Horizons

Horizons was a classic ride at EPCOT that opened in 1983 and closed in 1999 to make way for Mission Space. Many Walt Disney World fans do not believe this was a fair trade. Horizons carried guests from FuturePort through visions of the future. It was the only ride where guests could actually choose which path they wanted to follow toward the end of their journey.

There are numerous ways to bring Horizons into the future while still maintaining the charm of the original. The ride could still begin with “Looking Back at Tomorrow” however, we could see visions for inventions that seemed impossible but are now a reality.

The internet, smartphones, and jet packs are just a few advancements that could be featured during this segment. As guests embark further on the journey through the future, we could see scenes of advanced space exploration and habitation, flying cars, the elimination of environmental waste, and incredible medical advancements.  Finally, the ride would also include the same choice as the original. Guests would choose from the space station Brava Centauri, the farm of Mesa Verde, or the Sea Castle research base. All of these choices would be updated to meet current technology standards.  Is this a ride you would be excited about?

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage

This is a ride that it seems people either loved or hated. This submarine ride was a classic Magic Kingdom attraction that ran from 1971 to 1994. The attraction took guests on—you guessed it—a journey on a submarine through a lagoon. The ride was expensive to maintain, and the effects were outdated by the time it closed in the early ’90s. A Finding Nemo themed version of this ride still operates at Disneyland.

Could there be redemption for this lost classic? Imagine moving the ride to Animal Kingdom instead of Magic Kingdom. The ride gets a larger ride vehicle that has more space and isn’t as enclosed. In addition, updated technology could improve maintenance costs. Instead of following a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea story though, this ride would coincide with the mission behind Kali River Rapids and touch on changes to the world’s reefs and how pollution affects aquatic life. It could be half live, and half simulation.  It would be a great way to incorporate sea life into Animal Kingdom.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground

If you visited Walt Disney World in the 1990s or early 2000s, you probably remember running around huge insects and mazes of plant roots. The Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure was a playground. It is as simple as that. However, if you ever had the privilege of playing on this playground, it was unlike any playground you had ever played on before. Sadly, it closed in 2016 to make way for Toy Story Land.

The premise of the playground was making it seem like you had been shrunken down to a small size and were in a backyard filled with random toys and creatures. Didn’t they replace this attraction with a whole land that does that same thing? The updated version of this playground wouldn’t be based on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Instead, it would be Toy Story based and fit perfecting within Toy Story Land. There could still be huge blades of grass and plant root mazes and slides, but it could also include some of the “Lost Toys” from Toy Story 4 like Bo Peep and Giggle McDimples. Let’s be honest, we could use some Forky in Toy Story Land as well.

Would you want to see any modernized versions of older rides or would you rather let them rest in pieces?