Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald takes over the creative direction of Epcot

[DreamfinderFigmentFan]

I'd honestly rather have the original version of Journey Into Imagination with all new technology. So, brand new animatronics, effects, remastered soundtrack, scenes recreated with more detail, a new sound system that really gives the depth of the musical score. That's what I'd like. And The ImageWorks reopened using modern technology and maybe some new activities put in too. The Compose your Own Figment could be put upstairs

 

[imagineer boy]

Yeah, I really desperately hope Epcot goes back to the spirit of it's roots with the optomistic and inspiring vision of the future. But I'm sure some wormy marketing executive would show you a bunch of charts and give a long, boring lecture about how that's not marketable these days. But who cares? Letting marketing analysts run the show is the exact problem in the entertainment industry these days.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

The only shock to me is that Epcot actually has a creative direction that requires taking over.

 

[note2001]

I'd honestly rather have the original version of Journey Into Imagination with all new technology. So, brand new animatronics, effects, remastered soundtrack, scenes recreated with more detail, a new sound system that really gives the depth of the musical score. That's what I'd like. And The ImageWorks reopened using modern technology and maybe some new activities put in too. The Compose your Own Figment could be put upstairs

Agreed, the old Dreamfinder needs to come back, and I adored several other scenes of the old, but they have to do away with those road signs that plagued all versions of the ride. Turn those awkward back halls into an interact-with Figment bit, perhaps a design an environment, battling against other cars to have your colors/shapes/sounds blend or dominate, or working together to build virtual lego structures (on the walls around the ride track, not on a screen in the car) ... I don't know... just saying what comes to mind. Fitted technology that links displays to magic bands, they could also change it up if they were dedicated to doing so every so often.

EPCOT certainly could use more play zones for kids, but I'd hate to see the Imageworks space geared up as a kid's playground as it was before. As a kid, I loved it with my little sister, but I recall the tears of bordom in my parent's eyes. Adults of all ages need something there that can stimulate curiosity too.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I'd honestly rather have the original version of Journey Into Imagination with all new technology. So, brand new animatronics, effects, remastered soundtrack, scenes recreated with more detail, a new sound system that really gives the depth of the musical score. That's what I'd like. And The ImageWorks reopened using modern technology and maybe some new activities put in too. The Compose your Own Figment could be put upstairs

I would like to see a version inspired by the original attraction that uses LPS.

 

[Turtle]

Here's what I predict:
New Soarin'
Completely New Imagination
Ratatouille in France

 

[DreamfinderFigmentFan]

Well, I hate to say it, as much as I think it'd be cool to have a new Imagination ride. We've already seen two "new and updated* versions already. Which is whyid like the original with modern technology instead. I'd be pretty scared to see another new version after what Tom Fitzgerald's come up with the past aka : Journey Into Your Imagination and Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment. And we all know how terrible those versions are compared to the original.

 

[Turtle]

I'm actually quite scared to say the least! This is the guy that brought us Journey Into Your Imagination and Journey Into Imagination with Figment! Two of the worst redos of a ride I've ever seen! I can only hope they'll bring back the original Journey Into Imagination attraction with modern technology.

There's not any lower they can go. It's only up from there.

 

[Kman101]

I can't see them bothering with the Living Seas as much as people want it Nemo free. They should have done an actual story with the characters and not just thrown them in there. It needs to be 'fixed' but I can't personally see it being high on the list. I'd rather they update Energy, re-do Figment, replace EO, finish SE, remove the ridiculous tarps they threw up over FW, update Illuminations. Much bigger concerns.

 

[note2001]

Well, I hate to say it, as much as I think it'd be cool to have a new Imagination ride. We've already seen two "new and updated* versions already. Which is whyid like the original with modern technology instead. I'd be pretty scared to see another new version after what Tom Fitzgerald's come up with the past aka : Journey Into Your Imagination and Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment. And we all know how terrible those versions are compared to the original.

The thing is, the reason JII was updated in the first place was that it physically ate up too much energy. They re-routed the track around that giant turntable and shut it down, so the Dreamfinder segment itself has to be moved elsewhere, no matter what you do, you will not get the 1st version back. With newer technology, they can recreate the look, but perhaps not the feel of that scene, cars will not be riding along as he floats in the sky and purists will be disappointed.

 

[Kman101]

And they also rerouted GUESTS to make it appear like no one was riding it.

They can recreate it to some degree. If they want to. But I agree with note2001. The 1st version exactly as it was probably won't ever come back.

