I wish, if nothing else, the mural had survived. It’s such a beautiful piece of art and really distilled the essence of Horizons to the purest form, and truly a a shame the original has been lost.
It is a crime of humanity that the mural was lost; it should have been treated with respect as the Disney equivalent of the Sistine Chapel. As Indiana Jones would say: it belongs in a museum (National Gallery in DC or the Met in NYC).
I was a Disney Imagineer in the late 70s and early 80s before they laid us off when EPCOT was finished. One of the projects that I built was the "barbershop man" in the Horizons pavilion (Timecode 9:11 & 16:30). Thank you for providing this footage. I always wondered what happened to him after it was torn down and you suggested that it might have been reused as parts in your commentary.
My Dad worked for a division of Disney back in the early 80's called MAPO. I've never been to EPCOT but I saw most of the ride mock-ups and films in various warehouses in Glendale, Burbank and North Hollywood before EPCOT opened.
@@Kodachrome40 Did he work in “Pelican Alley” at MAPO, and would you feel comfortable stating his name? I might know him because that's where I worked.
@@wingsovermikey Not sure what that is. He passed away about 5 years ago. I think he worked on Air Way St. in Glendale, in the old Glendale airport building.
I worked for GE when GE still supported the Horizon Pavilion. I went to EPCOT as a family vacation but also for a few business meetings that included trips to EPCOT. A little known feature of the Horizon Pavilion was a lounge at the top of the building. As GE employees visiting the pavilion, we could go to the lounge to rest our weary feet and get something to drink and relax. On one of the business trips, we had a cocktail party of 60+ GE employees in that lounge. They provided drinks and some snacks for the group. While we partied, the employees of the lounge then made dinner reservations at different EPCOT restaurants for the 60+ people. I had dinner at the Chinese restaurant. After dinner was over, we as a group watched the Illuminations show from a closed off area for the group. We also had a dessert buffet table while we waited and watched the show. Talk about memories.
I feel that Disney attractions go through phases. They are usually popular when they first open, then after a while they decline in popularity as they become uncool. If the attractions sticks around long enough, however, they becomes "classics" instead of kitschy. I feel than Horizons is one of those attractions for which it would have become unthinkable to demolish, if only it had survived another 10 years.
@@BrightSunFilms Except that both the Carousel of Progress and the PeopleMover were closed at Disneyland, CA, to make way for something supposedly "bigger and better," i.e. Rocket Rods and Innoventions, only for both replacements to become abandoned/disused. So while those attractions have not been abandoned on the East Coast and in fact become beloved classics, they have become ghostly reminders of the dangers of trying to "stay relevant" to guests on the West Coast. I think this is why Disneyland, CA has recently been much, much better about changes than WDW. Because park management is still stinging from their mismanagement of Tomorrowland, they have poured so much more thought and care into every other nook and cranny of the park--preserving or enhancing classics, rather than replacing them entirely. Think about the addition of Pelican's Landing (which didn't really replace anything), or the Plaza Point Holiday Shoppe, which kept the building's interior and exterior architecture just the way it was, but revitalized the space. Or take for instance the ToonTown refresh, which is keeping the existing attractions while adding an entirely new one. Tomorrowland aside, Disneyland, CA has been on a roll, and the Downtown Disney remodel is another example of how the California Resort leadership have learned from their mistakes, while the Florida Resort leadership keeps making them.
Great point, I don't feel like Disney ever truly allowed Epcot to have its classic untouchables. Horizons was definitely that ride, along with Spaceship Earth, and Imagination.
@@kentslocum Last time I went to Disneyland, CA it felt like everything was closed, a giant black tarp, Star Wars logos with no rides, Star Wars was shut down, Tower of Terror was GONE. In it's place was a guardians of the galaxy test ride. All of those rides were horrible, basically just 50 people STANDING in a room staring at a screen. No interactions, no ride, literally just watching a video as a group. They replaced the Tower of Terror for THAT? In-fact, the only thing that seemed to look the same was the statue of walt, main street, and the Carousel of Progress. I've asked a long time friend and employee who works at disneyland and he's always told me "That Carousel ain't going nowhere. Not in the next 100 years" - I feel like he knows something we don't. Maybe one of the old CEO's had it written in that it had to stay.. or maybe it's simply too big, historic, and complicated to remove. The animatronics in that thing alone are worth so much money. Childhood side story; I know it's silly, but I have so many good memories of that thing as a kid. I even got to see the Honda robot ASIMO there years before he was released to the public, and I played soccer with him! I will never forget that day. This sounds like a joke, but I looked it up, I think this was in 2010-2011, Disney really did have an ASIMO robot demo. They showed him climbing stair, running around, kicking a ball with kids, and then showed how he could help a family out by setting the thermostat, reminding them, setting timers, I think it even had "Location based alerts" so like when Dad got home, it would remind mom. It was really cool! And looking back, it was almost identical to Siri! Except it walked, lol. After the ASIMO demo they lead us into a room with a bunch of futuristic looking computers where we could create our own Disneyland Fireworks show, me and my sister / cousin had so much fun, and I think I overloaded mine and made it freeze up baha. Also, that was my first time seeing a computer run Windows 7 and I was so amazed. I think Disney is a big part of the reason I love technology, and still have a sense of optimism about it. I find retro futurism of the 50's-80's so much more inspiring than anything from today, and I love Walt's taste and vision of Epcott. I honestly hope to somehow incorporate it into my home and life. Not a "Disney" house, but an experimental house of the future. Just for fun!
@@kevb7451 I've literally never once heard people complain about those rides, in-fact, they want them back! My grandma showed me some photos she took of the the Rainbow Mountain Mine Train (opened July 2, 1956.) - and it was GORGEOUS, and looked more detailed and exciting than 90% of the crap they have today. I swear eventually Disneyland is just going to be a bunch of blank rooms and buildings where people go in, pay money, and then get a VR "Ride". They just DO NOT CARE what guests want, they have 0 respect for Walt Disney and his vision, they don't even seem to have common sense when it comes to making a profit anymore.. Just needless waste, and then throwing away decades of work from people who designed, planned, tested, and decorated all those rides and areas. Disneyland CA needs to work on preserving and giving a fresh coat of paint, not replacing everything. When people go to Disneyland, they want to see the rides they remember! Not a giant black tarp that says "ELSA MEET AND GREET COMING SOON"! - They can do that LITERALLY anywhere else! I'm starting a coalition of Californians to tell Disney to knock it off, and restore the park to its former glory.
I grew up in Chicago vacationing in Wisconsin Dells every year. They had a place called Tommy Bartlett's Robot World. It was absolutely fantastic to explore when you were a kid. During the 80s my grandma took me to Florida to visit Disney World 5 times. This place was like Robot World in steroids; it was amazing. Almost every shot, every picture hits me to my core. It's so cool to see it again while also being incredibly sad. I can't imagine anything today being able to elicit feelings like this in today's children 40 years from now. I hope I'm wrong.
Its crazy how short it actually functioned as a fully supported ride! I guess as a child of the 80s I was perfectly positioned to love this ride. Seems like so much money wasted for just 10 proper years of use.
I’m heartbroken to hear about that mural. Not only was it gorgeous, it also had a great message and really embodied retrofuturism, which is one of my favorite aesthetics.
Wow, I remember watching the original Horizon video so many years ago. Never thought you'd come back to this one in particular, but you have a track record of doing that!
@@BrightSunFilms I knew I wasn't tripping! Nice to see you going back to redo some older episodes. You've evolved as a orator and presenter, so to hear your more professional sounding voice covering this makes me happy. Keep up the great work, Jake.
I remember riding Horizons on my 7th birthday, Nov 25 1998, not too long before it closed for good. It’s one of the few rides I can remember as a kid. The forced perspective and physical detail of everything was just great. I also remember the ride smelling like a musty antique car (there was probably a roof leak). I miss the old Epcot. It used to be a one-of-a-kind place for the curious and creative. It’s slowly becoming just another theme park…
It's interesting that you remember the ride smelling like a musty car. Before the show building deteriorated to the state it was in in 1998, it smelled like oranges. Horizons in its prime smelled like oranges because they piped in the smell of oranges for the desert agriculture scene which depicted an orange grove. This orange smell permeated the entire ride. I wonder if they stopped piping in the orange smell entirely by 1998. It still smelled like oranges the last time I rode it in June of 1997. To this day, I still associate the smell of oranges with Horizons.
@@Blatsen Watching footage of Disneyland being built (The famous timelapse on youtube) is so cool, because at the beginning all you see is dirt and fields of trees. All orange trees. It looks just like parts of Riverside CA still do, just endless groves of orange trees. I think Walt loves his oranges :) - He's always chosen land where Oranges grow, and it always served him well. Also, Orange Bird best disney mascot
@@CNMcClure0723 As an openly gay man... please stop being offended for us. Disney does not need to be shoving sex of any kind into their programming. If it's relevant to the plot and actually feels natural? Sure. The blatant rise of "EVERYONE IS GAY NOW" is just getting weird. Less than 10% of the global population is gay. They need to cool it, and focus on entertainment again, not politics.
That McCall mural was amazing , It’s horrible to hear it was destroyed . Growing up I always had a space painting of his on my wall and worshiped it ! What an artist he was .
