Originally posted by McArcDes
I can neigher confirm or deny this rumor. When I was at Imagineering the office I worked in was right behind Horizons. The ride was open when I was there but they were working on Space. I heard some talk about the ride and even saw some of the early design work and it all kept a modified Horizons building.
There were some Imagineers that I worked with that were not in favor of this adaption of the existing building.
We tend to get very attached to rides and hate to see them go but the reality of it is that to Disney this is all about business and how to attract more people into the parks. They have a lot of very stiff compitition in parks like IOA and Universal Studios. The need to keep things as interesting and exciting as possible to entice people into the parks.
When ever I had riden Horizons in the few years before it closed it was always a walk on ride and was showing its age. My opinion is that Disney decided to tear down the building and start fresh. Business decision nothing more. It is a fact that many times it is cheaper to build new than to extensively remodle an existing building.
Sometimes we just want exciting excuses to somehow justify why Disney did away with our most cherished attractions. I am still searciing for one to explain Test Track.