The Horizons Story (Part 4)

In March of 2000, work had started on taking Horizons apart from the inside. Audio animatronic figures and larger props from the ride were removed, as well as the omnimover ride vehicles. Some of these animatronics were preserved and reused for other attractions at the Disney parks, while others were locked away somewhere in the Disney archives.

On April 20, 2000, a ‘very special’ press event was to take place, and would announce the new attraction that would be taking over the area once occupied by Horizons. A construction wall had previously been placed out front that teased: “Watch this 'space’ for a future announcement.”

Taking place on a stage directly in front of the empty pavilion, then CEO of the Disney Company, Michael Eisner, announced that Mission: Space, a new space-themed centrifugal simulator thrill ride, would be coming to Epcot. During this big announcement, a colorful blast of fireworks erupted from the top of the Horizons building, probably to distract guests from their disappointment.

Mission: Space would need to be installed in a new building entirely, so work began on the demolition of the Horizons pavilion on July 7, 2000. In an effort to keep the demolition partially hidden, Disney planted several trees behind the construction wall, but it was no use. The Horizons pavilion building looked as though it had been struck by an earthquake.

By the end of July, nothing but a pile of rubble remained of the attraction once known as Horizons. This would mark the first time in history that a Disney ride building would have to be completely demolished in order to make way for a new experience.

By the time Mission: Space opened to mixed reactions in 2003, it was clear that a new era had begun. An era where the attraction that once paid tribute to Walt Disney’s original concept for Epcot would cease to exist.

Although Disney decided to pull the plug on Horizons, bits and pieces of the ride lives on to this day through various easter eggs and references scattered throughout the Disney parks, easily located by members of its immense cult following. Many larger animatronics and props from the ride were put in storage by Walt Disney Imagineering, or were shipped away to be reused at some of the overseas parks, particularly Tokyo DisneySea and Disneyland Paris.

For example, props like the SoloSub and a hovercraft could be seen on display while riding the Disneyland Paris Studio Tram Tour. Other smaller items found throughout the ride, such as pieces of furniture from the living room scenes, or the genetically-modified fruit props, would be scavenged through by Disney employees and either be auctioned off online or kept as personal mementos of the ride (we'll get more into that later).

Many Horizons easter eggs can be found in the United States parks as well. When Mission: Space took over, designers were sure to hide their fair share of Horizons tributes throughout the new attraction. Of these included the classic Horizons logo, which could be found on both a spinning gravity wheel in the queue line and hidden behind the checkout desk in the Cargo Bay gift shop at the exit of the attraction.

In Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, a 2009 refurbishment saw the addition of new dioramas while exiting the ride, one of which included a display of travel suitcases with a sticker for Mesa Verde being visible on one. Altogether, the exit sequence of Space Mountain is eerily reminiscent to many of the scenes found in Horizons.

Also at Walt Disney World, a display in the One Man’s Dream exhibit at Disney’s Hollywood Studios once showcased old props from Epcot, including the original robot butler from the “Looking Back at Tomorrow” sequence of the ride; unfortunately, it has since been removed but is likely to return at future D23 Expo exhibits or at similar Disney Imagineering events.

Over on the west coast at Disneyland, several of the Horizons robots would appear in the entry mural at Innoventions in Tomorrowland. It should also be noted that during the late 1990s, Michael Eisner and Disney Imagineers were developing a second gate for the Disneyland property, known as WestCOT. It was speculated that this west coast version of Epcot would come with a ‘Horizons 2.0’, but due to a variety of financial problems the parks were experiencing at the time, plans for such an ambitious park were scaled back in favor of the more...average?... Disney California Adventure park.

It has been argued that part of the reason Horizons was removed was because it had become so outdated, and while taking the time to look back at it, it is hard to deny this claim. By the early 2000s, many, if not all, of the futuristic technologies presented in the ride had already been achieved in some way, making the ideas of how these advancements could be put to use seem irrelevant.

From the genetically modified foods, to the ability to have a face-to-face conversation via cellular device, these are only a few examples of how fast the world had evolved since Horizons first opened in the 1980s. However, I feel as though this issue could have been avoided if Disney and General Electric would have taken the time to invest in constantly updating the attraction, as well as the rest of Epcot's Future World, but as we know, this would require consistent funding, and the company had their interests elsewhere.

If there is one thing fans of the Disney parks will not be forgetting anytime soon, it’s Horizons, and Disney themselves has even made sure of that. With one of the largest cult followings in theme park history, the popularity that Horizons accumulated has led to the creation of countless websites, blogs, tributes, artwork, merchandise, virtual recreation projects, and even petitions for Disney to redevelop the ride and find a new home for it back in the parks. Disney is aware of the defunct attraction's appeal to audiences and continues to release merchandise featuring Horizons as a call-back to Epcot's early days, but the actual chances of the ride returning in some form are close to none.

The massive overhaul of Future World Epcot is currently undergoing promises a redevelopment of the park's central spine, as well as a better established 'theme' of the park, one that pays a bit of tribute to Epcot's glory days. However, the majority of new attractions being added to Epcot rely heavily on the use of intellectual property and Disney movies, so the actual future of the park is, at this time, still uncertain.

Thank you for joining me on this exploration of one of the greatest theme park rides ever developed. There's still one more story that needs to be told to properly conclude the Horizons Story, but I'll save that one for later.

Until next time. -Max