Spaceship Earth Refresh Hits 80% Completion, But East Side Lags Behind

The exterior panel refresh at Spaceship Earth in EPCOT has made slow but steady progress since resuming work in April. The west side of the building is nearly finished, with the newer, shinier finish visible on most panels. In contrast, the east side shows little to no progress, with the original dull finish still intact.

The project, which began last summer, had reached an estimated 60-70% completion before the pause. Recent work has moved it closer to 80%, but a timeline for completing the remaining panels is still unclear. Disney has not disclosed whether they are cleaning, refinishing, or replacing the panels outright.

The refresh focuses only on the flat panels along the sides of the Project Tomorrow building, leaving the triangular Alucobond tiles and surrounding graphics untouched. The geodesic sphere remains unchanged, but guests can still experience Spaceship Earth normally without disruptions.