Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 On the way home from a trip recently, DramaMama and I were listening to a CD of Disney background loops and ride audio. I was especially fascinated by the full ride audio of Horizons, one of my most beloved and missed attractions. It got me thinking... With all of the virtual reality and simulator technology available today, I would love to see Disney create a ride that simulates the experience of riding extinct attractions. Think "Sum of All Thrills" meets "Star Tours". You would choose your experience when you come in from a selection of available rides, go to your simulator, and voila! a lovely nostalgic ride down Memory Lane. I love the possibilities of this concept. It would give Disney a great chance to salute their ride heritage while exploring new technology. Plus, it is constantly upgradeable. Rides can be added or removed, perhaps rides that only exist in other parks could be included to encourage visiting other resorts. I could see this as a regular ride in one of the parks, a small set-up like Sum of All Thrills, or an addition to DisneyQuest. My nominations for the original included rides: Horizons, If You Had Wings, World of Motion, and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (Yes, I know it still exists in Disneyland. I don't get to California often.) What do you think? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Oh, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
h2odivers...Ray 952 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Cool idea. I vote for 20,000 leagues Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 I like it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Interesting idea. It will need a catchy name. Something like: Cool Rides And Past Prototypes of Yesteryear. No, that's too long. Wait, guests could just shorten that to an acronym, like they do with other Disney attractions. j/k- I like the idea, but no way would Disney want to remind guests of attractions that basically were failures. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 I like the idea, but agree with TCD that Disney would never want to acknowledge that. Maybe Universal could develop something like that, with slight changes to avoid Disney litigation. Mr. Goat's Insane Cruise, 19,000 Miles Under The Ocean, If You Had Flying Appendeges Attached To Your Torso, and Dear Ms White's Effin Freak Show. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 CRAPPY? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 I don't think any of those rides were failures. Some had maintenance issues. One was simply an advertisement for an airline. Two others went away to add more thrill rides to Epcot. They were all good rides -- and much heralded -- in their days. Times change and rides need to change with them - I understand that, but I love the ride history! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 I like the idea, but agree with TCD that Disney would never want to acknowledge that. Maybe Universal could develop something like that, with slight changes to avoid Disney litigation. Mr. Goat's Insane Cruise, 19,000 Miles Under The Ocean, If You Had Flying Appendeges Attached To Your Torso, and Dear Ms White's Effin Freak Show.Disney really needs to hire you before Universal or another competitor discovers your genius. I don't think any of those rides were failures. Some had maintenance issues. One was simply an advertisement for an airline. Two others went away to add more thrill rides to Epcot. They were all good rides -- and much heralded -- in their days. Times change and rides need to change with them - I understand that, but I love the ride history! Obviously, Disney considered them to be failures, and ripped them out and replaced them with something else. I agree with you, all of them were good rides in their day. And, in most cases, I attribute the failure to Disney management being too lazy and/or cheap to provide proper maintenance. I loved the 20K ride. I will never forget how they shut it down and let it rot. For years. No way do they want to create something that will remind guests of that. It's easier to pretend it never happened. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alexwyattmommy 181 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 They have a DisneyQuest, why not a DisneyEpoch? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 I loved the 20K ride. I will never forget how they shut it down and let it rot. For years. No way do they want to create something that will remind guests of that. It's easier to pretend it never happened. You could be talking about River Country. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 You could be talking about River Country. True. Or the Wilderness Swamp Trail. Or the Lawnmower Tree. Or the totem poles at the Fort. Or Discovery Island. Or the Fort Wilderness Railroad. Or the Yeti in Expedition Everest. I could go on. