New EPCOT Spaceship Earth update announced at D23

Yes — Disney just officially announced a major reimagining of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT at D23 2026, and it’s more substantial than a simple refurbishment.

Disney says this will be the attraction’s first update in nearly 20 years. 

🌐 What’s changing?

The biggest change is the story.

Currently, Spaceship Earth focuses primarily on the history of human communication. The new version will broaden that into a story about human connection — while extending the journey into the Internet age and beyond. 

Disney is calling it a “re-imagineered” Spaceship Earth, suggesting changes to the existing show rather than simply replacing a few scenes.

🚀 What Disney has confirmed

• Internet age: The attraction will finally move beyond its current 21st-century material and explore the digital era.
• Beyond the Internet: Disney explicitly says the story will continue into the future.
• Human connection: This becomes the broader thematic focus of the attraction.
• Core concept remains: It will still be a journey through humanity’s progress and invention.
• No closure/reopening date announced yet: Disney’s announcement did not provide a construction schedule. The attraction is currently still listed by Disney as an EPCOT attraction. 

⭐ Why this is significant

This is particularly interesting because Disney had previously developed a much more extensive Spaceship Earth overhaul for EPCOT that was ultimately shelved during the pandemic-era capital cutbacks.

The new announcement appears to revive the idea of bringing the attraction into the modern era, but Disney has not yet said that this is the same 2019/2020 project. 

And unlike the old proposal, Disney’s newly stated thematic direction is quite clear: communication → human connection.

So, as of the D23 announcement, I’d characterize it as:

Spaceship Earth isn’t being replaced. It’s being brought forward into the digital/future age while retaining its fundamental story of humanity’s progress.