Tomorrowland
Attractions
Century 22
Entrance and Queue
Guests enter CENTURY 22 via an open archway and immediately enter the queue area. Within the queue, guests see a wall to their right on which are quotes about the future (such as in the example to the left). Below is a sampling of quotes, but the idea is to project those quotes onto the wall using three different laser projectors so that each time a guest enters the pavilion they will encounter a different combination of quotes - infinite possibilities.
Music played in the queue, like the music activated on this web page, is from the Omnisphere portion of the original Horizons attractions. It is a futuristic sound, but those who have visited Horizons should immediately recognize the music and feel the connection.
On the left side of the queue (as guests enter) will be a floor to ceiling video wall. The wall will carry depictions of the technological innovations of the last 20 years, from boxy old TVs to new flat screen ones, dial phones to smart phones, email, social media, electronic games, etc. As the guest moves closer to entrance to the theater entrance, the display of images becomes nearly unrecognizable. The idea is to depict not only the flood of technology that has entered our lives in recent years, but to underscore a message of the attraction about the importance of quality of life issues for the future, of our controlling technology rather than allowing tech to overwhelm our lives.
From the queue, 120 guests at a time will be admitted to the Horizons Theater.
Our
CENTURY 22 attraction consists of two parts, a theater presentation followed by a ride through full-scale representations of a futuristic vision. As guests leave the queue, they enter Horizons Theater, named after the original Epcot attraction. The theater is circular, with two halves, each with 120 seats. For the guests, the theater presentation is in two parts, with the theater rotating midway from the side facing a stage to one with an IMAX movie screen.
After guests enter the theater, they insert a card into a device in front of their seat where a screen comes to life. They then respond to a series of questions, including what is most important to them as they contemplate the future.
CENTURY 22 – Future Choice Survey
Tell us a little about yourself:
Gender:
Male Female
Age:
Under 18 19 – 30 30 – 50 Over 50
Current living status:
City Suburbs Rural
Thinking about YOUR future, what’s most important for you and your family?
A. Living in a safe, functioning community
B. Maintaining my health
C. Plenty of time for leisure and travel
__________
IF “A” is selected:
Guests would be shown several pictures and asked which of these visions for the future most appeals to them.
Depending on the responses to these questions, there would be one more set of pictures for guests to refine their choice of what most appeals to them – this time using interior home environment imagery.
IF “B” is selected:
Guests would be shown several pictures and asked which of these visions they had in mind when selecting the maintaining health choice.
Depending on the responses to these questions, there would be one more set of pictures for guests to refine their choice of refine their interest in their health.
IF “C” is selected:
Guests would
first be asked to refine which of leisure or travel most appealed to them.
Those selecting “leisure” would be asked to further refine their choice by selecting from:
A. Sporting activities, B. Cultural activities, C. Individual pursuits such as reading, crossword puzzles, etc., D. Group pursuits such as games, socializing, etc.
Those selecting “travel” would be asked to further refine their choice by selecting from:
A. Cruising, B. Visiting parks, C. Partaking of the urban lifestyle, D. Relaxing beach setting
Guests will take the card with them, and later insert the data card into a slot in their ride vehicles. This will trigger a short video at the end of the ride personalizing their future vision. Unlike Spaceship Earth, they will see their choices displayed along with others in a multi-media presentation reflecting the diversity of our views about what we dream for in the future.
After completing the survey, a curtain will rise in front of guests revealing a stage with an audioanimatronic of Walt Disney. He stands in front of the original plans for the "Florida Project" and next to him is a model of his vision for Progress City. It looks very much like the picture at the top of this page. Mr. Disney offers a short presentation based on his 1966 vision for an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Although his vision was never fully realized, Epcot continues to inspire visitors about the future, and our pavilion is, in part, a salute to his role.
Here is the script for that presentation:
“Here in Florida, we have something special we never enjoyed at Disneyland... the blessing of size. There's enough land here to hold all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine. To the youngsters of today, I say believe in the future, the world is getting better; there still is plenty of opportunity.
“By far the most important part of our Florida Project…in fact, the heart of everything we’ll be doing in Disney World…will be our Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow! We call it EPCOT.”
“It’s like the city of tomorrow ought to be. EPCOT will be an experimental prototype community of tomorrow that will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise.”
