I seem to remember from my first trip to Disney in the early 1990's there was a ride where you would choose on a screen what happened. I finally am beginning to think that this was Horizons. I was wondering could anyone tell me how this ride worked? Was there many tracks and each vehicle took it's own path or was there a show screen in each car. I was pretty little at the time and my next visit wasn't until 03 which would explain why I have never found it again. Any help would be great thanks.
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Horizons
- Thread starter DisnFanatic10
- Start date
Tink's Favorite
New Member
Horizons, of course, was the best dark ride ever, especially at Epcot. You are remembering the end of the ride, where you could choose either the space, under-sea, or desert landscape to travel through. Whereas, you actually did ride through those three landscapes during the ride, in the last part where you choose, there was a video screen that lowered into position in your ride vehicle to show you rocketing through whichever landscape you picked.
Oh how I miss Horizons....but you can relive that ride (somewhat) by going to horizons1.com. Pretty good site, but I wish the ride videos were still up.
Oh how I miss Horizons....but you can relive that ride (somewhat) by going to horizons1.com. Pretty good site, but I wish the ride videos were still up.
mroman
New Member
I just went to horizons1.com and there is a 28 min long video of everything horizons, portion of the ride as well.
Click on Media at the top then scroll down to the section that says
Horizons Video
by Martin Smith
Great find!
Close -I wrote a description here recently in how the finale screens worked. Can`t recall which thread though...
PlutoInOrlando
Active Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Here you go....
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=209042
:sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:
Rob562
Well-Known Member
You know, I was even more impressed by the finale projection system when I found out its details a few years ago. Originally I just assumed there was some sort of carousel of projectors that were locked into the Omnimover system, so that a projector was aimed at each car's screen as it went by.
Then I learned that it wasn't the projectors that were moving, but the projector stayed stationary and their projection fields JUST met each other, and the system moved the video image from one projector to another so that the moving image followed the moving car. That really impressed me for it being 1983 technology.
(That's also why you'd see "lines" as you go along. Originally I thought they were seams in the screens, but it was the point where the two projectors met. And if the lamps in the projectors were at different points in their lifespans, they could be different brightnesses)
The patent that Disney filed for this technology was also considered for advertisements in subways. Rather than have projectors mounted to the subway cars, they'd be mounted to the roof of the tunnel, aimed at the wall. So when the train came by, the video image would match the speed of the train and be moved down the line of projectors. You'd see a video image being projected on the wall outside the window, keeping pace with the train.
-Rob
Thanks I finally figured out that this was the mystery ride! It explains why I have never found it again. Kind of sad I enjoyed that as a kid, I remember loving to pick out where we went. 
Whilst on the subject; the moving projections were origially intended to be installed in the post show exit tunnel, along with speedramps, back when a triple Omnimax was the ride finale. The projections would be of GE products and services. Then, the Omnimax lost a screen was and moved to the middle of the attraction, leaving no `big` ending. Jack Welsh, GE President decided the projected post show would be too corporate, so comissioned the Prologue and Promise mural for an open post show area, and had the moving projections used in a new in-ride finale.
Ironically, he then decided in `84 that the mural wasn`t `GE` enough and had the original exit tunnels finally built, but with a revolving GE plasma ball logo reflected at each turn, and instead of moving projections a series of transluscent walls with glowing lighting. And you had to walk, since the speedramps were never built!
Ironically, he then decided in `84 that the mural wasn`t `GE` enough and had the original exit tunnels finally built, but with a revolving GE plasma ball logo reflected at each turn, and instead of moving projections a series of transluscent walls with glowing lighting. And you had to walk, since the speedramps were never built!
PlutoInOrlando
Active Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Wow wow wow...at the history/back history of this Attraction!
WDWPrnces02
New Member
I love that ride 
primetime52
Member
Reading about the history of Horizons is bitter/sweet. On the one hand it brings back happy memories of my favorite dark ride. On the other hand, I miss it soooo much. The fact that I miss Horizons so much is probably a big part of why I despise Mission:Space. Such a lame ride. It's just a gravitron with a crappy video. Bring back Horizons!
