Dreamfinder: Redux?

[jedimaster1227]

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?

I know you probably don't want to hear my spiel on this one but here goes anyways:

I have heard this many many many times over the past three months. Many of our sources have been giving us very detailed descriptions of this news and from what I know, it will happen but I don't want to be at the end of the gun if for some reason this is just proven to be a rumor.:wave:

 

[comics101]

I know this is a little off topic, but I was wondering if anyone had the full ride through audio from the original ride?

Thanks,
Comics101

 

[Connor002]

I know this is a little off topic, but I was wondering if anyone had the full ride through audio from the original ride?

Thanks,
Comics101

http://www.figmentsimagination.com/vault.html

 

[comics101]

http://www.figmentsimagination.com/vault.html

Thanks!

 

[polarboi]

*sigh*... more of the old vs. new arguments again...

Normally, I come out on the "new" side of these things. Yes, I remember old attractions with nostalgia, but I also recognize that nostalgia can color your memory. I loved Horizons when it was around, but I was younger and it was a different time. Theme park attractions, and guest expectations, have changed, and Disney has to change with them. Bringing back old attractions like Horizons wouldn't be a good move today, in my opinion.

Similarly, I'm going to take the unpopular stand that I like the Mickey hat, I like the wand, and I like the gold castle decorations. I don't believe that older is necessarily better.

But... that said... I stand by the view that redoing the Imagination pavilion, and JII in particular, with the money it deserves is a good thing, with or without Dreamfinder.

Honestly, I couldn't care less about Dreamfinder as a character. I didn't care for him when he was around. But I think the new Figment is kind of irritating, the ride is only a shadow of what a "Journey Into Imagination" could be, and a return of the Figment character to the idea of a playful spark of inspiration - which seems to go well with the Dreamfinder storyline - could be integrated into a really cool, 21st century attraction.

It seems like a win-win to me. It would help keep Epcot current, keep the Figment character marketable, satisfy the Dreamfinder-loving "Disney dweebs," replace a disappointing attraction, and add another kid-friendly draw to Epcot without alienating adults.

I don't see that as a step backward. Recreating the old ride might be, but if they have an idea that would bring a character from the past into an attraction of the future, why on earth not?

-p.b.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

*sigh*... more of the old vs. new arguments again...

Normally, I come out on the "new" side of these things. Yes, I remember old attractions with nostalgia, but I also recognize that nostalgia can color your memory. I loved Horizons when it was around, but I was younger and it was a different time. Theme park attractions, and guest expectations, have changed, and Disney has to change with them. Bringing back old attractions like Horizons wouldn't be a good move today, in my opinion.

Similarly, I'm going to take the unpopular stand that I like the Mickey hat, I like the wand, and I like the gold castle decorations. I don't believe that older is necessarily better.

But... that said... I stand by the view that redoing the Imagination pavilion, and JII in particular, with the money it deserves is a good thing, with or without Dreamfinder.

Honestly, I couldn't care less about Dreamfinder as a character. I didn't care for him when he was around. But I think the new Figment is kind of irritating, the ride is only a shadow of what a "Journey Into Imagination" could be, and a return of the Figment character to the idea of a playful spark of inspiration - which seems to go well with the Dreamfinder storyline - could be integrated into a really cool, 21st century attraction.

It seems like a win-win to me. It would help keep Epcot current, keep the Figment character marketable, satisfy the Dreamfinder-loving "Disney dweebs," replace a disappointing attraction, and add another kid-friendly draw to Epcot without alienating adults.

I don't see that as a step backward. Recreating the old ride might be, but if they have an idea that would bring a character from the past into an attraction of the future, why on earth not?

-p.b.

excellent point. As much as I get down right attacked for being a purist by some, I will entirely agree that Dreamfinder's return has little to do with this. Did I like the character? sure. Did I miss HIM that much? No. What I missed was a much better attraction that was executed with artistry and grandeur. It was absolutely on par with Mansion or Pirates IMHO, and I think a lot of people felt that way. They all go through cycles, but, today, a downturn = closure automatically (although some glimmer of hope away from that is showing through). Furthermore, these types of attractions are now a NEEDED alternative. Balance was tipped the other way when almost all the omnimovers were removed, destroying the argument for the alleged "artificial" increase in wait times (which I personally don't agree with).

