The Horizons Story (Afterword)

It is hard for me to pinpoint exactly why Horizons captivates me so much. I never got a chance to experience the attraction myself, and, yes, when looking back, it is clear that the ride was a product of its time, and certainly would be outdated today if it were still around and hadn't seen any major overhauls or enhancements. I really have no reason to be as fascinated as I am by this ride, yet, there's something about the idea behind the ride and how it is presented that creates such a distinct tone, atmosphere, and style that only true visionaries could accomplish.

Horizons, and the majority of Epcot Center as it opened in 1982, stretches far beyond the label of "Disney", and holds a much greater purpose. Epcot, in itself, is an innovation. It is an experiment woven together by a creative group of passionate, remarkable people, known as Imagineers, who developed a permanent world celebrating human achievement and culture, entirely from scratch, using only the vague concept of one man's dream for a city of tomorrow as their basis.

From the scale of the attractions, to the detail in architecture... from the focus on developing sciences, understanding of global cultures, and love for the beauty and wonder for the natural world... Epcot was truly a project driven by passion and teamwork that simply could not be accomplished, and would never even be considered, in today's world.

When given the task to build a third theme park, Imagineers only had two Magic Kingdoms to work off of... and Epcot is what they came up with. There were no fairy tales. No animated characters. No focus on the incredible fictional worlds Walt Disney was known for creating. Yet, the magic was still all there. It was just brought to life in a different way, and I feel like Horizons is one attraction that truly encompasses all of that. It's something that could only be accomplished when a group of remarkable people are given total creative freedom to do what they do best- dream, create, and influence others. In many ways, it's a work of art, just presented through an entirely different medium.

I think that's why I love Horizons so much.

Actually I'll expand on that; that's why I love theme parks so much. At the root of it all, they are fueled by imagination and creativity. They can bring the impossible to the real world-artificial, maybe- but not to those experiencing it. They can influence the way people think, immerse them in new worlds, and inspire them to do the same. After all, it worked on me.

I don't know. I'm rambling now. I'll let that settle and clean it up later.

Or I'll forget to and publish this anyways. We'll see at the end.

But there is one more part of the Horizons Story I want to touch up on. One that not many people know about and actually is part of the reason I've become to fascinated with this specific attraction.

It's the story of two best friends: Cecil “Chief” Ed Barlow Jr. and Dave “Hoot” Ensign. You may know him for his fantastic work in the themed entertainment industry as World Famous Dave Ensign. Back in Horizons glory days, these two men took it upon themselves to daringly exit their omnimovers during rides and explore Horizons before it would close; documenting it all with only their personal camera, and getting as much video and audio coverage of the backstage experience as they could. In other words, they would sneak around the ride,get up close and personal with all of the audio animatronic figures, special effects, and even discover hidden details concealed from the eyes of guests.

This was a time before security and remaining seated in your ride vehicle was as heavily enforced in Disney theme parks as it is now, so obviously, nothing to this extent could be pulled off by guests on rides today. It ain't a good idea. There have been a few notable individuals, one of which I've contacted several times, who have taken it upon themselves to daringly explore backstage and abandoned areas of Florida theme parks, providing people like me with fascinating behind the scenes looks of areas that park-owners don't want guests to see. But Hoot and Chief's adventures really could be referred to as the ones that started it all.

Their adventures have been documented online on various websites, the most notable of which being the Mesa Verde Times Blog, which I highly encourage you to check out​.

A film was produced by extremely talented filmmaker Matthew Serrano that compiled the adventures of Hoot and Chief together and is called Remain Seated Please- The Hoot and Chief Story. Serrano is a big fan of the parks as well, and at the time I'm writing this, he is currently working on another film with Kevin Perjurer from Defunctland titled Live from the Space Stage: A HALYX Story, a documentary on Disneyland's forgotten rock band from the early 1980s. I'm very excited to see the new film, as the impact that Remain Seated Please has left on me has been greater than I ever expected.

The film is incredible and serves to pay tribute to both Horizons and Epcot Center in their glory days, as well as telling the story of two young men who shared an amazing friendship with one another. It is both compelling and emotional in its own special way. I'll leave the link to the film here for you to check out.

And with that said, the Horizons Story, has finally coming to a close. While Horizons may be gone, the people inspired by the ride and what it represented will keep its spirit alive for many years to come.

Really, the best thing about the future is that you never actually know what will come of it. Sometimes things go according to plan, while other times, you just have to find a way to adjust to change; and if there was anything Horizons taught us, it was that change should always be welcomed.

The Disney theme parks are constantly evolving, just like Walt had wanted them to, and things will always come and go.

As of right now, Horizons is gone, and it probably will be for a very long time. To sum up the legacy of this attraction, it is best to turn to a powerful quote from Hoot during his final adventure with Chief: “It’s done. Probably forever.”

Thank you.

-Max