Cool beans thanks -- the ride is not complete but I can go get the rough outline I had for it (it's not on the site)
Here it be:
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For the scene by scene ride-through, this could very well change for the final version, but I hit on something after watching Martin's Horizons video again this morning. In that...to me, only having gone on the attraction as a small child and never actually experiencing it now, it's tough to wrap my head around how that attraction as it was would fit in today's climate. It really set itself up for the sets to become outdated very quickly. For such a technologically advanced attraction, it was built in 1983...only 17 years before the 21st century. If ever redone, the next "Horizons" attraction, would have to be a complete remodel (like what we are doing) otherwise, it wouldn't make sense with the times. It would feel outdated, like the 50s future theme felt again as I watched the ride-through this morning.
Also as we've said - while I love the long dark rides, there should be some "thrill" aspect to the attraction...not where it requires a height requirement though or speeds up. I came up with a system for the "rapid ascent" except it isn't that rapid.
I know we had mentioned a trackless system for this attraction, but since we've made the turn back to being more inspired by the original, I've assumed the same ride system as the 1983 version of the attraction...except with one major adjustment, and that being the ascent and descent portions.
The ride system will lean back as it did in the original version, however the bottom of the vehicle will clip onto another guiding track, tilting the vehicles onto their backs for the ascent, which will be a 360 space tunnel (explained later) soaring through the stars. Having the vehicles pushed back will have gravity pushed onto the guests, and the swirling video screens around you will add the thrill portion, without having to add the stop/start ride system. Everything will flow together as one.
While some of the story-lines of the 21st century and props would be outdated in today's climate -- the message is definitely not. If you can dream it, you can do it. The progress of tomorrow, today. That spirit is the general spirit of Epcot and that will be something seen throughout the attraction. It will also have tie-ins to the Carousel of Progress and Walt Disney's Progress City. I agree that we should introduce Progress City in the opening video....and then in the attraction, I spend the majority of the beginning of the attraction going through Progress City, seeing how life has progressed on earth. Faster travel, home living, etc.
Basically, I skipped the Jules Verne, 50s future, etc of the attraction...and we start right off with the Carousel of Progress family in the future, living in the suburbs of Progress City Epcot.
As you'll see in the description -- after a while in progress city, the attraction then transitions into an image of the futuristic earth, its citizens, how we will protect and care for the earth (energy/communications/etc) and our pursuit of the great beyond...our universe.
You'll float to a moon base with the classic "space" horizons music playing and then your vehicles will reach the ascent portion, and blast off into the cosmos with interstellar organ music playing in the background. You vehicles land on Mars (similar to Mesa Verde), Europa, where you see an underwater colony (Sea Castle), and then to a mining asteroid in deep space (similar to brava centauri)
After visiting all of those places, you begin your descent back down to earth, where you've reached the end of the 22nd Century...and look beyond to the future Horizons.
The narration will still be done by the Mother and Father of the Carousel of Progress family. Here are some images to go along with the basic outline above.
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The load area will be very similar to the original version
Rough Sketch of Building Layout
Scene 1 - Progress City Hub
Venture through the futuristic transportation systems, non-pollutant transport leading to...
Scene 2 - Night Superhighway
Cars driving themselves through a neon superhighway. Safe travels and quick ventures to your destinations now in Progress City
Scene 3 - City of Tomorrow
Skyscrapers with rotating rooms for energy efficiency - taking in the solar rays to provide electricity to the rooms.
Scene 4 - Transition
(Around 0:45 seconds -- I could see this being really cool as you tilt up)
You fade back for a view of Progress City from afar. As you do that, your vehicles tilt back and you see the massive Spaceship Earth ball, which then transforms into earth itself, which you glide towards.
Scene 5 - Earth Cityscape
As you look at the greater earth, you see cities across the world taking inspiration from Progress City...from Europe, to Asia, to South America -- you see all continents adapting to the Century 22 living. The buildings then bend over as you transition into the "Future World"
Scene 6 - The Future "World"
A colony with the capacity of deep space travel...a foreshadow of what is to come on your journey.
Scene 7 - Protecting Earth
You board the Future World Colony which drops you off in the earth's atmosphere - where satellites and drones whiz by you, calculating solar radiation data, weather patterns, and communications throughout the world. This seen combines the themes of the Universe of Energy, Wonders of Life, The Land, and Spaceship Earth all in one.
Scene 8 - The Great Beyond
Your vehicles rotating 180 degrees for a view into outer space. You pass the new and improved ISS and venture out to the new moon colony.
Scene 9 - Moon Base
The moon colony features a dome and a complex of apartments and maintenance facilities owned by NASA.
Scene 10 - Transition
Narration by the family of how we strive to dream big in the 22nd century...there are no bounds to our exploration and discovery
Ascent (Journey Through the Stars)
Just start at 3:50 -- to me...this would be my favorite scene in the whole ride. Imagine millions of stars whizzing by you as the organ music plays and you feel gravity pressing down on you. It would create the illusion that you're going really fast.
Scene 11 - Space Bus and Mars "Mesa Verde"
Your vehicle rotates back to its upright position and you glide past a space bus giving tours of the outer moons and of Mars's great mountain/canyons
Scene 12 - Europa "Sea Castle"
Gliding even further into deep space, and you go under the icy oceans of Europa to find an underwater habitat.
Scene 13 - Asteroid Mining "Brava Centauri"
Even further out into space and you go into an asteroid where NASA is mining it for its minerals.
Descent (Back to Earth)
Your vehicles go back down to the ground level (and back to earth)
Scene 14 - Progress into Century 22
The final scene shows earth in the last days of Century 22 -- embodying the spirit of "if you can dream it, you can do it"
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This kind of combined the original Horizons with the concept for the Space Pavilion at Epcot. I feel like having all of the options in outer space, with the first half of the attraction focusing on earth and Progress City, would be a natural progression in well..."progress"
It would make sense for humans to want to venture to the great beyond, and have that be the focal point of the 2nd half of the attraction. This way it also adds a bit of originality to the attraction, and gives it a different flavor.
