New Lounge Inside Spaceship Earth Coming to EPCOT
Walt Disney World has announced two new lounges coming to the parks, including one inside Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. This post shares details, concept art, and everything we know about the plan–plus comprehensive commentary about more bars at WDW and whether we think these are potentially good or bad additions for the park. (Updated December 3, 2024.)
This news was announced during the “Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase” or Parks Panel presentation during the D23 Expo. Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro offered a sneak peek at concept art for the future in addition and teased what was to come in a few years, including several projects that are already underway. Among these were over a half-dozen additions that will debut before the end of 2025.
In fact, there was so much news during the D23 Parks Panel that Josh called in friends Darren Criss and Skylar Astin for I guess what you’d call a rapid-fire montage song of smaller-scale updates before continuing on with the show. During that, the dynamic duo announced a brand new lounge at EPCOT…
December 3, 2024 Update: Walt Disney World shared a wide-ranging update on what’s coming to the parks in 2025, and that included news about the opening of the lounge inside Spaceship Earth. Here’s the the pertinent portion of the announcement:
Paying tribute to the most beautiful EPCOT icon, our favorite geodesic sphere will be home to a whole new experience in late spring, welcoming an elevated lounge to the list of things that make it absolutely stunning! This elegant lounge, honoring the intertwined history of Spaceship Earth and EPCOT itself, is set to celebrate the legacy of the icon’s past while admiring its future.
Our chefs have created delicious culinary creations to complement the elegance of this extraordinary, intimate setting. While taking in breathtaking views of the park from an entirely new angle, you can be inspired by the stories and legacy of this iconic structure. With sweeping views of World Celebration Gardens and a unique perspective of the nightly fireworks, this secluded retreat invites you to raise a toast to the enduring spirit of EPCOT.
Timing-wise, opening this lounge inside Spaceship Earth before Summer 2025 makes sense.
Having it open in Late Spring 2025–after the rush of Spring Break–also makes sense. This is a very low-capacity space, and it’s better to debut that during shoulder season when demand (and thus disappointment among everyone getting shut out) isn’t as high. It’s still going to be a difficult ADR no matter what, but having it open later is a smart decision.
Of the project updates Walt Disney World just shared, this is far and away the least ambitious. As noted in the commentary below, this is already a lounge space. Accordingly, the reimagining is essentially a matter of giving it a new aesthetic and making whatever back-of-house changes are necessary to ensure the space can handle a steady stream of guests and not just corporate clients.
Probably the most notable thing about this opening date is that it closes the door on a much-needed and long overdue refurbishment of Spaceship Earth before the lounge debuts. Had today’s news been that Test Track 3.0 is reopening in Spring 2025 and the Spaceship Earth Lounge is opening in Late 2026, my immediate conclusion would’ve been that the lounge had been pushed back to accommodate a reimagining in between.
Alas, that is not what happened. It really makes me wonder what, if anything, the plan is with Spaceship Earth. The attraction needs to go down for a lengthy refurbishment at some point in the not-too-distant future. I suppose that could still happen in 2026, but it’d be an odd move to open this lounge only to close it ~6 months later for over a year.
This leads me to believe that the plan (assuming there is one–bold assumption) is either a scaled-back refurbishment of just what’s necessary as opposed to a reimagining, which allows the lounge to remain open, or that Journey into Imagination is next on deck. Either of these outcomes would be perfectly fine by me. But then there’s the third option, which is probably the most likely: nothing is scheduled for refurbishment/reimagining at EPCOT in 2026.
No future plans for the former Future World would be fairly consistent with the company’s attitude towards EPCOT. For those keeping score at home, this was the only brand-new EPCOT news during the D23 Parks Panel. Test Track was also touched upon during the above-referenced update song montage, and those were the only two EPCOT projects discussed at all.
I’m honestly not surprised. Walt Disney World has told us in no uncertain terms that the EPCOT overhaul is finished. But my response has been: you sure ’bout that?
CommuniCore Hall and Plaza are a massive disappointment, World Celebration is an underwhelming placemaking project at best, and there are several rides in need of refurbishment after Test Track. And that includes Spaceship Earth, which was overdue for refurbishment in 2020, when it was slated to close for reimagining. (Concept art below is for that shelved Spaceship Earth reimagining, NOT this new lounge.)
More than any other project, EPCOT’s overhaul was a victim of the COVID-closure. The changes and cancellations made as a result of that massively scaled back the scale and scope of that transformation, and we’re just now seeing the ‘fruits’ of that.
With the benefit of hindsight, I’m guessing no one at Disney is happy with how the overhaul turned out–especially when a simpler placemaking project (like the front entrance–which is comparatively fantastic) would’ve been cheaper, faster, and maybe even better.
The good news, I guess, is that EPCOT attendance is continuing to languish. So even if Walt Disney World has declared the EPCOT overhaul over, they’re going to need to do something else. This cannot be the status quo through 2028, more reimaginings and smaller scale projects must be on the horizon. And not just low-capacity lounges. But I digress.
