Horizons: Revisited - AI Enhanced HD wide-angle ride through! All 3 Endings

This video restored and enhanced ride-through of the attraction featuring AI Interpolated HD video and an all-new remastered stereo soundtrack. For details on how this video was created, check out our Horizons: Revisted - Behind the Edit article! (Note this video features all 3 endings! Space, Desert, and Undersea! They play in sequential order at the end)

[@ripleyr]

As much as I loved the attraction itself from the times I rode it between 1986 to 1999, there is one memory that hits me the strongest. And that is walking around outside the Horizons building at night, close to park closing. It's all lit up and there's hardly anyone around and the Horizons background soundtrack music is playing. That was just magical. I'll never forget that!

[@derbuckeyetribe9789]

You weren't the only one that enjoyed doing that! I have many fond memories of Epcot from its glory years (mid-80s - late 90s) A favorite spot was those sunken alcoves with the bench seating near Horizons and World of Motion. Sit back listen to the background music and wait to watch the next monorail coming in from the TTC. Good times!!

[@johnnyd63]

Ahhhh yes...Those were special days and I remember them well.I'm almost 60 now so I don't think I'll see a Disney revival in my lifetime...Unless I live until I'm 150 years old!

[@blakea.wittenberg5685]

@@johnnyd63 I'm only 22, and I dearly hope that in my lifetime I get to see a return to glory for WDW. I'd love to see EPCOT Center for myself, in some form.

[@themeparksandme]

That's my memory as well!

[@magicman205]

We need this ride back again now more than ever.

[@keith_5584]

Without the sinkhole this time.

[@wjsproductions1784]

I mean, we’re kinda in the 21st century now, so sad to say but I don’t think it’s really “futuristic” anymore.

[@christopherlee7334]

@@wjsproductions1784 it still is, for most people. Maybe not for the superrich like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or the expats in Dubai, but when's the last time you had the actual, realistic, affordable opportunity to spend a weekend on a space station, or an underwater hotel in a floating city? And I'm sure desert farmers would *love* to have the flying cars demonstrated in this ride, but when's the last time you heard of one that was anywhere within the price range of an "agricultural engineer"?

[@user-or6yn8pm3c]

@@christopherlee7334 Instead of that most of us got a crash course in Zionism, Socialism, Communism at their most extreme for our first two decades of the 21st century. It doesnt look like we will ever see a world like this.

[@houstoncowdog]

It would be considered racist today, if it was reopened they would have to to make all the characters black, trans and criminal for it to be acceptable.

[@colormedubious4747]

If any one attraction captured the spirit of EPCOT, this was it. Horizons became my all-time favorite Disney attraction the first time I experienced it in 1985 and remains so to this day.

[@jimbodeek]

It was the culmination of everything shown in all the other pavilions as it features: - Future habitats on land formed as a result of our ability to manipulate the environment for our benefit (The Land) - Buildings built both on and underwater not only for living and working, but also as bases for exploring our planet's oceans (The Living Seas) - Seeking new forms of alternative energy, like kelp fuel (The Universe of Energy) - Being able to travel into space and build new habitats for ourselves in the forms of space stations and bases on other worlds (Journeys in Space (unbuilt) /Mission: SPACE) - Advances of communication that allow us to stay in contact with each other, even when we're miles apart (Spaceship Earth) - New means of transportation that allow us to easily travel between places, including maglev trains, underwater transports like the "Seatrain", and even commercial spacecraft (World of Motion) - A look into visions of the future as imagined by people of the past (Journey into Imagination)

[@spleensthecat1704]

This has become my favorite attraction too, despite the fact that I first visited Epcot in 2009

[@gamersplaygroundliquidm3th526]

Sucks they closed it in 1994 , I rode it a few months before they did in 1994 when i was 14, I had loved that ride every time we went WDW. I heard they opened it a few times here a there for events in the years following it's sudden closer in dec of 94, but they finally tore it down in 2000

[@jonhermach4118]

“It’s always fun looking back at tomorrow”. ..exactly what we are doing watching this video, about an old ride, about how the future might be. This was my favorite ride.

