Dreamfinder: Redux?

[marni1971]

Regarding Horizons - the passenger cars did leave property (there was a photo posted a few years ago of quite a few of them on a truck) but I can`t say if its true or folk lore that they went south. Most of the ride infrastructure was - painfully - still in place when they tore the building apart for all to see.

mitchk - do a thread search. Not long ago I posted a comparisson plan of v1 and 2.

Aw..hang on.. I`ll dig it up....

Here you go

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21981&d=1136494195

If you download my (shameless plug) "Journey into YOUR Imagination and with Figment" video from Disney Central I did a whole section on this topic.

 

[TimonRulz]

Would be awesome if it was true... I guess I'll wait and see...

 

[polarboi]

Building a brand.

I think that putting some big bucks into the attraction is a positive step.... not because of the "Disney dweebs," but because of building the Disney brand.

Disney theme parks are #1 for a reason. You can go to other parks to see popular characters and ride rides. But Disney is known for always putting the extra money, time, and effort into what they do, creating the small details that your average guest wouldn't notice but that ultimately build brand loyalty and make repeat visits fun.

Give your guests a phenomenal experience on an attraction, and they'll remember it and tell their friends about it.

Give them a poor experience and they'll remember that too.

Your average guest has no idea who Dreamfinder is and probably isn't even aware that there was ever an earlier version of JII. But they do ride the current ride and come off going, "ho hum." It's a letdown of a ride, especially for something with as bold a concept as IMAGINATION.

Just think... imagination! So many things can be imagined, and if any attraction in all four parks should blow people away, it should be one about imagination. With imagination, you're not tied into an existing storyline, and you're not confined by anything other than what is possible to build.

Disney's strength has always been in innovation. That's what the imagineers are known for. The biggest successes of today are the attractions that use technology to give us something we've never seen and draw us in in innovative ways. Think Turtle Talk - simple concept, but it has appeal for all ages, and people are amazed by it.

Let the imagineers run wild on Imagination, and it could be a family-friendly must-see to offset the thrill rides like M:S and Test Track and the adult-oriented World Showcase. Besides, Epcot may not be most in need of a new attraction right now, but with several attractions showing their age, it's only a matter of time, and it would be good to stay ahead of the trend.

I have no personal attachment to Dreamfinder, but I would like to see a really cool attraction for all ages in the Imagination pavilion. HISTA isn't going to hold out forever.

-p.b.

 

[FigmentJedi]

A reintroduction of Dreamfinder wouldn't necessarily mean that newbie guests wouldn't enjoy it. If the new ride focused on a more creative setup in addition to the dynamic duo together again would make it fantastic, even to people who never knew of either.

 

[BuzzComplexCM]

As you can tell by my low number of posts, I am fairly new here. Exactly who is Jim Hill and why do you people hate him so much?

So far I picture him as an overweight guy with 3 chins, eye glasses and stubble. Am I even close? LOL

Honestly though, who is he and why is he so hated?

Thanks

 

[Hakunamatata]

As you can tell by my low number of posts, I am fairly new here. Exactly who is Jim Hill and why do you people hate him so much?

So far I picture him as an overweight guy with 3 chins, eye glasses and stubble. Am I even close? LOL

Honestly though, who is he and why is he so hated?

Thanks

No, that would be Michael Moore.

He is a fellow Disneyfreak that has his own website and puts out a bunch of rumors. He has also gotten kicked out of Disneyland for running his own tour of the park....

 

[FigmentJedi]

He is a bit on the tubby little cubby side though...

 

[imagineer boy]

Hoo hoo boy. Jim Hill has really gone out on a limb this time. Sure, I wish it were true, but its just more of JIm Hill's garbage.

 

[SirGoofy]

I dread these kind of articles. JII was my favorite ride of all time, and every time I hear Dreamfinder might be coming back I get my hopes up. I know I shouldn't, but I do. Hill, you better be right.

Have any of our insiders heard anything about this? Lee? Corrus?

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Well, I will put aside the JHM issue for a minute since I have had too much sodium today anyway...

Looking at the concept as a rumor generally, though, there are some things I would suggest might support this.

1. Timing. On many levels, this meshes with some events. We have a new transition in Disney creative, many of which grew up with the parks. We have a major event for this park which needs an announcement such as this (not to be finished by then but rather to start the reconstruction).

2. Concept. Unlike every attraction in the original FW, IMAG never dealt with the concept of becoming outdated. Yes, the effects became stale, but the ride and concept would never become "wrong" or "non-futurisitic" etc. Therefore, if you revive one (although I woudl LOVE Horizons), this makes the most sense because you don't rebirth old problems from EPCOT Center. Improvement can be done like Mansion and Pirates by Plussing.

