Horizons Demolition

jmarc63

jmarc63

New Member
Originally posted by cymbaldiva
So back to this sinkhole thing? I don't doubt at all that it's true, but how do you find out about this stuff? And why would they build over one anyway? :veryconfu
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They didn't delibertly build over a sink hole . like any sinkwhole there is a pocket of earth that is filled with water and earth covers it so its stable. when the water evaporates from the hole the ground sinks in to fill the void. Somehow when they built horizions the engineers never discovered that the ground was unstable when the put in the foundations. I suspect that the building weight compressed it over a 10 year or so peroid and it started to collapse under the weight of the building.

BTW the watertable in the WDW area is only a few feet below grade which is why MK is raised up higher than the sorounding area thats why the utilidors exist due to this factor

Remember the florida neighbourhood that had that sink hole and it ate a dozen or so homes and a community pool. I belive it got to be about three or four blocks in diameter before they stoped the collapse
 
jmarc63

jmarc63

New Member
Originally posted by RobFL
Sinkholes are a continuous natural phenomena in FL.

FL is mostly limestone. Limestone is a pourus rock - meaning waters flows through it.

As the water flows through, it eats away at some part of the limestone, i think it's calcium. Maybe it's the lime? Who knows, i'm not a geologist.. Just an informed Floridian.

Anyways, the water does this when the water table is high due to heavey rains and such.. AKA: Every summer.

The water then recedes leaving a nice big hole where rock once was. The weight from above is typically held up as long as the water remains exerting pressure outward and preventing the cavern from collapsing. If the water receds enough, poof, there's a big hole in the ground that wasn't there before and you suddenly have a new basement.

-Rob
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I guess you explain it better than I could
 
jmarc63

jmarc63

New Member
Originally posted by RobFL
After 24 hours the sinkhole has done its worst. Then you fill it will concrete and you're good to go.

-Rob
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Heres a pic of the fillled in sink hole
 

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bamboo7

bamboo7

Active Member
Original Poster
Re: Same show building

Originally posted by Timekeeper
Although this information does not directly pertain to Horizons (rest in peace), I think it's a wonderful example of preserving a show building.

Universal Studios had an attraction show called Ghostbusters. About 6 years ago they tore down Ghostbusters to build the current Twister attraction. The amazing thing is, the show building itself was never torn down or significantly altered. True, the show building is more or less a "soundstage," thus nothing more than a big box, but it must have taken a pretty unique team of individuals to turn a building designed for one attraction into one capable of creating a funnel cloud right in front of you.

Also, the audience point of view is practicaly identical to that of when it was Ghostbusters (in Twister they stand instead of sit), and the "sky" backdrop (slightly concave shaped wall) was preserved in shape as well. Even the balcony (2nd level above the audience) which was used to display the ghosts (as reflections in the glass ala Haunted Mansion) now contains a giant half-circle setup in which LARGE fans are used to create the twister.

So, preserving the main structure of a building and creating a completely new and extremely successful attraction can be done, and I think Ghostbusters/Twister is a prime example of such. I'm not implying that Disney could have done the same with Horizons, but I think it's interesting to look at situations in which that 'is' done.

Tk
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yes, it is pretty interesting how they can preserve the building liek that, but i am sure glad that disney did not try that. just look at the new building for MS. it is much more impressive looking than th ehorizons pavillion.
 
cymbaldiva

cymbaldiva

Active Member
Thank you to everyone for your wonderful - and very informative- answers to my question about sinkholes :) ! I didn't know any of those things...I really appreciate the info!
 
Rider

Rider

Well-Known Member
Disney has it out for me.

Really....

My two favorite rides (as a young child and now) were Horizons and 20K Under the Sea.

I'd put 20K first and Horizons 3rd.

(My 2rd fav, btw is Big Thunder, but dont tell Disney).


So you see, they have it out for me.
 
ocolectr

ocolectr

New Member
Re: Same show building

Originally posted by Timekeeper
Although this information does not directly pertain to Horizons (rest in peace), I think it's a wonderful example of preserving a show building.

Universal Studios had an attraction show called Ghostbusters.

<SNIP>

Tk
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Don't forget that the Test Track building was originally the World Of Motion! (Another ride I truly miss along with Horizons :cry: )
 
J

JLW11Hi

Well-Known Member
Are these "sinkholes" the problem that Disney has been having with a lot of the WDW property? I have read before that a lot of their property cannot be used for construction because building anything there would sink into the ground. Or is this something else
 
Horizons1

Horizons1

Well-Known Member
I remember the night my family and i were at EPCOT,i asked my folks if we could go on Horizons,they said sure,and as we walked up to the building my smile faded to a frown as it was roped off and my parents said that it was closed proably. My dad tried to cheer me up by saying EPCOT would always change and lose rides but new and better stuff would come because its an Experimental Prototype Community Of Tommorow. Of course it was a different story with JIYI:lol: But thats another story. But everytime i go past the old Horizons site i always hum the space and other music from Horizons:(
 
joho0

joho0

New Member
Originally posted by jmarc63
Remember the florida neighbourhood that had that sink hole and it ate a dozen or so homes and a community pool. I belive it got to be about three or four blocks in diameter before they stoped the collapse
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Its called the Winter Park sinkhole (cause its in the city of Winter Park) and its now a good sized lake.

I was only 10 years old and had just moved to Orlando when that thing opened up. It swallowed a house, part of an import car dealership including 5 Porsches, the deep end of a swimming pool, and almost part of Fairbanks Ave.

We just had a rash of sinkholes with all the recent rain. One even opened up in the middle of I4 during morning rushhour. The office park I work in in Maitland has had 7 new sinkholes in the last 6 months!
 
jmarc63

jmarc63

New Member
Originally posted by joho0


Its called the Winter Park sinkhole (cause its in the city of Winter Park) and its now a good sized lake.

I was only 10 years old and had just moved to Orlando when that thing opened up. It swallowed a house, part of an import car dealership including 5 Porsches, the deep end of a swimming pool, and almost part of Fairbanks Ave.

We just had a rash of sinkholes with all the recent rain. One even opened up in the middle of I4 during morning rushhour. The office park I work in in Maitland has had 7 new sinkholes in the last 6 months!
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Thanks for that Info joho0. I knew it was some where near Disney but I dont say something unless I know the facts.

Any way how large is it and how many houses did it finally eat, and did they have to redesigned the neighbourhood after that
 

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