Mickey Monitor Entry 1 : New Epcot Pavilion (Horizons Thread)

QuillPenn

Active Member
Original Poster
For story -- I may have missed this, but were we planning on first starting in the past at all? (Like the old attraction) or do we want to jump right into the future?

As Anton Checkov once said: "If you describe a gun on the mantel in Act 1, then it needs to go off in Act 2."

In other words, does going to the past help tell our story? In the original, A Look Back at the Future showed us that people have always imagined what the future might actually hold.

In @OvertheHorizon's idea, a look back would definitely be a good idea, since we would be talking about quality of life in the future, since guests would very likely need a point of comparison.

That would be interesting! The card readers...I'd definitely like to see (especially with Test Track) the guest be able to create their own attractions basically on Future World East. This mind-set may also help our eventually redos of both UoE and Wonders of Life

I love this idea, and I definitely want to keep this in mind as UoE is designed, though perhaps, we should consider how they could be used across all of Future World. Even if we don't redo all the pavilions, I'd love to think how they could be used to tie the whole land together.
 

OvertheHorizon

Well-Known Member
Haha yes indeed!:D

For story -- I may have missed this, but were we planning on first starting in the past at all? (Like the old attraction) or do we want to jump right into the future?

Are any of you old enough to remember the OMNIMAX screens in the middle of the original Horizons pavilion? The ride vehicle was surrounded (Well it only faced one direction) by images of new technology. While I think we might want to start with a "look back" I don't think we need to go too far back (like as far back to the Age of 8 track players). Transformations in technology happen at such a rapid pace, that we could start with a montage (perhaps on an omnimax screen) that would bombard guests with reminders of how much things have changed in just the last decade or so. Cell phone technology from then to now... Images of stores/brands that no longer exist... how popular music has evolved... TV shows that once were popular but aren't around... like I said, bombard us. The underlying message reinforcing how fast change happens. Then (depending on the story we want to tell) move to how we can shape the future.
 

OvertheHorizon

Well-Known Member


Here is a portion of the music track for the original Horizon attraction. At the 29:00 minute mark (until the end) you can hear the music that looped as the ride vehicles went through the above referenced OMNIMAX portion of the ride. I could picture this music used in the "look back" portion of what we come up with. Those familiar with the original ride would, I think, smile at the inclusion of this music and the memories it invoked of the original attraction. On the other hand, I think (the young participants hear can tell me if I'm correct) that this portion of the music still retains enough of a contemporary sensibility to be effective (would certainly fit in with the cosmic music @spacemt354 shared the other day).

Actually, listening to it again, it might be more at the 33 minute mark that the OMNIMAX music began. Anyone else remember for sure?
 
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OvertheHorizon

Well-Known Member
Good morning, all!

Any brainstorming thoughts on a new Horizons pavilion (CENTURY 22, perhaps)? I think it was on Tuesday that I suggested allowing a week for brainstorming ideas. Specifically, I'm hoping we can address the question of what STORY it is that we want to tell. I'm going out of town for a couple days and will return either Wednesday or Thursday evening. At that point, I'd like to move on to the next phase (design ideas, location, what elements go into the attraction, possible ride systems, etc.)

But you don't have to wait for me if people are itching to move forward.

@spacemt354 you are pretty good at summarizing "where we are" on a project and maybe you'd be willing to do that by mid-week on this one? Just asking.
 

spacemt354

Chili's
Thanks Horizon -- here's what I have so far for a summary:

--Tentative Title--
Century 22

--Ride Vehicles--
Trackless LPS

--Length of Attraction--
Approx 8-12 minutes

--Exterior Design--
TBD - but I can post some options below.

--Attraction Premise--
Ideas so far below...​

"As we look 'over the horizon' how do WE want to shape OUR lives. If CoP was about demonstrating how inventions made our lives easier and saved us time, maybe we should focus on QUALITY OF LIFE issues (perhaps in the three realms - environment / health / leisure)."

