I first visited Universal in 2011 at the ripe old age of 31. The one thing that struck me was how dated Studios felt, or rather more precisely, how out of time the whole place was e.g. Men in Black (it had been nine years since the last movie), Beetlejuice (1988), Twister (1996), The Mummy (a franchise long spent), Terminator 2 3d (any time I see that movie I'm instantly transported to a weird discussion I had in school when it came out). Simpsons of course still popular, but its height was at the very least over a decade ago. Jaws and E.T. kinda (maybe unfairly) got a pass because they are absolute classics movies.
It just felt slight off. I accept that this is the nature of the beast. Without a working studio a park like Studios has an almost impossible task of referencing the movies and staying thematically relevant. And don't take this as a knock against Universal, what they're doing at the moment in terms of investment and upkeep is incredible. I just dislike the notion that everything has to be linked to an outside IP and I find it frustrating that Disney has taken to using the same shortcuts; especially when they have a history of stand alone attractions. Which do you think would stand the test of time: Beastly Kingdom or Avatar Land?
Beastly Kingdom for sure, because of the timeless formula I mentioned. I am looking forward to the avatar land (I still want to be a blue alien
) but I wont let that cloud the fact that It's extended future is based upon wether Avatar becomes a classic or not. It really was big, and It could be the star wars of today, but we may just be looking at it through a distorted early 2000s viewpoint. However if they had gone with Beastly, it would be stuffed with originality and possibly that old disney flare they had in the 50s-80s.
Universal keeps putting in more simpsons stuff, and I keep finding ways not to care because I never liked the show. The same would go for P and F there such a non-presence in my life and possibly even a source of annoyance that I couldn't bare to look at the pavilion anymore lol. One look at the concept art seeing Figment's former jumping fountains stuffed up with lame 2000s kiddie show stuff and I must admit I literally felt ill. Neither me or my sister find the show interesting.
Anywho, What P and F will be like the Beetlejuice and all that other stuff in Universal, give it 5 or so years and no one will have heard about it. Like I said could you imagine a Bonkers the Bobcat ride still around? or Goof Troop? I bet half the people here under the age of 20 don't know what those shows even are. Its a shortsighted move which will bite them in the tush for sure.
Sometimes I wonder if their pulling a Producers like scheme on the Imagination Pavillion. How can we just make it worse and worse? I know we'll anger Dreamfinder fans even more by making it a ride based on a Disney Channel show! Something they probably don't even watch! muhahahaha!! lol ok I just needed a laugh.
That would be a weird coincidence if they did do it though. My favorite rides at Disney (original Imagination) and universal (Back to the Future) being replaced by tv shows I hate lol. Its like they get together and say how will we annoy her today?
But I do think were blowing this all way out of proportion. So far all I've seen is this artwork.
http://www.wdwthemeparks.com/rumors/2013/03/27/imagination-pavilion-changes# (bottom of the page) If you look at it its only a proposal, and it seems to be confined just to the old Kodak Shop. (notice the waiting area for EO on the far right.) As ugly as that area looks in the artwork, and as much of a desecration to my childhood it is, I'd be ok if it was just there, and then they just made the Imagination ride with Fig and Df and reopened Imageworks. That way I can just ignore this and walk right into the building instead. I wouldn't like it if they were in imageworks though because In my mind I automatically associate P and F with very little child-preteen boys and since I am neither of those things I just respond the same way I would if I saw bob the builder. If the Imageworks was like how it was before I'd instantly go back in and do all that stuff again because it wasnt just for kids it was an expirience, not some rinky arcade fit for chuck e cheese like it is now. The first year it was open as the Your imagination ride, I thought I could get over the loss by going to my old fav image works things. We took a look around the new imageworks sighed, my mom told me this looks babyish, and we just left. That was the last time I was ever in there for more than five seconds.
I really struggle with the Figment attraction, I just don't get it (I obviously lack imagination!) There's an awful lot of space taken up by the ride that I feel could be better used for something else (with or without figment) Just imagine how a major crowd puller could help control the masses across the rest of the park, hey if they got it right they could even abandon the supposedly crowd controlling FP+... yes, that last bit wasn't serious.
My only worry about replacing it with P&F is that the ride won't really be re-imagined and it'll be done 'on the cheap'. They'll just replace Eric Idle with the DR from P&F and swap Figment for Phineas and Ferb. I reckon they sort of fit the story already, so we'll be left with the same poor attraction but with more modern characters.
Oh I am certain that if this would come to fruition (and I doubt It will), That is exactly what they will do. It'll be just a "slap a brand name on something and hope people like it" type of thing. Just like the seas with Nemo. Oh look see nemo see him on the screen ok rides over bye! I could see Doof coming on the screen at the begining babbling some typical Inator stuff and then you move on to that ironically dark area that used to be filled with pretty flowers and carousels and lakes and rainbows, where you see some boring looking contraptions, then P and F mess everything up or something or Agent P or something like that and they appear on the same things that Figment did, and then at the end P and F invented.....An upsidown HOUSE!!
oh god I can just see some overpayed guy reading this and going err uhh wait they won't like that? oh......
I don't get why they don't just put the stupid dreamfinder back in already. Its sooooo easy. It'd make all the nostalgic people come back all the new people feel like the nostalgic people did when they first rode it, and they wouldn't even have to spend alot just get rid of the whole institute thing and replace it with more fanciful imagery put back in the song, or write some new ones or whatever, and just air out that loading area a bit Its so dreary I immediately thought of Dinosaur! when I got on the ride, and I think I saw a queue just like it getting a season pass photo at six flags. Most of the Imageworks is still up there just replace what doesn't work with some 21st century stuff (but No more wii mote Xbox Connect philharmonic please, I want the real thing again!) and that'd be it! If they want P and F so bad put em in the 3-D theater! I never go in there anyway, bad memories of hista! *shiver*
