L.C. Clench
Well-Known Member
Does that mean the Jetsons is still a cutting edge show?
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Horizons - 1080i HD Video - Who Misses this amazing attraction?
- Thread starter nelsonj3
- Start date
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
If you're looking for entertainment and not actuality, yes it does. The Jetsons would still be a very funny and entertaining show regardless of it's time frame. Horizons would also be entertaining if not accurate. We would have to be welcomed into the 22nd century instead of the 21st. What Horizons became in this "I need a thrill" society we live in, would be boring to most. It was a fresh concept at one point in time, but, as more time went and nothing was really jelling as something that would become a reality shortly, it was just pie in the sky wishful thinking. Still might have worked to some degree, but, it closed mostly because it was no longer drawing the public in. That's why GE left and why no other company was found to sponsor it. It was done in by it own edutainment basis no longer wanted by the guests.
It isn't what is depicted that makes it look dates it is how it is depicted. Some of it looked like it was made by someone that made sci fi movies in the 1950's.
L.C. Clench
Well-Known Member
You know the robot butler was the ultimate 1950's piece.
L.C. Clench
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's as much of a thrill desire as it was visions of the future changing. I don't think many people really look at the stuff depicted in Horizons as realistic as people did when the Jetsons were on or even in the 80s. The flying car seems like more of an inevitable thing than a dream machine at this point and we already have robo vacuums to a degree. I do think that it would have been an easy one to update with almost a comical view of the scenes with a "what we envisioned versus what we got" type narrative.
MerlinTheGoat
Well-Known Member
Only the first half of Horizons was "dated" in a Jetsons manner, and that was wholly intentional. It was dated when the ride opened, and played for laughs (most of World of Motion was like this as well). It's a review of what previous generations thought the future might look like, poking fun at this.
The second half is played straight and yeah, it would still largely have been relevant today as inspiring and futuristic. The only updates required would have been cosmetic in nature, and relatively minor for that matter. Make some minor alterations to things like clothing fashion, interior architecture and the design of certain electronic equipment (along with easy alterations to the transitional and background projections). Not unlike what they've done to Spaceship Earth multiple times.
Conceptually though, the technology in the scenes are just as futuristic as ever. We're no closer to legit underwater cities, space colonies, flying cars and the other water or spacecraft shown than we were in the 80s. Even the desert agriculture scene is infinitely more advanced than anything actually attempted in reality.
Speaking of the Jetsons, that show's advanced technology was also played for laughs even when new.
The second half is played straight and yeah, it would still largely have been relevant today as inspiring and futuristic. The only updates required would have been cosmetic in nature, and relatively minor for that matter. Make some minor alterations to things like clothing fashion, interior architecture and the design of certain electronic equipment (along with easy alterations to the transitional and background projections). Not unlike what they've done to Spaceship Earth multiple times.
Conceptually though, the technology in the scenes are just as futuristic as ever. We're no closer to legit underwater cities, space colonies, flying cars and the other water or spacecraft shown than we were in the 80s. Even the desert agriculture scene is infinitely more advanced than anything actually attempted in reality.
Speaking of the Jetsons, that show's advanced technology was also played for laughs even when new.
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And everytime you post that I'll respectfully say It's incorrect.
danyoung56
Well-Known Member
So what is correct?
KrzyKtty
Well-Known Member
My husband never got to experience Epcot until 2006 when Horizon's was long gone. I just showed him the video of the ride so that he could experience just a little piece of my childhood. After watching it, "dated" and all, he was amazed that WDW got rid of it. He said it could have used some updating, but it was such a massive ride he was floored that it was replaced with Mission Space of all things. For the first time he understood the frustration others experience. He said that each park used to have their own separate clear identities, and now they are just all becoming mini MKs.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I don't know your age, but, I can assure you that in the 80's we didn't really think that anything in Horizons was a sure thing, or even close to development. But, it was pure Disney and at the time that was what was expected of Disney by the public. It fit in and was good, but, times change and so do the things that the public wants to see. The Jetsons was a cartoon, those of us that were adults (I was in my mid-thirties) just saw it as pie in the sky entertainment, we weren't all that wide eyed and gullible. We also didn't believe that Fred Flintstone had a car that was foot power.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I'm sure Marni, that there were many viable reasons that they used to explain why it is gone, however, the pure fact is that they could afford to lose it. Whether or not you want to believe it, it had lost it's sparkle and it was time for something new. It was replaced and it is time to move on. All of Epcot changed and all the excuses other then things were no longer popular will be presented as the reason. It's like saying that Starbucks is no longer going to sell coffee because they got tired of making massive amounts of money from it or they found a sinkhole in the cups.
L.C. Clench
Well-Known Member
You've got a few years on me and I agree that in the 80s Horizons sure seemed like a pie in the sky world but my point was really more about today than the 80s. I just don't think people today have that same fascination with the future. When I grew up it was still "someday people will live on the moon" and while that still hasn't happened there are people living on the space station now so I don't think this is the same dream that it once was. I doubt many people thought the Jetsons was some kind of visionary programming but I'm sure there was a lot of belief in flying cars just not ones that fold into briefcases.
Horizon's would need almost constant upgrading or a real explanation of how future visions have changed. Based on Disney's history the changes and upgrades wouldn't happen so in this case I think it's better to miss what once was than lament what it most likely would have become.
L.C. Clench
Well-Known Member
Here is an interesting question (not just for you) based on your statement that all of EPCOT changed. How many of the changes do people think were for the better? Is there anything that is in place today (outside of Soarin) that you see as an improvement over what it replaced?
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
It really depends on who you ask. If you address those of us that were there when it opened we would all have to say that we really enjoyed the early EPCOT Ctr. and miss it, but, some of us (ok, maybe just me) feel that it had grown stale and I saw and acknowledged the difference in the crowds (even in spite of the "people eater" excuse, it was always a people eater with a line extending out the door on all of them), then what existed previously. The four main attraction SSE, Horizons, World of Motion and Imagination were all omni-mover rides and all were like a continued onto the next chapter organization. One for communications, One for transportation, One for looking into the future and another comparing the wonders of our imaginations and how it all related to the first three. It had a sameness. A high quality sameness I agree, but, still seemed like just on long ride through life with hardly any surprises.
I know the people tend to think that my opinions on this subject are because I just didn't like it. They would be very wrong, but, there are a lot of things I liked that we no longer have and I'm fine with that. I loved my first car, but, I no longer want to deal with that degree of dependability or lack thereof. I'm glad it changed even though I have some fond memories of it from the past.
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The fact is someone else offered to pay to loose it and to save TWDC the hassle of paying for either the proposed update or to remove it themselves.
It "lost its sparkle" since TWDC allowed it to decline. See WoL, PI, 20K....
Eisner wouldn't pay for the proposed SSE-style update.
Compaq offered to not only pay for a new thrill ride, they offered to pay to remove the building that just happened to be in the way as well.
Eisner killed three birds with one stone.
I actually like the idea of the concept being revisited with a "what we envisioned vs. what we got, and what we think is coming." They could still make it entertaining.
It makes me sad that rides have to have a princess or be thrilling to be entertaining.
I've often thought the same thing. I'd love to see what imagineers could do on a Horizons-style ride with modern technology and a decent budget.
Beacon Joe
Well-Known Member
Thanks for posting that, OP!
I can't wait for the Martin's Vids' Horizons video. It's still slated for July, right?
I can't wait for the Martin's Vids' Horizons video. It's still slated for July, right?