"Perhaps we can highlight the messages around us (in music, literature, culture, film) that celebrate what's important in our lives. Whether it's the Beatles' lyric, "I want to hold your hand." The image of two cartoon animals coming together with a common strand of spaghetti. A Special Olympian crossing the finish line in her wheelchair. There have to be countless examples, but I got to thinking about all of the messaging with which we are bombarded daily and how to separate what's important from what doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things."


"Transformations in technology happen at such a rapid pace, that we could start with a montage (perhaps on an omnimax screen) that would bombard guests with reminders of how much things have changed in just the last decade or so. Cell phone technology from then to now... Images of stores/brands that no longer exist... how popular music has evolved... TV shows that once were popular but aren't around... like I said, bombard us. The underlying message reinforcing how fast change happens. Then (depending on the story we want to tell) move to how we can shape the future."

(I'll say more about this in the next post)

--Attraction Ride-Through--
Ideas so far...​

In my view, what dated Horizons was the "look back" portions of the ride. "Future from the 50s" - for the 45 - 55 year olds that saw the attraction when it opened represented a futuristic view of things when they were children/teens. But twenty years later it wasn't relevant to most riders.

I've been thinking that whatever prelude the attraction requires should be a "current" look. In many ways, the vision of desert colony, space colony, and undersea colony would still be relevant today (not suggesting we recreate those).


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I watched a video of floating cities that could end up saving humanity if the ice caps melt and the continents start to flood. This seems like to step in the right direction as far as tech. Something the average person has not seen before but still grounded in real world issues and tech.
Green-Float-City-2.jpg
scraper-city.jpg


--------------------------------------------

It's a little detail, but I picture 3d printed food becoming a trendy impulse buy type thing once they get it to taste good.

Lile, watching cooking shows and then being able to instantly buy and have the meal they just made.

Assuming we still see the home of the future, little things like that could be fun to come up with to fill it up.


-------------------------------------------

For space I'd also look to some moons in the outer Solar System, that could possibly be future deep space missions
Comparison-of-the-liquid-water-volume-of-Earth-Europa-and-Titan-to-scale.jpg


Europa and Titan being two prominent ones today -- along with maybe an asteroid.


--------------------------------------

Oh there definitely should be multiple endings, and I like the idea of trackless ride vehicles. The trick there though is that in the Original Attraction, guests got there choice of ending, which I would like to keep, however, if we aren't using video screens, how do we make that work with physical sets? Especially if there's happens to be a time in the day that one scene ends up being more popular than the others?
 

spacemt354

Chili's
In this post I'm going to try to synthesize most of these ideas above.

To use most of everyone's thoughts -- there has been a lot of talk about going back in time and showing how humans have evolved and grown through technology and lifestyle. That I think would work very well as a "pre-show"

I have 2 ideas for a preshow:

1 - I think @FigmentPigments even said that was for a One Sentence competition project if I remember correctly. She made it into the queue. Since we've been talking about Omnimax screens, and using those to show a montage of a progression through time, what if that was a sit-down pre-show.

Similar to the Beauty and the Beast project we were working on last week, the attraction would be synthesized into 2 parts, with the first part of the attraction setting the stage for the future with a show on large scale screens. This show would be easily updated/removed in 15-20 years if it becomes outdated....rather than having it on the attraction itself where the whole ride would become outdated.

I'm picturing something similar to the pre-show to Universe of Energy (and since we are redoing that pavilion as well, I'm sure that original design will be altered slightly and Century 22 could take the reigns of a pre-show film.

After the show has ended (5 mins or so), you then enter the FuturePort and have now entered the future.

-----------------------

2 - To borrow Figment's idea -- what if the first half of the queue was a museum of sorts in old technology. This would allow us to utilize the Ben Franklin quote maybe on the walls, or next to a replica of his bifocals on display, showing human ingenuity through time.