Also, as for the idea that reviving an old concept is not creative, I would HIGHLY suggest you look at about half the artistic creations and business-orietned entertainment creations in the WORLD. Art is not individual. It is not new. It is often most successful when it is developed and progressed. I would argue that was what made Walt Disney so successful. He never came up with an original idea. Everything he made, excpet perhaps his EPCOT, was founded in fairy tales, childhood stories and fantasies, and actual cutting-edge technology. He was the master at reviving, reinvigorating, and retelling old ideas. That, in fact, is a strong definition of progress: building upon existing ideas and improving upon aspects to create something better, more dynamic, and more functional. Sounds like we just might have that on our hands (as we do with Pirates, DL's Mansion, etc.). This is an old idea. It is a VERY old idea. It is also an old execution, and this would mean taking what worked from that execution and improving it. It's the new and old fused together which, IMHO, satisfies many more than many recent replacement projects have.

I also want to echo the demise of Horizons. Management had let the attraction fall into extreme disrepair, it did not appear on times guides, and I believe it was not even labelled on the map for many months before its closure. There is a strong rumor this was done intentionally to get numbers down to justify closure. I can't corroborate that, but many managers around WDW at that time that I have talked to echo that sentiment. I am not advocating a return for it at all. It was perhaps Epcot's best. But, it needed constant updating and would continue to need constant updating to keep its feel even if its message and actual depictions were still futuristic.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Everytime I see this thread title, I cant help but think its a thread about the Dreamfinder taking weight loss medication....

 

[PlaneJane]

Everytime I see this thread title, I cant help but think its a thread about the Dreamfinder taking weight loss medication....

he needs it... or is it the beard?

 

[Hakunamatata]

he needs it... or is it the beard?

Its the beard and the vest...makes him look big. I have the same problem. :lookaroun

 

[FigmentJedi]

Check out what the original Dreamfinder actor posted on the comments on Hill's article.

Dreamfinder’s Return?

I, too, know something about Dreamfinder. I was his voice and persona for 5 years, and I originated the strolling character.

On the one hand, I dread the return of Dreamfinder to EPCOT because of the horrid job someone did reviving Figment. He’s become a pest and a photo opp. He was stuck into that horrid ride as a quick fix. It didn’t work, and the final scene is a Simpsons-style mockery of the original ride’s finale.

So I’m VERY skeptical of any campaign to bring Dreamfinder back, because I can ‘imagine’ what those same people will make of him.

On the other hand, folks, Tony Baxter and Barry Braverman and Ken Lisi brought me aboard the Dream Catching Machine months before EPCOT opened, and I learned from them directly what DF&F were really about.

Once Upon a Time Figment was the right brain, 3-year-old unbridled raw material of creativity. The process of his creation and experience with Dreamfinder (as presented in the original attraction) caused us all to identify with his Journey. Indeed, we nostalgically envied his enthusiasm and naiveté. In the end, as he imagined a life of creative possibilities, we were reminded of our own young wishes and faded dreams.

More importantly, the future leaders of our world… “the young and young-at-heart”… were given a champion to remind them, “YOUR spark of inspiration can move mountains. Anything really IS possible.” The real Figment Fans were those who cherished that possibility.

Journey Into Imagination was about that feeling. And about the incredible fact that Imagination was the common element in EVERYTHING in EPCOT Center. It ALL came from Imagination, and the JII was the place you could feel a part of that creative process. And recognize that power in yourself. The Power to Dream It, then to Do It…

Dreamfinder was meant to be a Walt Disney, a Willy Wonka, a Wizard of Oz. He was meant to be so much more than a narrator, or a puppeteer or a photo opp. He was more than Figment’s Dad. He was meant to be the wild, creative uncle that every child needs to keep cynicism at bay and creativity on the boil. And before he became a mere photo opp and just another strolling character and a thorn in Eisner’s side, I saw that process of inspiration starting to work.

