Imagination! Being Replaced w. Dr. Doof?

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Do you think there is a certain age cohort that feels that "attractions exuded quality and story from every pore?" Because my first visit to EPCOT Center was in 1985 and I was 10. I was blown away and it just resonated with me long after the vacation ended. I know this only anecdotal and a WDW fan board isn't best sampling frame, but I feel like those of use who truly felt Epcot was so special seem to be Gen Xers.
While someone older might be more apt to appreciate the detail of 80's Epcot, it does not preclude a child from doing so as well. Like you, my first trip to Epcot was before I hit my teens and I absolutely loved the place. Sadly though, the majority is what Disney has to look at and play to.
 

CoachG

New Member
I really like the idea of P+F and yes I'm old enough to remember the original which was great but why does it have to be one or the other? Why not build some kind of story like Doof captured Agent P and sapped the tri-state area of imagination with one of his inators and Figment (and even Dreamfinder) help inspire P+F to rescue Perry and restore imagination to the tri-state area?

Of course they better reboot the upstairs - make it Doof's lab or something and get to play with all kinds of "inators".

Best of both worlds and a million times better than the poor excuse of a pavillion there is now
 

GLaDOS

Well-Known Member
People have shown Disney that is what they want. 1982 Epcot was brilliant. The attractions exuded quality and story from every pore. It was also regarded by the general public as the most boring place on earth.

I do agree that Disney is afraid, but with good reason.

I think that's a bit too large of a sweeping declaration. I don't think EPCOT's problem was that it's attractions were all boring, I think it was that all it's attractions were more or less the same exact thing with slight variations. You can only do the movie->slow moving dark ride->interactive pavilion cycle so many times in one day without pulling your hair out.

Now with Soarin', Test Track, and Mission:Space around, I don't think a high class dark ride is out of the question.
 

GLaDOS

Well-Known Member
I really like the idea of P+F and yes I'm old enough to remember the original which was great but why does it have to be one or the other? Why not build some kind of story like Doof captured Agent P and sapped the tri-state area of imagination with one of his inators and Figment (and even Dreamfinder) help inspire P+F to rescue Perry and restore imagination to the tri-state area?

Of course they better reboot the upstairs - make it Doof's lab or something and get to play with all kinds of "inators".

I actually really like Phineas and Ferb...but this sounds all kinds of terrible for EPCOT. Put a P&F attraction in DHS where it belongs.
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
I think that's a bit too large of a sweeping declaration. I don't think EPCOT's problem was that it's attractions were all boring, I think it was that all it's attractions were more or less the same exact thing with slight variations. You can only do the movie->slow moving dark ride->interactive pavilion cycle so many times in one day without pulling your hair out.

Now with Soarin', Test Track, and Mission:Space around, I don't think a high class dark ride is out of the question.
You are probably correct. I doubt Disney will take the chance on it though.
 

FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
I really like the idea of P+F and yes I'm old enough to remember the original which was great but why does it have to be one or the other? Why not build some kind of story like Doof captured Agent P and sapped the tri-state area of imagination with one of his inators and Figment (and even Dreamfinder) help inspire P+F to rescue Perry and restore imagination to the tri-state area?

Of course they better reboot the upstairs - make it Doof's lab or something and get to play with all kinds of "inators".

Best of both worlds and a million times better than the poor excuse of a pavillion there is now
Or maybe they just do something with Figment and Dreamfinder and build upon the Dreamport setting of the original instead of Journey Into Imagination Under New Management. If you want a media tie-in, just make a Imagination movie.
 

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
I actually think this is a cool idea. I miss Figment and Dream Finder, but they have been gone (honestly) for a long time and we have been forced to put up with a sub-par pavilion. If this gives us a great pavilion (like I think Nemo has) that is well-funded, I'm happy.

It's very clear they are thinking of doing SOMETHING with Imagination. And this seems like the type of think Iger would approve. Complete with 3-D show (at least it would be more appropriate as part of Imagination than at Tomorrowland at Disneyland...).
 