(The Ben Franklin quote in reference)
"I find myself captivated more by dreams of the future than the history of the past. I regret that I was born too soon. Imagine the height to which we may be carried in a thousand years, the power of man over matter. Perhaps we will learn to deprive large masses of their gravity and give them levity for easy transport. Agriculture may diminish its labor and double its produce; all diseases may be prevented or cured, including even old age—our lives lengthened at pleasure beyond Methuselah."

Then -- guests could enter a "Future Building prep-room" (similar to Test Track) where they can design their future from a variety of options. Where I am stuck in this brainstorming point is....the feasibility without the use of screens. So -- a solution I came up with for this is you'd be designing 3 inventions that through projection technology, would show up in the show scenes and help the AAs and characters in each scene throughout their daily life.

For instance -- let's say our 3 major locations are the Floating Cities, Europa, and a Futuristic Suburbia (which would go along with the little things in life that we should cherish - which would hit close to home pardon the pun, for a lot of families) In each location, your technology will be on display.

I'm not 100% on this idea --- it's just a thought.

Anyways moving onto the actual ride -- If we took care of our past in the queue/pre-show. Then we don't need to put Jules Verne in the attraction, or spend time in the past. We covered it already. When you take off on Horizons 1, you should be in the future already.

Which brings us to -- the take off of the trackless vehicle could be a "pod" off of Horizons 1 Space Station. Which would explain why they are trackless and only fit 2-3 guests each.

The pod could have some futuristic explanation for warp speed, going from each location to another in light speed.

At this point I'll stop to see if anyone has thoughts on the actual attraction scenes. :)
 

OvertheHorizon

Well-Known Member
Thanks, Space.

As we think about the future, it might be helpful to note innovations of the last 20 years:
Human Genome
iPhones
Game boxes
Flat screen TV
LED technology for lightbulbs
Electric powered cars
e-readers
revolutions in publishing / self-publishing
crowd funding
smart watches
3-D printing
Websites
Drones

I'm sure there are a lot more.
 

spacemt354

Chili's
Thanks, Space.

As we think about the future, it might be helpful to note innovations of the last 20 years:
Human Genome
iPhones
Game boxes
Flat screen TV
LED technology for lightbulbs
Electric powered cars
e-readers
revolutions in publishing / self-publishing
crowd funding
smart watches
3-D printing
Websites
Drones

I'm sure there are a lot more.
If we do want to focus a bit of the attraction on the advancements in modern medicine...I can help with that. I remember in the original on the omnimax screens was the DNA segment. That has evolved and I can update that.
 

OvertheHorizon

Well-Known Member
In this post I'm going to try to synthesize most of these ideas above.

To use most of everyone's thoughts -- there has been a lot of talk about going back in time and showing how humans have evolved and grown through technology and lifestyle. That I think would work very well as a "pre-show"

I have 2 ideas for a preshow:

1 - I think @FigmentPigments even said that was for a One Sentence competition project if I remember correctly. She made it into the queue. Since we've been talking about Omnimax screens, and using those to show a montage of a progression through time, what if that was a sit-down pre-show.

Similar to the Beauty and the Beast project we were working on last week, the attraction would be synthesized into 2 parts, with the first part of the attraction setting the stage for the future with a show on large scale screens. This show would be easily updated/removed in 15-20 years if it becomes outdated....rather than having it on the attraction itself where the whole ride would become outdated.

I'm picturing something similar to the pre-show to Universe of Energy (and since we are redoing that pavilion as well, I'm sure that original design will be altered slightly and Century 22 could take the reigns of a pre-show film.

After the show has ended (5 mins or so), you then enter the FuturePort and have now entered the future.

-----------------------

2 - To borrow Figment's idea -- what if the first half of the queue was a museum of sorts in old technology. This would allow us to utilize the Ben Franklin quote maybe on the walls, or next to a replica of his bifocals on display, showing human ingenuity through time.

(The Ben Franklin quote in reference)
"I find myself captivated more by dreams of the future than the history of the past. I regret that I was born too soon. Imagine the height to which we may be carried in a thousand years, the power of man over matter. Perhaps we will learn to deprive large masses of their gravity and give them levity for easy transport. Agriculture may diminish its labor and double its produce; all diseases may be prevented or cured, including even old age—our lives lengthened at pleasure beyond Methuselah."