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Obviously, Disney considered them to be failures, and ripped them out and replaced them with something else. Point taken, but someone in Disney -- Imagineering, for example -- wants us to remember them. Just think of the many tributes to these rides in the parks: The Nautilus inside Pooh's treeMr. Toad appearing in both Owl's house in the Pooh Ride and the Pet CemeteryThe numerous references to Horizons in Space Mountain And so forth.And, yes, the slow deaths of 20,000 Leagues and River Country have been painful to watch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Point taken, but someone in Disney -- Imagineering, for example -- wants us to remember them. Just think of the many tributes to these rides in the parks: The Nautilus inside Pooh's treeMr. Toad appearing in both Owl's house in the Pooh Ride and the Pet CemeteryThe numerous references to Horizons in Space Mountain And so forth.And, yes, the slow deaths of 20,000 Leagues and River Country have been painful to watch. Those tributes to the old rides are more inside jokes between the imagineers that anything else. A far cry from creating an attraction specifically focusing guests' attention on what used to be. BTW- do you know that there is a hidden Nautilus in the fake rocks in the queue for the Ariel ride? I'm not sure I know of the references to Horizons in Space Mountain. Do you mean Mission: Space? Either way, I'm not familiar with those tributes. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 BTW- do you know that there is a hidden Nautilus in the fake rocks in the queue for the Ariel ride? I'm not sure I know of the references to Horizons in Space Mountain. Do you mean Mission: Space? Either way, I'm not familiar with those tributes. I have not seen the hidden Nautilus in the rocks -- haven't had much time in New Fantasyland yet. Very cool! Actually, I did mean Space Mountain. As you leave the ride, the stickers on some of the luggage you pass by in the post show have travel stickers on them from some of the Horizons locations. Come to think of it, there is a tribute to Horizons in Mission: Space: the Horizons logo (if I remember correctly) is on the center of the spinning space station in the queue. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 This reminds me of some fun Horizons trivia... Horizons could be considered a sequel to what ride? What major part of that ride was included in Horizons? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 I have not seen the hidden Nautilus in the rocks -- haven't had much time in New Fantasyland yet. Very cool! Actually, I did mean Space Mountain. As you leave the ride, the stickers on some of the luggage you pass by in the post show have travel stickers on them from some of the Horizons locations. Come to think of it, there is a tribute to Horizons in Mission: Space: the Horizons logo (if I remember correctly) is on the center of the spinning space station in the queue. A couple of photos of the hidden Nautilus in the new Little Mermaid queue: This reminds me of some fun Horizons trivia... Horizons could be considered a sequel to what ride? What major part of that ride was included in Horizons? I think I've heard this before. Was it Carousel of Progress? And Progress City? TCD Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Ding ding ding! It was indeed Carousel of Progress! However, I had another part of the ride in mind as the addition to Horizons -- one that was prominently featured in the Magic Kingdom version of CoP...and still is! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Ding ding ding! It was indeed Carousel of Progress! However, I had another part of the ride in mind as the addition to Horizons -- one that was prominently featured in the Magic Kingdom version of CoP...and still is! I don't know, then. I think I went to Epcot all of two times before my kids were born and we became frequent visitors to WDW. I hate to admit it, but I'm not sure if I ever rode Horizons. I sure don't remember it if I did. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Here's the Horizons logo: And a close-up of the gravity wheel in Mission:Space: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Memphis 105 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Disney would never call anything it did a failure. They were simply the least successful. Here is a video link to refresh anyone's memory of Horizons. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJNSCjahErI Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 That should give the answer away relatively quickly! :laugh: Watch (or listen!) at the 6:00 minute mark... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Disney would never call anything it did a failure. They were simply the least successful. Here is a video link to refresh anyone's memory of Horizons. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJNSCjahErI Great video, Harold. It confirms in my mind that I never got to ride Horizons. That should give the answer away relatively quickly! :laugh: Watch (or listen!) at the 6:00 minute mark... Aha! Thanks for the clue- I would have missed it. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thrill Shakespeare (Andy) 58 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 I agree - great video. I have watched some ride-through videos of Horizons over the last few years, but I really enjoyed the history section at the top of that video. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted September 12, 2013 Report Share Posted September 12, 2013 Here's a site with interesting information on Horizons....including some sad photos of the demolition. http://www.horizons1.com/history.htm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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