51 - Horizons Part III - The Legacy

Welcome to Episode 51 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Horizons - Part 3: The Legacy" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows.

Listen to Horizons Part 1 - The Prologue
Listen to Horizons Part 2 - The Promise

Corrections

1. We had a correction about The Living Seas from @Futureport on Twitter, the name we were looking for was 'Moon Pool'.
2. Last month, we discussed Mizner's - We had @DisneyFiedAsh tweet us about a Mizner's tour and his pet monkey!
3. The people in the Mesa Verde scene from Horizons are brought up and their ages...interesting topic.
4. Joe is up next, telling us that the Seal is connected to Carousel of Progress with the name, Rover.

Listener Mail

The mail bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write us!

1. Jimmy wrote in to discuss some old souvenir items you would find in Tomorrowland. The bulb spinner and Spacewarp Toy Coaster were somewhat rare, but available places other than Disney. We get into these things and some other items being sold at WDW.
2. Shaun wants to know if Morgana was the name of the fortune teller at the Fiesta Fun Center. Well, How tells us about this fortune machine and directed us to a Widen Your World article.
3. Michael McClure is up next, letting us know about his binge listening and a big thank you for taking him back.
4. BREAKING NEWS:  We have discussed this in the past, but we now have confirmation on Stormalong Bay and the real fish tank styled pool.  Patrick and I discussed a river ride with freshwater fish and snorkeling - think lazy river. This is the only pool of the three that has a loop. In May 1990, Patrick heard from a lifeguard that the fish wouldn't make it through the night - so they ditched the idea. This was in Birnbaum's though!  David is up next and he stayed there, during this time period. The letter is from the GM of the resort, Antonio Torres.  Super good stuff and a huge thanks to all of our sleuths on the case. 

Thank you for all the emails, tweets and comments you have sent our way. We try to respond to almost everything and do our best to pick unique questions for the show. 

[listenerfeedback]

Audio Rewind

Our audio rewind this month turned out to be Food Rapper from Food Rocks! Voiced by Tone Loc - Thank you for all the guesses and emails.

We have a winner! Congratulations Christian!  - you win a Vacation Kingdom Poster!

If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com - This month, the winner will be getting a Vacation Kingdom Poster - All entries due 8/15/2019 and a random winner will be selected.

The Speed Ramp Onesie winner has been picked!  Matt Gahs is our winner and his baby is due this coming November.  That will be shipped out asap!  Thanks for all the kind words and congratulations to all the new parents out there.

RetroMagic

We spend some time updating everybody on RetroMagic - This two day event is coming soon and tickets are on sale now!  We also have some exciting news from MagicYourBand.com - they have some great covers for your Magic Band that feature RetroWDW, LBVHS & RetroMagic.  Check them out!

Main Topic Horizons: Part 3 - The Legacy

We finalize the ride this month, as the last episode was just insanely long and had to be cut off. Todd gets us back in the ride vehicles and we talk about choosing your own ending. How has everything worked out in detail, as to how this worked as a ride.... Ted even chimes in with some official wording on how all of this functioned day in and day out, using the Horizons Ride Control System manual. Very techy stuff, part numbers, duty cycles and so much - insanely detailed.

The Legacy though...We discuss our own personal rides and recollections related to Horizons. The closure is brought up, with how it was open, then closed then reopened. Disney World didn't bring much fanfare for closures, but Test Track being delayed kept Horizons opened even longer. Todd gets us talking about the Mesa Verde Times - which is an amazing story of documentation and danger!

We hope from these efforts, Disney has learned to document better and also take note of the fanbase, as people have emotional connections to these attractions. The auction scene is a huge part of this closure, as we discuss and go over how much of Horizons went right to the trash bin.  Todd tells us about a few products that feature the distinctive Horizons orange scent: My Shaldon Air Fresheners & Pacific Shaving Cream. 

1983 Horizons Cast Member Guide

With the help of Ted Linhart, we've reconstructed the original cast member guide  that details each and every scene in Horizons. Click the cover to download and read along with us as we discuss Horizons in this episode:

1983 Horizons Cast Member Guide

Todd's Mad L'Orange Drink Recipe

 

Horizons & EPCOT Documents

• EPCOT 1976 Introduction
• Horizons GE Client Marketing Brochure
• Executive Club News newsletter with the opening of Horizons
• Horizons GE Magazine (Click cover to load PDF)
• Horizons Cast Member Guide (Click cover to load PDF)
• Proposal for Edison Square (Click cover to load PDF)
• 1983 Walt Disney Productions Annual Report
• Horizons Ride Control Manual

 

Read More About Horizons

Read more about the design and construction of Horizons from:

• "From Horizons to Space Mountain - The Life of a Disney Imagineer." by Horizons show designer, Imagineer George McGinnis  
• "It's Kind of a Cute Story" by Imagineer Rolly Crump
• The Progress City Primer by Michael Crawford

 

 

Next Month

• Join us next time as Brian chooses our topic. It's a surprise!
  We thank you for your support and welcome you to enjoy all of our other offerings including our photos, restored films & The Lake Buena Vista Historical Society.