Then -- guests could enter a "Future Building prep-room" (similar to Test Track) where they can design their future from a variety of options. Where I am stuck in this brainstorming point is....the feasibility without the use of screens. So -- a solution I came up with for this is you'd be designing 3 inventions that through projection technology, would show up in the show scenes and help the AAs and characters in each scene throughout their daily life.

For instance -- let's say our 3 major locations are the Floating Cities, Europa, and a Futuristic Suburbia (which would go along with the little things in life that we should cherish - which would hit close to home pardon the pun, for a lot of families) In each location, your technology will be on display.

I'm not 100% on this idea --- it's just a thought.

Anyways moving onto the actual ride -- If we took care of our past in the queue/pre-show. Then we don't need to put Jules Verne in the attraction, or spend time in the past. We covered it already. When you take off on Horizons 1, you should be in the future already.

Which brings us to -- the take off of the trackless vehicle could be a "pod" off of Horizons 1 Space Station. Which would explain why they are trackless and only fit 2-3 guests each.

The pod could have some futuristic explanation for warp speed, going from each location to another in light speed.

At this point I'll stop to see if anyone has thoughts on the actual attraction scenes. :)
I like a lot of these ideas. One of the issues we debate on nearly any "ride through" attraction is how much should be devoted to video imagery and how much to 3-D "sets." The idea of boarding a "pod" probably lends itself more to video imagery (which just keeps getting better - higher resolution, etc.). I understand that the ride in Pandora will use 3-D imagery as kind of the next step up for Soarin' style technology.
 

spacemt354

Chili's
I like a lot of these ideas. One of the issues we debate on nearly any "ride through" attraction is how much should be devoted to video imagery and how much to 3-D "sets." The idea of boarding a "pod" probably lends itself more to video imagery (which just keeps getting better - higher resolution, etc.). I understand that the ride in Pandora will use 3-D imagery as kind of the next step up for Soarin' style technology.
I enjoy Soarin, Harry Potter, and other big name attractions that are mostly screen based...but im biased towards Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and others filled with AAs. If possible I would like that to be in the attraction moreso than screens, but then it begs the question of how do we make the ride different than its predecessor?
 

OvertheHorizon

Well-Known Member
I enjoy Soarin, Harry Potter, and other big name attractions that are mostly screen based...but im biased towards Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and others filled with AAs. If possible I would like that to be in the attraction moreso than screens, but then it begs the question of how do we make the ride different than its predecessor?
Yes, don't you love those "begging questions." I think the answer is a hybrid. One part more realistic with AAs, realistic sets, etc., and whatever part of perceiving the future most requires the flexibility that screen-based imagery can provide... use that for a portion.

I love brainstorming, because it just opens up the mind to new ideas. I just remembered an idea that I've had for a long time (in fact, I wrote a letter to Disney World after my first visit to Epcot in 1983 with this idea) which is: That an audio-animatronic of Walt Disney should be the featured narrator in a future attraction. Since Epcot was so much his idea, I could envision Walt welcoming visitors to the pavilion and saying a few words of inspiration as our journey to Century 22 begins.
 

spacemt354

Chili's
Yes, don't you love those "begging questions." I think the answer is a hybrid. One part more realistic with AAs, realistic sets, etc., and whatever part of perceiving the future most requires the flexibility that screen-based imagery can provide... use that for a portion.

I love brainstorming, because it just opens up the mind to new ideas. I just remembered an idea that I've had for a long time (in fact, I wrote a letter to Disney World after my first visit to Epcot in 1983 with this idea) which is: That an audio-animatronic of Walt Disney should be the featured narrator in a future attraction. Since Epcot was so much his idea, I could envision Walt welcoming visitors to the pavilion and saying a few words of inspiration as our journey to Century 22 begins.
Hmm -- so Walt Disney would narrate Horizons? That's brilliant. Maybe even Project City could then be involved.
 

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