EPCOT Figment, well, to be replaced by Figment

[Haymarket2008]

Here’s something fun! This is officially the second time Figment has been animated using CGI since 2002 in this new commercial!

skip to 1:11

And you can hear that it is Billy Barty!

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

And you can hear that it is Billy Barty!

Yep! Even if that's an original sound clip from the original attraction, it makes you wonder whether Disney is really that resentful towards the Goelz version, since the Goelz Figment is associated with the current attraction. To me it's pretty obvious that Disney isn't proud of Imagination's current state. Whatever is to come, considering Figment is going to be involved in a VR project, whatever it may be, it looks a bit promising for the little dragon's future. I mean, if they're really going to leave Figment out of any future redo, they'll be shooting themselves in the foot, and it'll be a repeat of 1999 all over again. Merch sales will tank, and the character will fall into obscurity. It would be a pathetic business decision, and they'd end up facing somewhat of a PR nightmare.

 

[The Rocketeer]

If they ever did do Figment right by throwing us a bone and redoing the original JII with new effects I'd forgive the rest of the changes that have happened in the overhaul.

 

[Giss Neric]

Figment is killing it these days. A cameo in a car commercial and his very own shampoo commercial.

 

[wbostic12]

Disney should have realized by now that with all the positive reaction to EPCOT Center tributes, the people want the classics. If they are going to use Figment as a way to promote the park, they need to make the attraction he is in comparable to the old to continue its nostalgia. I bet the reason most people like Figment isn't because of him and Nigel Channing, it's because of him and Dreamfinder.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Disney should have realized by now that with all the positive reaction to EPCOT Center tributes, the people want the classics. If they are going to use Figment as a way to promote the park, they need to make the attraction he is in comparable to the old to continue its nostalgia. I bet the reason most people like Figment isn't because of him and Nigel Channing, it's because of him and Dreamfinder.

TDO is giving EPCOT Center fans the classics! Retro t-shirts, retro hats, retro-inspired posters with the new EPCOT logo on them... It's retro merchandise galore! They get it!!

Wait... that isn't what you were referring to?

 

[wbostic12]

TDO is giving EPCOT Center fans the classics! Retro t-shirts, retro hats, retro-inspired posters with the new EPCOT logo on them... It's retro merchandise galore! They get it!!

Wait... that isn't what you were referring to?

I was trying to say that the merch for the old attractions and old events are proof that if they would build them back, they would be beloved. I know that Disney tearing down Mission:SPACE for a new Horizons attraction is unlikely, but for Imagination, they didn't put tons of money into the current ride like Test Track or Mission:SPACE, so there should be no reason that a ride that is not currently a crowd pleaser shouldn't be replaced by a updated version of one that was on top of the guest satisfaction list (and I believe still would be).

Sorry I phrased that last post so ambiguously.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I was trying to say that the merch for the old attractions and old events are proof that if they would build them back, they would be beloved. I know that Disney tearing down Mission:SPACE for a new Horizons attraction is unlikely, but for Imagination, they didn't put tons of money into the current ride like Test Track or Mission:SPACE, so there should be no reason that a ride that is not currently a crowd pleaser shouldn't be replaced by a updated version of one that was on top of the guest satisfaction list (and I believe still would be).

Sorry I phrased that last post so ambiguously.

It wasn't ambiguous at all, actually. They'll never go back to those old, boring, antiquated rides that "no one ever rode", just ask some of the posters around here. People only want cheap thrills these days and are willing to pay $150/day or more for them... at least according to the guest surveys they tend to focus on.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

It wasn't ambiguous at all, actually. They'll never go back to those old, boring, antiquated rides that "no one ever rode", just ask some of the posters around here. People only want cheap thrills these days and are willing to pay $150/day or more for them... at least according to the guest surveys they tend to focus on.

Perhaps that may have been the case like 15 or so years ago. But with the Guardians coaster coming.. to me it’d seem like a better plan to have a healthy mix of both classic well themed darkrides along with themed thrill rides. I’m no analyst but I feel like lately, people have been craving those classic darkrides, even competing parks that have mainly focused on thrill in the last decade like Knott’s & Universal have realized this.

 

[wbostic12]

It wasn't ambiguous at all, actually. They'll never go back to those old, boring, antiquated rides that "no one ever rode", just ask some of the posters around here. People only want cheap thrills these days and are willing to pay $150/day or more for them... at least according to the guest surveys they tend to focus on.

I understand why they wouldn't redo any other pavilions, but Imagination has needed a facelift since JIYI and Imageworks-lite opened. They can finish up on their project of turning the entire Innoventions plaza into a field, and then work on Figment.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

I was trying to say that the merch for the old attractions and old events are proof that if they would build them back, they would be beloved. I know that Disney tearing down Mission:SPACE for a new Horizons attraction is unlikely, but for Imagination, they didn't put tons of money into the current ride like Test Track or Mission:SPACE, so there should be no reason that a ride that is not currently a crowd pleaser shouldn't be replaced by a updated version of one that was on top of the guest satisfaction list (and I believe still would be).

Sorry I phrased that last post so ambiguously.

