EPCOT Figment, well, to be replaced by Figment

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

That still doesn't make sense ..If Nigel states in 02 version intro that pops up is a "Discovery" then what is this one He created in the 99 cue line???

Who knows.. clearly not very well thought out or if so, again, they were really hoping to convince folks he was his creation. Lol! But again, maybe we’ll find out.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

That still doesn't make sense ..If Nigel states in 02 version intro that pops up is a "Discovery" then what is this one He created in the 99 cue line???

My guess is he thought of Dreamfinder’s creation in his imagination (Keep in mind, he ‘was’ next door neighbors in the Magic Eye Theater in Honey, I Shrunk the Audience initially, before he decided to expand into Dreamfinder & Figment’s domain) and decided right then and there, that was his creation/invention.
But I mean, honestly.. what makes far more sense to you? A whimsical childlike pint sized purple dragon named ‘Figment’ being the creation of a jolly Santa-like magician who deals entirely in dreaming up, collecting & distributing dreams and ideas around the universe (‘literally’ named ‘Dreamfinder’) or a stuffy scientist chairman figure who’s the head of a sensory experiment institute, that actually is imagination focused (I guess??), despite that ‘not’ being the definition?

 

[HMF]

You missed peak EPCOT -- that sucks. No Horizons, no Imagination, no World of Motion.

That is probably true, but I feel that SSE 94, ToN and ROE were strong enough that the message still resonated with me. most of what has happened since the Millennium Celebration ended has been akin to watching a loved one slowly die to me.

 

[HMF]

I'm not sure if Living Seas was still fully functioning at that point either.

I can confirm that Living Seas was largely in it's original state with the sea cabs on my first visit.

 

[HMF]

oh, btw, here’s a little something that turned up on eBay recently: https://ebay.us/m/Cy2uwO
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If I were an Imagineer on that team, I think it would be unwise to wear that shirt in public.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

If I were an Imagineer on that team, I think it would be unwise to wear that shirt in public.

Admittedly, I think the public would be too distracted by the cute looking Figment design on the back to notice the “small print” on the front.. ya know, just like the ride currently standing.. but thankfully, in regards to the ride itself. Most folks ‘do’ infact notice this problem (that the ride isn’t what it’s purported or what was purported to be anymore) and it’s only become all the more apparent as the internet and videos, history & documentation of the original ride have become more & more visible/seen.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

Which again, is also ironic, as the Internet was in large part responsible for informing, even folks that weren’t all in the know of the going ons with this pavilion in person, at the time, were able to be informed & take part, and thus made their moves to protest the initial change to (sadly) make way for the sham of a “solution” we’ve had since ‘02.

 

[Brer Panther]

If Olaf wasn't so endearing, Frozen wouldn't have been such a runaway success and we wouldn't be in this mess. Josh Gad really has no one to blame but himself.

Yeah, Olaf has always been the only thing about Frozen that I actually like. I always just saw it as a blatant attempt to repeat the success of Tangled.

I also only rode 2.0 once. Like most attractions that only have "camcorder-like" archives...nothing can do justice to actually experiencing it.

It was realllllly bad. I was so insulted on so many simultaneous levels (the least of which was the literal insult at the start).

I never did it. I don't think I've ever even watched a full YouTube video of it. I just don't have it in me as a Figment fan.

I think we were all just desperate to have Figment back, and were happy to have some form of One Little Spark back.

That's basically why I like the third version. I'd much rather have a mediocre at worst ride with Figment than a ride with no Figment at all.

it's more like he's Figment's "evil twin" than the actual Figment.

I gotta ask... what does Figment do in the ride that's so awful? I mean, yeah, spraying us like a skunk isn't great, but aside from that, all he's doing is interrupting Eric Idle's stupid tour. It's not like he's blowing things up with TNT or repeatedly whacking the guy on the head with a giant mallet.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

I gotta ask... what does Figment do in the ride that's so awful? I mean, yeah, spraying us like a skunk isn't great, but aside from that, all he's doing is interrupting Eric Idle's stupid tour. It's not like he's blowing things up with TNT or repeatedly whacking the guy on the head with a giant mallet.