 

[DreamfinderFigmentFan]

Well

The thing is, the reason JII was updated in the first place was that it physically ate up too much energy. They re-routed the track around that giant turntable and shut it down, so the Dreamfinder segment itself has to be moved elsewhere, no matter what you do, you will not get the 1st version back. With newer technology, they can recreate the look, but perhaps not the feel of that scene, cars will not be riding along as he floats in the sky and purists will be disappointed.

cant they recreate that scene with screens or something?? Plus they didn't change it because of that. They changed because they simply wanted to modernize it to be like Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. And plus, I honestly don't see why they can't recreate that scene with modern technology. The problems the original had could be fixed with modern technology. Oh ya and also, Couldn't they just redo the building and redo the track to make it like the original? Just sayin'

 

[note2001]

Well

cant they recreate that scene with screens or something?? Plus they didn't change it because of that. They changed because they simply wanted to modernize it to be like Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. And plus, I honestly don't see why they can't recreate that scene with modern technology. The problems the original had could be fixed with modern technology. Oh ya and also, Couldn't they just redo the building and redo the track to make it like the original? Just sayin'

Modernization of a ride simply to be current is not a thing Disney does. There is always a driver behind it. In JII's case, it was an energy hog. Could that turntable be brought back to life? I have no clue, but chances are it would still require an industrial strength wind mill to power it. Allowing that in itself would be a step backwards, and not to the future and reduction of our footprint on the planet. No chance of that happening.

As I said, with screens, it can be recreated in look, but not feel. The purists, and you sound like one, would be disappointed.

 

[DreamfinderFigmentFan]

Modernization of a ride simply to be current is not a thing Disney does. There is always a driver behind it. In JII's case, it was an energy hog. Could that turntable be brought back to life? I have no clue, but chances are it would still require an industrial strength wind mill to power it. Allowing that in itself would be a step backwards, and not to the future and reduction of our footprint on the planet. No chance of that happening.

As I said, with screens, it can be recreated in look, but not feel. The purists, and you sound like one, would be disappointed.

Yup! You're right! I'm a Dreamfinder & Figment purist but I can accept some changes like technology, and small changes. It's when they change everything is when I es me off. Aka: Journey Into Your Imagination and Journey Into Imagination with Figment.

 

[aladdin2007]

Also its not as if they have to start from scratch with a new version of Imagination. They have a couple of strong proposals from a few years back that were waiting to be greenlit. So to Mr Fitz I would say get in there and choose one and dust it off and go with it already. If only it were that easy huh.

 

[aladdin2007]

The only shock to me is that Epcot actually has a creative direction that requires taking over.

Great post!!!

 

[DreamfinderFigmentFan]

Also its not as if they have to start from scratch with a new version of Imagination. They have a couple of strong proposals from a few years back that were waiting to be greenlit. So to Mr Fitz I would say get in there and choose one and dust it off and go with it already. If only it were that easy huh.

That would off the hardcore Disney fans/purists such as I and many others who miss the original. It'd be easier to recreate the original one with all new modern technology. Plus people won't be introduced to Dreamfinder & Figment properly and won't know their true spirit. Again, an all new version wouldn't be good at all without Tony Baxter being involved with the project. What'd id really like to see is the projections in the original being all remastered and restored aswell as the soundtrack, all new animatronics, and each scene being recreated with new additions to the particular scene! That'd be awesome! So it'd be keeping the pure classic elements but making it a new experience too. Especially for people who've only seen the awful current version and not the original. The places of want to see all new content would be The ImageWorks, Horizons, and the 4D film. The ride itself is a classic, it shouldn't be completely changed again.

 

[aladdin2007]

By saying they had a couple strong proposals that doesnt I mean know in what context. Last I heard it was a mix of of some orginal Imagination design and some new. So I dont see how that could make us fans, purists, whatever mad. Were never going to get the first one back, but if the next version harkens back to some of those feelings/atmosphere I would be fine with that.

If it ever does change, I think they will go in and totally change it all over again, whats there now is pretty bad. They may use the track etc, but I think the layout scenes would be all different from beginning to end. They had also considered extending the track, that would be a good thing.

 

[Omnispace]

Well

cant they recreate that scene with screens or something?? Plus they didn't change it because of that. They changed because they simply wanted to modernize it to be like Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. And plus, I honestly don't see why they can't recreate that scene with modern technology. The problems the original had could be fixed with modern technology. Oh ya and also, Couldn't they just redo the building and redo the track to make it like the original? Just sayin'

With JII they basically removed the turntable and shortened the track to create the current version. Where you now board the vehicles is where the turntable used to be. From what I understand, the turntable capture and the multi-speed aspect of the vehicles created technical difficulties throughout the lifetime of the ride. The irony of it is that Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey uses two turntables synched with the ride vehicles to create some of the scenes. The technology is there to achieve what they were so ambitious to try back in 1982. Tony Baxter has said he wanted the vehicles to have an "intelligent" quality to them that reacts to the different scenes but they just could not quite achieve it with the ride systems they had available to them. Now they can do it and perhaps even more.

 

[aladdin2007]

With JII they basically removed the turntable and shortened the track to create the current version. Where you now board the vehicles is where the turntable used to be. From what I understand, the turntable capture and the multi-speed aspect of the vehicles created technical difficulties throughout the lifetime of the ride. The irony of it is that Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey uses two turntables synched with the ride vehicles to create some of the scenes. The technology is there to achieve what they were so ambitious to do back in 1982. Tony Baxter has said he wanted the vehicles to have an "intelligent" quality to them that reacts to the different scenes but they just could not quite achieve it with the ride systems they had available to them. Now that can do it and perhaps even more.

Yeah funny how we have gone backwords a little bit.,they did away with all the great tech for its time, and now that it would be even better today, they refuse to use it.