Horizons - 20 Years

[General Grizz]

Here's a message from our friend, Chris, over at magicmusic.net:

"Today is the 20th anniversary of Horizons' official opening day -- October 1, 1983. Much has happened since that day. Countless guests visited Horizons during the years to experience Disney's (and GE's) vision of the future, and many went away with a renewed sense of optimism. Sadly, we also saw the closing and demolition of this great pavilion, seemingly a victim of the times, unable to keep up with an ever faster-moving world.

I only visited Horizons a handful of times, during a visit in 1984, about 6 months after her opening, and then not again until 1998, not long before she closed. I'll always regret not making more of an effort to travel from Massachusetts to Florida to visit Disney World, but I'll always cherish the memories of "traveling" on Horizons.

Many thanks to the Imagineers and other Disney and GE employees who put their hearts and souls, and probably several years of their lives, into conceiving, designing and building Horizons. Also, to the cast members who staffed and maintained the pavilion and helped spread the spirit of "if we can dream it, we can do it" to the many guests who passed through her doors.

Thanks also to John Debney, George Wilkins, and Richard Bellis for the wonderful music that helped make Horizons so memorable.

Horizons will continue to live on in the spirits of those dreamers and doers who believe in the message started by Walt Disney and brought to life by the Imagineers who built Horizons. Today, listen to "New Horizons" and "Space", cut open a fresh orange and take a breath, close your eyes and remember the experience that was HORIZONS."

Disney could have made a good penny on CDs...oh well.

Happy 20th Birthday, Horizons: you continue through all time!

[TheOneVader]

Don't forget, Epcot is 21 and Magic Kingdom is 32 today! Jeez, Disney likes october 1st.

[dxwwf3]

Happy Birthday Horizons!

You were truely the best of the original Epcot pavilions (In my opinion) and will always be remembered. This was my favorite Disney slow moving attraction (Yes that counts Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, etc...) and while I love Mission Space I would rather have Horizons instead. And that's coming from a 19 year old, "thrill ride first" male. That's how good Horizons was. It was a one of a kind that will NEVER be paralled. The design of the ride, the huge sets, the great animatronics, the massive IMAX type screens, the message, and of course THE MUSIC. Wow, it just doesn't get any better than that.

[General Grizz]

Originally posted by dxwwf3
Happy Birthday Horizons!

You were truely the best of the original Epcot pavilions (In my opinion) and will always be remembered. This was my favorite Disney slow moving attraction (Yes that counts Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, etc...) and while I love Mission Space I would rather have Horizons instead. And that's coming from a 19 year old, "thrill ride first" male. That's how good Horizons was. It was a one of a kind that will NEVER be paralled. The design of the ride, the huge sets, the great animatronics, the massive IMAX type screens, the message, and of course THE MUSIC. Wow, it just doesn't get any better than that.

Amen.

[figmentmom]

Awww, Grizz...thanks for posting that. I LOVED Horizons, and still miss it.

[FatBoy976]

Happy Birthday!

[DMC-12]

Horiz-wha?

[epcotisbest]

Yeah, Horizons was one of the best. So much fun. My first time on Horizons was in the mid 80's and I was just blown away. So much visual, aural and nasal stimulation. My wife and I were fortunate enough to ride it many times throughout the 80's and 90's, along with World of Motion, and the original Imagination. Miss them all, but have to accept the changes. Really looking forward to Soarin'.
Ricky

[General Grizz]

Originally posted by DMC-12
Horiz-wha?

*clubs DMC and forces him to drink SODA*

[Walter]

Yes, Horizons. My favorite attracion of all time. In my view, it was nearly the perfect attraction. Nothing will ever match it, or even come close. Nothing would be worth the demolition of it. I would do ANYTHING to see it again...ah, well.

P.S. This is on the topic of Horizons. I went to Dizpins a while ago, and saw that WDW was going to do a pin celebration called "Journey Through Time," and they had a picture of a Horizons pin. It said "Art Only," but I still figured that they would do one. I went to Official Disney Pin Traders.com yesterday, to find that the celebration took place between September 19-21, so I wouldn't have been able to make it anyway, but it turns out that they didn't even do a Horizons pin. They did one of 20KL, Dreamflight, Mr. Toad, Mission to Mars and WoM, but no Horizons! What's up with that!?

[General Grizz]

They DID do Horizons...it has Mickey in a (DOOMBUGGY?!) with Horizons in the background (pavilion).

Look for 'Horizons Pin' or 'Journey through the Time' on ebay.com.

[Testtrack321]

Horizons' was my favorite old attraction too. But saddly, due to structural problems, it had to go. Remeber, M:S wasn't supposed to be placed where Horizon's is now, it was going to have a whole nother ride building. Well, actually, it was supposed to be in Horizons, then it moved out after it re-opened, then in came back.

But I'd rather have M:S than a semi-closed Horizons IMHO.

[General Grizz]

Is there any hard evidence that Horizons really DID have structural problems? Sinkhole? Where's the filling for M:S? I am not saying this isn't true...but...

Even though this is popular theory. . . insiders have reported that this was a cover up to an excuse to close the pavilion: "GE was represented too much."

That may be the same thing that will "kill" Wonders of Life.

[Testtrack321]

Here's the pin:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...9&category=143

Man, that is funny, mickey in a doombuggy.... oh well, mistakes are collectable...

[Walter]

Hmmm...You're right. That's odd, why isn't the pin listed on the website? I noticed that, too;why a doombuggy? Why isn't it an overhead-supported car? Are these extinct attractions so unimportant to us that we forget details like this?