It’s less that what he does is so awful and moreso how he’s portrayed in the ride until the last 15 seconds that’s the problem. If the majority of your ride, he’s treated as an interference/unwanted guest, being shrill & mischevious that has no purpose ‘other’ than that. (When he wasn’t portrayed nor like that at all in the original, mind you) Guess what the main takeaway is going to be afterwards? That’s why it’s a problem.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

That's basically why I like the third version. I'd much rather have a mediocre at worst ride with Figment than a ride with no Figment at all.

And again, this is a huge part of the problem. This is what the folks in charge want. But truth be told, all ‘this’ ride does is make folks question why anyone liked Figment or the ride at all due to its deceptive/confusing/baffling nature rather than do him any real favors, hate to say it. I’d rather this sham iteration of the ride be closed and remember the original genuine iteration fondly, rather than have it continue operating the way it is. Truth be told. But sadly, the damage of this being around as long as it has, has been done.

I feel the only way to ‘really’ show how much of an issue Journey Into Imagination/Figment & Dreamfinder’s treatment by the company/ this iteration of the ride truly is, would be to get into the entire how (and especially ‘why’) this happened/ended up being the way it is. (Not just the “Kodak sponsorship contract” “reasoning”) To make sure folks are informed on a scale that’ll actually do something to ensure something like this ‘never’ happens again. It’s truly ‘the’ most baffling attraction change in park history and deserves to be fixed/return properly, no question. It IMO, was completely cruel & unfair what happened here.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

Take the 2nd most popular ride in the park and turn it into ‘that’ and let the pavilion languish. Honestly.. what in the world. And they have the gall to pretend it only had “small changes” with their crazy sign description outside the door and Iger’s comments that ‘he’ “fixed it” and that he’s happy about it. Not to mention the now seeming doubling down on celebrating elements of the lousy Honey I Shrunk version in merch and cruise ships rather than the original, to pretend that’s what fans want/love. Despite the 20+ years of complaints about this now. Sure Disney..

 

[Brer Panther]

So the solution is to invent time travel, go back to the 1990s, and convince them not to replace the original attraction?

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

So the solution is to invent time travel, go back to the 1990s, and convince them not to replace the original attraction?

No need, once the entire history & story behind the creation of these versions are finally released. I ‘think’ they’ll have no choice but to restore it back, unless they genuinely wanna keep getting complaints, possibly ‘much’ more after the entire creation stories behind these past 2 IP themed redos are revealed. But we shall see what happens..

 

[jah4955]

No need, once the entire history & story behind the creation of these versions are finally released. I ‘think’ they’ll have no choice but to restore it back, unless they genuinely wanna keep getting complaints, possibly ‘much’ more after the entire creation stories behind these past 2 IP themed redos are revealed. But we shall see what happens..

as proven by how this is one of (if not the) most active, lengthy threads ever.

 

[jah4955]

Interesting thing, according to Jim Hill, and something that makes total sense. The reason why Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was as financially successful as it was at the time, was not due to the film but due to the Roger Rabbit short placed before it, “Tummy Trouble”. Infact, this was such a high selling reason for the movie that the VHS release took the time to include the short and advertise it on the VHS cover. :
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Granted, I can say, I think a lot of us can say we had a bit of a soft spot for these kitchsey sci-fi flicks on their own.. but I doubt anyone can say with a straight face, that they genuinely think retheming the Journey Into Imagination ride to be dedicated to these was a great idea.

