"I don't think the imagination pavilion works anymore." - Tony Baxter

[Lee]

He does talk to you about it when asked. I had a great chat with him about the current pavilion a few years back.

You mean the day when he didn't want his photo taken with Imagination behind him?
;-)

 

[marni1971]

You mean the day when he didn't want his photo taken with Imagination behind him?
;-)

Yep. Came out nice.
The day after he rode FJ

 

[FrankLapidus]

Fantastic, any chance of Tony leading an overhaul of Imagination! and a return to it's former glory then?

 

[sshindel]

Fantastic, any chance of Tony leading an overhaul of Imagination! and a return to it's former glory then?

Last I saw, some of the insiders had basically said they they are keeping Tony on the west coast for the known future. The only other mention was actually (and this may be interesting with today's news) one person talking about a Tony Baxter attraction in Frontierland.
Of course, all I am doing is relating hearsay here. I read both of these things here in these forums, so I can vouch for them only on the merit that folks tend to trust the info of the people saying it.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Last I saw, some of the insiders had basically said they they are keeping Tony on the west coast for the known future. The only other mention was actually (and this may be interesting with today's news) one person talking about a Tony Baxter attraction in Frontierland.
Of course, all I am doing is relating hearsay here. I read both of these things here in these forums, so I can vouch for them only on the merit that folks tend to trust the info of the people saying it.

I've heard that too, these days I ask more in blind hope than expectation . I find it ironic that the man who created the original version of the attraction and John Lasseter are both known to dislike the current version and yet nothing is seemingly going to get done about it.

 

[michmousefan]

Fantastic, any chance of Tony leading an overhaul of Imagination! and a return to it's former glory then?

Let's hope that Tony's comments represent somewhat of a breakup of the logjam that might occur when plans to alter the pavilion are on the horizon. Can't think of many places in FW that have so much potential to be a standout attraction... instead of the distilled sideshow we have right now. Time for a re-imagination!

 

[Hakunamatata]

I've heard that too, these days I ask more in blind hope than expectation . I find it ironic that the man who created the original version of the attraction and John Lasseter are both known to dislike the current version and yet nothing is seemingly going to get done about it.

Maybe if someone recommended that they put a Starbucks upstairs in the old image works while they reinstalled the original attraction we might get some movement on it.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I've heard that too, these days I ask more in blind hope than expectation . I find it ironic that the man who created the original version of the attraction and John Lasseter are both known to dislike the current version and yet nothing is seemingly going to get done about it.

Don't blame them, blame the sharp pencil boys.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Don't blame them, blame the sharp pencil boys.

No I don't blame Tony or JL for that, we all know how things are at WDW and Imagination! is symbolic of the current management's attitude when it comes to the quality of their attractions.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Don't blame them, blame the sharp pencil boys.

How do we blame the sharp pencil boys when it would have been cheaper to keep the original?

 

[the.dreamfinder]

How do we blame the sharp pencil boys when it would have been cheaper to keep the original?

Contracts...

 

[HMF]

How do we blame the sharp pencil boys when it would have been cheaper to keep the original?

Because that is a scenario that is not currently possible due to the fact that the boneheaded decision to replace it is now 14 year old history.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Ok. I tried. Lol.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Contracts... If they had any IMAGINATION they could have found a way to do an extensive rehab of the original (ie advanced AAs) and called it a "new" attraction.

 

[rnese]

Just add a Character Meet and Greet, new restrooms, update the souvenir stand and.......wham-o! Done and done!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

How do we blame the sharp pencil boys when it would have been cheaper to keep the original?

That is not as silly a question as one might think!

Disney is a company of conflicting units. The budget for investments is not the same as the one for maintenance.

The maintenance pencil pushers could well push for a replacement of a ride that's hopelessly expensive to maintain for one less complicated. A solution that comes at the expense of the investment budget. Which is not their concern. But which does represent greater total expenditure for the company as a whole.

Then add ambitious new designers forever hoping (and plotting) to have their turn at designing a pavilion, and the tragic end result can be the replacement of a great ride by an obviously inferior one.

 

[PeterAlt]

Maybe if someone recommended that they put a Starbucks upstairs in the old image works while they reinstalled the original attraction we might get some movement on it.

Don't! They could hear you! It will be your fault, you know... So, lets at least try to keep "ideas" like that on the DL and, hopefully, they won't be running off with them... Scary.

 

[EpcotFanForever]

I think one of the worst parts of today's Imagination is that it's conditioning kids and first-timers to think this is "EPCOT" and "Walt Disney World." That this is the best they can do, and what they should feel all excited and "magical" about.

Yep, the upside-down toilet always did it for me.

 

[WDW1974]

He does talk to you about it when asked. I had a great chat with him about the current pavilion a few years back.

I seem to recall that confab ... and the entire day quite vividly.

As far as what Tony said, he doesn't really care anymore what folks think. I know people who observed him and Eric interacting at IAAPA and it was pretty 'tense' at times. Tony has let people know that unless he gets his major project for the Festival Arena at DL and/or a reworking of Imagination approved and dumped in his lap that he'll be retiring in 2013 and his last project will sadly be that little reworking of Carnation Plaza Gardens into more of a meet-and-greet locale.

 

[WDW1974]

That could be true to an extent and man, would it be nice it that were true, but it seems to me with how close Tony and John are, it comes across (again, to me at least) that the relationship itself gives Tony a bit more clout to say what's on his mind without the fear of consequences. I mean, Tony saying things to people in the parks, he has to know its going to make its way out into the forum-sphere with his name attached.

Wasn't there someone who said that John rode Imagination once and when he got off he said something to the effect, "What are we going to do about this?"

Not really. Tony has never been shy and he knows where ALL the skeletons are buried ... many things that Disney would NEVER want in the public domain, so he has no fear to basically say something as obvious as 'Imagination doesn't work anymore'. He'll say whatever he wants, whenever he wants. it's what he could say or let others say for him that worries Disney or he would have been gone a decade ago. He makes a HUGE salary and his work product since the late 90s has been almost nothing.