There's a beautiful high res copy of it online, I actually just saved it for myself. That mural is gorgeous.. and it must have cost millions too. I can't believe they just tore a wrecking ball through it.. what were they thinking!?
I loved this ride! They got one prediction correct: That family sitting in the living room doing a video chat for a birthday party - must have been 2020. LOL!
As someone born in 1979 and family moved to Orlando in 1980 I literally and I mean literally was raised by Disney and I loved Horizons. This period of Epcot was the best, Figment and Captain Eo were the best. RIP MJ! BTW I still know all the rides songs by heart. I can still taste the way the lake water tasted when you’d get water up your nose on a slide at River Country lol. Also on horizon I’ll never forget the amazing smell of oranges on part of the ride.
The oranges. That smell has never left me. I rode it about 4-5 times in March 1994 on a band trip. I thought Horizons was the coolest thing that I had ever seen in my life.
We rode Horizons in 1998, during our very first visit to Epcot. Had no idea at the time how significant the experience would be, since it was closed forever during our next trip. In retrospect, am VERY happy we were blessed to see it... and a bit sad we didn't understand then how precious our time at Horizons was.
My most missed favorite ride. It’s hard to explain that early Epcot Center feel to people that never experienced it but Horizons was the iconic Epcot Center ride. Years later when I worked at Epcot, I found a framed print behind a vending machine in the Mission:Space break trailer that turned out to be original concept art for the space pavilion using the Horizons building. But this ride will still be missed by so many Epcot Center fans. Thank you for this video!
I have had this weird misplaced memory in my head for more or less my entire life of being in a little capsule with my mom and rolling past windows looking in at people's lives, except they were living in this glorious, fascinating future. I remember being so curious about what their lives were like, wanting to crawl out of the little vehicle and go live with them. It was something that absolutely stuck with me, but I couldn't remember where or when I'd seen it. Now I know what that memory was. I was 5 years old, at Disney World. I'm just going to go cry some happy tears. Thanks for this.
@@Kyutenessss I find that very very hard to believe that anyone who knows what horizons is, has no idea about the sinkhole issue. The park has been without horizons longer than it was with it, and it’s the most widely known theory of why it closed, and every video on the topic, including this one, covers it. It’s not like they figured it out two days ago….
Have to agree with you 100% @@JordynMcCray I have been following Disney Imagineering topics online for a long, long time. Even considered a career move there back in the 90s when the were hiring. And the sinkhole is always mentioned as THE reason they had to shut it down. It probably would have been more expensive to remediate the site and preserve Horizons than just tear it down, fill in the hole, and build Mission Space on a foundation that spanned it. CivE projects have to deal with the land that God put there.
This was my favorite attraction at Disney growing up. I rode it many, many times each visit to Disney World. It was Epcot. Optimistic. Inspiring. Making you look forward to making a better tomorrow. The world needs more of this. Less selling of IPs and more effort inspiring kids about tomorrow. Together with TV shows like Beyond 2000, the future used to look so bright. I wish there was more content and experiences like that still for my young child.
So sad that EPCOT has abandoned "education mixed with entertainment" and gone with thrills instead--Ratatouille, Frozen Ever After, a ridiculous re-skin of Test Track, Harmonious, Cosmic Rewind, and soon Moana. None of those even pretend to be educational--so I'm glad this channel exists to both Educate AND Entertain!
Moana is literally about the water cycle, moana translates to water… sooo failing to see how that’s not educational. Test track is about the car design process and how to make cars balance between efficiency and eco friendly etc. Harmonious is literally about how the power of music unites everyone on earth. No matter where we are from, we can sing our favorite Disney songs together and prove that we’re not so different after all. They still teach things, it’s just not in a boring way. The kids of 82 are not the kids of today. You have to create a place for kids of today to make memories with their parents so they want to return with their kids. In 40 years they’ll say the same thing about how back in their day things were so different. Because it’s how you evolve a company. There are so many videos on this channel that are proof of what happens when you don’t adapt to the current climate. Idk how no one can see that Disney learned from that and how that’s why the parks have successfully been open since 1955.
@@JordynMcCray I totally understand your point about change being inevitable because kids of today are not like the kids of the 80s or 90s. But I feel as though things have been "watered down" or "dumbed-down" for a lack of better words. Its a matter of opinion, but I feel the whole experience is a shell of its former self. The magic isn't there for some of us anymore. Some people will blindly throw their money at Disney because they're loyal to a fault, but that won't be me. About the time new fantasy land went up and toontown came down I stopped going.
@@NostaIgiaJunkie the magic is still there, you just have a different lens of seeing it. Obviously things aren’t going to be viewed the same way as it was for you when you were a kid. You realize now things you didn’t back then. But it’s not a lack of slow moving rides or higher prices that has killed the magic. People are forgetting what the magic really meant. It’s not things, it’s experienced with the people you love. It’s talking with cast members and actually caring about what story they have to tell and what part they play in it. When was the last time you ACTUALLY talked to a cast member without a sarcastic remark about the price of something or the length of a line, or the advent of genie plus and how everything sucks. When was the last time you actually asked them how they were doing, and about them as people? The last time you saw Disney through a lens of someone actually enjoying themselves in the parks. I can tell you, it’s been years since most have, and covid only made it worse. People are so focused on themselves that no amount of new rides of any kind can fix it. There is a guest problem. And once people take responsibility for the way they have contributed to the issues at the parks, then things can start getting fixed. Because trust me. The people working at Disney do so because they want to, but when you get beaten up verbally by entitled adults raising entitled children who act as if you’re not a real person, it changes you and hardens you. Because you have to build a tough skin. How many times can you be yelled at for the price of a bubble wand until you force yourself not to let it hurt you?
@@JordynMcCray totally get what your saying, but how can I have a care free experience when Disney requires me to do all my planning on my cell phone and book everything thru my phone when I should have my eyes up looking at tge beautiful park around me. You can't ignore price and and cut backs on things that used to be included in your experience as well as the entire experience being boiled down into an app on a phone. It's not about souvenir prices hun, it's not as superficial as that. I was an annual pass holder who is a Florida resident, so I basically grew up there. Yes I am a nostalgia junkie but hun I'm barely 24, its not like I grew up with OG Disney, I grew up with Michael Eisner's Disney World. When things change in Disney, it should be changing and evolving to benefit the guests not the CEO's pockets. 6 grand or more for a "special resort experience" at a star wars themed hotel? I just think Disney is becoming more blatantly classist with their choices. Mom used to be able to afford a 5 night stay, as much food as we could stomach, and souvenirs to your hearts content and still have money left over to keep the bills paid when we got back. Its not about the prices of a light up toy, or a mickey premium bar. Its about Disney not valuing or doing good by their oldest guests who have come to expect a certain level of comfort and ease while vacationing. It's not looking good for their current CEO anyway, as I am one of many who are not happy with the direction Disney has taken. Honestly if they'd just get rid of those stupid chips in the resort mugs, lowered value resort prices, and made fast pass free again I'd be a lil bit happier, and able to experience that "private idaho" again.
@@NostaIgiaJunkie so youre just gonna hop on a plane and plan nothing when you go on vacation? It all takes planning. You can’t and shouldn’t go in blind into anything anymore. Stuff has also just gotten expensive. I’m 28, gas used to cost 98¢ a gallon and my dad would say that was high. Things cost money, and if you want the rides to continue to be built, it’s going to cost money. Vacations aren’t rights. I don’t know when people started to think that but they aren’t. I grew up 4 hours away from wdw and only went 3 times before I turned 18, because I couldn’t afford it. You’re just more cognizant of how much things cost because you’re an adult. Ask you family how long they saved to take you, how much extra they worked, because I’m sure there were things going on behind the scenes that you were never aware of because you were a child, and the only job you had was to have fun. You see in the parks now. Kids want $85 loungefly because it’s cute, because they have no concept of money, and the parents buy it because they want them to be happy. Not everything a company does is going to be for you to experience. Should there be no international parks because I can’t afford to get there? Things that used to be included and are no longer are the cause of supply and demand. No one complains about universal charging $190 for express passes, but Disney charges $15 and it’s an issue. Y’all have to start understanding that Disney is a company. It’s a corporate entity that exists to make money. If you want to make memories and have fun whilst they do it, so be it. But you would expect Starbucks to start slashing prices left and right, so why expect an entertainment conglomerate to do the same?
I was only 9 when I rode it once back in 1998, but I still recall the memories of an unseen future and giant IMAX screens immersing me before letting me return home via space. I still miss Horizons to this day. I brings me joy that tons of Disney fans still remember this masterpiece of an attraction
I worked in that building from the time I was 19 until 22. I loved Horizons. The goofy movie. The body wars ride. The healthy food restaurants. I'm sad it's gone.
Absolutely loved this ride. I can still remember the smell of the orange groves from the desert farming scene and me and brother would always "fight" over which scene it would play at the end. He usually won.
Had Walt Disney lived to his 80's, I could no doubt see him loving & being proud of Horizons. Some of the Imageneers who worked on it, even worked w/Walt Disney. They knew & understood his vision. By getting rid of Horizons, they got rid of part of Walt & his spirit.
@@brooksfire9580 - Perhaps Horizons would've been an attraction somewhere else, not in EPCOT. Or perhaps EPCOT would've evolved into a theme park where its cast members lived & worked at, much like its original concept. Not just a mere 2nd theme park w/just attractions.