It, again, is like the equivalent of saying Haunted Mansion should be rethemed to a High School Musical attraction where they’re having a Halloween celebration, or Pirates of the Caribbean should be rethemed to a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse where they have a treasure hunting adventure (not as pirates, I might add. They’re just pretending to be treasure seekers in their backyard pool, it’s your job as the guest to pretend ‘you’ are a pirate or an extra special clubhouse treasure hunter too, using your mousketools through the ride to find your own special pretend treasure.) But still retaining the ride names pretty much, and shoehorning in the Ghosts & Pirates back into it a couple years later to save face in a way you would ‘never’ expect upon anyone thinking of those classic rides & characters otherwise. They just show up in every scene in baffling ways now to show how their way is the right way compared to the ride operating (still in the context of High School Musical celebrating Halloween with simple costumes & decorations spread throughout, still a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Backyard Pool Adventure featuring floaties and sparse scenes to encourage you to pretend along with them) until the very last scene for aprox 15 seconds. But yeah, no, that’s ‘precisely’ what they did here and It’s really, ‘really’ wild. I don’t think anything else in Disney history has come close to it.

I was reflecting on this yesterday. For a few years, not only was Roger Rabbit, by far, the most popular "Disney" character, I can easily argue that he was, for a sliver of time, just a sliver less of the mascot of Disney than Mickey Mouse.

A few quick examples from my firsthand observations at the time.... b/c...it's Thanksgiving & I gtg :

1. on the cover of many Disney guides (especially MGM)
2. heavily inserted into mid/late 80s Wonderful World of Disney opening.
3. costumed (& animated) RR right there by "Fab 5" in videos/shows/TV specials/etc
4. work that was about to start on RR land at MGM (& RR (& His Toontown) becoming central at Disneyland's Toontown

My point is to add extra agreement that to a degree "Honey" was riding Roger's coattails.

 

[jah4955]

I never did it. I don't think I've ever even watched a full YouTube video of it. I just don't have it in me as a Figment fan.

Yes, I think that's an admirable way to be a Figment Fan.

but....to my defense.....I (& I'd argue everyone who rode 1.0 first) was, to be extraordinarily charitable, the "Deer in the Headlights" when riding 2.0.

In other words, I can easily imagine that if they did "souvenier photos" of 2.0 (like they do w/ most major rides now), you'd see everyone with either the most incensed look on their faces, their jaws "to the floor" or "the most epic eyerolls ever."

 

[Shishagumi]

and again, despite Jim Hill’s false claim (which I honestly don’t blame him for, as he’s typically right on everything else and is proven trustworthy on most other facts & stories he shares.. but this ride redo in particular weirdly has a.. *clears throat* “conflicting” history) that they’re all original attraction figures reused, further evidence (besides the photos I shared of all the original ride figures compared to the ones seen in the upside down house & blast scenes of the 02-current one) they were infact not. Check out Dale Walton’s comment. Hmmm. (PS: Wonder why someone would’ve told Jim Hill that lie about those figures??)
:View attachment 894201

What exactly proves some of the animatronics in current Figment aren't from the original? Did anyone claim they aren't?

 

[jah4955]

Very interesting. Last we had heard from @marni1971 I think he said that anything related to the Imagination Pavilion was quite a few years down the road.

Here we are quite a few years down the road.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

What exactly proves some of the animatronics in current Figment aren't from the original? Did anyone claim they aren't?

Compare them to figures from the original via looking at photos and comparing videos. You can tell they’re not the same sculpts.

 

[Tha Realest]

I was reflecting on this yesterday. For a few years, not only was Roger Rabbit, by far, the most popular "Disney" character, I can easily argue that he was, for a sliver of time, just a sliver less of the mascot of Disney than Mickey Mouse.

A few quick examples from my firsthand observations at the time.... b/c...it's Thanksgiving & I gtg :

1. on the cover of many Disney guides (especially MGM)
2. heavily inserted into mid/late 80s Wonderful World of Disney opening.
3. costumed (& animated) RR right there by "Fab 5" in videos/shows/TV specials/etc
4. work that was about to start on RR land at MGM (& RR (& His Toontown) becoming central at Disneyland's Toontown

My point is to add extra agreement that to a degree "Honey" was riding Roger's coattails.

That’s because Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Is a better than any media showcasing and featuring MM.