“I don’t believe there’s a challenge anywhere in the world that’s more important to people everywhere than finding solutions to the problems of our cities. But where do we begin… how do we start answering this great challenge? Well, we’re convinced we must start answering the public need... building a special kind of new community that will always be in a state of becoming. It will never cease to be a living blueprint of the future.”
HORIZONS THEATER ROTATES TO REVEAL AN IMAX SCREEN. GUESTS SEE A THREE MINUTE FILM SHOWCASING CURRENT ADVANCEMENTS IN COMMUNITY PLANNING, DESIGN, MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY THAT HAVE THE POWER TO TRANSFORM THE FUTURE.
Narrator's voice: "You've shared a few of your aspirations for what the future might look like and heard Walt Disney's vision for his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Whatever the future brings, we know that it will take what we've learned in the past and build on the achievements of the present. Our curiosity propels us to seek new and innovative ways of doing things, making our lives easier, healthier, and more productive. For example, DNA was first discovered in the 1860s, but its structure wasn't identified until 1953. Since then the work of the human genome project is producing practical information to help medical science."
"For example, scientists are experimenting with repairing human genes, a technique that could cure many medical problems. New surgical techniques with robotics are transforming surgery."
"While researchers are developing new ways to help people move their limbs, non-invasive testing techniques, and engineered replacements for human blood vessels. The advances made each day are encouraging for the longevity of human life."
"Along with advancements that may help prolong our lives, we see a future where the quality of our lives is equally important. Imagine human looking robots to help around the house. Greater emphasis on community design of parks and recreation facilities. And exploration of new and creative environments where we can live and work. It may sound far-fetched, but research is bringing these ideas to life today."
"With the world's population expected to be close to 10 billion by 2050, researchers are intensifying their search for ways to ensure sustainability, especially when it comes to energy. Rooftop solar tiles may be common place, cars and other transportation will run on hydrogen. We've even seen the prospect of cars driving themselves in a way that will minimize accidents."
"When we see what science and research is producing today, it's easy to envision a fantastic future."
"We invite you to join us on the next portion of Century 22 journey to see first hand what the future may hold for all of us."
GUESTS WILL LEAVE THE HORIZONS THEATER AND BOARD THEIR RIDE VEHICLES FOR A GLIMPSE AHEAD IN TIME>
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Attraction Ride-Through
The ride vehicles you board are synced on an LPS trackless system that allow them to flow naturally throughout the scenes of the attraction. About midway through the ride, the trackless ride vehicles will enter into an "ascending room" where they will travel to Century 22, and see for themselves all of the inventions and technology that have shaped the next century.
The ascending room technology using a power lift system akin to that of Tower of Terror, but less intense, pushing guests up to the top floor of the pavilion, and then preparing for the 2nd half of the attraction as they descend back to the first floor of the pavilion.
Boarding Room
A calming voice-over states that:
Horizons 1 now departing - all guests proceed to the boarding area for pre-departure briefings.
Narrator: Glad you could make it on this exciting voyage into the future. We have so much to see and do, let's get started right away! We all know Walt Disney was a dreamer, a visionary, and those kinds of minds are what will propel us into the next century. Ideas that push the boundaries of human technology. From those inspirations of the past, we've built our present. Just take a look around at the cities of Tomorrow, today!
Scene 1 - City of Tomorrow, Today
Guests open up into a large foliage driven city with bustling city noises in the background
Narrator: Woah, take a look at this! Tianjin Eco-city is a collaborative project between the Chinese and Singaporean government that will house 350,000 people in a low-carbon, green environment around half the size of Manhattan by 2020. All going well, the team hope its model for building a sustainable city will provide the blueprint for future urbanization efforts in China, and other countries! Looks like the ideas of Epcot have lived on to create the wonders that surround us.
Scene 2 - Driverless Cars
The next scene traverses into one of the city streets where your trackless guided vehicles merge with incoming traffic (using both AAs and screen technology)
Narrator: Check this out. Cars that drive themselves! Heck my grandparents can remember a time when the automobiles were a novelty. If you could get from New York to California in less than 7 days, boy, that was surely a luxury. Now you don't even have to do the work! Safe, compact, driverless cars are the new cat's meow these days, leading to a superhighway of interconnected safe travels on the ground, and maybe even one day, in the air!
On one of the screens to your left you see an easter egg to a flying car, which was referenced by the narrator.
Scene 3 - Computers, Automation, and Robotics
Going through a home in the City of Tomorrow, Today, you see robotic AAs cleaning the house (as an homage to the original attraction) and also how the modern home has changed with automation.