[@blakea.wittenberg5685]

:(

[@ExpandingSound]

Watching this is like watching an old video of the one that got away tell you they love you....it makes me happy and breaks my heart at the same time. Rode this many a time and will never forget it. Epcot’s heart and soul

[@jaysonklein6018]

I've never even fully fallen in love, and your words ring true EVEN TO ME!

[@conniethomas4753]

I feel tearful seeing this :-(

[@Ataraxia462]

The fact that this masterpiece of attraction design was removed is simply criminal.

[@justimagine2403]

Yes, like why couldn't they have just reskinned it... And, what is going on with Wonders of Life?

[@darkridearts]

Optimistic futurism died when this ride was destroyed. The staging of the sets was a work of art.

[@njt002]

It's great how this ride encapsulates ideas from other attractions: Carousel of Progress, The Land, Spaceship Earth, The Living Seas and even a scene that looks like Soarin'!

[@SlipperySoap]

That would explain why the song from the Carousel of Progress was in Horizons!😊

[@tigremalabarista3461]

@@SlipperySoap I think it’s John and his family here too, which given they hardly age o team 80 years it’s possible lol. I’m just happy some props from this show are on display in other parks and even mission space.

[@mjpascuzzi]

10:00- I can still smell the oranges.

[@dasparado]

LOL, I remember loving this ride because of the orange smell.

[@bookreadalongwithGramps]

Yearly pass holders when I was a kid, 84-91 went on this many many times. Brings back great memories!

[@georgespelvin6496]

When that beautiful music score swells going into the space section my eyes always well up. Disney is a master at using music effectively to manipulate your emotions.

[@laurenbauer6717]

Yesssss! Its overwhelming!

[@Dark_Shadow_769]

This is just... it's what EPCOT was meant to be. Unfortunately I was born the very year this ride was shut down but I am so thankful people recorded videos so people like me can experience it. Truly, from a future goer himself. I thank you.

[@StevenLeBoeufFilms]

This ride closed only a couple months before I was born. For 21 years I've only imagined what riding this dark ride would be like, you sir gave me the next best thing. Thank you

[@mw5224]

I never got to ride Horizons but this is definitely the next best thing. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this. Quality is excellent.

[@guidedmeditation2396]

It was more of an Epcot attraction than anything they have to offer now. And was considered to be the successor to the carousel of progress.

[@hockley91]

I think this video captures it as best it can. I'm sure in 10 years, they'll be a virtual hololens version that will be even MORE realistic!

[@LennMillbower]

Final tip - If you look closely at the last window in the undersea restaurant, you'll see a hand smudge on the glass. When I was Lead at the attraction, I tried for months to get that smudge removed. Maintenance said it was custodials. Custodial said it was costuming, Consuming said it was maintenance. I finally gave up.

[@777hobo777]

It sounds like custodian you talked to wanted to get out of having to spray some Windex real quick. Why in the world would wiping a smudge be the job of the costume department?!?!

[@stanfordite]

When I take over Disney, Horizons is at the top of my laundry list of attractions to restore. I will make EPCOT Center great again and restore it to its former glory.

[@colormedubious4747]

#MEGA

[@stanfordite]

@@colormedubious4747 Exactly but technically #MECGA. You forgot the C for EPCOT Center.

[@colormedubious4747]

@@stanfordite I was going for the less formal "Epcot." Or we could go for the full "Make the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow Great Again" but who has the lung capacity for that?

[@jaysonklein6018]

@@colormedubious4747 MEP-CUT-GAH! MEP-CUT-GAH!

[@stlouisrocker100]

This and Journey Into Imagination would be my highest priorities

[@recursiveidentity]

The fact that you could pick the ending of the ride was what amazed me the most as a twelve year old.

[@bradgunn7689]

Of all of the classic rides we've lost, I miss this one the most. Reminds me of being a hopeful 10 year old in 1994. They could have never predicted a future of a world in which people had no attachment to anything but a small screen in their hand and a society that only seems to interact through it. Life was real back then. And I miss it desperately.