Horizons was and will forever be my most beloved Epcot attraction, and a top candidate for most beloved Disney attraction overall. I still remember my childhood memories of this ride fondly. My favorite part was the "Choose your own adventure" portion at the end. I remember as a child, me and my sister would get into big fights because we each wanted to choose our own different adventure, and it got so bad, that eventually my Mom would ride in one car with one of us, and my Dad would ride with the other, that way both me and my sister could choose our own adventures without fighting over it. If I could bring back any extinct Disney attraction, Horizons would definitely be my choice.
Mission Space is a one and done ride. I've gone twice, the second time only because my son wanted to experience it. Horizons was a wonderful ride with heart and soul and it was my family's favorite ride at EPCOT. We were so devastated when Disney closed it. Once during a bad storm we rode it at least 6 times in a row and could have kept going. We REALLY loved that ride. I love Test Track, but World of Motion was such a loss also. The loss of those 2 rides and the OG Figment Ride really spoiled EPCOT for us. Spaceship Earth is the only ride of that kind left in the park and I'm terrified about what they will do to that ride. They really just took away the spirit of the park as far as I'm concerned.
Agree, just about the only things I remember from going as a young kid were the old Figment, and all those little tiny frogs that appeared in the rain.
I rode Horizons once in 1991 and I still remember it. I was so sad when I returned in 1999 and it was closed. It’s amazing that riding Horizons just once - gave such a lasting impression.
I just wanted to tell you I've been subscribed for years and I was so thrilled just now to see BRIGHT SUN FILMS credited on a documentary I'm watching on Discovery+!!! So happy for you!!!!
As an architecture student, I look to how remarkable old Epcot was for inspiration. Horizons along with the universe of energy have truly iconic features that express emotion and power.
Still miss this ride so much, every time I went to EPCOT, went on it at least twice. Just wonderful and a lost era not just for the park but all of Disney World. So loved it and miss it dearly.
After I saw your original Horizons video, my life honestly changed! Horizons is what really made me get into Disney Parks- I even went to Orlando in 2018 for the second time in my life specifically to go through EPCOT again and get one of the Horizons logo pins. Glad to see you revisit it with your modern production value! Hope it mentions Hoot and Chief too- idk i havent watched it yet dskjghfdjk
I agree--I remember feeling so inspired and optimistic after riding this--it really was a sequel to Carousel of Progress. I loved how toward the end you could select your mode of transportation back to the present.
I remember this ride so well! I can still smell the aroma of oranges in the harvest section of this ride with the daughter. This was my favorite ride to go on...hands down! Thank you for sharing this gem!
The original Horizons was my favorite ride. I remember heading to EPCOT and seeing it partially demolished, and I was crushed. We would always rude it at least 3 times, to get each of the end rides. The wait was always minor, due to the way the ride was made. It's loss was truly felt. I'd ride it today if I could...three times, of course
The amount of creativity, artistry and craftsmanship involved with this attraction is incredible. They simply just don't make things like this anymore...too bad.✌🏽
You ever try to sit a child of this generation down for a slow moving ride that lasts more than 5 minutes? They complain. They don’t make things like this because no one truly wants them. If Disney announced today that they were making an 18 minute dark ride omnimover on a non ip topic, people would realistically hate it and think it’s a waste of space and that something more thrilling should go there. Y’all are just mad because you hate ip, unless it’s an Ip you like 🙄
@@JordynMcCray That's like saying because kids like candy they should only eat candy and not any vegetables. Sure, they will be happy, but then they will become morbidly obese, diabetic, and die before they are 40. Families need wholesome entertainment. Kids need to learn the value of the real world, not IP.
just want to stay thank you for continuing to produce these videos like you used to, not filling them with sponsors and ads or trying to make it clickbait, just good pure content
Going through that in the early 80s was really cool, it felt like the scifi art of the late 70s come to life. It was one of the few rides in Epcot where realistic futurism was on display - where you could see representations of families existing in something that didn't exist yet. I really enjoyed the futurism of the park in that era, it had an imaginative flair before the IP showboating took over. Feels like the exhibition aspects of Epcot got lost in the park's evolution. Wish they would have maintained their vision and just updated the exhibits!
This is a great documentary on Horizons. There is only one point that I would add as someone who had the benefit of actually being able to visit Horizons. The entire Horizons show building smelled of oranges. This is because the smell of oranges was pumped into the scene of the desert orange grove. This smell in turn permeated through the entire building. To this day, the smell of oranges reminds me of Horizons. Horizons was my late mother’s favorite ride. It wasn’t until years after Horizons was demolished that I realized that Horizons featured the same family from Carousel of Progress, but only a generation older. As both attractions were originally sponsored by GE, this makes sense. I realize that they likely wanted this connection between Horizons and Carousel of Progress to be subtle, but it was too subtle for people like me to even notice it. Disney’s true strength and unique talent is building high quality dark rides, so it’s a shame that they demolished Horizons and replaced it with Mission Space. Amusement parks with thrill rides and screen based rides are a dime a dozen, but Disney and Universal are the only two companies that make excellent dark rides. Disney has moved away from its historical strength of providing quality dark rides, and all their parks, in particular EPCOT, are suffering as a result.
20:30 Really grinds my gears about Disney these days. Puke. It's surprising they actually opened an original and cool restaurant for Mission Space that doesn't have a Stormtroopers marching around or Buzz Lightyear flying through space. At least Spaceship Earth is still operating at Epcot.
if only they had treated Horizons more like Spaceship Earth! just update it every 10-12 years so it's a "living" attraction....sure you get "purists" who say such-and-such version from 1991 was the best, but overall they're still happy to experience the new ride every time they come to Disney, and see what changes are made when a new one comes out (I for one am pumped to see the new version! which won't be done for a while, thanks to covid delays, but at least it's still happening), while also getting to see a lot of the same animatronics, sets, and themes that have always been there. The Space 220 restaurant is a step in the right direction! It has the look & feel of "old Epcot" inside (at least from the videos I've seen, it evoked a strange sense of nostalgia for me, not something new stuff does every day 😆 but I'd imagine that if Horizons had kept getting updated, parts of it could have looked like that).
I only got to ride horizons a couple times as a teen, when it was considered out of date by company standards I guess. It felt like a historic ride and exciting at the same time. I loved it, and I was a thrill seeking teenager. They were wrong. I like mission space for what it is, but Horizons felt disney. Like spaceship Earth, the great movie ride, carousel of progress, and so many more, may not be up to date, but timeless.
This was SUCH an amazing ride! My brother and I luckily got to to in 1995 and 96 respectively in back-to-back years. This and Innoventions were our favorites over in that area - I remember fondly getting into Innovations and being able to play every single video game console for free. We got kicked out quickly by our parents, but it was a total kid win experience. I will never forget Horizons though! The idea of selecting your own ride vehicle put so much of the imagination and creativity into your hands as a kid - that was our favorite part by far. We rode it at least twice each time so we could change our mode of transportation. To me, this whole area of the park felt like The World's Fair, celebrating human ingenuity and progress and providing so much hopefulness for the future. Essentially, Disney World in the 90s was simply the best it ever was...
Horizons was amazing. My favorite EPCOT ride as a kid (even though my mom worked for GM and I got to the front of the line in World of Motion lol) I was gutted when they got rid of it. I can't believe Mission: Space has been around longer.
My husband and I were at Epcot in 1984 and went on this attraction. Horizons was absolutely fantastic and should be brought back. Was futuristic and gave a feeling of being in the experience.
One of the best channels, no doubt. For most of these abandoned structures, I was not yet alive for and still, Jake is able to provide me with such a nostalgic feeling!
I'm so happy I was able to ride this back in the 90s. A highlight of the trip for sure. Loved everything about, and have fond memories of my entire family riding it. I would love a VR restoration of this ride to get my fix.
Your original Horizon abandoned video was my favorite abandoned episode ever! Watched it so many times when I was in high school💜🍿So glad u come back to remake it👏🏽👏🏽
I remember commenting on the first Horizon’s video saying that Mission:Space was a decent replacement. The more time passes, the more I miss this ride and disagree with my original statement. I’m so thankful I got to catch a ride a couple years before it closed.
I think a problem with Mission:space is that no matter how good it can be (I never went on it) ... in my head it will always be compared to Horizons and "not good enough"
@@Xmetalfanx agreed. It could’ve been replaced by anything and it would’ve received flack. I rode it before they took the intensity down and it genuinely was fun. Just a totally different experience.
Best EPCOT ride ever. Was lucky enough to have ridden it multiple times. It felt like a time machine, the smells the music, it was something special. RIP Horizons
The entire direction of Epcot under new Disney leadership is honestly really depressing. I loved Epcot and it was easily my favorite Disney park just from how unique it was from any other Disney park both when I was 8 back in the early/mid-2000s and when I went back when I was 18 in the early/mid-2010s. Horizon embodies this difference and even though I never got the chance to ride it, it was the start of Epcot losing touch with its roots. The IP-ification of Epcot is downright criminal and makes me wonder what could’ve been had some attractions been updated in similar ways to Test Track
Hello. There is a Horizons Alumni site still operating with the old tracks and audio visual runs of Horizons. It was my favorite, even if it was well outdated, it was one of the best rides in Epcot.
Thank you for continuing to shine a spotlight on Horizons! It really did sum up EPCOT Center’s vision! Losing Horizons was the greatest loss in any Disney park…now followed by the CommuniCore West building.
