| Horizons Demolition |
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16 August 2000: The ground clearing is nearly complete
Thanks to Brian for the photo.
30 July 2000: Ground Clearing
They're really working on getting that land cleared now. Since Monday,
some
huge piles of scrap metal are completely gone, and other previously intact
large chunks are just small pieces of rubble. A backhoe and another
similar
machine with a claw that looks like an ice scraper sit directly behind the
construction wall, their tools resting in the wreckage.
Thanks to Fudgie for the report and photos (taken 27 July 2000) of the former Horizons site.
25 July 2000: Horizons now Gone
Thanks to Fudgie for these photos (taken 23 July 2000) of the former Horizons site.
20 July 2000: Latest Horizons demolition photos
Thanks to Bill at http:/./www.disneynut.com
19 July 2000: Latest Horizons demolition photos
Photos below taken July 12 (thanks to MagicKingdom12 for the photos!)
Photos below taken July 8 (thanks to MagicKingdom12 for the photos!)
11 July 2000: Latest Horizons demolition photos
Photos below were taken 6 and 7 July (thanks Jeff K). Major progress is now being made...
These below photo were taken 1 July by Jeff C. Notice you can see all the way through the building now. The photo (bottom right) shows the building from backstage - most progress has been made here - ready for the breakthrough to the front of the building.
29 June 2000: Latest Horizons demolition photos
Thanks to Fudgie for these photos showing the work going on at the back of the Horizons show building.
10 June 2000: Horizons ride vehicles being removed by truck (30 May 2000)
Horizons ride vehicles have been spotted by greggeorge@att.net on a flatbed truck leaving WDW - possibly to an offsite storage area.
1 May 2000: Latest horizons Demolition Photos (thanks Doug!)
28 April 2000: More Demolition
The demolition of horizons to make way for Mission: SPACE has now moved to the front of the building.
Fudgie has these pictures
http://www.geocities.com/brerbeaver/overhang1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/brerbeaver/overhang2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/brerbeaver/rubble1.jpg
26 April 2000: The demolition has begun
These photos show the rear of the horizons building. The photo on the left show the lower area of the building stripped to the steel sub frame.
Thanks to
Scott
Reed for the photos
17 April 2000: Possible explanation of the cables
Information from Dean.
"The most likely use for these cables would be to perform a
controlled 'implosion' of the building. The cables go from the outside
walls to a pulley system at an anchor-point in the center of the building.
The cables are threaded through the pulleys and then out the back of the
building to a large bulldozer.
The 'dozer draws up the slack and puts tension to the cables. Demolition
charges will then take out the building's main supports as the 'dozer is
given the signal for full power. Because the cables go to the center
anchor, the outside walls will be pulled inward. Look for this to happen
shortly, but well after regular park hours. There is still a small risk of
flying debris."
16 April 2000: Cables being attached to the building
News from Mr Promey "...there were cables that had been bolted to the outside of the building. If you look at the pictures you can see the white spots on the building where they 'stuck' them. If you look even closer you can see the cables coming out of them. they look as though they are anchoring the building in some way. They are all located on the underside areas where the building extends outward and they all head down toward the ground. I couldn't tell if they were actually in the ground or attached to something else though because of the pesky black barrier."
Onto the rear of the building "...The only thing currently behind the building right now is a backhoe. Also, there are no signs of any plans to block off that area of the road that runs behind all of the pavilions which is only feet away from the rear of horizons. The chain link fence that runs directly around the perimeter of the building is still up and intact as well.
13 April 2000: Latest on the Horizons demolition schedule from John Boy
It begins next Monday night from the rear. All work will be done
at night for the major demolition and removal and such will happen in the
day. It is expected to take 2 weeks for the entire building to be
down. About a month of clean up and then 2 months for foundation
preparation for the new structure.
That is as far as the schedule went.
11 April 2000: Latest Photos (taken 7 April 2000)
Thanks to Andrew for the photos
7 April 2000: About to happen?
Epcot CMs are reporting heavy construction equipment being assembled behind horizons.
