EPCOT Figment, well, to be replaced by Figment

[Agent H]

lol no: look at the date of when this thread was made, the last few "tries" was to improve Figment in the Figment pavilion and has stayed relatively consistent outside of short ideas that got thrown away almost immediately (in imagineering length of times)

So it’s true then!

 

[Nobody nobody]

There was actually apparently a Figment "redesign" posted. I have no clue what it was supposed to be for.

You probably have seen it; here's what it looked like:
View attachment 840902
It's from September 2020; i'm not entirely sure what the project was. Maybe (and I use that word with caution) they planned to actually refurb the ride kind of like what the concept art implied, but eventually they cancelled that along with some other stuff planned (SSE refurb, Play Pavilion, Mary Poppins)

Chapek era was a strange time. Imagine if we got all what we were getting under his tenure? Chapek era villains land? I shudder to think about. It.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Wait, hang on, @Figments Friend makes YouTube videos?

 

[Figments Friend]

Wait, hang on, @Figments Friend makes YouTube videos?

Who, me..?


Yes I have made some videos in the past, but not about the Disney Company or anything related to the Parks.
People tell me I should…and post my video commentary on various topics, including this one.
But I just don’t have the time to invest in such things.

Besides, I would be lost in the sea of multiple such YouTubers including those paid off by Disney to pose as ‘Park fan vloggers’.
No thanks.

I prefer being the secret celebrity I am, and ranting here instead.
This Forum rules.


-

 

[Jayspency]

There was actually apparently a Figment "redesign" posted. I have no clue what it was supposed to be for.

You probably have seen it; here's what it looked like:
View attachment 840902
It's from September 2020; i'm not entirely sure what the project was. Maybe (and I use that word with caution) they planned to actually refurb the ride kind of like what the concept art implied, but eventually they cancelled that along with some other stuff planned (SSE refurb, Play Pavilion, Mary Poppins)

He looks like a grumpy yoshi

 

[Nobody nobody]

He looks like a grumpy yoshi

FigJak ImaginMan
( He Looks like bojak horseman in a way)

 

[Agent H]

He looks like a grumpy yoshi

It’s a clay model it probably would have looked a lot better if the project hadn’t been cancelled

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

lol no: look at the date of when this thread was made, the last few "tries" was to improve Figment in the Figment pavilion and has stayed relatively consistent outside of short ideas that got thrown away almost immediately (in imagineering length of times)

The Walrus who started this thread went back to Paris only a few months later.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

He looks like a grumpy yoshi

Or buff looking Dragonite...

 

[Agent H]

There is a difference between Park Management feeling a real need to invest in changing / upgrading an Attraction and the Merchandising Department rolling out the next Figment collectible.
The two are unrelated.

The Attraction will never see serious investment until WDW Management feels that it needs it.
That need is just not there, as frustrating as it is.

It doesn’t matter how many Figment popcorn buckets and limited edition Figment shirts and pins sell….nothing will change until Management is convinced that there is a real public need to invest in this Pavillion again.
Thus far, in their opinion it does not need serious investment.

The meet n’ greet addition that was added last year was an inexpensive band aid on a wound that has been bleeding badly for more then two decades.
In their mind, it’s good enough to appease the Figment fans and give them an excuse to once again pass over the Pavillion and focus funds instead on creating more outdoor drinking spots.
That instant return of investment is the enticement.

Now, how do we get them to view the Pavilion and the Attraction with the same urgency of need to refresh?
Like I said earlier….follow the money.

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You heard him people we need to buy more figment merchandise! Tell everyone you know to buy figment merchandise! Go into the comment section of every Disney related video you see and tell everyone to buy figment merchandise! buy ads in your local newspaper that tell people to buy figment merchandise! when the figment movie comes out everyone buy a ticket! Heck everyone buy 10 tickets! No everyone buy a hundred tickets! Everyone buy 2 million tickets! Get a job at Disney and make posters to put up at the transportation and ticket center with uncle Walt that say I want you! To buy figment merchandise! Together we can do it!!!

 

[Zak and Wheezie]

Never forget when Eric Idle, AKA Dr. Nigel Channing, AKA the guy who turns into a rejected design of the moon from Bear In The Big Blue House, called Figment a "purple little [f-word]"

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

And speaking of my boy Tony Baxter…and the current topic of why the current ride never seems to get redone…

He once said to me that the only way to get the Imagination Attraction ‘fixed’ is to convince WDW Management that it NEEDS to be done.

And that’s the trick…
They have to be motivated and see a need to make it happen.