I loved EPCOT as a kid. I have so many happy memories of going to Disneyworld with my mom in the early 1990’s (90 92 94). Of course for each EPCOT visit during those years we always went on Horizons.
Thanks for putting this one together. I went to Disney once as a kid in the 80’s, and seeing the ride footage helped me to remember going on this ride as well as Wold Of Motion which ironically had a malfunction mid ride. Go figure. Little kid me and adult me definitely enjoyed these types of rides.
Jake, I have followed you since your earliest episodes and you have really grown into a great filmmaker. I always enjoy your videos. Keep up the amazing work!
My brother and I loved Horizons, and it remains one of our favorite rides at EPCOT (along with the old Journey Into Imagination with The Dreamfinder). We were fortunate enough to experience that ride several times while it was in operation. There was something very special about Epcot of the 80s and early 90s.
Disney accomplished something pretty incredible. They made their park worse, with less corporate sponsorship. That takes effort. Disney survived long enough to become the bad guy.
It's so sad, because their legacy has been ruined by money hungry lunatic idealogues. I wouldn't be shocked if the parks end up in disrepair and being abandoned not far into the future. The idea of Disney is lost.
Wonderful video! I'll always be so thankful that I was able to visit Epcot during spring break of 1996 with a good friend. The one memory that's always stuck with me is that of us riding horizons over and over as it was late (probably near park closing time) and there were no lines to be had. Just a fantastic ride that deserved to be preserved and placed in a museum really.
Good one, Jake! I remember riding on Horizons and thought how cool it was that the line constantly moved and not having to stand in line for hours. Thanks for another great video!
9:31: "However, for a very dedicated and enthusiastic few, the entire experience was truly something special." Show me how you mention Hoot and Chief, without mentioning Hoot and Chief.
First time I visited Epcot was 1988 so I never got to see that mural. What a horrible shame that it was only used a bit and then "lost". I think it one of the best pieces of art I have ever seen! Wish so much that it would have been preserved and put permanently in a museum for all to enjoy.
World of Motion Horizons Universe of Energy I miss these from the 1980s... went to Disney World several times as a kid, went back as an adult with my own kids. It lost something in the process, the new stuff (Test Track, etc.) just isn't Disney, it's "theme park". I would pay all the money to take my kids to EPCOT in 1986. And to go myself... I miss that era of wonder...
I'm rarely that guy, but I really do miss the HELL out of Horizons....I think Mission Space was one of the rare very huge downgrades. Its too bad. Thx for the coverage Jake!!!
The original Horizons video is what brought me to this channel thank you Jake for this revised edition your love and passion for these kinds of topics is amazing
I love epcot so much, i wish i could go back to when it first opened to experience it. the idea of hope that horizons gave was wonderful and I really wish epcot had more of it.
Truly makes me sad that this attraction has been lost, as we all know that nothing will ever quite be created like it again. To those that created this attraction: your efforts were truly appreciated and will never be forgotten by those who were lucky enough to experience it.
Horizons and World of Motion were 2 of the finest rides there were and it does hurt my heart a little bit that my kids will never get the thrill I had to experience them.
I rode Horizons on my first visit to WDW in 1989. It really sticks in my mind; it was a really impressive ride that fit so well with the original aesthetic of the park. Such a shame it’s completely gone. Great video BTW, really well researched 👍🏼
I took the photos at 16:50 and 17:07 of the ride vehicles on the back of the transport truck. The wife and I were coming back from our honeymoon stay at the Wilderness Lodge. (The Cadillac was rented.) So glad I thought to take the photos, pretty crazy to see them being hauled off!
This brought back such a wave of memories that I had conflated with other rides and some that I had nearly forgotten. Thank you for this video, it really was such a special attraction. It reminds me of another ride from Tomorrowland, "The Time Keeper". I'm not sure why, but that attraction also stands out so powerfully to me.
Wow 😳 So wish I would have experienced Horizons in Person . I was there in about 93 and I was in renovation at the time I believe . Incredible coverage of an iconic Disney world attraction . It really seemed like it was a modern rendition of a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired design landed mother ship. Meets Buckminster Fullers Geodesic dome . The reverse buttresses made from cantilevered beams create a ship like shape or a latter day pyramid. It was truelly a great architectural Design scheme . Thanks 🙏 👍 for posting this ! I never would have know about what was inside . Keep on Trucking !
Horizons was like walking into an 80's time capsule. It had its charms, but also a very short shelf life. It would have needed extensive renovations and updates every 5 years or so to stay relevant. The future is always changing and Horizons was stuck in the past.
My Mom and I rode Mission Space in 2003 during its soft opening, it was so intense, she had a panic attack. I rode the less intense version in 2012, it was fun, but nothing I’d recommend.
I clearly remember going on this ride and being stuck in the Sea Castle scenes (the area where you transition between the guy repairing the personal submarine talking to the girl). It was an interesting ride with a lot of things to see a second and third time around.
Yeah and then LOST! No one knows what happened to that painting! Thankfully there are some really good photographs because otherwise it'd be gone forever.
First went to Epcot in 92. It was an incredibly unique, amazing experience. Didn’t get back till 2012, when futureworld was a shell of its former self. Still, it was better than the building site that’s been there for the past couple of years.
I remember going to Horizons back in April of 1994 and really enjoying the experience. I had no idea it would be closed by the end of the year. It was the best attraction at Epcot at that time as it's sad it had to close with so little fan fair.
I would give anything to be able to go on this ride just once.I love and adore COP in tmrland and this seeems like such a Cool retro but futuristic ride at the same time.RIP horizons :( you’ll be missed dearly
Love your Disney Abandoned episodes! I had fun pointing out the history of certain things to my husband when we last went. Like pointing out the abandoned ruins of River Country and Discovery Island on the ferry ride from Fort Wilderness
I rode this in 1996 as a child. I did not find it outdated nor boring. I thought it was the most amazing ride at EPCOT, and that was back when the original Journey into Imagination was still open.
Horizons was a fun, imaginative ride that I very much enjoyed. I liked imagining life as it was depicted in the future family scenes of the ride. Definitely had an early Disney feel that is missing as the years go by.
I wish, if nothing else, the mural had survived. It’s such a beautiful piece of art and really distilled the essence of Horizons to the purest form, and truly a a shame the original has been lost.
Yeah. Hearing that such an amazing piece of art was so short-lived and is now just gone, that's just plain tragic.
I prefer to think that it's in some angry ex-managers house, maybe his living room
Absolutely unreal. I cannot conceive how one person did that in 9 months. Is he still alive to give an opinion on it now?!
@John-Paul Hunt I don't agree that nothing lasts forever and why the complacency of some thing going way just on the basis of what you say? Pathetic.
It is a crime of humanity that the mural was lost; it should have been treated with respect as the Disney equivalent of the Sistine Chapel. As Indiana Jones would say: it belongs in a museum (National Gallery in DC or the Met in NYC).
I was a Disney Imagineer in the late 70s and early 80s before they laid us off when EPCOT was finished. One of the projects that I built was the "barbershop man" in the Horizons pavilion (Timecode 9:11 & 16:30). Thank you for providing this footage. I always wondered what happened to him after it was torn down and you suggested that it might have been reused as parts in your commentary.
That's awesome! That was one of my favorite parts. I felt like it was kind of "future art deco". Such a cool style.
@@flightforensics4523 You mean CMs no longer have to go through Traditions? If so, when did that happen and what do they call the current program?
My Dad worked for a division of Disney back in the early 80's called MAPO. I've never been to EPCOT but I saw most of the ride mock-ups and films in various warehouses in Glendale, Burbank and North Hollywood before EPCOT opened.
@@Kodachrome40 Did he work in “Pelican Alley” at MAPO, and would you feel comfortable stating his name? I might know him because that's where I worked.
@@wingsovermikey Not sure what that is. He passed away about 5 years ago. I think he worked on Air Way St. in Glendale, in the old Glendale airport building.
I worked for GE when GE still supported the Horizon Pavilion. I went to EPCOT as a family vacation but also for a few business meetings that included trips to EPCOT. A little known feature of the Horizon Pavilion was a lounge at the top of the building. As GE employees visiting the pavilion, we could go to the lounge to rest our weary feet and get something to drink and relax. On one of the business trips, we had a cocktail party of 60+ GE employees in that lounge. They provided drinks and some snacks for the group. While we partied, the employees of the lounge then made dinner reservations at different EPCOT restaurants for the 60+ people. I had dinner at the Chinese restaurant. After dinner was over, we as a group watched the Illuminations show from a closed off area for the group. We also had a dessert buffet table while we waited and watched the show. Talk about memories.
Awesome
I feel that Disney attractions go through phases. They are usually popular when they first open, then after a while they decline in popularity as they become uncool. If the attractions sticks around long enough, however, they becomes "classics" instead of kitschy. I feel than Horizons is one of those attractions for which it would have become unthinkable to demolish, if only it had survived another 10 years.