[@NERGYStudios]

this 😞

[@thebikewatcher9819]

I love the subtle references to Carousel of Progress in this ride. This and MartinsVidsDotNet are the best POV of this ride I've seen. Boy do I miss the 1980s EPCOT Center!

[@philismenko]

I quite like how it opens up with old predictions that never came to be, showing how it's alright to be wrong about the future

[@bradd4263]

Excellent Restoration! By far the best POV ride-through of our beloved Horizons on the internet. Well done gentlemen. Thanks!

[@curtisjoyce5675]

Thank you so much for putting this together and sharing it with us. I've always felt EPCOT lost part of it's soul when they closed Horizons. I miss the ride, but what I really miss is it's optimism.

[@jaysonklein6018]

I miss optimism.

[@chrisroberts5747]

Yeah the world had been going to hell in handbasket since around 2000, a year after Horizons closed. Coincidence? I think not

[@SylviaL11]

For years I had a memory of a Disney World ride where at the end of it you got to choose the finale by making a selection on a lap bar. It was only a few years ago I discovered what ride it was. I rode Horizons in 1993, when I was 6. Horizons has left a lasting impression on me.

[@joels9189]

Loved this ride, this reminded me of how because of the way the ride vehicles were set up you felt like it was a personal experience amongst all the crowds. There are only a few rides left like this...

[@oltlghfan2008]

Wow!! Went to Disney World in the 80s. I was a kid, so I don't remember anything from this ride except seeing those stars. Thank you so much for posting this!!

[@monique9636]

Thanks so much for bringing back such a fantastic memory! My dad passed about 15 years ago but I was instantly transported back to my teens, sitting next to him, riding this over and over. We just loved this ride, thank you again

[@777hobo777]

This is a beautiful memory, I am legit tearing up as I read it :).

[@monique9636]

777hobo777 Thank you for your kind words, that’s very sweet of you to say😊

[@NERGYStudios]

@@777hobo777 guess I wasn't alone.

[@johnnyd63]

A view from the other side...I'm a dad and loved riding this with my 10 year old daughter in 1998...Trust me,your dad loved and remembered this as much as you do.

[@monique9636]

@@johnnyd63 Well…. I think my Dad spoke thru you because today would have been his 91st birthday and he’s been on my mind all day. I can’t tell you how much joy your post brought me! I’m not someone who looks for signs but you commenting on a 2 year old post about my dad, on his birthday, is just too crazy! It’s a coincidence I’m sure, but I’m running with it’s a big hello from Pop. Thank you for taking the time, you made my week! Hugs & greetings from New Jersey 😊

[@ASnuggleBuggy]

Still my all time favorite exit queue. As a child I used to stare at the ball of colors til my grandmother would get annoyed and force me to leave. Idk why but it always made my brain feel good.. im a weirdo I guess. Thank you for the video. Made me feel young again.

[@debraschlicher7981]

When did this end I have been coming to Disney since 2000 don't remember seeing this

[@ronbloomberg]

@@debraschlicher7981 > Hi Debra.... The last day Horizons was open to guests was January 9, 1999. Demolition didn't start until March of 2000 and the ground wasn't clear until September 2000. You didn't miss it by much. Had you visited sometime in 1998 you would've been able to experience it. Sorry.... 😯

[@Blatsen]

This is a fantastic video of Horizons. The original videographer as well as those who restored and edited it and updated it with AI all did a great job. It’s so odd that Disney didn’t produce a professional video of Horizons and that we have to rely on home videos to watch it today. You would think that Disney would want to actually document their own rides. I remember that 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.

[@MarkFrey]

This restoration is a beautiful achievement, we and future generations all owe you a debt of gratitude!

[@blwilson8]

Wonderful homage to Horizons - one of the best Epcot attractions in my opinion. Sound and picture quality are remarkable!

[@josephbrown9685]

This is an incredible tribute to one of the best attractions that WDW has ever had in my opinion. It encapsulates the ideals of Epcot Center so well. I realize it was feeling a little outdated, but I think an update could have kept it fresh. I’d love to ride again.

