A lightning bolt effect from the 1994-2007 version of Spaceship Earth has returned to the attraction, after seemingly being non-functional for several years.
Lightning Bolt Effect Returns to Spaceship Earth
The effect can be spotted just after the reveal of Earth toward the end of the ride.
On your backward descent to unload, the lightning bolt flashes for a few seconds off to the right side of the ride vehicle.
This effect’s return was first spotted by Zach Halteman, who reported his finding via a post on X (formerly Twitter):
In the replies to his post, Halteman also remarked that this effect is originally from Jeremy Irons’ narrated version of Spaceship Earth, which was present from 1994-2007, before being replaced with the current narration by Judi Dench.
You can see the restored effect in action in the video below:
This isn’t the first long-lost effect restored to Spaceship Earth in recent memory. In November 2023, the “Thank the Phoenicians” water reflection effect was restored to the attraction after being gone for 15 years.
Spaceship Earth was an opening-day attraction at EPCOT in 1982. The original version was narrated by Vic Perrin and only lasted for four years. After that, it was updated to a new version with narration by Walter Cronkite, which operated for eight years. 1994 saw the update with Irons’ narration before Dench’s narration replaced it in 2008 with other updates.
The classic attraction was previously slated to get another new update, transforming into Spaceship Earth: Our Shared Story. The ride was scheduled to close for over two years for this update, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused the reimagining to be delayed. Spaceship Earth ultimately reopened with the rest of EPCOT in July 2020. Disney has not made any official announcements regarding the proposed update since.
What do you think of the restored effect, and have you spotted it on a recent ride-through? Let us know in the comments and on social media.
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