Horizons? Really that good??

[EPCOT Explorer]

They did indeed, before the park opened, but the craft was still depicted flying until 1999 - this is the image from the incar button to choose your finale.

Indeed it is! Knew it looked familiar.

Nostalgia does play a factor but perhaps not a huge one. After all, it's not like you see "Mission to Mars" threads every other day or web sites dedicated to the "Swan Boats".

Good point! Horizons was unique, that is for sure...

 

[jakeman]

And the "academic argument," is a cheap way out of an argument. :lol:

But it's a way out!

While, I don't agree that nostalgia plays a big part in some our memories, I will agree on the age factor. I'm amazed at how many fanboys are out there (and here) that never experienced a ride and bestow the grandness of it to everyone else.

This amazes me as well. I'm sure if you search long enough you will find a statement similar to "Horizons is the best attraction WDW ever had. I wish I had been able to ride it."

For nostalgia and think that it gently, in most case (more forcibly for some people), pushes memories towards one spectrum or another over time.

 

[joel_maxwell]

also saw this video when directed to that link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B76cPEVa1hU&feature=related

laughed all the way through

ABSOLUTELY awesome video. :lol:

guilty of all.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

I admit I only experienced Horizons once...in 1996...and I was 9 years old...however, while my memory of it is sketchy...I enjoyed it just like I enjoyed SSE, JII, etc. My only real issue I had with Epcot (1996) was complaining to my parents how much walking we had to do.

Horizons...for what I can remember from my perspective as a child...was an elebatorate SSE. SSE made my jaw drop. I distinctly remember walking toward it with those palm trees that lead up in a row to it, heading beneath it, going past the paper boy, and the fiber optic swooshes. Horizons to me, offered more, and then choosing your ending?....an awesome concept.

Now that I'm older I have come to like Horizons even more, and understand it better.

However, it was one of many long AA attractions, it was extremely expensive to operate and maintain, and with GE leaving in 1994, and new attractions coming to Epcot in the mid to late 90s...Horizons faded away...becoming outdated with it's scratchy playing 35mm films, dusty sets, etc.

Had a new sponsor come and saved Horizons...I'm sure we would have new scenes, and some enhanced scenes....it wasn't that floating cities or space colonies were dated...it was rather, the way they were portrayed i.e. scratchy films and everyone wearing jumpsuits.

And with guests experiencing AA attractions such as SSE, JII, and WoM...by the time they got to Horizons they're like "are you kidding me...another sitdown long ride full of robots?!" EPCOT Center got a boring stereotype with it's lack of trees, pavement everywhere, corporateness, and the desire of corporations to tell their story with AA's.

While I have an issue with the asthetics of today's Epcot...I do enjoy the diversity the park has to offer now than what it would have offered in the 80s. I think had Horizons survived and been enhanced and updated...it would do well as a nice multi media sit down and relaxing AA attraction next to test track (and had wonders of life been killed off easily) and M:S replace it in 2004/2005 it could have sat next to M:S allowing the folks who don't ride thrill rides the chance to ride the more layed back Horizons.

 

[Figment632]

Yes!!!

If we can dream it then we can do it, yes we can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I admit I only experienced Horizons once...in 1996...and I was 9 years old...however, while my memory of it is sketchy...I enjoyed it just like I enjoyed SSE, JII, etc. My only real issue I had with Epcot (1996) was complaining to my parents how much walking we had to do.

Horizons...for what I can remember from my perspective as a child...was an elebatorate SSE. SSE made my jaw drop. I distinctly remember walking toward it with those palm trees that lead up in a row to it, heading beneath it, going past the paper boy, and the fiber optic swooshes. Horizons to me, offered more, and then choosing your ending?....an awesome concept.

Now that I'm older I have come to like Horizons even more, and understand it better.

However, it was one of many long AA attractions, it was extremely expensive to operate and maintain, and with GE leaving in 1994, and new attractions coming to Epcot in the mid to late 90s...Horizons faded away...becoming outdated with it's scratchy playing 35mm films, dusty sets, etc.

Had a new sponsor come and saved Horizons...I'm sure we would have new scenes, and some enhanced scenes....it wasn't that floating cities or space colonies were dated...it was rather, the way they were portrayed i.e. scratchy films and everyone wearing jumpsuits.

And with guests experiencing AA attractions such as SSE, JII, and WoM...by the time they got to Horizons they're like "are you kidding me...another sitdown long ride full of robots?!" EPCOT Center got a boring stereotype with it's lack of trees, pavement everywhere, corporateness, and the desire of corporations to tell their story with AA's.

While I have an issue with the asthetics of today's Epcot...I do enjoy the diversity the park has to offer now than what it would have offered in the 80s. I think had Horizons survived and been enhanced and updated...it would do well as a nice multi media sit down and relaxing AA attraction next to test track (and had wonders of life been killed off easily) and M:S replace it in 2004/2005 it could have sat next to M:S allowing the folks who don't ride thrill rides the chance to ride the more layed back Horizons.

Well said. Although it would have been much easier to add MS to FW West IMHO if that had been the case.

Wish it had been...

 

[SirNim]

It put the FUTURE in FUTURE WORLD.

Now, Future World is suffering from something of a lack of Future.
Seas: Decidedly today, not tomorrow.
Land: Same deal.
Imagination: The Fantasy of Yesterday
Track: Cars of yesterday from a company that's bankrupt today.
Space: Futuristic, but rather than being an actual voyage to Mars is nothing but a "training mission" to Mars which may as well be happening in the present day.
Energy: Heavy on the past, light on the future.
Earth: The descent is about the only futuristic thing, and currently, it's awful and spartan!
Innoventions: Modern-day tech convention.

