Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
Oops. My mistake.
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John Lasseter Visits Imagination Pavilion
- Thread starter DocMcHulk
- Start date
Oops. My mistake.
If I recall, Kodak owned the copyright to the image of Dreamfinder. I'm not sure about now given their finances.
FrankLapidus
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that but there's the incentive to update the ride and bring it into the 21st century. With Dreamfinder, those things are a part of the character so there's not much room there to change the character too much without turning him into something different to what he was. People don't have a clue who he is because Disney completely did away with him when they turned the ride into the mess it is now but again there's a solution to that: put him back into the ride, put him on more merchandise with Figment, have him return as a M&G character who strolls around the area with Figment, promote the two as the original mascots of Epcot and representative of what the park was intended to be about.
That viewpoint is fine but personally I would rather a return to what the ride once was. It would be amazing for Tony Baxter to come back and sort out the mess that the attraction he helped to create has become but it seems he is sticking to projects at Disneyland. The film could be a solution, it's still a few years away yet so there's no way to say just yet, but I would prefer to see them return Figment and Dreamfinder as part of an updated Imagination that is of the quality of the ride we remember.
Like I said Disney can change that by promoting Figment as the original mascot of the park and doing everything they can to draw attention to him. As far as I can tell Figment remains a popular character; every year at Epcot I see people walking around wearing Figment t-shirts and kids with Figment plush toys. This year there were quite a lot of people wearing Figment "Mickey" hats. He has the appeal to sell merchandise, he just needs to be utilised better by Disney; when the park opens, have Dreamfinder and Figment greeting guests as they enter Epcot. Put him on the front of the guide map. If he is Epcot's mascot then treat him as such.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
I don't know the specifics of why Dreamfinder was cut from the ride, but I am guessing it is because he dress/appearance is kind of dated, and he was a sort of generic character, IMHO. I doubt that they would bring Dreamfinder back, after having made this decision. And if they did, the ride/character is a little too dated/generic for my tastes, I mean the old ride had "dream portals" and all sort of vague things, it is kind of nice having a movie tie-in as the details would make more sense in a Pixar Imagination ride based on "Untitled Pixar film about thoughts inside a girl's mind" as they could put in cute homages/characters from the film.
Doesn't mean that they can have more of a "lavish"/detailed ride for the Imagination pavilion, whatever the next incarnation of the ride is based on.
Figment is more near and dear to my heart than Dreamfinder, and I assume that most people feel this way. But will he survive a remake of the ride based on the Pixar film? Should he get more than a quick cameo?
As much as I love figment, I think that a new Imagination ride based on the "Untitled Pixar film about thoughts inside a girl's mind" would be a lot more interesting than a ride that's strongest point has always been the song.
Not sure how much Figment merchandise they sell at Epcot, but I'm guessing they would sell more stuff based on Pixar films that have firmly established characters.
jdmdisney99
Well-Known Member
How 'bout they just make a ride with the movie's characters and they have a void imagination so the Dreamfinder and Figment come to the rescue. 
jdmdisney99
Well-Known Member
via Stitch Kingdom on Facebook:
"paperwork filed by @WaltDisneyWorld for construction on Imagination Pavillion."
"paperwork filed by @WaltDisneyWorld for construction on Imagination Pavillion."
FrankLapidus
Well-Known Member
It sounds like you're jumping the gun a little; at this point there's no suggestion at all that Imagination will receive an overlay themed to this film, it's all just speculation in this thread. But in answer to your question I think the ride should remain with Figment as the central character with the Dreamfinder also returned. If all he has is a cameo then people will forget about him and that shouldn't happen.
But you don't know anything about the film yet besides the concept so how can you come to that conclusion? It just seems a little premature to make such a statement when the film is still around three years away from release. There was a lot more to Imagination than the theme, if there wasn't then the ride wouldn't have remained as popular with those who remember it as it once was.
Maybe this attitude is more realistic and in line with TWDC's than my own but I just don't agree with it. Figment merchandise sells at Epcot and it would sell more if he was publicised and promoted more by the company and an ideal way to do that would be to restore him as the park's mascot and improve the attraction that he is central to. Removing Figment shouldn't even be a consideration in my mind, he belongs at Imagination and should stay there.
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
I wonder if there is a connection with John Lasseter visting Imagination Pavilion and paperwork filed by Walt Disney World for Construction on Imagination Pavilion.