1 April 2000: Photos of the black construction wall
Thanks to
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thedisneyworldfuture
for the photos!
30 March 2000: News from Spat
On March 28, line finders marked water lines and such.
On March 29, a fence is being built around the horizons Pavilion.
It starts from the back trees and is heading around to the grassy nolle
near Test Track. I asked a manager when the big day was and he
replied April 17. Rumor has it, a barricade of some sort may be in
place by the morning of the 30. That has yet to be confirmed.
Also, a Test Track Maintenance Facility has broken ground just behind Test
Track and is scheduled to open August of 2000.
25 March 2000
Recent guest reports are reporting there are still no visible signs of demolition. Backstage the removal process is still underway.
18 March 2000: News from Peter
I was in Epcot today and I saw no construction or demolition going on.
No signs of any activity could be seen from within the park.
15 March 2000: Latest on Horizons
Recent reports from Epcot indicate that horizons is still being prepared for total or partial demolition. The interior show elements and ride vehicles continue to be removed. No sign of anything happening from the exterior yet. We have no information yet as to what whether the March 17th clearance date will be met, or if it will push back into the next couple of weeks.
12 March 2000: Horizons Demolition
News from http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thehorizonstribute
Mission Space is being put onto a frantic development schedule. horizons is being cleared for demolition on March 17th 2000. Some set pieces are being preserved, and some animatronics are being kept for use with other attractions running a similar vintage of AA. A new office trailer has been installed behind Wonder of Life - as the command center for the new attraction.
11 February 2000: Horizons building to stay?
Despite rumors that the horizons building has become unstable, we now have word that a portion of the building may remain, and be extended. The proposed Space attraction will not fit in the current building, so it is either extend the existing building, or build from scratch next to The Land - a decision on which has not yet been made.
3 February 2000: Latest news and rumors - thanks to Ntpadude from our Discussion Board
The primary reason to do away with the ride system and gut the building was to correct problems with building failure and reinforce and correct these problems, then install a new attraction that does not place as much stress that the old ride did. News that is leaking around the cast members is that just this past week, Disney has had some serious setbacks discovering that the building is in fact in worst shape then previously thought, they pulled the Imagineers out of the building and cancelled the cast member preview/walkthroughs because the company fears for their safety! Disney is aggressively attempting to save the building, although there is a appearing to be a strong possibility that they will have no choice but to tear the building down and start over again.
There you have it, horizons was actually closed out of concern for the safety of the guests, had Disney been ready to replace it with a new attraction, work would have begun quickly (like when World of Motion closed), horizons stayed closed 9 months ready to run again at a moments notice because Disney didn't even have a clue as to what to do with the horizons situation, repair, rehab/repair or teardown and replace, one thing they didn't want to get out was that they built a building that is in fact almost ready to collapse under its own weight after 16 years. One backroom rumor is that a Florida sinkhole formed under the building's foundation at some time in 1998 or some type of soil subsidence situation caused the problem.
31 January 2000: Orlando Sentinel Article
It's nearly all systems go for Mission Space at Epcot. The shuttle ride, in which guests would experience G-forces, is close to getting final corporate clearance, Disney insiders say. Mission Space would replace Epcot's horizons pavilion and open by 2003.
16 January 2000: More rumors
The rumors continue to fly around the future of horizons. Latest word indicates that the IMAX Omnisphere screens have been removed - which is supported by the fact that horizons is no longer listed on the IMAX website. A post at the Yahoo horizons Tribute Club also states that the building is to be demolished, beginning in the next 2-3 weeks.
Be sure to visit this club http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thehorizonstribute for more
6 January 2000: No Horizons on New Years Eve
Rather surprisingly horizons did not open on New Years Eve for the capacity crowd. If Epcot were planning on reopening horizons this year, New Years Eve was the day to do it. This isn't looking good for the current show. Despite assurances by sources at WDI that the ride and show is still ready for guests, Epcot management just do not want to open it.