EPCOT Figment, well, to be replaced by Figment

Dragonman

Dragonman

Well-Known Member
Inspired Figment said:
And that’s the saddest part about all of this.. the fact they even ‘considered’ retheming it that way is absolutely ludicrous. Who on earth thought that a sterile tour through, essentially a warehouse, doing experiments on you via cheap carnival style illusions hosted by some actor that really only adults would appreciate from works that I’d argue aren’t the most family friendly, was “a huge improvement” over a whimsical, colorful ride a ride that showcased & promoted, perfectly, the very quality & realms of creativity/Imagination that Disney was founded upon & excelled in hosted by a lovable Santa-like professor & his exuberant purple dragon full of childlike innocence & curiosity (something nearly all come to Disney with.. hence why he connected with all of us on the Journey) a catchy, distinctly Disney theme song. The thing that was selling the most merchandise in the park and was a sure, entire family pleaser in the park. You can’t get anymore short-sighted than that. The most idiotic decision made in Disney theme park history, by far.
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Honestly I consider the original Journey Into Imagination a timeless classic up there with Haunted Mansion and Pirates. It’s a shame Disney/Kodak didn’t see that.

Really the only things that needed updates were the lighting and screen/projection technology throughout the ride and Imageworks.
 
FigmentsBrightIdeas

FigmentsBrightIdeas

Well-Known Member
Dragonman said:
Honestly I consider the original Journey Into Imagination a timeless classic up there with Haunted Mansion and Pirates. It’s a shame Disney/Kodak didn’t see that.

Really the only things that needed updates were the lighting and screen/projection technology throughout the ride and Imageworks.
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Agreed 100%! Also, possibly the range of movement on some of the AA figures ala American Adventure updates/enhancements over the years.
 
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Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
Dragonman said:
Honestly I consider the original Journey Into Imagination a timeless classic up there with Haunted Mansion and Pirates. It’s a shame Disney/Kodak didn’t see that.

Really the only things that needed updates were the lighting and screen/projection technology throughout the ride and Imageworks.
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This was also the key to making The Great Movie Ride more relevant...Imagine projection mapping the sets for a more cinematic look and feel... Changing out a couple scenes like Alien...it could have been even more fantastic.
The original Imagination ride was an easy fix and update relatively... It should not have been completely re-thought...
And what happened to al the AA figs from World Of Motion, Horizons, Imagination, etc?
Maybe they could reconstruct some of the Home Of Future Living in Space Mountain's exit again using the Horizon's sets...and put the damn speedramp back in!
 
Mickeynerd17

Mickeynerd17

Well-Known Member
HauntedMansionFLA said:
Figment really should have his own twenty minute movie to replace the Pixar movie shorts. It would be nice to have something fun fof tge 40th anniversary on October 1st. Just think of the merchandise that could be sold. People are nuts enough to stand in line for a popcorn bucket.
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If WDW's 50th was the way it was, don't think EPCOT's 40th will be anything special.
 
Dragonman

Dragonman

Well-Known Member
Bocabear said:
And what happened to al the AA figs from World Of Motion, Horizons, Imagination, etc?
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No Dreamfinder AAs have ever turned up meaning he was most likely scrapped for parts. Numerous Figments are in storage/archives and are often brought out for events or showcases:
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Others exist in private collections such as the original puppets used for the video screens of Figment doing various activities at the end of the original ride.
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As for the WOM and Horizons AAs some were kept but most were scrapped. The sea monster was in California Adventure for a number of years and several WOM figures were repurposed in Disneyland’s POTC until they were removed for the movie additions.

Multiple Horizons non AA props have been repurposed in the various parks. Several AAs were used for parts for Carousel of Progress and several heads exist in storage. You can find quite a number of photos if you look around.
 
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DoleWhipDrea

DoleWhipDrea

Well-Known Member
Inspired Figment said:
And that’s the saddest part about all of this.. the fact they even ‘considered’ retheming it that way is absolutely ludicrous. Who on earth thought that a sterile tour through, essentially a warehouse, doing experiments on you via cheap carnival style illusions hosted by some actor that really only adults would appreciate from works that I’d argue aren’t the most family friendly, was “a huge improvement” over a whimsical, colorful ride a ride that showcased & promoted, perfectly, the very quality & realms of creativity/Imagination that Disney was founded upon & excelled in hosted by a lovable Santa-like professor & his exuberant purple dragon full of childlike innocence & curiosity (something nearly all come to Disney with.. hence why he connected with all of us on the Journey) & a catchy, distinctly Disney theme song. The thing that was selling the most merchandise in the park, making unforgettable meet n greet experiences, and an entire family pleaser in the park. You can’t get anymore short-sighted than that. The most idiotic decision made in Disney theme park history, by far.
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Designers' and producers' hubris. At least one Imagineer for JIYI had the decency to apologize to Tony Baxter for their involvement in their butchering of a classic attraction.

Trying to embrace the EPCOT that currently exists when you know what it used to be gets more and more difficult for me. The people that don't get it, saying things like, "Oh you just don't like change" - no, no that's not it at all. Quality is tangible. When it doesn't exist, the thing feels cheap and empty. EPCOT Center was special because it wasn't the Magic Kingdom - it strived to be something greater. Yes, more adult! And the smart kids can understand and appreciate it if they're led by smart adults. Having 4 parks gives an opportunity to make truly unique experiences. Walt understood that to be an innovator, you needed to have a sense of what the public wants before they've experienced something new. If you care enough about your audience and are a strong storyteller, this is generally something you can do. I'm not certain WDI has anyone like this leading the charge anymore, and the pencil pushers only care about data that they will purposefully skew to make themselves look good. They won't take risks. But storytellers have to take risks. If they don't, everything eventually becomes bland.

The Imagination Pavilion deserves attractions that actually celebrate the marvel that is creativity. It's so important! Without original ideas, nothing new or miraculous will be made in this world. We need creators to be bold.
 
Gillyanne

Gillyanne

Well-Known Member
Cmdr_Crimson said:
My guess that everything was booked and they had nothing else to do..

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Extended queue was out when we went at the end of March, don't remember what time of day it was, but Pooh was also out in the meadow so the 6yo and I went to say Hi/interreact with him (who tried to rile the crowd, including the EQ) while I Mom went about. I think it was one switchback shorter though, and didn't seem to take much time to get to the point that would be the straight walk in to the door. I didn't time it though.
 
TwilightZone

TwilightZone

Well-Known Member
I'm gonna signal boost another neat JII discovery here since this thread has kind of become a general JII thread too.
MansionBat1994 said:
So as a huge Imagination fan, I periodically search youtube for audio and video of the original attraction. Recently, the former Science/Imageworks Figment animation loop was uploaded. However, I came across something very strange while checking recent uploads today. This appears to be a ride-through of the original ride, However, the thumbnail and first few seconds of the video appear to be a photo of a person (probably the channel owner) and a Figment walkaround which I had never seen before. It does not appear to be the one seen later in the JIIWF era, and it definitely is shot at Communicore. Does anyone remember this walkaround or the potential timeframe it existed for? I had never seen or heard of this iteration of the costume before. While I am discussing Imagination pavilion characters, does anyone have any evidence of the "masked" Dreamfinder that was apparently tested briefly in the first years of the attraction?

Video found here:
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