Back on topic, this new lounge inspired by Spaceship Earth looks like a promising addition. In case it’s not clear, this is going to be located in the sponsor lounge inside Spaceship Earth that was formerly occupied by AT&T and Siemens. It’s the glass windows above the Walt the Dreamer statue in the photo above.
I’ve been in this lounge a few times over the years, and it’s fairly sizable. Not as big or cool as the General Motors lounge above Test Track, but I hope that one never becomes a public space because GM is the most valuable sponsor to EPCOT, and without that company, there’s no way we’d be getting Test Track 3.0 this decade. (I guess it means that Disney Corporate Alliances has given up on a new sponsor for Spaceship Earth, which doesn’t exactly bode well for the reimagining.)
Nevertheless, all of these corporate lounges are fairly small relative to demand. This lounge has just enough elevation and a location to make it perfect for sweeping views of the rest of the former Future World and back to World Showcase, meaning it’ll offer a great perspective on Luminous: The Symphony of Us.
My prediction is that Advance Dining Reservations for the Spaceship Earth lounge instantly become the #1 most difficult ADR in all of Walt Disney World, dethroning the Space 220 Lounge in the process. Even though this should have slightly higher capacity and less in the way of themed design, the view and novelty of being inside Spaceship Earth will be like catnip to Disney diehards.
As for the interior style of the lounge, it’s whatever. Reminds me of the rooftop restaurants at Gran Destino Tower or the lounges on the Wish-class of the Disney Cruise Line ships. That’s not really a dig. I think those spaces are classy and elegant and, in the case of Gran Destino, the main draw is the views.
A similar approach with the Spaceship Earth lounge also makes sense. There are design details that evoke the geometric panels on the exterior of the geodesic sphere–that’s pretty much perfect. Showcase the big views and let those be the highlight, with a vaguely futurist and luxurious sensibility to the style. That should hopefully discourage guests from taking off their shoes in the lounge (looking at you, DVC members in the Imagination lounge.) Ah, who am I kidding–that’s wishful thinking!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited for the Spaceship Earth lounge at EPCOT or Pirates of the Caribbean tavern at Magic Kingdom? Or are you disappointed that Disney is adding more bars and lounges to the parks? What plans from the 2024 D23 Expo have you most and least excited? Anything you’re hoping does not end up coming to fruition? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I just wish they’d bring back Figment proper and do SOMETHING to the Wonders of Life Pavilion.
The widely despised CommuniCore “flex space” hall could be a giant bar/restaurant instead of whatever it is now.
Drunkenly flirting could be the form of “communication” being featured. Right or wrong, perhaps that’s the direction we’re heading with Epcot. Bar crawls are what a lot of guests use Epcot for. Perhaps future world wants a piece of the World Showcase’s action.
I think you may be right. With the announcement of more Lounges with bars and small bites, I do think there are lots of guests who use Disney for this sort of thing. For us it would be family places but to each his own. We aren’t drinkers here.
How is this lounge accessed? Is it possible that they could do a refurbishment on Spaceship Earth while keeping the lounge open? The picture you have of the lounge windows behind the Walt statue makes it look like the space might be sufficiently removed from the geosphere proper that work on the ride wouldn’t necessarily prevent the lounge from being open to guests.
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this lounge mentioned in DisneyFiles: Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium
I’m excited for both lounges. Maybe I’m expecting too much, but I sincerely hope that the Pirates bar will be in the spirit of The Adventurer’s Club. I want a guy with an accordion leading sea shanties! a talking skull and crossbones mounted on the wall! Pirate actors who ask women with sequined Minnie ears where they dug up such valuable treasure! I want a bartender who will challenge me to a tiny swordfight when I pull the cocktail sword out of my drink! I want paper placemats where you can draw your own Jolly Roger and fly it at your table!
… I’m definitely expecting too much. XD
I would expect Trader Sam’s: Pirate Edition from this, not Adventurers Club.
I hope to be wrong, but I also expected more from Oga’s Cantina and it didn’t deliver. So maybe dial down those expectations to avoid disappointment. And if I am wrong, it’ll be a pleasant surprise!
I was at the Spaceship Lounge a long time ago (when I worked at Siemens). While the space was nice, I remember it to be fairly small. The view was also nice, but not that spectacular. Not sure it’s going to be an immediate superstar, given the competition of food/drink in Epcot. But I don’t have Disney imagination, so, who knows. At the time, I was more happy about a cool place to rest, get a drink and walk down the stairs onto the ride. The space itself was less memorable to me.
I’m pretty excited about the Epcot lounge, we had a Photopass Base in SpaceShip Earth when it first rolled out. We would use the lounge to take breaks, long before any sponsors were using it. Had a few meetings in there too. It was always very relaxing to sit by the window and get to watch all the people enjoying the park. The lounge will probably be a great place to watch the fireworks too.
