Rumor Figment, well, to be replaced by Figment

[necott99]

How is it a more pressing issue? It’s still one of the best rides at the resort.

I also fail to see how this is the case. I understand the supposed structural issues that need to be addressed, but other than those and the descent being updated, nothing needs to be, or SHOULD be, touched in SSE. I could maybe justify a few tweaks in show scenes on the back half of the ride, but that’s it. Also, last I checked, SSE was last touched up in 2007. Figment was butchered all the way back in 2002.

JII is a far more pressing issue, with all due respect.

 

[HauntedPirate]

How is it a more pressing issue? It’s still one of the best rides at the resort.

I also fail to see how this is the case. I understand the supposed structural issues that need to be addressed, but other than those and the descent being updated, nothing needs to be, or SHOULD be, touched in SSE. I could maybe justify a few tweaks in show scenes on the back half of the ride, but that’s it. Also, last I checked, SSE was last touched up in 2007. Figment was butchered all the way back in 2002.

JII is a far more pressing issue, with all due respect.

The ride system needs attention desperately and has for years. Outside of that, I would tend to agree, Imagination should get money first.

 

[necott99]

The ride system needs attention desperately and has for years (a decade?).

I definitely don’t disagree that it needs attention, and they should’ve been on it ages ago. I just feel as though JII is also desperately in need of attention, like yesterday. Ideally, both would go down at the same time, but current Disney likely wouldn’t do something like that. At this point, it’d be nice if they just gave either one some attention haha.

 

[bwr827]

to any new parks fans who want to become a fan of figment: NO YOU DONT.

No risk of that… classic example of “You had to be there.”

 

[Earlie the Pearlie]

No risk of that… classic example of “You had to be there.”

I see a lot of little kids with Figment gear. I don’t think they were there.

 

[Haymarket2008]

How is it a more pressing issue? It’s still one of the best rides at the resort.

The lack of descent/finale is genuinely terrible and it needs a general sprucing up the likes of which it hasn’t seen in its 40+ years of operation. And it’s the crown jewel of the park.

I’m not saying Figment doesn’t need a top to bottom rethink, but IMHO, SSE deserves to cut the line.

 

[James Alucobond]

The lack of descent/finale is genuinely terrible and it needs a general sprucing up the likes of which it hasn’t seen in its 40+ years of operation. And it’s the crown jewel of the park.

I’m not saying Figment doesn’t need a top to bottom rethink, but IMHO, SSE deserves to cut the line.

This. Figment is kind of embarrassing and blah, but Spaceship Earth is the park’s icon and thesis statement. It also needs extensive mechanical work, not just a narrative overhaul. Ideally, both would happen ASAP, but SSE definitely has first dibs in my book.

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

From a show perspective, Imagination needs it 10 billion times more than SSE. At least the first half of SSE is still world class, Figment on the other hand is terrible start to finish. Structurally however, I’d say the stakes are much higher for SSE.

So it really depends. One is likely more important to Disney than it is to us, as they see SSE in its current state as a ticking time bomb. Imagination can skate by just fine with its 40 + year old track despite the fact the current iteration represents bad show even while operating to its full potential.

 

[ChrisFL]

Even then, OLED screens seem like a luxury to have on rides. Many older screens have been replaced by cheaper LED/LCD screens that do not have good black levels to them.

I think the cost and lifespan of OLED's is prohibitive still?

 

[JSouth25]

I think the cost and lifespan of OLED's is prohibitive still?

I didn’t realize Disney used OLEDs at their parks at all. It’s an awesome technology, but it doesn’t seem practical for a theme park, unless they’re using a more durable type of OLED screen or they switch them out often?

 

[SonnyEcipse]

Did y'all see this yet? HUGE how this was at least planned at one point.

 

[Inspired Figment]

Pretty sure that’s Larry Nikolai art. Looks very similar to the stuff seen in The Imagineering Workout book and his FB & Insta pages. Could be wrong on that though. Wish we knew the source but still very cool to see!

Truth be told, I’m pretty positive that the proposals & scenes David Mumford (the original show lead on the 02 revamp) had for the attraction were possibly different before Kathy Mangum took over his position after his passing. Have nothing to prove that ‘yet’ atleast (until our Lost Media source shares anything more), granted.. but I’d be surprised to find if that actually wasn’t the case, that’s for sure.

 

[Inspired Figment]

Did y'all see this yet? HUGE how this was at least planned at one point.

Tbh, I’m not ‘that’ surprised.. considering that tv ended up playing reused footage from the Mirage activity in the early 90s revamp to the ImageWorks and both the “Dean Finder” reference on the lab door in the transition to the sound lab, and the picture of Dreamfinder in the Blast from the Friends of Figment scene in the end, where his silhouette on the Dreamcatching Machine is seen on the music notes for one of the Figments displayed there, but yeah.
Still neat nonetheless.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Did y'all see this yet? HUGE how this was at least planned at one point.

Could have just reused footage of Joe Rhode as Dreamfinder from the theater of the arts section..

 

[Inspired Figment]

Could have just reused footage of Joe Rhode as Dreamfinder from the theater of the arts section..

I agree. Though, I want to clarify that this was actually used for the ‘Dreamfinder’s School of Drama’ activity in the ImageWorks. One of the many different films you could take place in via a chromakey/blue screen effect. (A western, space adventure, fantasy, etc.)
Though interesting fact regarding the Performing Arts/Theatre scene in the ride. Something that George Wilkins mentions in composing the music for said scene in a RetroMagic interview. There was actually supposed to be rotoscoped laser animation of Figment dancing with a ballerina in the scene. Ultimately the animations they went with, when the ride opened in ‘83, were actually the original test animations made for the rig/tech they used for the scene. One of the good number of things, in Disney restoring the ride back to its former glory, they ought to enhance/add back in/include.

 

[Brer Panther]

the picture of Dreamfinder in the Blast from the Friends of Figment scene

There's a picture of Dreamfinder in there?

 

[Inspired Figment]

There's a picture of Dreamfinder in there?

Yep!

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

There's a picture of Dreamfinder in there?

From orlandoparkspot
you have to zoom in but there's an odd shape in the front seat but, you can see Figment's profile..