Then other people without that vision took over, and Dreamfinder was escorted off property.

So I’m scared. And skeptical. But I know what DF&F mean to Tony and I know what he can mean to a world needing Dreamfinder’s kind of whimsy and encouragement.

I can’t expect any of you to understand what I’m saying. Not really. You’re passionate fans and that’s wonderful. But there should be more to Dreamfinder than nostalgia for an old photo opp. And we need that now.

That's some deep stuff there and he's completely right. And I hope that when Dreamfinder returns, he isn't just shoehorned in like what happened when Figment made his return to the spotlight.

 

[Buford]

Ron! :sohappy: What a wondeful guy. Look for him in Central Florida theatre :wave:

 

[Figments Friend]

Holy Crud.....

I have just read Ron's comments and i'm crying my eyes out! This is the first time i have finally seen in print what i have had in my soul since 1983.

Figment and DF represent to me EXACTLY what Ron has stated above....and more importantly they REPRESENT exactly what he stated. I am thankful to read this...thank you Ron for posting this!!!!

It's the true feeling of utter self-Empowerment that has inspired me to no end all these years. I try to explain this "Figment obsession" with people but nobody really seems to "get it"..... Well, now maybe they will. I will have to share Ron's comments with them.

THANK YOU RON!!!!!

 

[dxwwf3]

It seems like a win-win to me. It would help keep Epcot current, keep the Figment character marketable, satisfy the Dreamfinder-loving "Disney dweebs," replace a disappointing attraction, and add another kid-friendly draw to Epcot without alienating adults.

I don't see that as a step backward. Recreating the old ride might be, but if they have an idea that would bring a character from the past into an attraction of the future, why on earth not?

Bingo. Seems like a win-win to me too.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Holy Crud.....

I have just read Ron's comments and i'm crying my eyes out! This is the first time i have finally seen in print what i have had in my soul since 1983.

Figment and DF represent to me EXACTLY what Ron has stated above....and more importantly they REPRESENT exactly what he stated. I am thankful to read this...thank you Ron for posting this!!!!

It's the true feeling of utter self-Empowerment that has inspired me to no end all these years. I try to explain this "Figment obsession" with people but nobody really seems to "get it"..... Well, now maybe they will. I will have to share Ron's comments with them.

Wonderful comments and reflection. That self-empowerment and hope is what EPCOT Center was all about, and I really feel that Illuminations:ROE is the only newer attraction to truly capture this feeling. That is truly an eloquent presentation of why I feel Disney classic attractions worked.

 

[dxwwf3]

Also, as for the idea that reviving an old concept is not creative, I would HIGHLY suggest you look at about half the artistic creations and business-orietned entertainment creations in the WORLD. Art is not individual. It is not new. It is often most successful when it is developed and progressed. I would argue that was what made Walt Disney so successful. He never came up with an original idea. Everything he made, excpet perhaps his EPCOT, was founded in fairy tales, childhood stories and fantasies, and actual cutting-edge technology. He was the master at reviving, reinvigorating, and retelling old ideas. That, in fact, is a strong definition of progress: building upon existing ideas and improving upon aspects to create something better, more dynamic, and more functional. Sounds like we just might have that on our hands (as we do with Pirates, DL's Mansion, etc.). This is an old idea. It is a VERY old idea. It is also an old execution, and this would mean taking what worked from that execution and improving it. It's the new and old fused together which, IMHO, satisfies many more than many recent replacement projects have.

Well said

 

[Rotel1026]

Aside from having a huge issue with the tone of the article and him seemingly putting down Disney Dweebs when he himself is the biggest DD of all...

He's contradicting himself with the new article on Midway Madness, no? If Dreamfinder coming back is a way of pleasing the Disney Dweeb crowd, how is he claiming that they new way of thinking at WDI is to make every cent count for the casual visitor. If Disney Dweebs would be the only people who notice a redo of the entrance plaza at DCA and that's not money well spent, is money to bring in Dreamfinder (something that wouldn't likely get noticed by the casual visitor) money worth spending?