DHS gets a Monsters mini land. Animal Kingdom gets a full new Tropics Land. Magic Kingdom gets 2 Cars rides, a nighttime parade, and a whole Villains land.
Epcot gets a new lounge. Figures.
Great news on both lounges – they hurt nothing and bring life to long-underutilized existing spaces. I feel like Disney could have hosted a “Filling in the Top 10 Dead Spaces in WDW Parks” panel and generated at least as much, if not more excitement as the Villainsland announcement. Are we counting these bars as two of the half dozen additions to be delivered in 2025? I haven’t been able to find any definitive list of what that entails, but I am guessing Starlight, Test Track, 2 lounges…Zootopia movie? What am I missing?
I believe the exact number is 8 additions in 2025, and that’s for both coasts. And that was just of the D23 announcements. It’s my understanding that there’s more news to come for 2025 in the next 6 weeks to 6 months.
Spaceship Earth Lounge will be very popular, I’m sure. I worked there for many years – Siemens was a great sponsor. It is an absolutely beautiful area – but there is no kitchen. I guess they could turn the offices in the back into a small kitchen. Our food was always brought over from our main kitchens. It is not a huge area! Something neat to know – there is a staircase in the back that they used to take their guests down to ride Spaceship Earth, so the guests didn’t have to stand in line for the ride. Great memories!
Thanks for sharing that–I didn’t realize there’s not even a small kitchen. Makes sense, though.
My guess is that a kitchen is not added, and that this follows the Oga’s Cantina formula of premixed drinks and only light bites. Maybe they’ll go dessert-centric and use those rolling coolers that they can bring in and out.
I’m fine with most of what didn’t happen at the EPCOT overhaul except that I’m still bummed about the quiet canceling of Cherry Tree Lane at Epcot. The park needs even minor attractions, and just to finish off that pavilion and stepping into the Banks’s house would’ve been a long-time dream come true
@Zach, I am inclined to agree. I kind of hope the things that were cancelled will leave room for better ideas in the future. I just hope that it will be the very near future!
Are you sure that the lounge is just a way of not having to re-image Spaceship Earth and just convert the whole area to the Lounge. Could explain why Disney have not re-imaged Spaceship Earth because they knew they were going to eliminate it.
I was initially disappointed about the lack of EPCOT upgrades. Then I realized that all the additions will move more people to the other parks, leaving lower crowds at my favorite park. You are, of course, right that eventually Disney will have to invest more in EPCOT because the big transformation was kind of a bust.
It’s certainly not the highlight news of D23, but I like that they are putting in something useful to the general public (a non-DVC lounge) into un/under-utilized spaces. Now, to use the underutilized areas: Tortuga Tavern, Marakesh, Stitches Great Escape, etc.
Tom – Anytime you want to chat about corporate Alliances, just let me know. I had an office in Test Track for years, and worked with AT&T (and Fedex) with CA supporting my client who sponsored WDW.
Very interesting! Back when I did contract photography for the company, Corporate Alliances was actually one of my clients. I didn’t do too many projects with them–not much of an ongoing use case for ‘creative’ photography, but it was fun and got me into some cool spots I otherwise never would’ve seen!
In general, I think Corporate Alliances really fascinating. Until doing that photography, I had no idea how much it had evolved over the years–I sort of associated it with the (dying) sponsorship model for EPCOT Center, but as you undoubtedly know, there’s much more to it than that.
Jon, Were you there when Corinne worked the front desk at Test Track? We have also visited the AT&T space in Spaceship Earth. Same area as Siemens?
Glad MK will finally have a place to sit down and get a drink…….Do you think it will be similar to Ogas where you reserve a time and have 45-60 mins?
I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised with a time limit on the Pirates tavern, depending upon its size.
I could also see the same for the SSE lounge. What I think might be more likely, though, is having to order from a set menu–sorta like the prix fixe menus at California Grill or Be Our Guest but not full meals. Or maybe it becomes a new dessert party space in the evenings.
I highly doubt that they’ll make them open access and just let people nurse sodas in them for hours. Or, if they make that mistake at first, they’ll quickly learn and address it.
Remove lighting lanes bring back fast pass just put in the park price, and lower prices. Their inputs have gone down and they have less staff especially at the hotels where they continue to do light cleaning every other day except at the Yacht Club where you have to ask for it. Services that existed before have disappeared and this is what you went to Disney for.
I actually think one of the best things they could do is raise cast member wages in the parks. And give them even more perks. if the cast members were super happy to be there because they are getting paid great wages and have some nice added perks (not sure what they get already or what it could look like), that would extend out to guest experiences in such a positive way that the “magic” would be back without only having to spend tons of money on new experiences.
You want them to lower prices? Has that ever happened?
Siemens is probably decided not to sponsor that exit space which Disney wants to monetize like everything else.
The Siemens sponsorship ended in 2017.