Thus far, no need has been seen.
Lots of talk, but talk is cheap.
Action speaks louder than words.

So, how do you convince them that this should happen?
That is NEEDS to happen?
Follow the money….

That is your homework assignment, folks.
Discover the answer and you just might see changes.

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One way that they could be convinced the ride NEEDS to be redone is if the current one broke to a state of disrepair.

Unrelated, how many hammers do you think you could bring in a backpack to Epcot?

 

[Agent H]

One way that they could be convinced the ride NEEDS to be redone is if the current one broke to a state of disrepair.

Unrelated, how many hammers do you think you could bring in a backpack to Epcot?

Depends how big a figment loungefly do you think we can get them to make?

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Depends how big a figment loungefly do you think we can get them to make?

So the plan so far is:
* Get really large backpacks to be trendy fashion
* Convince Disney to follow the trend
* Wait for a Figment Loungefly XL
* Fill it with hammers
* Play “Toy Story Mania with hammers” on JIIWF
* ???
* New Ride

Seems flawless to me, and unironically more possible than them just changing the ride on their own

 

[Agent H]

So the plan so far is:
* Get really large backpacks to be trendy fashion
* Convince Disney to follow the trend
* Wait for a Figment Loungefly XL
* Fill it with hammers
* Play “Toy Story Mania with hammers” on JIIWF
* ???
* New Ride

Seems flawless to me, and unironically more possible than them just changing the ride on their own

Hey the targeting would be better than buzz lightyear

 

[The Leader of the Club]

My understanding is Pete Docter (the director of Inside Out, mind you ‘and’ the current head of Pixar) was dead-set against this upon being brought to a meeting to pitch the idea to him. He himself even commissioned Park Ops to put out a survey to send directly to WDI, to show them how much people still really loved & cared about Figment to prevent that from happening. All I can say is, thank God for folks like Pete Docter who get how much the Park Original icons & attractions mean to us and how important they are to the park going experience

Too bad he didn’t say anything about MuppetVision (that we know of).

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Too bad he didn’t say anything about MuppetVision (that we know of).

I'll bet Pete Docter is upset about MuppetVision. [said loudly enough for Disney to hear]

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Too bad he didn’t say anything about MuppetVision (that we know of).

Maybe his love for Monsters Inc outweighs his feelings on not shoving Pixar into random rides? The franchise is likely incredibly nostalgic for him, it's from a simpler time in his life where he got to be more creative and wasn't burdened by being a CEO.

But even if he was outspoken, I don't think it would have mattered. Josh Gad has been outspoken about the changes and Disney didn't budge. Every single one of their regulars could be outspoken but I doubt much would change- Monsters is a decision made for money, not for anything else, and Disney is working on the cheap these days.

 

[Zak and Wheezie]

Maybe his love for Monsters Inc outweighs his feelings on not shoving Pixar into random rides? The franchise is likely incredibly nostalgic for him, it's from a simpler time in his life where he got to be more creative and wasn't burdened by being a CEO.

But even if he was outspoken, I don't think it would have mattered. Josh Gad has been outspoken about the changes and Disney didn't budge. Every single one of their regulars could be outspoken but I doubt much would change- Monsters is a decision made for money, not for anything else, and Disney is working on the cheap these days.

Are the Muppets really that much less popular than Monsters Inc? The ride has been super popular every time I have been there.

 

[Zak and Wheezie]

Between Figment, the new buildings and their lack of imagination, and Guardians of The Galaxy, it's clear that EPCOT is really starting to feel kind of... sad. It doesn't feel the same even compared to 2005ish.

The biggest example is the Pixar Short Film Festival. Say what you will about Captain EO, but at the very least, it was something you couldn’t really see at home. You can see the Pixar shorts on Disney+. Why would I want to watch the same three shorts from opening? And they don't even rotate through different shorts throughout the year. It's the same three shorts every year!

Even the ImageWorks of 2002 (yes really), felt more alive than today's ImageWorks. Before Kodak pulled out, there was just much more to do; there was even a Kodak EasyShare Figment stage activity and it had unique animations and voice lines from Figment shown on screen. I'm not sure what it was about/how it worked but it seemed pretty cool. Unfortunately after Kodak left in 2010, most of the activities (including the EasyShare show) were removed, now it's just a really sad place. The only thing I sort of like there besides the meet-and-greet is the activity where you can make your own Figment, but even then, it's something you could just be able to do on the web. You essentially make a Figment OC and send it to your email. It's mildly amusing but nothing that great.