Which ride had the larger attendance?
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Horizons and Mission Space, which one drew the most guests per year
- Thread starter THEMEPARKPIONEER
- Start date
bsiev1977
Well-Known Member
Interesting question.
Not to be negative toward the question, but comparing the two isn't fair, if popularity is what you're looking at. Mission Space is maybe the most extreme ride in WDW, while Horizons was completely tame. That in itself would seem to skew any ridership comparison.
RandomPrincess
Keep Moving Forward
Horizons was an omnimover too so I'm going to guarantee it saw more guests.
bsiev1977
Well-Known Member
And they didn't have to regularly hose it down from vomit.
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
High capacity does not mean high popularity, though.
Towards the end of its lifetime Horizons was entertaining only a small fraction of its capacity.
bsiev1977
Well-Known Member
Which most likely contributed to Horizons being closed in the first place.
Again, clarification from the OP would make the intention of the question clearer. Popularity is one thing, but if we're just talking overall ridership that's a different thing. Without seeing hard numbers from the time, it's hard to judge Horizons objectively I think, since it has pretty much gained "cult classic" status in the years since it's closing
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
I have never seen actual riders numbers for individual classic EPCOT attractions.
We do know EPCOT Center and Epcot both have about the same annual attendance. So the Epcotalypse of the 90s did not manage to increase attendance. (Although the 2013 numbers for an EPCOT that was kept up to date remain anybody's guess).
The classic omnimovers did have a much higher capacity. So the main shift has been that the same amount of guests now stand in longer lines for worse and shorter experiences.
We do know EPCOT Center and Epcot both have about the same annual attendance. So the Epcotalypse of the 90s did not manage to increase attendance. (Although the 2013 numbers for an EPCOT that was kept up to date remain anybody's guess).
The classic omnimovers did have a much higher capacity. So the main shift has been that the same amount of guests now stand in longer lines for worse and shorter experiences.
Adrian DIxon
Member
that's what I would say too. but if you are comparing them based on what type of attraction they are/were you cant really compare.
This is the harsh reality and one of the main reasons that Horizons closed. The building was largely a ghost town toward the end of its life. When that happens an attraction will need to change.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Why should that be? One also needs to take into account actual ride numbers, guest satisfaction, and the role a ride plays in the overall theme and experience. And from a park ops point of view, maintenance and operations costs.
Horizons had an absolutely humongous capacity of 2800/hour. Which means that it can be a permanent walk-on and still process more guests than Soarin and Toy Story combined, the two most clogged attractions of two of the world's most visited theme parks. Horizons also was beloved by many, and tied together all the themes of Future World.
Pirates in Paris is a virtual walk-on ninety percent of the time. That's no cause for it's demolishment at all. Some would consider it the greatest version of Disney's greatest ride ever. That is, greatest since Horizons closed.
When the park that nearly bankrupted the company is referred to as the most boring place on earth, you have to make a change.
Horizons was an incredible dark ride. Probably the best one ever created, but this was completely lost on the average rube going to a theme park. Most want thrill rides and that is what Epcot had to switch to.
Just be glad that a roller coaster would not fit in SSE and the aquarium in the Seas was too expensive to demolish otherwise both of them would be gone as well.
I wish they would merge Horizons and Spaceship Earth after you pass the history scene. They might as well because obviously what they show from the space station to the exit platform now tells me they ran out of ideas. There is nothing to show anymore, that future they used to show is not only here but much more advanced. Plus the screen shows have nothing to do with communication anyway. Space colonies, desert farming and underwater living would all fit in and they can still have their screen show on the way down.
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jensenrick
Well-Known Member
Horizone was temporarily open at that time, no sponsor and to allot of people they probably thought it was gone for good. Most of them were also late at night before closing. One video you can actrualey hear the fireworks when they were outside and a cm said that it was closed for the night.