Horizons vs Mission: Space

Better ride?


  • Total voters
    122

DisneyAndUniversalFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Better ride? Explain.
Vintage Epcot: A Look Back at Horizons at Walt Disney World Resort | Disney  Parks Blog
Mission: SPACE | Epcot Attractions | Walt Disney World Resort

 

duder

Active Member
Its no contest that Horizons is the choice. That being said, I think Mission Space (orange version) is one of the most underrated rides at WDW.
 

ShoalFox

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
At the end of the day M:S, besides the centrifuge, feels like it could exist at any other park.

I choose Horizons.
 

NickMaio

Well-Known Member
M:S lacks in presentation somewhat. But the ride itself is fantastic. The nearest I'll ever get to being an astronaut during take-off. Imagine if the build-up had been of the quality of FoP!


Horizons of course is the greatest Disney attraction of all time. The One Ring that unites all of Future World.
Yes yes yes.........
Nailed it.

Why Horizons has never been rebuilt still baffles me to this day.
 

Raineman

Well-Known Member
I have never been on M:S, and only on Horizons once-but it’s still Horizons for me. When I went to WDW for the first time 31 years ago, Horizons was one of the few attractions that left a huge impression on me, and one that I remembered for years. Future World as a whole was Shangri-La for the geeky teenager that I was, and Horizons glimpse into a beautiful future was the highlight-followed closely by Communicore, of course.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
I don't want to appear negative, but I don't see how it is possible to compare Horizons and M:S. They are two completely different attractions with nothing in common other then being in Epcot. Horizon was a slow dark ride with many show scenes about the future on land, sea or space living. M:S (orange side) is a thrill ride through space to Mars with an action packed landing and with what passes for guest participation. Both were fun, both served their own purpose and one is no longer there.

M:S Green, is not much more then a singular version of Star Tours. Doesn't have the G-force factor of the Orange side but is still fun. Personally I liked it better when it was the same show as the orange side without the g-forces. With the new "just looking at the earth from space" view, it is interesting but not very exciting.
 

NickMaio

Well-Known Member
I have never been on M:S, and only on Horizons once-but it’s still Horizons for me. When I went to WDW for the first time 31 years ago, Horizons was one of the few attractions that left a huge impression on me, and one that I remembered for years. Future World as a whole was Shangri-La for the geeky teenager that I was, and Horizons glimpse into a beautiful future was the highlight-followed closely by Communicore, of course.
Honestly..... Horizons is one of the reasons I became a teacher.
It was an amazing ride. Nothing else like it, the various endings became a game changer in theme park rides.
 

FettFan

Well-Known Member
Unlike Splash vs. ToT where I simply couldn't vote for one or the other, I have no qualms about voting for Horizons.

While some would chalk it up to nostalgia (and I readily admit that nostalgia may play some role in my decision), for me Horizons is superior for these key reasons:

1. It fit better to the central theme of EPCOT Center. Just read the dedication plaque. "Human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all."
77d5a2706680d55843a52deced441283.jpg


2. Horizons was the keystone attraction that tied all the other existing Future World pavilions together.

Spaceship Earth/Communicore = The scene transitions are all the various family members communicating with each other not just across the planet but even through space thanks to the living quarters on the Brava Centauri space station.

The Living Seas = Where TLS's SeaBase Alpha was a deep sea research station, Horizons' Sea Castle was what SeaBase Alpha would have eventually evolved into: an underwater colony featuring all the amenities of a small city.

The Land = Using cutting age farming techniques and technology to produce a crop in a land with little in the way of arable soil, just as the greenhouses found in Living With The Land feature vegetables growing in sand.

Imagination = The Look Back At the Past that showcased differing visions of the future, from Jules Verne to 1950s science fiction.

World of Motion = The evolution of travel from land and sea based automobiles to spacefaring personal shuttles (one effect was supposed to feature a projection of Tom Fitzgerald's submarine morphing into one of the small space vessels featured in the finale, but was scrapped because the transition did not work correctly), beautifully capped off by the Space Shuttle Columbia seen launched on three story tall OMNIMAX screens.

Wonders of Life = A segment of the OMNIMAX video talks about how we are living healthier lives thanks to studying the human genome, featuring a computer-generated breakdown of a dna strand.

Universe of Energy = Different ways of getting energy from the environment including harvesting energy from solar panels as well as from kelp.


Meanwhile, Mission: Space is only broadly dedicated to space. Its focus is Mars, but they can't call it "Mission Mars" because they already had an attraction called "Mission TO Mars" and the imagineers of the time had not yet given up on imagination. (See: "Journey of the Little Mermaid" vs. "Voyage of the Little Mermaid")

(PS - Disneyland now has "Snow White's Enchanted Wish" WHO THE HELL CAME UP WITH THAT NAME?!)

3. Horizons was made for all audiences, which is something that Disney sorely needs more of these days. Throwing roller coasters up all over the place only leads to throwing stomach contents up all over the place.
 

Sue_Vongello

Well-Known Member
Imagine sitting in a theme park land amidst SSE, Universe of Energy, World of Motion, Imagination, Listen to the Land...and still coming out on top.

Then imagine sitting next to TT, Ellen, Imagination 2.0, and still never being named as number one....

This post right here is case in point why “Walt said the park will never be finished” is a stupid refrain to justify pointless tinkering.

Horizons, World of Motion, Imagination were all near perfect or perfect attractions that could not just be left alone.
 

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