Horizons is the sequel to the Carrousel of Progress, and opened at Epcot on the 1st October 1982. Much of the early planning for Horizons was done by Walt Disney himself, although it didn't open until more than a decade after his death.
Prior to opening, Horizons went through several concept changes. Originally during the planning stages it was going to be known as Century 3 and then Futureprobe, but eventually the name Horizons was settled on.
Within Horizons the guest is taken on a journey from the Science Fiction of the recent past through the eyes of authors like Jules Verne in the 1920s, then on to the SciFi comic books of the 1930s and the start of the TV era in the 1950s, with the futuristic Popular Mechanics magazine articles.
Further into the ride two giant OmniSphere screens show what scientists and explorers are discovering now, which will be the basis (as Disney's Imagineers saw it) for future generations, before guests enter the 21st century and view a typical city apartment, a desert farm complete with the scent of fresh oranges, an underwater city, and a space colony.
In order to return home to 20th century earth, guests chose the method of travel: on land, undersea, or through space. Upon arriving, guests are left with a final thought, "If we can dream it, we really can do it.
The original Horizons pavillion was sponsored by General Electric, however this sponsorship deal expired on 30th September 1993 at which point GE decided not to continue sponsorship of Horizons. Disney continued to operate the attraction until it was closed in late 1994.
Horizons reopened in December of 1995 because both Universe of Energy and World of Motion were about to close for renovations the following month which would have left only Wonders of Life open on that side of the park. It was widely expected that Horizons would close permanently once Test Track opened.
Overall Horizons was a very well produced ,and educational attraction, that was well worth going to see.
Horizons closed on Jan 9th 1999.
, but I stil get sad when I remember old Epcot.