Much like carousel of progress
@@BrightSunFilms Except that both the Carousel of Progress and the PeopleMover were closed at Disneyland, CA, to make way for something supposedly "bigger and better," i.e. Rocket Rods and Innoventions, only for both replacements to become abandoned/disused. So while those attractions have not been abandoned on the East Coast and in fact become beloved classics, they have become ghostly reminders of the dangers of trying to "stay relevant" to guests on the West Coast. I think this is why Disneyland, CA has recently been much, much better about changes than WDW. Because park management is still stinging from their mismanagement of Tomorrowland, they have poured so much more thought and care into every other nook and cranny of the park--preserving or enhancing classics, rather than replacing them entirely. Think about the addition of Pelican's Landing (which didn't really replace anything), or the Plaza Point Holiday Shoppe, which kept the building's interior and exterior architecture just the way it was, but revitalized the space. Or take for instance the ToonTown refresh, which is keeping the existing attractions while adding an entirely new one. Tomorrowland aside, Disneyland, CA has been on a roll, and the Downtown Disney remodel is another example of how the California Resort leadership have learned from their mistakes, while the Florida Resort leadership keeps making them.
Great point, I don't feel like Disney ever truly allowed Epcot to have its classic untouchables. Horizons was definitely that ride, along with Spaceship Earth, and Imagination.
@@kentslocum Last time I went to Disneyland, CA it felt like everything was closed, a giant black tarp, Star Wars logos with no rides, Star Wars was shut down, Tower of Terror was GONE. In it's place was a guardians of the galaxy test ride. All of those rides were horrible, basically just 50 people STANDING in a room staring at a screen. No interactions, no ride, literally just watching a video as a group. They replaced the Tower of Terror for THAT? In-fact, the only thing that seemed to look the same was the statue of walt, main street, and the Carousel of Progress. I've asked a long time friend and employee who works at disneyland and he's always told me "That Carousel ain't going nowhere. Not in the next 100 years" - I feel like he knows something we don't. Maybe one of the old CEO's had it written in that it had to stay.. or maybe it's simply too big, historic, and complicated to remove. The animatronics in that thing alone are worth so much money.
Childhood side story; I know it's silly, but I have so many good memories of that thing as a kid. I even got to see the Honda robot ASIMO there years before he was released to the public, and I played soccer with him! I will never forget that day. This sounds like a joke, but I looked it up, I think this was in 2010-2011, Disney really did have an ASIMO robot demo. They showed him climbing stair, running around, kicking a ball with kids, and then showed how he could help a family out by setting the thermostat, reminding them, setting timers, I think it even had "Location based alerts" so like when Dad got home, it would remind mom. It was really cool! And looking back, it was almost identical to Siri! Except it walked, lol. After the ASIMO demo they lead us into a room with a bunch of futuristic looking computers where we could create our own Disneyland Fireworks show, me and my sister / cousin had so much fun, and I think I overloaded mine and made it freeze up baha. Also, that was my first time seeing a computer run Windows 7 and I was so amazed. I think Disney is a big part of the reason I love technology, and still have a sense of optimism about it. I find retro futurism of the 50's-80's so much more inspiring than anything from today, and I love Walt's taste and vision of Epcott. I honestly hope to somehow incorporate it into my home and life. Not a "Disney" house, but an experimental house of the future. Just for fun!
@@kevb7451 I've literally never once heard people complain about those rides, in-fact, they want them back! My grandma showed me some photos she took of the the Rainbow Mountain Mine Train (opened July 2, 1956.) - and it was GORGEOUS, and looked more detailed and exciting than 90% of the crap they have today. I swear eventually Disneyland is just going to be a bunch of blank rooms and buildings where people go in, pay money, and then get a VR "Ride". They just DO NOT CARE what guests want, they have 0 respect for Walt Disney and his vision, they don't even seem to have common sense when it comes to making a profit anymore.. Just needless waste, and then throwing away decades of work from people who designed, planned, tested, and decorated all those rides and areas. Disneyland CA needs to work on preserving and giving a fresh coat of paint, not replacing everything. When people go to Disneyland, they want to see the rides they remember! Not a giant black tarp that says "ELSA MEET AND GREET COMING SOON"! - They can do that LITERALLY anywhere else! I'm starting a coalition of Californians to tell Disney to knock it off, and restore the park to its former glory.
I miss this so badly. This felt like it was ahead of its time. We rode this more than anything else. The feeling of nostalgia is amazing with this
I miss the future
@@romulusnr Same. Feels like the future was so long ago
I grew up in Chicago vacationing in Wisconsin Dells every year. They had a place called Tommy Bartlett's Robot World. It was absolutely fantastic to explore when you were a kid.
During the 80s my grandma took me to Florida to visit Disney World 5 times. This place was like Robot World in steroids; it was amazing. Almost every shot, every picture hits me to my core. It's so cool to see it again while also being incredibly sad.
I can't imagine anything today being able to elicit feelings like this in today's children 40 years from now. I hope I'm wrong.
@@romulusnr But, we ARE living in the future! Or are you a time traveler or something!? LoL X - D All joking aside. I know what you mean. ^u^
Its crazy how short it actually functioned as a fully supported ride! I guess as a child of the 80s I was perfectly positioned to love this ride. Seems like so much money wasted for just 10 proper years of use.
I’m heartbroken to hear about that mural. Not only was it gorgeous, it also had a great message and really embodied retrofuturism, which is one of my favorite aesthetics.
Wow, I remember watching the original Horizon video so many years ago. Never thought you'd come back to this one in particular, but you have a track record of doing that!
I hope you enjoy this much… much better take on the topic!
@@BrightSunFilms I knew I wasn't tripping! Nice to see you going back to redo some older episodes. You've evolved as a orator and presenter, so to hear your more professional sounding voice covering this makes me happy. Keep up the great work, Jake.
@@BrightSunFilms hi jake I hope your having a good day
just curious why you private the original video
I remember watching the original as well
Yeah
I remember riding Horizons on my 7th birthday, Nov 25 1998, not too long before it closed for good. It’s one of the few rides I can remember as a kid. The forced perspective and physical detail of everything was just great.
I also remember the ride smelling like a musty antique car (there was probably a roof leak).
I miss the old Epcot. It used to be a one-of-a-kind place for the curious and creative. It’s slowly becoming just another theme park…
I rode it a couple years before. It’s the only thing I remember about Epcot. There really was wonder built in it
It's interesting that you remember the ride smelling like a musty car. Before the show building deteriorated to the state it was in in 1998, it smelled like oranges.
Horizons in its prime smelled like oranges because they piped in the smell of oranges for the desert agriculture scene which depicted an orange grove.
This orange smell permeated the entire ride.
I wonder if they stopped piping in the orange smell entirely by 1998. It still smelled like oranges the last time I rode it in June of 1997.
To this day, I still associate the smell of oranges with Horizons.
@@Blatsen Watching footage of Disneyland being built (The famous timelapse on youtube) is so cool, because at the beginning all you see is dirt and fields of trees. All orange trees. It looks just like parts of Riverside CA still do, just endless groves of orange trees. I think Walt loves his oranges :) - He's always chosen land where Oranges grow, and it always served him well.
Also, Orange Bird best disney mascot
@@ZeranZeranyup
@@Blatsenyup we all do
Dude, we're already at 71 episodes, and each one brilliantly researched, filmed and edited!
Another great video, as expected..!
Thank you so much!
@@BrightSunFilms It's hard to believe I've been watching for this long! Keep on with your passions, Jake!
I’m not even a Disney person, but I still felt nostalgic watching this. So well done.
Screw Disney. They are part of the woke folks and trying to teach little kids about being gay and gender . I am done with these folks.
Nostalgia for when Disney was fit for all family members. It isn’t anymore. 😔🙁
@@glennso47 If this is a homophobic comment, you can keep it to yourself.
@@CNMcClure0723 if this is some sort of misogynistic dog whistle, keep it to yourself and do better.
@@CNMcClure0723 As an openly gay man... please stop being offended for us.
Disney does not need to be shoving sex of any kind into their programming. If it's relevant to the plot and actually feels natural? Sure. The blatant rise of "EVERYONE IS GAY NOW" is just getting weird. Less than 10% of the global population is gay. They need to cool it, and focus on entertainment again, not politics.
That McCall mural was amazing , It’s horrible to hear it was destroyed . Growing up I always had a space painting of his on my wall and worshiped it ! What an artist he was .
I spotted that right away. They didn't even mention his name, yet I knew it was McCall.
There's a beautiful high res copy of it online, I actually just saved it for myself.
That mural is gorgeous.. and it must have cost millions too. I can't believe they just tore a wrecking ball through it.. what were they thinking!?
I loved this ride! They got one prediction correct: That family sitting in the living room doing a video chat for a birthday party - must have been 2020. LOL!
As someone born in 1979 and family moved to Orlando in 1980 I literally and I mean literally was raised by Disney and I loved Horizons. This period of Epcot was the best, Figment and Captain Eo were the best. RIP MJ! BTW I still know all the rides songs by heart. I can still taste the way the lake water tasted when you’d get water up your nose on a slide at River Country lol. Also on horizon I’ll never forget the amazing smell of oranges on part of the ride.
TRUTH!!!
I loved Figment
Same on all this!
The oranges. That smell has never left me. I rode it about 4-5 times in March 1994 on a band trip. I thought Horizons was the coolest thing that I had ever seen in my life.
The Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland CA had a swampy smell I'll always recognize.
Omg as soon as I read that about the oranges I smelled them again! 😳
We rode Horizons in 1998, during our very first visit to Epcot. Had no idea at the time how significant the experience would be, since it was closed forever during our next trip. In retrospect, am VERY happy we were blessed to see it... and a bit sad we didn't understand then how precious our time at Horizons was.