 

[mousermerf]

I had been avoiding this thread - I liked both Horizons and JII but know enough to know they had reasons for going, not just someone being a putz.

It makes me sad. JII definately could be better. I've tried to like it, I just don't. All i can hear in my head is that phone ring in the second scene and "It's figment!" before the train, neither of which is particularly cute, adorable, or figmenty as i remember him before ("Before" Figment hangs out in my mind holding back 'dangerous' words that move shake and shift)

I digress - Horizons closed with more guests than Body Wars did. Shocking, a thrill ride failure? Yes, it was by the end. As much I loved the music (it really had stunning ambiance that played in the probes between flights that no one heard) it had to go. Ballet slippers and all.

I hate Jim Hill, but I hope he's not wrong, despite how much unwarrented fame it will bring him.

Remember the Sea Cabs? That ride we had pretty much given up on ever returning? A ride through the Living Seas again? Unpossible!

They know it's broken, they're not stupid. It's moreso having someone who cares enough to get it fixed. Maybe we got luckey, maybe someone does care.

They spent tons of money re-doing small world, and they're redoing pirates, with tweaks admittedly, as we speak. Perhaps its this type of budget that we're going back to?

I just hope they do someting for Epcot 25 - Wonders, Imagination, or World Showcase. Hit one of those three with a new attraction and i'll be happy.

 

[rdour@techminds]

When I was a child, I always wanted that large Figment in the store. Now that I am graduated from college, and have a very nice, well more than I expected paying job, I can't have it! I'd buy one off eBay if I knew it came from a smoke free environment and was in close to mint condition. I ended up getting the puppet version, but he's just not big enough.

Off topic, what were they thinking when they removed the oversized plushes from everywhere? All of us who grew up and never could get one, now just may be inclined to do so merely based on the idea that "I can now afford it." Keep in mind, am I thinking about the space a $200 Figment may take up? Nope. I could care less. If that is all I can get to remember that original attraction, good enough.

Now, what is the full, super detailed story of the Imagination experience? Why did Disney remove the first attraction instead of just updating it? Finally, what did it take to get Figment back in the attraction? Maybe it was just the fact that even my parents love taking out their old videos of the park, and riding that attraction and remembering the magic it brought to our family years ago.

Ryan

 

[ctwhalerman]

Everytime I see this thread title, I cant help but think its a thread about the Dreamfinder taking weight loss medication....

"Redux" means to be brought back, a return, especially concerning a return to or a return from battle, as in "Apocalypse Now: Redux."


Just thought it was relevant in this case, but then I realized it is another name for a weight loss medication...:brick:

 

[Dragonrider1227]

I've said it once and i'll say it again. I like the new ride almost more than he original. I say almost because the original DOES have a nostalgic feel to it, and had more eye pleasing visuals than the new one does, but I still feel the new one fits better with the EPCOT theme of being a play of science, technology, and innovations. It was also nice to see the attractions in the Imagination pavillion actually fit together rather than be two attractions that have nothing to do with each other. However, I did miss the Dreamfinder and if they can manage to fit him in, then i'd like to see it. Especially if it means getting back the old Imageworks. I liked the new ride, but that "What if" labs left me a little empty. I would however, like to see them keep the theme the ride has now, but with that old "little spark" it had once before.

PS. am I the only one that didn't mind Figment's character in the new ride? I actually felt he was more so of what he was intended to be along. He seemed kinda stiff in the old ride. Granted, that "hellooooo" thing he has on the phone kinda rode up m , but I thought it worked. Isn't he SUPPOSED to have a child-like personality? therefore, it's only natural he'd be at least a little mischiveous. Especially if it involved teaching someone about how good the Imagination truly is. Plus, it's not like he's REALLY trying to be a pest. He seemed to have kind of a "Dennis the Menace" appraoch in that he doesn't MEAN to really 'cause trouble, he just, sort of, does.