Rumor Figment, well, to be replaced by Figment

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
Tony Baxter spoke at this weekend's RetroMagic event and he made it quite clear he is no fan of Figzilla. He kept reiterating how Figment is supposed to be this tiny creature that sits in Dreamfinder's arms. I'm looking forward to rewatching the panel discussion again. There was lots of great images related to the original's development as well as stories that hadn't been heard before!
Yep.
Tony has never been a fan of the huge costumed version of the character.
When the first version appeared, it was disappointing ….and I remember hearing him talk about it back then, saying the same words.

Figment IS supposed to be a pint sized dragon.
He is child sized as he was specifically designed to purposely portray the spontaneous imagination that is often associated with children.
Dreamfinder was the foil to that, as the more mature and refined character who represents the more disciplined imagination associated with adults.

I can totally understand why Tony has issues with the concept of ‘Figzillia’ as it goes against the original design intents for the character and what he represents.
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WaluigiTime

Well-Known Member

Well I guess with Figment will be closed for one day, one can only hope its closed for the imagineers to do a walkthrough to decide on what to fix. It is what they did with Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland. I'd like to think they are planning on a huge overhaul but I seriously doubt it.
 

Rodj

Well-Known Member
Only one site has reported on this so far, but there is a new PhotoPass lens with a new 3D Figment model. It is leagues better than the ride's model, though the proportions of the upper chest are a bit off(needs to be slightly more narrow). Is anyone able to try to see if there is audio with it?
1696551889401.png

 
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Disgruntled Walt

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Only one site has reported on this so far, but there is a new PhotoPass lens with a new 3D Figment model. It is leagues better than the ride's model, though the proportions of the upper chest are a bit off(needs to be slightly more narrow). Is anyone able to try to see if there is audio with it?
View attachment 747041

Why are they still using 1999 CGI for this?
 

FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
Yep.
Tony has never been a fan of the huge costumed version of the character.
When the first version appeared, it was disappointing ….and I remember hearing him talk about it back then, saying the same words.

Figment IS supposed to be a pint sized dragon.
He is child sized as he was specifically designed to purposely portray the spontaneous imagination that is often associated with children.
Dreamfinder was the foil to that, as the more mature and refined character who represents the more disciplined imagination associated with adults.

I can totally understand why Tony has issues with the concept of ‘Figzillia’ as it goes against the original design intents for the character and what he represents.
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While the puppet version was always a more unique experience, I've never understood why the costume versions get so much flak when theme park mascots being horrendously out of scale to their cartoon versions is the standard rule. The puppet can really only exist as a package deal with Dreamfinder, any "You can just have somebody else carry Figment around like a random Imagination Institute scientist guy" solution is just a cop-out.
 

Dragonman

Well-Known Member
While the puppet version was always a more unique experience, I've never understood why the costume versions get so much flak when theme park mascots being horrendously out of scale to their cartoon versions is the standard rule. The puppet can really only exist as a package deal with Dreamfinder, any "You can just have somebody else carry Figment around like a random Imagination Institute scientist guy" solution is just a cop-out.
Oh just wait, they’ll have someone going around wearing a creepy Eric Idle mask lol
 

Gillyanne

Well-Known Member
Only one site has reported on this so far, but there is a new PhotoPass lens with a new 3D Figment model. It is leagues better than the ride's model, though the proportions of the upper chest are a bit off(needs to be slightly more narrow). Is anyone able to try to see if there is audio with it?
View attachment 747041



I see it in the app, but is only available if I'm recognized as being in Epcot so I can't try it out from home. The preview when I "explore" the lenses is of the middle picture (in gif form) demoed above.
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
While the puppet version was always a more unique experience, I've never understood why the costume versions get so much flak when theme park mascots being horrendously out of scale to their cartoon versions is the standard rule. The puppet can really only exist as a package deal with Dreamfinder, any "You can just have somebody else carry Figment around like a random Imagination Institute scientist guy" solution is just a cop-out.

There was talk a little more than a year ago about the new, then recently announced ‘Figment meet and greet’ being more than just yet another costumed character.

My understanding is the proposed plan was to do a ‘living character’, as in a remote puppeteered character similar to past efforts such as Baby Groot and in a simpler form Chef Remy.
Imagine my disappointment when it was confirmed the costumed ‘Figzillia 2.0’ was slated in its place…..

The potential of the other option would have be ‘fit’ the character well….and not just in the height department.
😉

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Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
I suspect WDI knows they're not going to be able to get the Figment ride they want until current management leaves, which would explain why every other EPCOT pavilion has had changes announced or planned at some point, except this.
I still feel that the closing and move of the DVC lounge to another location will be the first thing to start this...

Afterwards, they will move the Chase/Visa & Mickey/Minnie M&G to the new dedicated Epcot Character Spot, Move Figment to the chase/visa spot again...which then will close out Joy's M&G for good, And then the slow blocking of sections of imageworks/gift shop, the closing of the Magic Eye theater for refurb, and the finally the closure for the big big return of the spark of the pavillion...
 

Earlie the Pearlie

Well-Known Member
I still feel that the closing and move of the DVC lounge to another location will be the first thing to start this...

Afterwards, they will move the Chase/Visa & Mickey/Minnie M&G to the new dedicated Epcot Character Spot, Move Figment to the chase/visa spot again...which then will close out Joy's M&G for good, And then the slow blocking of sections of imageworks/gift shop, the closing of the Magic Eye theater for refurb, and the finally the closure for the big big return of the spark of the pavillion...
I think I’m now going to spend the rest of my life staring at the DVC lounge with intense scrutiny. Also, if anyone is going out to EPCOT tomorrow I’d love to see what’s changed in the ride (it will be nothing but wouldn’t it be amazing if they had brought back the OG overnight without telling anyone)
 

DoleWhipDrea

Well-Known Member
I visited the attraction a few days ago, and I didn't have the heart to photograph or record, but the AAs have seen better days. Sound lab Figment looked like he broke his neck and was staring down at the floor as he bobbed up and down. Closed labs Figment has improved a bit and has gone back to chuckling slightly behind his hand, but appears to have a broken hip as he leans and sways. I feel for maintenance - from slight tweaks and changes that take place, I can tell that they're trying to keep things working, but it seems that they're not given everything they need to make things work at the level that they should.

For a decent budget to be greenlit to overhaul Imagination, we have to hope that the film that's in development will be a success. With Iger sticking around for a few more years, that's going to be our best bet.
 

Rodj

Well-Known Member
I visited the attraction a few days ago, and I didn't have the heart to photograph or record, but the AAs have seen better days. Sound lab Figment looked like he broke his neck and was staring down at the floor as he bobbed up and down. Closed labs Figment has improved a bit and has gone back to chuckling slightly behind his hand, but appears to have a broken hip as he leans and sways. I feel for maintenance - from slight tweaks and changes that take place, I can tell that they're trying to keep things working, but it seems that they're not given everything they need to make things work at the level that they should.

For a decent budget to be greenlit to overhaul Imagination, we have to hope that the film that's in development will be a success. With Iger sticking around for a few more years, that's going to be our best bet.
The closure on the 10th has actually improved both AA's(mostly the sound lab one), I made a post in the other thread(for the closure) about the fixes that were done to both. I have been noticing that they have been doing 3rd shift work to try and fix them some more, though the day you went was the only(?) day the sound labs AA was staring downward(probably didn't have enough time to finish up work?), the other days the head moved a lot better than it did pre-closure.
 

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