My most missed favorite ride. It’s hard to explain that early Epcot Center feel to people that never experienced it but Horizons was the iconic Epcot Center ride. Years later when I worked at Epcot, I found a framed print behind a vending machine in the Mission:Space break trailer that turned out to be original concept art for the space pavilion using the Horizons building. But this ride will still be missed by so many Epcot Center fans. Thank you for this video!
Is that picture available online anywhere?
@@DeLorean4 Never seen it again.
That mural is incredible
Anyone who hasn’t watched it, watch “Remain seated please - a hoot and chief story.” An amazing story that involves Horizons
Link in the description
@@BrightSunFilms Nice! Keep up the awesome videos!!!
I have had this weird misplaced memory in my head for more or less my entire life of being in a little capsule with my mom and rolling past windows looking in at people's lives, except they were living in this glorious, fascinating future. I remember being so curious about what their lives were like, wanting to crawl out of the little vehicle and go live with them. It was something that absolutely stuck with me, but I couldn't remember where or when I'd seen it. Now I know what that memory was. I was 5 years old, at Disney World. I'm just going to go cry some happy tears. Thanks for this.
As a product of the 80's myself, those views of the ride scenes really got me in the feels. An excellent look back!
You're a product?
All I can say is that it’s incredibly sad that they would just tear it all down. It’s a mistake that both Disney and fans alike will never forget.
Yup let’s just let the giant sinkhole kill everyone for the sake of nostalgia
@@JordynMcCray not everyone knew about the sinkhole. No need to be a d bag about it.
@@Kyutenessss I find that very very hard to believe that anyone who knows what horizons is, has no idea about the sinkhole issue. The park has been without horizons longer than it was with it, and it’s the most widely known theory of why it closed, and every video on the topic, including this one, covers it. It’s not like they figured it out two days ago….
Have to agree with you 100% @@JordynMcCray I have been following Disney Imagineering topics online for a long, long time. Even considered a career move there back in the 90s when the were hiring. And the sinkhole is always mentioned as THE reason they had to shut it down. It probably would have been more expensive to remediate the site and preserve Horizons than just tear it down, fill in the hole, and build Mission Space on a foundation that spanned it. CivE projects have to deal with the land that God put there.
@@JordynMcCray You would be excellent at CinemaSins.
This was my favorite attraction at Disney growing up. I rode it many, many times each visit to Disney World. It was Epcot. Optimistic. Inspiring. Making you look forward to making a better tomorrow. The world needs more of this. Less selling of IPs and more effort inspiring kids about tomorrow. Together with TV shows like Beyond 2000, the future used to look so bright. I wish there was more content and experiences like that still for my young child.
kennedy space center visitor's complex still has strong old epcot energy
So sad that EPCOT has abandoned "education mixed with entertainment" and gone with thrills instead--Ratatouille, Frozen Ever After, a ridiculous re-skin of Test Track, Harmonious, Cosmic Rewind, and soon Moana. None of those even pretend to be educational--so I'm glad this channel exists to both Educate AND Entertain!
Moana is literally about the water cycle, moana translates to water… sooo failing to see how that’s not educational. Test track is about the car design process and how to make cars balance between efficiency and eco friendly etc. Harmonious is literally about how the power of music unites everyone on earth. No matter where we are from, we can sing our favorite Disney songs together and prove that we’re not so different after all. They still teach things, it’s just not in a boring way. The kids of 82 are not the kids of today. You have to create a place for kids of today to make memories with their parents so they want to return with their kids. In 40 years they’ll say the same thing about how back in their day things were so different. Because it’s how you evolve a company. There are so many videos on this channel that are proof of what happens when you don’t adapt to the current climate. Idk how no one can see that Disney learned from that and how that’s why the parks have successfully been open since 1955.
@@JordynMcCray I totally understand your point about change being inevitable because kids of today are not like the kids of the 80s or 90s. But I feel as though things have been "watered down" or "dumbed-down" for a lack of better words. Its a matter of opinion, but I feel the whole experience is a shell of its former self. The magic isn't there for some of us anymore. Some people will blindly throw their money at Disney because they're loyal to a fault, but that won't be me. About the time new fantasy land went up and toontown came down I stopped going.
@@NostaIgiaJunkie the magic is still there, you just have a different lens of seeing it. Obviously things aren’t going to be viewed the same way as it was for you when you were a kid. You realize now things you didn’t back then. But it’s not a lack of slow moving rides or higher prices that has killed the magic. People are forgetting what the magic really meant. It’s not things, it’s experienced with the people you love. It’s talking with cast members and actually caring about what story they have to tell and what part they play in it. When was the last time you ACTUALLY talked to a cast member without a sarcastic remark about the price of something or the length of a line, or the advent of genie plus and how everything sucks. When was the last time you actually asked them how they were doing, and about them as people? The last time you saw Disney through a lens of someone actually enjoying themselves in the parks. I can tell you, it’s been years since most have, and covid only made it worse. People are so focused on themselves that no amount of new rides of any kind can fix it. There is a guest problem. And once people take responsibility for the way they have contributed to the issues at the parks, then things can start getting fixed. Because trust me. The people working at Disney do so because they want to, but when you get beaten up verbally by entitled adults raising entitled children who act as if you’re not a real person, it changes you and hardens you. Because you have to build a tough skin. How many times can you be yelled at for the price of a bubble wand until you force yourself not to let it hurt you?
@@JordynMcCray totally get what your saying, but how can I have a care free experience when Disney requires me to do all my planning on my cell phone and book everything thru my phone when I should have my eyes up looking at tge beautiful park around me. You can't ignore price and and cut backs on things that used to be included in your experience as well as the entire experience being boiled down into an app on a phone. It's not about souvenir prices hun, it's not as superficial as that. I was an annual pass holder who is a Florida resident, so I basically grew up there. Yes I am a nostalgia junkie but hun I'm barely 24, its not like I grew up with OG Disney, I grew up with Michael Eisner's Disney World. When things change in Disney, it should be changing and evolving to benefit the guests not the CEO's pockets. 6 grand or more for a "special resort experience" at a star wars themed hotel? I just think Disney is becoming more blatantly classist with their choices. Mom used to be able to afford a 5 night stay, as much food as we could stomach, and souvenirs to your hearts content and still have money left over to keep the bills paid when we got back. Its not about the prices of a light up toy, or a mickey premium bar. Its about Disney not valuing or doing good by their oldest guests who have come to expect a certain level of comfort and ease while vacationing. It's not looking good for their current CEO anyway, as I am one of many who are not happy with the direction Disney has taken. Honestly if they'd just get rid of those stupid chips in the resort mugs, lowered value resort prices, and made fast pass free again I'd be a lil bit happier, and able to experience that "private idaho" again.
@@NostaIgiaJunkie so youre just gonna hop on a plane and plan nothing when you go on vacation? It all takes planning. You can’t and shouldn’t go in blind into anything anymore. Stuff has also just gotten expensive. I’m 28, gas used to cost 98¢ a gallon and my dad would say that was high. Things cost money, and if you want the rides to continue to be built, it’s going to cost money. Vacations aren’t rights. I don’t know when people started to think that but they aren’t. I grew up 4 hours away from wdw and only went 3 times before I turned 18, because I couldn’t afford it. You’re just more cognizant of how much things cost because you’re an adult. Ask you family how long they saved to take you, how much extra they worked, because I’m sure there were things going on behind the scenes that you were never aware of because you were a child, and the only job you had was to have fun. You see in the parks now. Kids want $85 loungefly because it’s cute, because they have no concept of money, and the parents buy it because they want them to be happy. Not everything a company does is going to be for you to experience. Should there be no international parks because I can’t afford to get there? Things that used to be included and are no longer are the cause of supply and demand. No one complains about universal charging $190 for express passes, but Disney charges $15 and it’s an issue. Y’all have to start understanding that Disney is a company. It’s a corporate entity that exists to make money. If you want to make memories and have fun whilst they do it, so be it. But you would expect Starbucks to start slashing prices left and right, so why expect an entertainment conglomerate to do the same?
I was only 9 when I rode it once back in 1998, but I still recall the memories of an unseen future and giant IMAX screens immersing me before letting me return home via space. I still miss Horizons to this day. I brings me joy that tons of Disney fans still remember this masterpiece of an attraction
Screw Disney. They are part of the woke folks and trying to teach little kids about being gay and gender . I am done with these folks.
Ay that’s the year I was born
I worked in that building from the time I was 19 until 22. I loved Horizons. The goofy movie. The body wars ride. The healthy food restaurants. I'm sad it's gone.
Absolutely loved this ride. I can still remember the smell of the orange groves from the desert farming scene and me and brother would always "fight" over which scene it would play at the end. He usually won.
Had Walt Disney lived to his 80's, I could no doubt see him loving & being proud of Horizons. Some of the Imageneers who worked on it, even worked w/Walt Disney. They knew & understood his vision. By getting rid of Horizons, they got rid of part of Walt & his spirit.
EPCOT wouldn't have been a theme park if Walt was still alive.
@@brooksfire9580 - Perhaps Horizons would've been an attraction somewhere else, not in EPCOT. Or perhaps EPCOT would've evolved into a theme park where its cast members lived & worked at, much like its original concept. Not just a mere 2nd theme park w/just attractions.
