ImageWorks

[Disneyrailfan1996]

Cost. Reduce the area that needed staffing, heating, cooling. Reduce the length of the original ride, the troublesome ride system sections, and there's a big open space downstairs ready to use instead.

Though some exhibits were not even a decade old the original Imageworks needed a full overhaul. Again, roll it into the whole pavilion refurb and install more modern exhibits downstairs.

There was also an ADA issue with no wheelchair escape route. As built there was an emergency refuge room for guests who couldn't walk. Plans were proposed since for an exterior ramp but its additional cost, in addition to reopening upstairs, was too much to pay. Have any DVC members taken a wheelchair upstairs to the lounge?

I'm not certain on that, I'm sure they have because they still have a working elevator, but we've probably just never seen it. The escalator is still there too behind a door in the rather nondescript orange hallway between the attraction's queue area/entrance and the gift shop and imageworks. The door is locked, but you can reach through the chain link door, push the bar in and open it, but there's actually nothing up there behind the black curtain as I found out, it's just a wall, nothing else. Guess it was a deterrent because some people kept getting up there easily to explore imageworks. Makes me now wonder: because 1) the second floor is still in use, 2) the escalator is still there, and 3) the top of the escalator is blocked off. Would it be easier or make more sense just to remove the escalator or some how put it back into service? Okay, well for the latter, we'd need TWO escalators, and I don't know where it (the second escalator is) is or, more importantly, IF there is one.

I've always wanted to go up there but fear of security stopped me. Now that the lounge is up there it may be easier. How did you manage to get back in there?

Unfortunately it isn't easier. From photos I've seen and info I've heard from CM's, it is walled off from the DVC lounge. I'm certain you can access it still, just not up the stairs and around the corner. You probably would need to access it via a restricted area or some other way. If someone had a floor plan of the pavilion, maybe you would be able to determine a way to get up to the second floor's imageworks. Just my 2 cents.

 

[marni1971]

I'm not certain on that, I'm sure they have because they still have a working elevator, but we've probably just never seen it. The escalator is still there too behind a door in the rather nondescript orange hallway between the attraction's queue area/entrance and the gift shop and imageworks. The door is locked, but you can reach through the chain link door, push the bar in and open it, but there's actually nothing up there behind the black curtain as I found out, it's just a wall, nothing else. Guess it was a deterrent because some people kept getting up there easily to explore imageworks. Makes me now wonder: because 1) the second floor is still in use, 2) the escalator is still there, and 3) the top of the escalator is blocked off. Would it be easier or make more sense just to remove the escalator or some how put it back into service? Okay, well for the latter, we'd need TWO escalators, and I don't know where it (the second escalator is) is or, more importantly, IF there is one.

Unfortunately it isn't easier. From photos I've seen and info I've heard from CM's, it is walled off from the DVC lounge. I'm certain you can access it still, just not up the stairs and around the corner. You probably would need to access it via a restricted area or some other way. If someone had a floor plan of the pavilion, maybe you would be able to determine a way to get up to the second floor's imageworks. Just my 2 cents.

Oh, I know. The elevator is still in plain sight in the middle of the spiral staircase. Still works. And is not fire proof, hence the refuge. Trust me, I know.

The down escalator is still intact too, though now ends in the Backstage storeroom for the end of ride store.

The main access to old Imageworks is now via Backstage areas. There’s one way from the DVC lounge that’s not apparent to guess.

 

[Disneyrailfan1996]

Oh, I know. The elevator is still in plain sight in the middle of the spiral staircase. Still works. And is not fire proof, hence the refuge. Trust me, I know.

The down escalator is still intact too, though now ends in the Backstage storeroom for the end of ride store.

The main access to old Imageworks is now via Backstage areas. There’s one way from the DVC lounge that’s not apparent to guess.

Really? I wonder how many people have tempted to possibly go down the escalator and see what's there only to either not do it and chicken out, get caught, or see what it is while they are not even at the bottom yet then start heading back up. I also wonder if there have ever been cast members that have access to and or are permitted to go into the storeroom that have ever gone up the escalator to see what's there (or at least have been tempted to). and since there is an apparent way to image works from the DVC lounge, someone might want to try and find out where it is, then again maybe not because of other guests and CMs who could be like "What are you doing?" immediately deterring them from there.

 

[Bender123]

Oh, I know. The elevator is still in plain sight in the middle of the spiral staircase. Still works. And is not fire proof, hence the refuge. Trust me, I know.

The down escalator is still intact too, though now ends in the Backstage storeroom for the end of ride store.

The main access to old Imageworks is now via Backstage areas. There’s one way from the DVC lounge that’s not apparent to guess.

Isnt the down escalator just enclosed in a cage now? I never paid much attention to it, but I recall it catching my glance from time to time near the exit from the shop...

 

[marni1971]

Really? I wonder how many people have tempted to possibly go down the escalator and see what's there only to either not do it and chicken out, get caught, or see what it is while they are not even at the bottom yet then start heading back up. I also wonder if there have ever been cast members that have access to and or are permitted to go into the storeroom that have ever gone up the escalator to see what's there (or at least have been tempted to). and since there is an apparent way to image works from the DVC lounge, someone might want to try and find out where it is, then again maybe not because of other guests and CMs who could be like "What are you doing?" immediately deterring them from there.

As it stands now both escalators are inaccessible from the lounge. They are boxed over. And from below the old up escalator is inaccessible due to the cage you mentioned that’s been recently fortified. Even if you could access either escalator from below, the coverings in the lounge wouldn’t allow access to the lounge.