Narrator: From driverless cars, to everything in daily life, automation has truly revolutionized the way we live our lives here on earth. Dusting and cleaning can now be done with a flick of a switch.
The classic Horizons music begins to play
Your vehicles progress through the house and into different rooms.
In one room, a girl sitting in her bedroom broadcasting a nightly show from her bedroom on her YouTube channel. You hear audio of her also skyping her friend in to be a guest on the show.
In the kitchen, a father in the kitchen trying to cook a turkey, but being taught by his online class to not increase the temperature too much (a homage to Carousel of Progress)
In the living room, a mother is having an automated dust-buster clean up for her, while she uses a remote control swiffer device to get hard to reach places above the mantle place.
Out in the backyard, a son is flying his drone across the grass and into the sky, taking videos and pictures of what he sees from above.
You focus on the drone and follow it up and up on a screen transition until you reach the next scene.
Scene 4 - Earth
The classic Horizons music fades away and faint piano music can be hear in the background as you look out onto our home planet, earth. The stars in the background on a large projection screen immerse the rides as they gaze off into the distance.
This scene is a large 360 dome that makes you feel as if you're actually in outer space.
Radio silence for about 30 seconds as you drift through space with stars all around you and the piano music faintly playing showing how lonely of a place the universe is, and how lucky we are to be looking down at our blue planet. No narration would do that justice.
Eventually after the moment of silence, to come to grips with where you are, the narrator comes back:
We have the ability, and responsibility, to bridge new gaps of innovation and technology on this earth. Our spaceship earth. The progress we make here together will shape how we as a civilization continue to live, work, and play together on this beatiful planet among the vast darkness of space.
You soon approach the ISS circling the earth.
You hear an onboard voice from the beginning of the ride calmly say
"Horizons 1...Century 22 awaits"
The music begins to swell. The trackless vehicles begin to load onto the pressure platform that will launch the vehicles up to the top of the pavilion.
Begin at 3:35
Narrator: Folks, now it's time for you to see what 22nd Century living could be like if we work together and build towards a brighter future.
The earth and the ISS begin to rotate faster and faster as you see the lit up city lights from above. It continues to rotate and rotate as the music swells and swells.
Then...takeoff!
You fly by at the speed of light as billions of stars and galaxies twirl and fly around you, as you accelerate around the earth to head towards Century 22. Breezing through time, flashes around you brace for the ascent's ending as you slow down, the music begins to fade into monotone sounds, and the blackness of space swirls you around to face earth once more, as you transition into the future.
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Based on your survery you took before the attraction began, your vehicles will travel into one of 3 areas to explore in the future.
Community Life
Health Life
Travel/Leisure.
You travel through the path where your choice was and continue the journey, now decades in the future.
A. Living in a safe, functioning community
Traveling through cities of the future, what you have seen today has transformed into interconnected hubs of commerce and luxurious lifestyles. You travel through a colorful superhighway, see monorails and flying cars soaring overhead as traffic problems have been resolved. Rather than build more roads, why not just have flying cars on top of the roads? This tech has doubled the capacity for cars on the roads, leading to no traffic problems at all.
You see how safe communities are, with security and stability in the neighborhoods. And science taking a pivotal role in our ecosystems, daily lives, and planetary research.
B. Maintaining my health
For this, you travel into the human body, and go through the lining of blood vessels to see how modern medicine is working on ways to combat diseases.
You also go past a series on how robotics have helped shape the lives of people...from robotic arms to robotic surgeries to repair diseases without the need for large scale incisions.
C. Plenty of time for leisure and travel
For travel we are traveling the cosmos, to a moon base on our moon and the moon of Europa. By the 22nd century, people will have colonized the moon, Mars, and Europa with vacation flights to and from those destinations on Virgin Galactic.
Guests can also fly around the world at a much quicker pace than before, using the earth's upper atmosphere as a propeller around the world.
Finale
The ride concludes with a descent back down to the entrance/exit to the ride. Violin and orchestra music begins to play as we look at a montage of how the world has changed from the early parts of time, to where we are today, and where we will continue to go into Tomorrow.
The narrator's voice comes back...
Narrator: On behalf of Horizons 1, we hope you see how promising the future is. If you can dream it, you can do it. There is no obstacle that's in the way of progress, if we choose to believe in the promise of tomorrow....
You then proceed to the unloading area and disembark your vehicles.