3. Symbolism. Regardless of truth, JHM does paint a convincing picture about why this would be the attraction chosen.

4. Marketing. Although this would clearly not be a business decision, you are reviving a large market. Although the Disney Dweebs love Dreamfinder, there are a LOT of guests that really loved the original attraction. I hear that all the time after visits. So, to market this as a return and modernized version would probably be more successful than any other reinstatement. Also, since the market seems older (since the loss of the original), there may be an ability to instill a bit more "thrill" into IMAG. If a ride system like TDLR's Pooh or Spidey (toned down) came in, it could truly be a fun attraction in and of itself. This would be a great showcase for this and would work with the scenes presented quite well, especially for those that were less effective.


Again, these were just some thoughts I had. I really don't know that I see this as probable in any way. But, time will tell.

 

[PlaneJane]

Martin, I saw your ultimate video on the Imagination Pavillion, good job! The horizons one was good too. Those exclusive pictures of the sets they made were excellent

 

[ThreeCircles]

Does anyone really think, even for a moment, that the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division is somehow going to be run without any financial restraints or concerns just because WDI has a new creative head? Um, yeah, right.

If it doesn't make financial sense it isn't going to happen. This isn't Walt's dream anymore... It's a business. And I have a very strong feeling that Iger understands that point very well. Even more so than Eisner, I think.

 

[imagineer boy]

If it doesn't make financial sense it isn't going to happen. This isn't Walt's dream anymore... It's a business. And I have a very strong feeling that Iger understands that point very well. Even more so than Eisner, I think.

Good god, I couldn't disagree more.

 

[speck76]

Good god, I couldn't disagree more.

when you have experience in finance, or business management....your disagreement may matter

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Does anyone really think, even for a moment, that the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division is somehow going to be run without any financial restraints or concerns just because WDI has a new creative head? Um, yeah, right.

If it doesn't make financial sense it isn't going to happen. This isn't Walt's dream anymore... It's a business. And I have a very strong feeling that Iger understands that point very well. Even more so than Eisner, I think.

Yes, that's true. But, there are a LOT of different approaches to business. Would this be a smart corporate, quarter-to-quarter move? no. However, there is absolutely no doubt that some recent decisions by the company have ostracized some people, and that is losing word-of-mouth and loyalty (which the company was not trreating as its focus). However, there has been a display of (a) customer reaction to a return to classics in a way as shown by DL and (b), perhaps more importantly, a vote of confidence in old ways shown by CMs. Making an attraction is perhaps one of the strongest public statements available to the company in light of the resorts, so returning AND improving something beloved could actually prove to be a very deft business decision. Confidence can do tremendous things for profit, even if the action does not up a line item directly in and of itself.

Not to say this is a good business decision, but I will not dismiss it altogether as a bad idea since there are valid concerns this may address if the company sees them as important.

 

[Woody13]

The main point of Jim Hill's article was that the restoration of Dreamfinder to JII would be a symbolic gesture by the new Pixar brains to demonstrate their unbridled commitment to making excellent attractions. Unfortunately, JII, Horizons and WoM were never great attractions in the first place.

Only a certain group of hard core Disney Dweebs had the hots for those attractions. I remember that all of them were walk-ons even during busy times at Epcot. They were just kind of average rides.

So, Disney buys Pixar and then the Pixar brains pull a brilliant move and they restore Dreamfinder to JII. Wow! Disney sure paid a lot of money to get creative talent that can't do anything more than follow the advice of a bunch of Disney Dweeb message board members. :lol:

Sorry, but I think the Pixar brains are going to be creative. Bringing back Dreamfinder is old hat, button shoe thinking. Maybe they'll bring back the penny arcade on Main Street too! :lol:

 

[dxwwf3]

Maybe they'll bring back the penny arcade on Main Street too! :lol:

God knows we aren't that lucky

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Only a certain group of hard core Disney Dweebs had the hots for those attractions. I remember that all of them were walk-ons even during busy times at Epcot. They were just kind of average rides.

Actually, this is not true except perhaps for WoM. Horizons was doing fine until Disney basically stopped advertising it. Even then it was doing fairly well. IMAG was still posting moderate wait times, and it was changed moreso out of agreement with Kodak than any decision by the Disney company. While these were not posting 30 minute wait times all day long, they were holding their own, especially when you take into account the capacity for these attractions. Were there parts that could have been better? of course, but I would argue the first half of IMAG was as good as any dark attraction Disney has made. Additionally, you now no longer have "competition" from the other pavilions with SSE really being the only ride like this left at this point in Epcot.

I think a poll of guests, even "non-dweeby," will find a stronger interest in the original than wait times for a high capacity attraction would suggest. After all, Pirates, Mansion, and JC have all stood at low wait times even during peak times before, and I don't think anyone questions the strength of these attractions.

Just my $0.02

 

[Pongo]

I'm not sure what to believe regarding this.

HOWEVER, Epcot's 25th is just around the corner...

*shrug*

 

[dxwwf3]

After all, Pirates, Mansion, and JC have all stood at low wait times even during peak times before, and I don't think anyone questions the strength of these attractions.

I think that is 100% accurate. Before the POTC film came out, when can you ever remember there being more than a 5 minute wait on a normal, crowded Summer day? I can't.

And the HM doesn't hardly ever have large wait times.