Horizons: Resurrected

[jtsalien]

I remember hearing that the foundation was bad on the Horizons building and it was slowly sinking into the ground.

I don't really know if that is true. But I know sink holes have been a big problem in Epcot so I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[ChristopherSE]

I don't really know if that is true. But I know sink holes have been a big problem in Epcot so I wouldn't be surprised.

Well . . . isn't that reassuring?

 

[jtsalien]

Well . . . isn't that reassuring?

You gotta remember what WDW was before Walt got there...

 

[tribbleorlfl]

I don't really know if that is true. But I know sink holes have been a big problem in Epcot so I wouldn't be surprised.

According to my dad (who was on the maitenance team for much of the 90's), it is.

 

[Miketheboss]

When I saw this I was like, this looks like F.J !

 

[misterID]

:'(

I really miss this ride. And replacing it with the vomit comet was even worse. And no, it was not a sinkhole that ended the ride (as proved, ad nauseum at MAGIC) it was a stupid decision egged on by some Imagineers who didn't get EPCOT and wanted "their" ride in that plot of land. :nunchucks:

Virgin should have sponsored a refurb. Everything Horizon's talked about Richard Branson is working on. A Space Pavilion would be really cool with an updated Horizons In Space type of ride. Paris was supposed to get a Horizons ride with their Space Mountain 2. THAT should be in EPCOT.

 

[docbrown1985]

I miss that ride so much. :'(

 

[OLSinFLA]

Actually that plot of land was always supposed to be the Space pavilion (see the project announcement in various papers). Of course the ride was considerably different than what we got (Large Imax theatre mounted on a gimbal). Horizon was sort of a last minute addition (They couldn't even decide on a name - Future Probe? Century 3?) and in some ways was redundant. It talked about the future of Land (already had a pavilion) Sea (already had a pavillion) and Space (which was being downsized to a manageable price).

 

[Cole]

I never went on horizons but can anybody explain to me why it was so revolutionary or even good? From the videos I've seen it just looks like your typical "in the year 3000" future ride. What is it that I'm not seeing?

 

[OrlandoGuy]

I never went on horizons but can anybody explain to me why it was so revolutionary or even good? From the videos I've seen it just looks like your typical "in the year 3000" future ride. What is it that I'm not seeing?

I've also only seen videos but I can tell it was a special ride. It was long, had a ton of well-thought-out scenes and animatrons, a decent-sounding score and the part where you could pick your own ending must have been pretty amazing at the time. Also, the big IMAX screen part must have blown people's minds at the time since simulators really weren't a thing back then. It just seemed to have this scale that no ride today has. A lot of thought looked to be put into it, moreso than any ride around today. I just think that the combo of huge scale, music and the way it all unfolded kind of like a movie made it something really special. I wish I could've ridden it.

 

[MrRoamer]

It is pretty hard to describe what made it so special to me. It was kind of the perfect combination of a lot of the great rides of the time. Animatronics and sets the size and detail of spaceship earth (original), integrated screens and themes like world of motion, and then choosing your own ending was totally unique and made it feel like you were on a ride personalized to you.

I would love to see something bring that same level of talent and cohesion together again. the closest thing I could compare it to would be Gringotts but with the old school technologies.

 

[shiekra38]

It is pretty hard to describe what made it so special to me. It was kind of the perfect combination of a lot of the great rides of the time. Animatronics and sets the size and detail of spaceship earth (original), integrated screens and themes like world of motion, and then choosing your own ending was totally unique and made it feel like you were on a ride personalized to you.

I would love to see something bring that same level of talent and cohesion together again. the closest thing I could compare it to would be Gringotts but with the old school technologies.

Great point...much like Gringotts, Horizon was very experimental...For the time I couldn't believe what they were able to achieve...massive sets, screens (even the classics used em), and an all around great story...I always thought of Horizons as the sequel to Spaceship Earth in a way

And now we have the vomit comet known as Mission Space..

 

[martymcflyy85]

And now we have the vomit comet known as Mission Space..

I couldn't believe how bad Mission Space was when I rode it. Especially compared to Horizons.

 

[Shucker]

Yeah a lot of the replacement rides at EPCOT did not raise the level of what they replaced:

Horizons > MS
World of Motion > Test Track (although I do like the current version better than the original test track)
Original JTI > whatever that mess that is in there now

 

[MrRoamer]

My biggest gripe is that they replaced 2 rides that anyone could ride with 1 with height restrictions and another that you will vomit on no matter what (still haven't been on mission space out of fear).

 

[Teebin]

My biggest gripe is that they replaced 2 rides that anyone could ride with 1 with height restrictions and another that you will vomit on no matter what (still haven't been on mission space out of fear).

I have been on mission space a zillion times (the G's side) and neither I or anyone else in my cabin had such a problem. Please let's not overstate fact.

That said, losing rides with no restrictions with ones that do is a reasonable argument.

That said, I really enjoy MS. Since the late 90's, I would have ridden horizons and world of motion once or twice at most. I have only been on SSE once, yet have been to Epcot numerous times as a one time AP holder.

We all have our thing I guess.

 

[MrRoamer]

Like I said I've never been on it. The reason I said you will vomit is from waiting I'm line and bailing at the last second due to all the warning audio and final warning video. I've never been in a queue that has made me feel that uneasy about a ride.

 

[Teebin]

Like I said I've never been on it. The reason I said you will vomit is from waiting I'm line and bailing at the last second due to all the warning audio and final warning video. I've never been in a queue that has made me feel that uneasy about a ride.

Have you ever watched a pov? This is a camera aimed back at a 10-12yo riding orange for the first time. It appears he had ridden green before. Watch him first check for the barf bag once in the pod. Watch his arm sway as he tries to reach for a launch button. Then watch him be fine all the way through. Note that he never looks to the side during the hard G's, that is a big no-no. Keep your eyes on the screen or buttons in front of you at all times or you will likely regret it.

[video=youtube_share;vOgijLfbY-k]http://youtu.be/vOgijLfbY-k[/video]

 

[Cole]

Thanks for the insight on why horizons was special guys, I can totally see where you all are coming from and I wish I could've experienced it the same way you have instead of looking at it from a "just rode transformers" privileged perspective lol. I never got sick on mission space or had any real problems it just bored the hell out of me. As dull as an attraction can really get, especially with the billion warnings used in every corner of the building and line of the script

 

[WebHead1138]

The greatest video you will ever watch regarding Horizons. I’m so thankful I got to ride this attraction.