Horizons was and will forever be my most beloved Epcot attraction, and a top candidate for most beloved Disney attraction overall. I still remember my childhood memories of this ride fondly. My favorite part was the "Choose your own adventure" portion at the end. I remember as a child, me and my sister would get into big fights because we each wanted to choose our own different adventure, and it got so bad, that eventually my Mom would ride in one car with one of us, and my Dad would ride with the other, that way both me and my sister could choose our own adventures without fighting over it. If I could bring back any extinct Disney attraction, Horizons would definitely be my choice.
Mission Space is a one and done ride. I've gone twice, the second time only because my son wanted to experience it. Horizons was a wonderful ride with heart and soul and it was my family's favorite ride at EPCOT. We were so devastated when Disney closed it. Once during a bad storm we rode it at least 6 times in a row and could have kept going. We REALLY loved that ride. I love Test Track, but World of Motion was such a loss also. The loss of those 2 rides and the OG Figment Ride really spoiled EPCOT for us. Spaceship Earth is the only ride of that kind left in the park and I'm terrified about what they will do to that ride. They really just took away the spirit of the park as far as I'm concerned.
Totally agree. I've been on it, I think twice. There's absolutely nothing special about the ride.
Spot on! I feel WOM and Horizons themed well with SpaceShip Earth. Sad what leadership has done to the front of the house at Epcot.
Mission Space made me feel extremely ill afterwards.I had to sit for 5 minutes to recover.
Agree, just about the only things I remember from going as a young kid were the old Figment, and all those little tiny frogs that appeared in the rain.
I did mission space once as a kid and hated it, I don’t wanna have to pay attention and do work on a ride lol
I rode Horizons once in 1991 and I still remember it. I was so sad when I returned in 1999 and it was closed. It’s amazing that riding Horizons just once - gave such a lasting impression.
I just wanted to tell you I've been subscribed for years and I was so thrilled just now to see BRIGHT SUN FILMS credited on a documentary I'm watching on Discovery+!!! So happy for you!!!!
Thank you so much!!!
What’s it called
As an architecture student, I look to how remarkable old Epcot was for inspiration. Horizons along with the universe of energy have truly iconic features that express emotion and power.
Still miss this ride so much, every time I went to EPCOT, went on it at least twice. Just wonderful and a lost era not just for the park but all of Disney World. So loved it and miss it dearly.
After I saw your original Horizons video, my life honestly changed! Horizons is what really made me get into Disney Parks- I even went to Orlando in 2018 for the second time in my life specifically to go through EPCOT again and get one of the Horizons logo pins. Glad to see you revisit it with your modern production value! Hope it mentions Hoot and Chief too- idk i havent watched it yet dskjghfdjk
I agree--I remember feeling so inspired and optimistic after riding this--it really was a sequel to Carousel of Progress. I loved how toward the end you could
select your mode of transportation back to the present.
I see much more of this in Disney's future. The tide has clearly changed and they have poisoned their own well.
Love Jakes work ! 👍
Me too check out closed for storm
Loved Horizons. One of my favorites along with the original Journey to Imagination. Miss them both!!
I remember this ride so well! I can still smell the aroma of oranges in the harvest section of this ride with the daughter. This was my favorite ride to go on...hands down! Thank you for sharing this gem!
The original Horizons was my favorite ride. I remember heading to EPCOT and seeing it partially demolished, and I was crushed. We would always rude it at least 3 times, to get each of the end rides. The wait was always minor, due to the way the ride was made. It's loss was truly felt. I'd ride it today if I could...three times, of course
The amount of creativity, artistry and craftsmanship involved with this attraction is incredible. They simply just don't make things like this anymore...too bad.✌🏽
You ever try to sit a child of this generation down for a slow moving ride that lasts more than 5 minutes? They complain. They don’t make things like this because no one truly wants them. If Disney announced today that they were making an 18 minute dark ride omnimover on a non ip topic, people would realistically hate it and think it’s a waste of space and that something more thrilling should go there. Y’all are just mad because you hate ip, unless it’s an Ip you like 🙄
@@JordynMcCray That's like saying because kids like candy they should only eat candy and not any vegetables. Sure, they will be happy, but then they will become morbidly obese, diabetic, and die before they are 40. Families need wholesome entertainment. Kids need to learn the value of the real world, not IP.
just want to stay thank you for continuing to produce these videos like you used to, not filling them with sponsors and ads or trying to make it clickbait, just good pure content
Means a lot, thanks :)
Going through that in the early 80s was really cool, it felt like the scifi art of the late 70s come to life. It was one of the few rides in Epcot where realistic futurism was on display - where you could see representations of families existing in something that didn't exist yet. I really enjoyed the futurism of the park in that era, it had an imaginative flair before the IP showboating took over. Feels like the exhibition aspects of Epcot got lost in the park's evolution. Wish they would have maintained their vision and just updated the exhibits!
This is a great documentary on Horizons.
There is only one point that I would add as someone who had the benefit of actually being able to visit Horizons.
The entire Horizons show building smelled of oranges. This is because the smell of oranges was pumped into the scene of the desert orange grove. This smell in turn permeated through the entire building.
To this day, the smell of oranges reminds me of Horizons.
Horizons was my late mother’s favorite ride.
It wasn’t until years after Horizons was demolished that I realized that Horizons featured the same family from Carousel of Progress, but only a generation older. As both attractions were originally sponsored by GE, this makes sense.
I realize that they likely wanted this connection between Horizons and Carousel of Progress to be subtle, but it was too subtle for people like me to even notice it.
Disney’s true strength and unique talent is building high quality dark rides, so it’s a shame that they demolished Horizons and replaced it with Mission Space.
Amusement parks with thrill rides and screen based rides are a dime a dozen, but Disney and Universal are the only two companies that make excellent dark rides.
Disney has moved away from its historical strength of providing quality dark rides, and all their parks, in particular EPCOT, are suffering as a result.
This explains why some of my fondest memories of Disneyland are of the beautiful landscapes in Peter Pan
Miss you, 80’s EPCOT 😢
20:30 Really grinds my gears about Disney these days. Puke. It's surprising they actually opened an original and cool restaurant for Mission Space that doesn't have a Stormtroopers marching around or Buzz Lightyear flying through space.
At least Spaceship Earth is still operating at Epcot.
if only they had treated Horizons more like Spaceship Earth! just update it every 10-12 years so it's a "living" attraction....sure you get "purists" who say such-and-such version from 1991 was the best, but overall they're still happy to experience the new ride every time they come to Disney, and see what changes are made when a new one comes out (I for one am pumped to see the new version! which won't be done for a while, thanks to covid delays, but at least it's still happening), while also getting to see a lot of the same animatronics, sets, and themes that have always been there.
The Space 220 restaurant is a step in the right direction! It has the look & feel of "old Epcot" inside (at least from the videos I've seen, it evoked a strange sense of nostalgia for me, not something new stuff does every day 😆 but I'd imagine that if Horizons had kept getting updated, parts of it could have looked like that).
Yup
I only got to ride horizons a couple times as a teen, when it was considered out of date by company standards I guess. It felt like a historic ride and exciting at the same time. I loved it, and I was a thrill seeking teenager. They were wrong. I like mission space for what it is, but Horizons felt disney. Like spaceship Earth, the great movie ride, carousel of progress, and so many more, may not be up to date, but timeless.
This was SUCH an amazing ride! My brother and I luckily got to to in 1995 and 96 respectively in back-to-back years. This and Innoventions were our favorites over in that area - I remember fondly getting into Innovations and being able to play every single video game console for free. We got kicked out quickly by our parents, but it was a total kid win experience. I will never forget Horizons though! The idea of selecting your own ride vehicle put so much of the imagination and creativity into your hands as a kid - that was our favorite part by far. We rode it at least twice each time so we could change our mode of transportation. To me, this whole area of the park felt like The World's Fair, celebrating human ingenuity and progress and providing so much hopefulness for the future. Essentially, Disney World in the 90s was simply the best it ever was...
Horizons was amazing. My favorite EPCOT ride as a kid (even though my mom worked for GM and I got to the front of the line in World of Motion lol) I was gutted when they got rid of it. I can't believe Mission: Space has been around longer.
My husband and I were at Epcot in 1984 and went on this attraction. Horizons was absolutely fantastic and should be brought back. Was futuristic and gave a feeling of being in the experience.
One of the best channels, no doubt. For most of these abandoned structures, I was not yet alive for and still, Jake is able to provide me with such a nostalgic feeling!
Screw Disney. They are part of the woke folks and trying to teach little kids about being gay and gender . I am done with these folks.
That mural was beautiful and shame its lost and possibly destroyed. I feel for the artist who took time and effort and love to make it 😢😢
I always love the mid century retrofuture concept art.
I'm so happy I was able to ride this back in the 90s. A highlight of the trip for sure. Loved everything about, and have fond memories of my entire family riding it. I would love a VR restoration of this ride to get my fix.
Your original Horizon abandoned video was my favorite abandoned episode ever! Watched it so many times when I was in high school💜🍿So glad u come back to remake it👏🏽👏🏽
I remember commenting on the first Horizon’s video saying that Mission:Space was a decent replacement. The more time passes, the more I miss this ride and disagree with my original statement. I’m so thankful I got to catch a ride a couple years before it closed.