Now Horizons, that was a pavilion that was 100% dedicated to the Future.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

It put the FUTURE in FUTURE WORLD.

Now, Future World is suffering from something of a lack of Future.
Seas: Decidedly today, not tomorrow.
Land: Same deal.
Imagination: The Fantasy of Yesterday
Track: Cars of yesterday from a company that's bankrupt today.
Space: Futuristic, but rather than being an actual voyage to Mars is nothing but a "training mission" to Mars which may as well be happening in the present day.
Energy: Heavy on the past, light on the future.
Earth: The descent is about the only futuristic thing, and currently, it's awful and spartan!
Innoventions: Modern-day tech convention.

Now Horizons, that was a pavilion that was 100% dedicated to the Future.

Hence, SSE and Inov should be VERY future oriented.

*waits for it...*

 

[smk]

YES.

Now shame on you for asking.:lol::lol:

To me, and many, many others, it was one of WDI's crowning achievements. It was immersive, it was optimistic, it was the spirit of what Disney believes in and what EPCOT Center excelled in. It entertained, it informed, it inspired.

If we can dream it...

Well said. It was without a doubt my favorite "ride" in the world.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Well said. It was without a doubt my favorite "ride" in the world.

Thanks!:wave:

Mine too.

 

[Jasonflz]

Future has never been very future oriented since Horizons left but when you think of it it wasn't then either.

Old
The Living Seas- Took place on a futuristic seabase so it could've been in the future.
The Land- May have been in present, no serious future themes involved.
Journey Into Imagination- Had nothing to do with the future other than Captain EO.
World Of Motion- Did things in Spaceship Earth manner. Started at the past and ended in the future.
Horizons- Fully based on the future.
Wonders Of Life- Futuristic technology but was otherwise in the present. (or, considering the look of the interior, the 80's)
Universe Of Energy- Never dealt with futuristic themes, just the present resources and techniques involved with energy.
Spaceship Earth- Same with World Of Motion, began in past and ended up in tomorrow.

Communicore- Dealt with all the above themes and included futuristic ideas.

NOW
The Seas With Nemo And Friends- The futuristic seabase idea is gone while the base is still there. More 'present' oriented than before.
The Land- Same as old.
Imagination!- No futuristic themes at all.
Test Track- Deals with the present automotive status, though heavily outdated.
Mission Space- Small queue references show it to be in the future although it doesn't really go too heavily into it. Half half.
Wonders Of Life- If you consider wine to be futuristic.
Ellen's Energy Adventure- Same as before and somewhat outdated.
Spaceship Earth- Same as before.


Innoventions- Deals with more futuristic themes while still attending to the present ones.

 

[muteki]

I was privileged enough to be able to ride it a few times between 91 and 98 (we went in 99, but it was closed then I believe). It was amazing, really creative. Being that we liked Carousel of Progress so much (my dad went to it the 64' worlds fair) Horizons was amazing. Its like it captured all of Walt's optimism and put it into a single ride.

Looking back, I really miss it. It's absence is a gigantic whole in the Epcot story. However, thinking back, I think I enjoyed The Living Seas more at the time. I really liked the intro, the Hydrolators, and the fact that it was used as an evil headquarters in Alex Mack.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I was privileged enough to be able to ride it a few times between 91 and 98 (we went in 99, but it was closed then I believe). It was amazing, really creative. Being that we liked Carousel of Progress so much (my dad went to it the 64' worlds fair) Horizons was amazing. Its like it captured all of Walt's optimism and put it into a single ride.
.

Exactly the time frame in which I saw Horizons too. And I loved the CoP connection. Synergy at it's best!:lol:

 

[unkadug]

God I feel old!!!!:lookaroun

:lol:

And I feel young!
:lookaroun

ughh :zipit:

:lol:

 

[cabihler]

horizons

while my favorite has been and always will be Spaceship Earth, the Cronkite version, Horizons was either 2 or 3 depending on the mood of the day sharing with the ORIGINAL Journey into Imagination.....

look the ride was not a spectacular like Everest as far as thrills but notice what the EPCOT LOVERS say.... those original rides were not so much about THRILLS but about the SENSATIONS it left you with when you sadly got off. so yes it was that great and Disney never should have changed my top 3, they were perfect the way they were

 

[krankenstein]

I always find it odd that the ride takes me to Mars, and Mars ends up being a long hallway to a gift shop. With vomit canisters along the way. :lol:

That's because M:S doesn't take you to Mars, you are training for the first maned trip to Mars. You are just training, they never say you are actually going to Mars. :wave:

 

[dixiegirl]

also saw this video when directed to that link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B76cPEVa1hU&feature=related

laughed all the way through

Great video..And guilty of some many of the things mentioned....Its so nice to know , I'm not alone in the obsession!!!:sohappy:

 

[petersenjp]

When I think of all my childhood trips to Disney, this is the first ride the pops into my head. The smells and sights were amazing. There was so much to take in and its really a shame that epcot is shying away from these types of rides for the more adventerous types (IMO). Where the early 90's not so thrill seeking (test track, and I guess soarin, wouldn't call it thrill seeking, but not extremely informative)?

Horizons was simply amazing, and it seems has if Epcot wont have another type of ride like that again. Well, unless you call the data center scene in SSE the future :lol:

 

[marni1971]

That's because M:S doesn't take you to Mars, you are training for the first maned trip to Mars. You are just training, they never say you are actually going to Mars

Almost - the M:S backstory - and story - has quite a few holes in it. Sometimes it dosn`t know if it is real or not.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

M:S always reminded me of an advanced version of the old Mission to Mars ride (and Mission to the Moon before that).

But there are some holes in the story.....but they really don't bother me all that much. I just think it is a great experience for someone who laways wanted to take that flight.