Don’t try and get from the lounge to Imageworks. Even if you knew where it was it is access controlled.

 

[marni1971]

Isnt the down escalator just enclosed in a cage now? I never paid much attention to it, but I recall it catching my glance from time to time near the exit from the shop...

Yep.

 

[Disneyrailfan1996]

As it stands now both escalators are inaccessible from the lounge. And from below the old up escalator is inaccessible due to the cage you mentioned that’s been recently fortified. Even if you could access either escalator the coverings in the lounge wouldn’t allow access to the lounge.

Don’t try and get from the lounge to Imageworks. Even if you knew where it was it is access controlled.

It makes sense that they would do this. I think too many people kept sneaking up there unnoticed (and leaving too, maybe), and or got off easy when confronted, so Disney finally had to do something to put a stop to it because while yes it is abandoned, it is off limits and guests are really not permitted to go there. Back to one of my original questions, I wonder if, before it was boarded up and after being abandoned, there were guests who got upstairs that were curious as to what was at the landing of the down escalator and either didn't do it or went at least part way down. Similarly I wonder if in that same time frame (after image works closed and before the escalators were boarded up), there were ever cast members that wondered what was at the top of the down escalator, tried to go up there, and or successfully made it up there. We may never know. For now though, let's hope for the best for the upper floor. Maybe one day Disney will have enough money and possibly put a dream finder character greeting up there (then again, that might require the removal of the DVC lounge) or maybe put something else of sorts up there like lets say maybe a motion simulator where you could build your own coaster. This now brings me to my next question: if Disney had the money and time, which do you think they would do first? Try to put Journey into Imagination back into its original configuration given that they could fix the troublesome ride sections and other issues or would they try to fix up or re-do the upstairs image works given that they would be able to solve most if not all of the problems that plagued it originally (no escape route for wheelchairs, etc.)?
Bender123, that escalator you mentioned near the exit to the shop is the up escalator I think. either way, both are caged and boarded up with (at least for the one near the shop exit) a black curtain near the top to hide the board. Honestly, I find it weird that there's a black curtain there when all it is is just the back of a board, but I guess it makes sense as it isn't too pretty, so the curtain helps to provide a nicer look and may allow others use their imagination for what is behind it. Maybe young kids could think it's figment sleeping, or something else. Or at least that explanation is my idea. But alas, I ramble.

 

[castlecake2.0]

In 2008 we had training for Food and Wine up there. It looked just like the photos on the first page. I remember seeing the paint room, they had tables set up with cash registers for us to train on. I remember going down the light tunnel, some of the lights were still on but just the red ones. The tunnel ended at a construction wall with a padlock. Super creepy. The music was still playing as well. To get up there we just took a “cast member only “ door that would be very easy for a guest to get to. It’s inviously all changed now for the lounge but it was interesting to see the ghost of its former self. We also did some training in wonders of life backstage, I’m assuming an old corporate lounge? It was a big room with a circus scene painted on the wall. Also very creepy!

 

[AJDMB05]

Has anything changed since this thread was opened a year ago, until now? I wasn't expecting to see this get bumped. I know when the DVC lounge first opened up you could see the remnants of what's left through what looked like an A/C vent. I had my family (friends of DVC people) check it out a couple months ago and it seems like they've redone that vent and it's completely blocked off, no view into the old room anymore. Upon further review, the tunnel was already ripped out in June 2016 but the "Sensor" sign above it was still there.

...I know it's not coming back, but I find things like this absolutely fascinating to no end.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

So sad. Such beautiful buildings with absolutely nothing worthwhile inside these days. I guess that's where the "Imagination!" part comes in...

 

[wreckingduty]

I was last at the DVC Lounge on May 27, 2017, so I don't know if it has changed since then, but I found a different vent close to the ground. When I sat down in front of it and looked up, I could see part of Figment's Coloring Book.

I took a handful of pictures, I've attached the ones I thought were the best, including one of the vent itself.

 

[NiarrNDisney]

I was last at the DVC Lounge on May 27, 2017, so I don't know if it has changed since then, but I found a different vent close to the ground. When I sat down in front of it and looked up, I could see part of Figment's Coloring Book.

I took a handful of pictures, I've attached the ones I thought were the best, including one of the vent itself.

Well thats just sad

 

[Corgi]

I find it interesting they leave lights on in the abandoned part and don’t just leave it blacked out.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

I find it interesting they leave lights on in the abandoned part and don’t just leave it blacked out.

Yeah, cast still uses the space from time to time from what I know. From the pictures that have been leaked, you can tell that there are some DVC things that are held for storage up there, so I would imagine maybe cast goes there to grab stuff for DVC? Spare chairs if one breaks, same with lamps. Maybe the snack cart is stored there when not in use? There's gotta be good reason for leaving it on, not to mention the safety of any idiot who goes back through there. Imagine someone going back there with it being pitch black, and then tripping over something, it could be bad for Disney

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

The brushes went a few years ago. One to a private collector, the rest to the archive.

Didn't realize they gutted the light tunnel, a few years back for some odd reason some of the light would turn on in it, isn't that correct?

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

Didn't realize they gutted the light tunnel, a few years back for some odd reason some of the light would turn on in it, isn't that correct?

Tunnel was off for many, many years before it was removed. But yeah, sometimes in the 2000s a few tubes would light up from what I know

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Tunnel was off for many, many years before it was removed. But yeah, sometimes in the 2000s a few tubes would light up from what I know

When I was a kid all I cared about at that place was Image Works along with the rest of the pavilion including outside Sega Arcade and Illuminations.