I think a problem with Mission:space is that no matter how good it can be (I never went on it) ... in my head it will always be compared to Horizons and "not good enough"
@@Xmetalfanx agreed. It could’ve been replaced by anything and it would’ve received flack. I rode it before they took the intensity down and it genuinely was fun. Just a totally different experience.
Best EPCOT ride ever. Was lucky enough to have ridden it multiple times. It felt like a time machine, the smells the music, it was something special. RIP Horizons
The entire direction of Epcot under new Disney leadership is honestly really depressing. I loved Epcot and it was easily my favorite Disney park just from how unique it was from any other Disney park both when I was 8 back in the early/mid-2000s and when I went back when I was 18 in the early/mid-2010s. Horizon embodies this difference and even though I never got the chance to ride it, it was the start of Epcot losing touch with its roots. The IP-ification of Epcot is downright criminal and makes me wonder what could’ve been had some attractions been updated in similar ways to Test Track
So
Hello. There is a Horizons Alumni site still operating with the old tracks and audio visual runs of Horizons. It was my favorite, even if it was well outdated, it was one of the best rides in Epcot.
Where?
Where is this?
if anyone figures out where lmk
I also have to say.. that building is absolutely amazing. What a throwback design.
Thank you for continuing to shine a spotlight on Horizons! It really did sum up EPCOT Center’s vision! Losing Horizons was the greatest loss in any Disney park…now followed by the CommuniCore West building.
I loved EPCOT as a kid. I have so many happy memories of going to Disneyworld with my mom in the early 1990’s (90 92 94). Of course for each EPCOT visit during those years we always went on Horizons.
Thanks for putting this one together. I went to Disney once as a kid in the 80’s, and seeing the ride footage helped me to remember going on this ride as well as Wold Of Motion which ironically had a malfunction mid ride. Go figure. Little kid me and adult me definitely enjoyed these types of rides.
I remember this place so vividly when we visited in the 80's. I was a little kid and this was a highlight for me from my entire family vacation.
Jake, I have followed you since your earliest episodes and you have really grown into a great filmmaker. I always enjoy your videos. Keep up the amazing work!
Thank you so much!
My brother and I loved Horizons, and it remains one of our favorite rides at EPCOT (along with the old Journey Into Imagination with The Dreamfinder). We were fortunate enough to experience that ride several times while it was in operation. There was something very special about Epcot of the 80s and early 90s.
Disney accomplished something pretty incredible. They made their park worse, with less corporate sponsorship. That takes effort. Disney survived long enough to become the bad guy.
It's so sad, because their legacy has been ruined by money hungry lunatic idealogues. I wouldn't be shocked if the parks end up in disrepair and being abandoned not far into the future. The idea of Disney is lost.
all things fall apart. the law of entropy.
Calm down, drama queens. Chapek is an asshat, but Disney is still a multi billion dollar a year company, with no sign of slowing down
Facts 👍
You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
Wonderful video! I'll always be so thankful that I was able to visit Epcot during spring break of 1996 with a good friend. The one memory that's always stuck with me is that of us riding horizons over and over as it was late (probably near park closing time) and there were no lines to be had. Just a fantastic ride that deserved to be preserved and placed in a museum really.
So glad to see a remake of this one - the original was one of my favorites. “This…was a bad sign!”
Good one, Jake! I remember riding on Horizons and thought how cool it was that the line constantly moved and not having to stand in line for hours. Thanks for another great video!
9:31: "However, for a very dedicated and enthusiastic few, the entire experience was truly something special." Show me how you mention Hoot and Chief, without mentioning Hoot and Chief.
Haha I wrote that exactly with them in mind
I was waiting for a mention of Hoot and Chief. Such an amazing story
First time I visited Epcot was 1988 so I never got to see that mural. What a horrible shame that it was only used a bit and then "lost". I think it one of the best pieces of art I have ever seen! Wish so much that it would have been preserved and put permanently in a museum for all to enjoy.
World of Motion
Horizons
Universe of Energy
I miss these from the 1980s... went to Disney World several times as a kid, went back as an adult with my own kids.
It lost something in the process, the new stuff (Test Track, etc.) just isn't Disney, it's "theme park".
I would pay all the money to take my kids to EPCOT in 1986.
And to go myself... I miss that era of wonder...
Funny 1986 is the first year that I went...was very special then.Heaven forbid there be anything educational
Me too
Abandoned is clearly one of the best RUclips series of all time. I'm raring for episode 100.... and beyond!
I'm rarely that guy, but I really do miss the HELL out of Horizons....I think Mission Space was one of the rare very huge downgrades. Its too bad. Thx for the coverage Jake!!!
That mural was stunning.
The original Horizons video is what brought me to this channel thank you Jake for this revised edition your love and passion for these kinds of topics is amazing
I’m glad you’re still here!
Horizons was one of the first videos I watched on your channel can't wait to watch the new one
I remember this ride. As a little kid in the early 1990s it blew my mind.
I love epcot so much, i wish i could go back to when it first opened to experience it. the idea of hope that horizons gave was wonderful and I really wish epcot had more of it.
Truly makes me sad that this attraction has been lost, as we all know that nothing will ever quite be created like it again. To those that created this attraction: your efforts were truly appreciated and will never be forgotten by those who were lucky enough to experience it.
Horizons and World of Motion were 2 of the finest rides there were and it does hurt my heart a little bit that my kids will never get the thrill I had to experience them.
I rode Horizons on my first visit to WDW in 1989. It really sticks in my mind; it was a really impressive ride that fit so well with the original aesthetic of the park. Such a shame it’s completely gone. Great video BTW, really well researched 👍🏼
I took the photos at 16:50 and 17:07 of the ride vehicles on the back of the transport truck. The wife and I were coming back from our honeymoon stay at the Wilderness Lodge. (The Cadillac was rented.) So glad I thought to take the photos, pretty crazy to see them being hauled off!
This brought back such a wave of memories that I had conflated with other rides and some that I had nearly forgotten. Thank you for this video, it really was such a special attraction. It reminds me of another ride from Tomorrowland, "The Time Keeper". I'm not sure why, but that attraction also stands out so powerfully to me.
Wow 😳 So wish I would have experienced Horizons in Person . I was there in about 93 and I was in renovation at the time I believe . Incredible coverage of an iconic Disney world attraction . It really seemed like it was a modern rendition of a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired design landed mother ship. Meets Buckminster Fullers Geodesic dome . The reverse buttresses made from cantilevered beams create a ship like shape or a latter day pyramid. It was truelly a great architectural Design scheme . Thanks 🙏 👍 for posting this ! I never would have know about what was inside . Keep on Trucking !
I remember this ride clearly. It was so cool to me when I was a kid in the 80's. The future!
No way! This was my favorite EPCOT ride of all time. Thank you for making this!
Thanks for watching!
Horizons was like walking into an 80's time capsule. It had its charms, but also a very short shelf life. It would have needed extensive renovations and updates every 5 years or so to stay relevant. The future is always changing and Horizons was stuck in the past.
Thanks Jake. This was one of me and my Mum's favourites. I miss it
Thanks for the memories! I miss the old Epcot and what it represented.
My Mom and I rode Mission Space in 2003 during its soft opening, it was so intense, she had a panic attack. I rode the less intense version in 2012, it was fun, but nothing I’d recommend.
Ugh
I clearly remember going on this ride and being stuck in the Sea Castle scenes (the area where you transition between the guy repairing the personal submarine talking to the girl). It was an interesting ride with a lot of things to see a second and third time around.
The old Saturday morning cartoon "Sealab 2020" reminds me of this ride's underwater living quarters
7:29 what ticks me off is that the man spent 9 months painting the mural for the ride just to have it torn down.
Yeah and then LOST! No one knows what happened to that painting! Thankfully there are some really good photographs because otherwise it'd be gone forever.
First went to Epcot in 92. It was an incredibly unique, amazing experience. Didn’t get back till 2012, when futureworld was a shell of its former self. Still, it was better than the building site that’s been there for the past couple of years.
I remember going to Horizons back in April of 1994 and really enjoying the experience. I had no idea it would be closed by the end of the year. It was the best attraction at Epcot at that time as it's sad it had to close with so little fan fair.
I would give anything to be able to go on this ride just once.I love and adore COP in tmrland and this seeems like such a Cool retro but futuristic ride at the same time.RIP horizons :( you’ll be missed dearly
Love your Disney Abandoned episodes! I had fun pointing out the history of certain things to my husband when we last went. Like pointing out the abandoned ruins of River Country and Discovery Island on the ferry ride from Fort Wilderness
I rode this in 1996 as a child. I did not find it outdated nor boring. I thought it was the most amazing ride at EPCOT, and that was back when the original Journey into Imagination was still open.
Screw Disney. They are part of the woke folks and trying to teach little kids about being gay and gender . I am done with these folks.
Horizons was a fun, imaginative ride that I very much enjoyed. I liked imagining life as it was depicted in the future family scenes of the ride. Definitely had an early Disney feel that is missing as the years go by.
Im so glad i got to ride it when i was younger it was hands down one of my favorite experiences at Epcot,
I look at the concept drawings from back in the day and I think to myself, "I want to go to THAT park! That one looks COOL!"
I loved Horizons! Very cool ride! The building design reminded me of a spaceship from “Blake’s 7”