You know something... in a what-if scenario... if a Imagination comeback was successful enough... you never know. A Horizons comeback could possibly be very likely depending on the overall guest satisfaction rating on Mission: Space. Mission: Space was fairly impressive at the time, I’ll admit. But again, with so many classic elements of the parks being drastically overhauled. I think it’d certainly be a refresher to see atleast a couple fan favorites make a return with some modern day enhancements. Particularly since those 2 are the most missed/beloved it seems, atleast from my observations. Adding that along with Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, American Adventure, and Impressions de France. That I think would give a fairly perfect balance of classics & new

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

But for now, taking Disney’s financial situation into account. Imagination would certainly be the most feasible since the original building still exists in essence, it just needs parts of it restored.. and whatever things it needed upgraded back in 83-98 could be easily done today for a decent budget I’d think.

 

[wbostic12]

But for now, taking Disney’s financial situation into account. Imagination would certainly be the most feasible since the original building still exists in essence, it just needs parts of it restored.. and whatever things it needed upgraded back in 83-98 could be easily done today for a decent budget I’d think.

If it hadn't been for Kodak...

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

If it hadn't been for Kodak...

The drastic theme change (an IP no less.. the Honey, I Shrunk franchise) & fault of not providing whatever Kodak was able to fund at that time to properly upgrade the ride (simple tech enhancements along with some minor scenic changes & possible ride elements originally planned but cut due to budget at the time of it’s original build) was ‘completely’ on Disney. Don’t kid yourself. It also didn’t help matters in that they intentionally suppressed marketing on the ride & changed signage & queue ropes around ‘94-95 or so when Honey, I Shrunk the Audience opened in order to lower attendance numbers and prove to Kodak & other higher ups that it somehow needed a theme change...

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

The drastic theme change (an IP no less.. the Honey, I Shrunk franchise) & fault of not providing whatever Kodak was able to fund at that time to properly upgrade the ride (simple tech enhancements along with some minor scenic changes and possible elements originally planned but cut due to budget at the time) was ‘completely’ on Disney. Don’t kid yourself. It also didn’t help matters in that they intentionally suppressed marketing on the ride & changed signage & queue ropes around ‘94-95 or so when Honey, I Shrunk the Audience opened in order to lower attendance numbers and prove to Kodak & other higher ups that it somehow needed a theme change...

Had the ride along with Figment & Dreamfinder continued to be marketed properly, along with Honey, I Shrunk the Audience simply using the exact same method in queing, signage, and marketing setup as Magic Journeys & Captain EO.. that never would’ve happened.

 

[wbostic12]

Had the ride along with Figment & Dreamfinder continued to be marketed properly, along with Honey, I Shrunk the Audience simply using the exact same method in queing, signage, and marketing setup as Magic Journeys & Captain EO.. that never would’ve happened.

That's very true, but I believe that HISTA was only supposed to be a placeholder, as the movie was already 5 years old at this point, and I think Disney would have (without the long-term financial philosophy change) put in a attraction that would have been better. I honestly think this was both companies fault, and was just a matter of bad timing.

My earlier comment was a little too much hyperbole and doesn't put enough blame with Disney.

 

[UNCgolf]

They are never going to rebuild Horizons or anything like it, unless there's a serious shift in the thinking of management.

They want all new attractions to be tied to Disney film/show IP.

 

[FigmentsBrightIdeas]

That's very true, but I believe that HISTA was only supposed to be a placeholder, as the movie was already 5 years old at this point, and I think Disney would have (without the long-term financial philosophy change) put in a attraction that would have been better. I honestly think this was both companies fault, and was just a matter of bad timing.

My earlier comment was a little too much hyperbole and doesn't put enough blame with Disney.

I agree.. but also, don’t blame yourself for repeating that whole “it’s all on Kodak” point. That story/blame of it being all Kodak’s fault has went around for way too long... There was certainly more to the story than simple Kodak funding issues. Funding issues don’t account for not using that budget properly and drastically changing the theme when absolutely unnecessary.

 

[ppete1975]

If it hadn't been for Kodak...

it might have been worse..... just playing devils advocate. We know how the Kodak story goes. But what if Kodak pulled out. We know how epcot and sponsorship goes. Do we get Horizons (bs on the sinkhole), or WOL. Or do we get a complete redo Energy or WOM. Figment could be gone entirely or the building even razed. As an architecture fan, someone who was there in 83 and a huge figment fan (i was 8 when i first saw him, he was cooler than mickey in my eyes) as much as what we have is a travesty and waste (the two rides after the original, no dream finder, the entire top floor and the building not being loved as it should be), part of me hopes that since we have any semblance of figment (esp with new popularity) and they building still stands.. thats theres hope. In another multiverse maybe theres a festival tent where JII was and figment is long dead.

 

[wbostic12]

it might have been worse..... just playing devils advocate. We know how the Kodak story goes. But what if Kodak pulled out. We know how epcot and sponsorship goes. Do we get Horizons (bs on the sinkhole), or WOL. Or do we get a complete redo Energy or WOM. Figment could be gone entirely or the building even razed. As an architecture fan, someone who was there in 83 and a huge figment fan (i was 8 when i first saw him, he was cooler than mickey in my eyes) as much as what we have is a travesty and waste (the two rides after the original, no dream finder, the entire top floor and the building not being loved as it should be), part of me hopes that since we have any semblance of figment (esp with new popularity) and they building still stands.. thats theres hope. In another multiverse maybe theres a festival tent where JII was and figment is long dead.

Figment was removed in the second incarnation except for a very small tribute, so there is that. But I definitely agree that the fact that the building is still a shell of its self without any crazy changes is a blessing for the pavilion's future.