Horizons
From The Unofficial DisneyWiki
Horizons (1983-1998) was an Omnimover attraction in Future World at Epcot that took guests into the future of what earth might be like based on scientific advancements. The attraction opened on October 1, 1983 [1], on the first anniversary of the opening of EPCOT Center. The ride closed in the winter of 1998, much to the dismay and public outcry of fans. The symbol used for the ride from 1983-1994 (shown right) symbolizes the sun rising over the land, representing a new horizon.
[edit] Ride
The ride was a roughly-based sequel to the Carousel of Progress. The queue area leads through FuturePort, a spaceport which links all the focal points of the ride together, and to your unusual overhead Omnimovers. An announcer reads "Horizons 1 is now departing. Our final destination today, the 21st century." You then hear to people that sound like the father and mother characters in the Carousel of Progress (which keeps the tie-in really sharp.) The ride vehicles then go through a variety of different future ideas from different time periods, most focusing on the 1950's.
The vehicle then enters one of the two giant OmniMax IMAX screens, where a very brief view of the present is portrayed, leading up with a space shuttle launch at the end up to your first glimpse of tomorrow, the space station Brava Centauri, the first in a line of Centauri-class spaceships, which comes later on. The scene quickly shifts to Nova Cite, one of the few urban habitats. There is a tour of the narrator's living room before your vehicle moves over to Mesa Verde, a arid-class farming environment. The scene quickly shifts to SeaCastle, one of the few underwater habitats. There is a brief tour before you blast off to Brava Centauri, mentioned earlier.
Your two narrators leave you briefly while another announcer states that you will be returning to FuturePort very soon. Unlike any other attraction, Horizons allowed guests to choose their own ending in a segment called "Choose Your Own Tomorrow." In it, riders select one of the lit up designs on a keypad in front of them. The winner (majority rules) gets presented in a 31-second clip of high-speed motion returning to one of the docking bays of FuturePort. Riders then are told "If we can dream it, we really can do it" before disembarking.
[edit] Trivia
- Horizons is the only ride that allows guests to choose their own ending.
- During the classroom scene in SeaCastle, some guests report hearing one kid say, "I am a moron." In reality, the kid, Scott, is saying in response to "Every ten minutes" "Or more often." This myth is reminiscent from John Lennon's supposed "Paul Is Dead" rumor where at the end of Strawberry Fields Forever, he is interpreted to say "I buried Paul."
- This attraction after its original 1994 closing was forced to reopen in 1995 when World of Motion and Universe of Energy were being renovated.
- This attraction is supposed to be a tie-in with the Carousel of Progress.
- Bob Gurr, one of the lead designers on Horizons, lobbied to use the OmniMax's in a huge ending. His idea was reformed into a "present" scene, with Gurr's idea of the OmniMax's in the ending being replaced by two GE projectors.
[edit] References
- ↑ "Disney Celebrates Anniversary Of Epcot With New Attraction", Associated Press, Ocala Star-Banner (Ocala, FL) (October 2, 1983). Retrieved on June 11, 2009.
