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You are here: Home / Walt Disney World History / Horizons, Part 3

Horizons, Part 3

April 30, 2004 by George McGinnis


In this multi-part series, former Imagineer George McGinnis

shares his memories of the beloved Horizons attraction in Epcot. To start

from the beginning, see Part 1 (link),

and continue with Part 2 (link).


The

Industrial Design Department

Marty Sklar set up an Industrial Design Department

in July 1980 and asked me to manage it. This was preparation for the coming surge

of work on the various Epcot pavilions and their companion exhibits in Communicore.

Several recent graduates of the Art Center College of Design (in Pasadena, California)

were sent to my office to show their portfolios. I made recommendations and several

were hired.

There was to be quite a learning curve for me, for now I was

to be giving assignments and directing design, rather than just designing. My

approach to designing at Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) is evident in a 1966 letter

to my father, describing 1967 Tomorrowland projects: “My work is interesting

in that I have several jobs going at once, and all rush.” This was my style,

and I loved it.

I had developed the technique of working back and forth

between two-dimensional layout and simple foam core models. These small scale

models not only aided and accelerated design, but also effectively presented concepts

to management. Not everyone is able to visualize from orthographic drawings. This

had worked well on projects such as the Space Mountains. During a very rushed

period on the Horizons project, I would build the small-scale models at home in

the evening so I could meet the schedule of the Dimensional Design Department

(formerly the Model Shop).

I encouraged the new department’s designers to

try this method. They were certainly able to, for model construction was part

of their Art Center training. These small models were intended to define space

with limited detail. After the concept’s acceptance the department’s Industrial

Designers detailed the scene, their drawings were then given to Dimensional Design

for building large scale walk-through models. Their purpose was to provide eye

level views of the finely detailed scenes (Horizons scenes were all one-sided,

unlike shows such as Pirates of the Caribbean).

Sometimes the walk-through

models were rushed with preliminary sketch information. This was a cause for negotiation

regarding final details, when the full-size sets were constructed. Schedule being

all-important in production, management sometimes had to choose. Gil’s kitchen

design was a case in point; it survived as he designed it.


A great deal of this April 1981 concept plan for the first floor of Horizons (then

under the working name FutureProbe) was done with many people walking past George’s

closed office door during an open house at Imagineering. Click on the image

for a larger version. Image courtesy of George McGinnis.

Models of this

quality have been used at WDI from the early days as an aid for show sponsors,

full-size set builders, and park construction crews to better visualize the finished

product. Walt Disney used an upside down periscope device to view his models of

Disneyland in true perspective to check how they would look on opening day.

The

Industrial Design Department members were assigned to projects throughout Epcot’s

FutureWorld. The group put out an immense amount of work over the next three years.

Having been hired after graduating from the Art Center, they never slowed down.

They were used to putting in long hours. The period of the department’s existence

was indeed a wonderful experience, especially in group camaraderie. After all

the EPCOT pavilions were open, the department was dissolved. Some of the group

were picked up by project teams and others were let go. A fact of life, but a

new experience for me to tell a person—this is it.

Meet the crew

  • John Berman designed sets for SpaceShip Earth, Communicore and great

    robots among other things. John has been designing backgrounds for the Simpsons

    for years.

  • Gil Keppler, who did so much of the Horizons work, was

    picked up by the other teams. Gil brought amazing detail to his work as in the

    more recent Tomorrowland projects.

  • Ernie Soos designed robots for

    Horizons’ “Looking Back at the Future” scene, is now pursuing a fine

    art career.

  • George Trimmer detailed several Communicore hands-on

    exhibits, such as “Design Your Own Roller Coaster.” (I’ve lost track

    of George’s whereabouts.) His farewell letter expressed deep appreciation for

    having the opportunity to work at WDI.

  • Greg Wilzbach went to the

    Tokyo Disneyland Team and has lived in Japan during projects. Greg did a great

    job detailing the Horizons “Family Arriving in Space via Shuttle” scene.

  • Shim

    Yokoyama painted both the Horizons Floating City and Space Habitat scenics,

    and has since been a Project Designer for Universal Studios for years.

There

were also summer interns from time to time, both male and female.

A New

Way of Working


This April 1981 concept plan for the second floor of Horizons (also largely done

during that Imagineering Open House) shows the Omnimax theaters above the load/unload

area. Click on the image for a larger version. Image courtesy of George

McGinnis.

As department manager, I found I actually enjoyed my work

more, for I could concentrate on scene layout, including forced perspectives,

sight lines, and special effects layout, such as the Pepper’s Ghost effect. An

early concept model I created for the preshow queue was of the three kaleidoscopic

windows. These created huge spherical illusions by reflecting Bob McCall’s inspirational

Horizons concept paintings of Nova Cite, Mesa Verde and Omega Centauri. After

concept acceptance, Gil Keppler designed and detailed the preshow space. He placed

faux sliding doors to “nowhere” for show in places.

Near the time of Horizons opening, Dick Nunis, the President of

Walt Disney World, asked me to join him in a review of the pavilion. Dick had

an assistant with him. As we walked the queue, Dick was spotting locations for

trash cans, and put one directly in front of one of Gil’s faux stainless steel

doors. I’ve read readers’ letters to the Horizons Tribute discussion list (link)

commenting on this. Did Disney want to prevent guests from looking behind the

doors? What was Disney hiding? Dick and I hopped on the ride. When we reached

the Omnimax theater he was impressed, but something was missing. He wanted it

to have simulator movement, to enhance the scenes. Too late; he would have to

wait ’til Soarin’ at Disney’s California Adventure for the experience he wanted.

Next

time

Part 4: The Story of Horizons.

Author

  • George McGinnis
    George McGinnis

    View all posts

Filed Under: Walt Disney World History

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