[@nickmaiorino3721]

This is the ride that inspired my curiosity as a child and led me into a career in education. I really wish Epcot had more of these rides today for my children. Screaming is fun on rides but learning and inspiring is what made Epcot so special.

[@Scott-bf8km]

Best attraction in EPCOT by far. I think about what used to be everytime I see Mission Space in the old footprint of Horizons..

[@ddespair]

This must be an early run because the dad’s legs on the bike are still working and the crystals still move. This is probably the second best video of horizons I’ve ever seen behind the hoot and chief collection. I’m lucky enough to say I got to ride Horizons. It was truly an immersive ride. I remember actually getting scared at times because it felt so real. Easily the greatest dark ride of all time and nothing came close to the level of planning and immersion until rise of the resistance, which I think is still inferior. If you want to know what truly made horizons great, it’s the fact that it was the last large scale ride to take a risk. The risk of predicting a plausible future. No rides do that any more. Barley any movies or tv shows even dare to do that any more.

[@heathere4129]

I get goosebumps whenever I hear this song. I remember going on this as a kid and my dad would always let me push the button. I hit space every time. Hahaha great memories.

[@AroundIndiana]

Incredible. Thank you for this. Horizons was something that will never be replicated. It was an incredible ride.

[@ratuse]

Gawd I'm never gonna stop missing this experience.

[@stephenmcallister2169]

pure classic disney.. miss this and the world of motion. they could of updated both of them a couple more times before closing them down..

[@chrisroberts5747]

This video made my year! Horizons was my all time favorite and I must have ridden it a dozen times, starting way back in 1984. I was horrified when they tore it down but your video is the next best thing to going back in time and riding it again. The wide angle view is fantastic, and the amazing clarity and details blew me away. The sound and naration are spot on... One of the biggest deficiencies of other similar videos on KZbin. One the things that I remember was the awe of turning the corner... First into the omnimax... And later when transitioning to space. The massiveness of those scenes just can't be captured on video, you just had to be there. Still, this video exceeded my expectations. I applaud your amazing work on this restoration. It truly is a labor of love and I can't thank you enough!

[@meanderingmouse]

RetroWDW is the definitive source in the preservation of Horizons. I suggest listening to all THREE of their podcasts exploring the best dark ride ever created in conjunction with, what is now, the best video online documenting the attraction. Superb work, fellas! Thank you!

[@MikeRoten]

Man!!!! Such amazing Memories. My uncle and I would ride that over and over!!!! Thank you for posting this!!!

[@NomeusRandoms]

5:39 something about this part in the scene and the music gives me flashbacks to walking around EPCOT at night, hardly anyone there. Pretty much everything was a walk on at this point especially Horizons and WOM

[@chrisroberts5747]

Sadly, that's probably why they tore it down. If they kept it just a little while longer... It would have become a classic & regained popularity again

[@graafisk]

Awesome!! My brain lights up with recollection from all the years I enjoyed this ride and everything else EPCOT - well done :-)

[@stevend3753]

I loved all these old rides. I wish we had modern filming equipment back then. But even in low definition they’re still great.

[@rexellate]

9:30 getting Mario Galaxy vibes from the soundtrack here

[@Suvorov928]

One if the best rides Disney World has ever had. I rode this thing multiple times every time I went to Epcot. I really wish my kids could experience this ride.

[@CallardAndBowser]

Back in 1985 my friends and I were blown away by what we saw on this ride, such as the 50' flat screen tvs and the family doing face time calls over their televisions and a ipad like tablet device used for face time calls ! We said to each other after the ride, Why can't we have those televisions and tablets now?!!! We had to wait 20 years but we got our wish !

[@arrowguy173]

Thank you so much for this. Rode many times and EPCOT truly needs an attraction with a unifying theme like this again. My wife had her very first WDW trip (just before the pandemic) and after showing her this and other retro videos, she totally understood the message and level of detail in the original Future World attractions. Fortunately we’re finally seeing some original details return (just the fountain prisms retuning nearly had me in tears). Here’s hoping that a new Horizons will soon emerge and tie together the new pavilions that are taking shape (yes, even the ridiculous Guardians). I will add that this is one of the best looking versions on KZbin, and I’ve seen them all. What a treat to be able to ride this again with its stunning score and inspiring message.

