amplittaye@gmail.com avec le nom et l’adresse d’expédition. Les paiements par Paypal ou carte bancaire sont acceptés. Cliquez sur la couverture du livre ci-dessus pour plus d’infos.
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Taschen finally release the awaited 352 pages "Walt Disney's Disneyland" hardcover book by Author Chris Nichols. The not-to-be-missed book is already available for pre-order on Amazon for $39.98 only! Click on the link below to order it on Amazon at unbeatable price!
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The placemaking of Disney California Adventure comes to an end June 15 with the opening of Buena vista Blvd, the Carthay Circle Theater, Cars Land, and much more!
HKDL new land includes the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars ride and the town of Grizzly Gulch and it's the first new land with a Frontierland style built by WDI Imagineers since 20 years!
