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Horizons closed on January 9, 1999
As some of you may know, all the rides at Epcot have individual sponsor who actually pay for the ride's upkeep and routine maintenance. (Example: Space Ship Earth -- AT&T, Universe of Energy -- Exxon, Wonders of Life -- Met Life, Honey I Shrunk The Audience -- Kodak, The Land -- Kraft) Back a few years ago in January 1996, Horizon's was closed down for a little over a year. It was rumored that the reason for closing it down was a complete and total rehab of the ride. But when the ride was actually re-opened it turned out to be exactly the same as it had been prior to the closure. Come to find out the real reason for closing down the ride was that General Electric, the sponsor for the ride at that time, did not feel their money was being put to good use and terminated their contract with the Disney corporation. Therefore Disney was forced to close down the ride due to insufficient funds to maintain it. After trying for about a year to find another sponsor for the ride Disney decided that they had enough money to maintain this ride themselves. Therefore Horizons is the only ride within EPCOT that is at this time owned and operated by WDW without a third party sponsor.
REPORTED: TJ 22 DEC 98
In the 1920's view of the future, the woman in the bathtub is watching TV.
The man on TV is singing, "There's a great, big beautiful tomorrow..." This
is the song from The Carousel of Progress.
REPORTED: Melanie Emmons 17 SEP 96
CONFIRMED: Abagail 29 NOV 96
The original GE Carousel of Progress had guests egressing from the rotating part in the center to go upstairs to view the EPCOT exhibit, which was not necessarily the same EPCOT Park in Orlando.
REPORTED: Alan K. 25 MAR 97
I believe both the narrator and the father audio-animatronic are the same in
Horizons as in the Carousel of Progress.
REPORTED: Melanie Emmons 07 NOV 96
Both Horizons and the Carousel of Progress were sponsored by GE. That is why the father, mother, the dog and the theme song are all the same.
LOST: Damon Smith 06 SEP 97
The dog in the farm scene of Epcot's The Land boat ride is the same dog as the one in Epcot's Horizons, Magic Kingdom's Carousel of Progress and the one holding the keys in Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean. It was Walt Disney's dog.
REPORTED: Emilie Creede 13 MAR 99
In the 50's look at the future on the far left, against the wall is a building shaped like a half T. It is the plastic house of the future from Yester Disneyland.
REPORTED: Kurt Shimala 03 JAN 97
Back when I had a contract with GEISCO, it was enough pull to get me into the
VIP lounge for Horizons. Other than the mandatory conference rooms and express
passageway to the front of the Horizons line, there was also a big open area set
up in living-room fashion, with some couches around a small console, and a
large-screen TV. The console controlled a remote camera on the roof of
Horizons, which could be used to view the rest of Epcot. This was circa 1988.
REPORTED: James Turner 09 APR 96
The backround of the building Hidden Mickey is from the original
Flight to the Moon at Disneyland so this Hidden Mickey is over 40 years
old! (If you have the Disneyland opening day on video you can see for your
self or watch the show: "Pirates of the Caribbean to Tomorrowland" show from
1967-8 shown sometimes on the Disney Channel)
REPORTED: Kurt Shimala 01 JAN 97
In the Carousel of Progress, the song, "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" is also being played in Horizons.
REPORTED: Brad Fleming 25 MAY 97