[@nicksmith8095]

The nestalgia hurt with this one. I was instantly taken back to a 10 year old in the 80's riding this for the first and only time remembering how much excitement I had for the future. And now all I have is dread for where we are ending up.

[@drewroberts139]

...back before "dystopian future" was a given. Bring back the optimistic future!!

[@sminthian]

Horizons: "Someday waaaay in the future, we might be video chatting." Next Video: "Zoom stocks are up, because everyone in the world is now video chatting."

[@TroyKingLord]

I never got to experience Horizons, but I can say it looked amazing! It’s too bad it’s no longer around because Epcot could use another ride like this in the park.

[@holotape]

That was beautiful, thank you. This was my favourite ride from the moment I first rode it at age 6 in the mid-eighties. Seeing it all again reminds me why.

[@Jay-Darkclaw]

Amazing restoration, It's like I can smell the oranges again, Thank you!

[@lysecandle]

I think of Horizons and the first thing that comes to mind is that waft of fresh oranges. We went on that ride every year and I loved that part of the ride. Thankfully, Soarin' still uses that scent memory trick, so it makes it less painful that Horizons is gone.

[@Cinemagic77]

Outstanding video capture and re-creation of the Horizons ride experience! Horizons was considered the crown jewel of EPCOT Future World.

[@777hobo777]

Thanks so much for this. The last time I rode Horizons was when back in 1997 when I was still a kid. They really do not make rides like this anymore. Animatronics are expensive to maintain. Now all they do is cheaply slap up some video screens and have cars go through them.

[@disneypins3608]

Thank you so much!! I never got to experience this ride as I was born after it closed but this is truly astonishing! 💗

[@hyatthendrix2014]

Best ride through of Horizons I’ve ever seen! I never got to ride the ride, but I love everything about it! So this video finally gave me the chance to see what it was actually like to ride the ride (minus the famous orange scent). I could finally see everything in the ride scene. Thank you so much RetroWDW!

[@jaysonklein6018]

Excellent. This footage brings tears to my eyes every time. I first went on this ride when I was 5, in 89. The future looked positive and beautiful, with clean geometric lines, smooth sides, vidscreens, and spacious living areas, and all that technology and innovations... But now? With all the garbage that have been going on in the past 20 years... I tear up because it PAINS me knowing where we're heading, especially with COVID-19.

[@alansimmons4071]

Man so much care and detail made this ride really great! They don't make them like this anymore, so sad!

[@njrcdan]

My heart was racing watching this. So many good memories

[@microtasker]

Went on Horizons at least a dozen times, never saw the other film choices other than the space one. Good catching up.

[@TheMissouriSpartan]

I never experienced this, as it was gone and Mission Space was in its place by the time I got to EPCOT for the first time. Thanks for posting! Looks like it would've been amazing.

[@danielstadnik7114]

I was just brought to this video by Podcast The Ride. Simply amazing.

[@Grahameajohnson]

@ResortTV1 gave you a shout-out earlier this evening as they were streaming rides and suggested that we go and see this awesome version of Horizons. Thanks for this and thanks to the Lake Buena Vista Historical Society. You guys rock!

[@whydidntigetanysoup]

This was so wonderful and pleasant to see a ride I was never able to ride. Thank you for preserving it!

[@mrssallybrown619]

I loved Horizons! Thank you so much for posting this. I’m showing my 12 and 13-year-olds now. They liked it!

[@mk202]

The kids that were superfans of this ride and spent the whole night in there posted a video. It’s really cool. No idea where they got the balls but they did it!

[@podmate]

Thank you so very much for keeping one of my favorite Epcot attractions alive. I get chills every time I watch it. It's sad that there was no HD Video back in the 80's as it was such an amazing voyage, that I'd love to have it preserved as though you were actually there seeing it all. Still, what you have put together warms my heart. A shame the amazing orange scent couldn't be included as a sensory element, as I loved breathing it in so deeply every time we passed into the agricultural portion of Mesa Verde. Oh how I long to be able to time travel and enjoy so many of the elements of fond memories I have. Never got to go into the VIP room there -- back when my stepfather was with us, he worked for GE and had promised to take us in one day, but never did. Anyway, many thanks again. I'm shedding tears of happiness and nostalgia at the same time.

