Another piece of EPCOT’s recent transformation is already disappearing.Walt Disney World has started removing decorative elements from the Mission: SPACE area, replacing portions of a relatively new design with plain concrete. The work comes only a few years after Disney added the details as part of updates to the plaza.While Mission: SPACE itself remains, guests walking through this section of World Discovery may notice the surrounding area looks a little different during their next visit.And based on the latest work underway, Disney may not be finished yet.Credit: DisneyDisney Is Removing Mission: SPACE Plaza DetailsThe changes are happening in Planetary Plaza, the area directly outside Mission: SPACE at EPCOT.According to reports, Disney added colorful mosaic planets and stars to the pavement in 2023. The designs brought additional space-themed details to the plaza, including colorful stars, planets, and even a black hole design near Mission: SPACE Cargo Bay.Unfortunately, the decorative pavement hasn’t held up particularly well.Frequent foot traffic caused portions of the mosaics to chip. Disney attempted repairs, but some damaged areas eventually received concrete patches instead. Over time, that left portions of the once-colorful plaza looking considerably different from when the designs debuted.Now, Disney has gone a step further by removing some of the mosaic pavement entirely.Removal Work Happened in Just a Matter of DaysThe latest change happened quickly.On September 26, scoring was visible around a section of pavement containing mosaic stars. By September 29, Disney had torn out that portion and replaced it with plain concrete.That isn’t necessarily the end of the project, either.Another section of the former mosaic pavement has already been scored, indicating that additional removal work could follow.For guests who remember how Planetary Plaza looked when these additions were new, the difference is becoming increasingly noticeable.Some decorative elements remain. An assortment of red gems can still be found in another section of the pavement, although nearby planets have lost much of their original color and now appear primarily brown and gray.Credit: DisneyThe Mission: SPACE Area Looked Much Different in 2023The deterioration becomes especially clear when comparing the plaza today with its original appearance.One of the more elaborate designs sat outside Mission: SPACE Cargo Bay. When Disney installed it in 2023, the pavement featured a colorful blue, red, and orange mosaic surrounding a black hole.Disney repaired the design in 2025, but it continued to change. By September 2026, the once-bright feature had been reduced to what appears to be a much darker swirl in the pavement.The difference shows just how much wear these decorative additions experienced in less than three years.EPCOT receives heavy daily foot traffic, and Planetary Plaza sits along a major guest pathway through World Discovery. Large numbers of visitors regularly pass through the area while traveling between Mission: SPACE and other parts of the park.In this case, Disney’s attempts to repair the decorative pavement weren’t enough to preserve its original appearance.This Isn’t a Mission: SPACE Attraction ClosureDespite the removal work happening outside the attraction, this shouldn’t be confused with Disney removing Mission: SPACE itself.The current project involves decorative pavement in Planetary Plaza rather than the ride.That’s an important distinction, especially given the amount of construction and change EPCOT has experienced over the last several years. Seeing pavement torn apart directly outside a major attraction can understandably spark questions about whether something larger is underway.For now, the visible work is focused on replacing damaged mosaic sections with standard concrete.Still, the project is changing the appearance of the Mission: SPACE area. The mosaics were only introduced in 2023, making their removal particularly notable for guests who followed EPCOT’s recent updates.More Mosaic Pavement Could DisappearThe biggest question now is how much of the decorative pavement Disney intends to remove.With another section already scored, the work appears positioned to continue beyond the portion replaced by September 29. Disney could ultimately remove more of the deteriorating mosaic elements as the plaza receives additional attention.That would leave Planetary Plaza with a simpler appearance than the one Disney introduced just a few years ago.For guests, none of this should dramatically affect a day at EPCOT. Mission: SPACE remains the centerpiece of the area, and the pavement work doesn’t represent the loss of the attraction.But visually, this corner of World Discovery is changing again.The colorful planets and stars were designed to carry the space theme beyond the attraction’s entrance and into the surrounding plaza. Now, some of those details are being replaced with ordinary concrete after only a few years.And with work already beginning on another section, guests visiting EPCOT in the coming days and weeks may see even more of the Mission: SPACE plaza’s 2023 design disappear.What do you think of Mission: SPACE at EPCOT? Let us know in the comments!The post Confirmed: Walt Disney World Makes Mission: SPACE Area Removal at EPCOT appeared first on Inside the Magic.