Genie of the Lamp

Well-Known Member
IMO, I think they can do an awesome job of incorporating P&F in the post show with Figment with all those cool games and such. Kids and adults alike will play in their for hours if done right. No, they shouldn't be incorporated into the ride itself! Bad idea. I wonder if they'll let Tony be a consultant if they do go the route of a refurb/update since he is still a consultant and this is one of his babies.
 

sshindel

The Epcot Manifesto
While someone older might be more apt to appreciate the detail of 80's Epcot, it does not preclude a child from doing so as well. Like you, my first trip to Epcot was before I hit my teens and I absolutely loved the place. Sadly though, the majority is what Disney has to look at and play to.

Lets see here, my first trip to Epcot would have been in 82 or 83, and then nearly yearly after that until college, putting me in the 6-18 year old range, and I can honestly say that it was my favorite place on Earth. I will probably never really know which came first, EPCOT or my love of science (did EPCOT make me love science, or did science make me love EPCOT?), but there was no greater place for me as a child. It was pretty eye-opening to me when the Simpsons were taking shots at how boring EPCOT was. I had no idea that others could think the place was boring.

As for P&F and Imagination, I'm conflicted. I do honestly love P&F. I think that they would be a pretty good representation of Imagination, and inventive imagineers could really have fun with that concept. I don't even mind them taking Figment out as much as I thought I would, because really, Figment is pretty much neutered and dead in the current attraction anyway.

All of that said, it just FEELS like a cop-out for something great. The previous spirit of EPCOT that really aimed to educate, entertain, and (most importantly) inspire does not seem to be in the realm of possibility if P&F take over this pavilion. Cute, fun, entertaining, all possible. Educate and inspire? Not at all.

That being said, it seems pretty par for the course in today's Epcot, so if this rumor is true, lets at least hope for a well-executed P&F concept.
 

CoachG

New Member
I actually really like Phineas and Ferb...but this sounds all kinds of terrible for EPCOT. Put a P&F attraction in DHS where it belongs.

Just because it has a character tie in doesn't mean it won't be good or isn't warranted in EPCOT - Figment is a character. The ride could be great with P+F if the story is good and the experience is worthwhile - use the trackless ride system and make it something we haven't experienced before. The Nemo overlay on the Seas is a perfect example of what not to do - they took out the story and basically made it a ride of looking at the characters from Nemo. There's no purpose, no story, no heart to the ride at all. I want something as interesting as the original and if that can be accomplished with P+F and that's what it takes to get something greenlit then I say go for it. It can't turn out worse than what is there now.
 

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
I was also around/nearby/present on a few of the multiple occasions when major execs were walking around Imagination over the past few months... and it wasn't Phineas and Ferb that I was hearing about. It may be worth noting that many of the people present have been Pixar higher-ups, including Lasseter. What I heard is that the pavilion may revolve around a certain upcoming Pixar film involving the inside of the mind (and directed/conceptualized by a close friend of Tony Baxter... Hmmmm...).

Also, for what it's worth, using the upstairs of the building will be a major priority for the next refurb. Assuming they can get some of the evacuation/fire code issues worked out.
 

Tiggerish

Resident Redhead
Premium Member
Do you think there is a certain age cohort that feels that "attractions exuded quality and story from every pore?" Because my first visit to EPCOT Center was in 1985 and I was 10. I was blown away and it just resonated with me long after the vacation ended. I know this only anecdotal and a WDW fan board isn't best sampling frame, but I feel like those of us who truly felt Epcot was so special seem to be Gen Xers.

While someone older might be more apt to appreciate the detail of 80's Epcot, it does not preclude a child from doing so as well. Like you, my first trip to Epcot was before I hit my teens and I absolutely loved the place. Sadly though, the majority is what Disney has to look at and play to.

My first trip to EPCOT Center was in 1986; I loved every inch and every experience of it and about a decade older than you guys...so I think it's more of a "brains" cohort. :D
 

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