[@RetroWDW]

Thanks for watching!!

[@dkdzyn]

SO COOL that you got all three endings! My brothers would ALWAYS choose the Space ending and I only got my (soon to be) wife to choose Sea one time, but I had never seen the Desert one and always felt disappointed that having ridden several times over many vacations, somehow I'd missed out on that third ending! Excellent in every way! Still the best attraction for what EPCOT promised to mean to the public...

[@Techno-Universal]

16:46 I believe this segment was produced by Magi Synthavision which was a CG studio that Disney did contract to work on a few projects back then including the 1982 Tron movie! :)

[@RavensWolves]

I don't think I have ever seen the desert ending before. Thanks for posting!

[@Matacron]

I was today-years-old when I realized that the characters from this ride were the same characters from the Carousel of Progress. :D

[@DougForce]

Really well done! Like stepping back in time! Thanks!

[@windirzombie]

Awesome work 🖤🖤🖤 So Much Appreciation 🖤🖤🖤

[@heartedproductions]

15:25 feels a lot different now than it did a month ago

[@RW-ij1ci]

I remember this when I was a kid, I only rode it once, but it stuck with me until now. I remember going back to epcot as an adult for the first time and trying to find this ride, not knowing it was replaced with Mission Space. I like Mission Space, but I'd honestly rather have Horizons back.

[@PaulBHartzog]

Changed my life. I'm a Futurist now. Thx for making this :-)

[@MarioMerenda99]

This was so wonderful to revisit this ride. Thank you so much

[@UnkleHeavy]

I loved and really miss this attraction. Thank you so much for posting this!

[@KrisSheppard]

Wow this is so crisp and clear! Great job on the enhancement!

[@FernandoDale]

Rides with non stop vehicles are the best. Horizons, world of motion, spaceship, mansion

[@derbuckeyetribe9789]

Thank you for posting this. Epcot in those years was such a great experience.

[@bobpuppet]

Thank you for making this. I needed a little bit of a brighter day right now.

[@ropedropdisney1700]

Wow definitely the best quality horizons footage I've ever seen thank you for this!

[@peanutismint]

This is amazing. You've done some great work here!

[@joemazz958]

Wow. That was great. So many memories. Like I was really there again. Thank you.

[@RyanNowlin]

Thank you so much for sharing! I loved this ride when I was a kid.

[@morriscollier9332]

You guys did a GREAT job making this video. THANK YOU

[@disneysongblog-grady]

Incredible! Thanks for doing this.

[@AlexToasterOven]

This is truly remarkable. Thank you... Thank you so much!

[@lawrencedeangelus1280]

This video is a treasure. Thanks so much for putting in the effort.

[@billycrna]

WOW! Flashbacks from childhood! That was an awesome video. Keep up the great work!

[@fredh8065]

damn, so nostalgic. Remember going to this back in 80s when I was a kid. Now everything seems so upside down. I would love to go back to the 80s vibe at Epcot, felt unreal.

[@PracticalWDW]

Thanks for putting this together and for all the work you do to help folks come as close as possible to experiencing the parks as they once were!

[@chrisaultman1]

Thank you for this! I remember the field smelled like oranges.

[@drewroberts139]

100%!!! Burned into my memory! Oranges!!

[@brianl8481]

This brings back memories. Thank you for this video. I'm pretty sure I always chose space, as the space scene before the choice always captured my attention in a way the others couldn't.

[@bryanmontgomery996]

Thank you so much for doing this. This ride was one of my favorites at EPCOT.

[@TicTacGo]

Thank you for uploading! This brought back so many memories! I used to ride it over and over as a kid.

[@GregsVlog]

Great job! I miss Horizons so much!

[@Pr1vat3Ryan]

Thank you for this, I would’ve only been 2 years old when I rode it so without work like yours here I would have no recollection of what it was like, this was high quality and you all should be proud, keep it up!