JEANYLASER
Well-Known Member
where you get some info! I want to see it?
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
And look at the unity of style and vision! Blues and purple, the colours of Dreamfinder and Figment. Decorating the exterior. And the Imageworks. But also the Dreamcatcher balloon:
And the hopping fountains:
And speaking of unity of style and vision, notice how the fountain sculpture here is a crystalline structure. A natural from, like everything else in FW West. To which Imagination ties in perfectly.
The sculpture is not the current pyramidal shape. Because Imagination does not have two pyramids on top. Those two things are not two pyramids with the tops sliced off. They are two crystals. Like the movie theater, and the fountain, and everything else in Imagination.
That is, naturally grown shapes. Pyramids are geometrical forms, these are deployed in FW East. FW West by contrast has natural forms, shells and waves in The Living Seas area, plants and subterranean material in the Land area, and crystals and diamonds near Imagination.
The current pyramidal 'art' atop the fountain does not echo the pavilion's form. Rather it dissonates with it. Dissonates with all of FW West, a buffoonish presence, much like the wand in the background. Clueless Epcot:
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
I respect that opinion in that everybody is entitled to an opinion. If I had a choice between a new Imagination ride based on Pixar's upcoming film (without Figment/Dreamfinder), and the old ride, I would choose the new ride as I like new experiences. I wouldn't want to see the Dreamfinder come back, I would like to see Figment used in a ride, but given a "Sophie's choice", I want a new ride with all new characters based on the upcoming PIxar film.
JL visited the Imagination Pavilion, paperwork filed for construction. Beyond that, we don't know much. But as the new Pixar film will involve the life of thoughts (emotions?) inside a girl's head, it is not unreasonable to assume that one thought would be imaginative, or maybe pure imagination.
Who is Dreamfinder? I don't know, he seems a little "out there." And sort of generic, like a mix between Willy Wonka and Captain Kangaroo. I doubt he is coming back, sorry to say. Who is Figment? A figment of our imagination, yes, but beyond that he doesn't really seem to have a backstory. I'd rather have characters I can relate to, versus these relatively unknown characters singing the same old song.
I agree that Figment belongs at Imagination . . . because that is the only place he really "exists." No movies, no television show, just a ride. I got a soft spot for the guy, but while Disney could promote Figment, (a fictional creation created to promote Epcot), there wouldn't that much of an upside besides selling a relatively small amount of merch at Epcot. When TDA promotes the Cars characters they will get a payback because Cars 3 will come out and Cars merchandise is sold in stores around the country. I don't think Figment sells that well outside of Epcot.
FigmentJedi
Well-Known Member
Ladies and gentlemen, this is why we can't have original characters in the theme parks anymore
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
Exactly! As a child, I didn't need an elaborate backstory or built in movie tie in to figure out Dreamfinder. I could use my.... Imaaaaaaginaaation
That provided me all I needed to know and more about him.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
I love the Country Bears (at least the old show, and the Christmas and Vacation Shows), you had enough time to get to know all of the characters, and at the end of the show they felt like family. Mostly Dreamfinder just sung the song, and Figment was sort of used as a visual point of interest for the abstract scenes.
I kinda don't want to know what Dreamfinder does in his spare time, besides flying his contraption around and giving people tours of the "dream portal" or whatever. Figment is cure and lovable, but if given the choice of having lunch with the Country Bears or Dreamfinder/Figment, I would obviously go with the bears.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
Really? I didn't really make a sentimental attachment to DreamFinder as I did the country bears, or even to the birds in the Tiki room as the ride seemed to be much less character driven, and more about the songs and elaborate scenes.
"I am the Dreamfinder . . ." What sort of name is that? Why couldn't he be "Fred" Dreamfinder instead of "the Dreamfinder". It all seemed so generic and contrived just for the ride, IMHO.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Well no one knew who he was before the attraction opened either.. and it worked just fine.
See back then, yes you could learn something from riding a Disney attraction.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
A lot of attractions haven't changed much since opening day, . . . the Journey into Imagination isn't one of them. Dreamfinder isn't a part of this attraction anymore, sorry to say.
flynnibus
Premium Member
and this relates how?
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
?? They removed the Dreamfinder, i.e. he didn't stand the test of time. I actually like the new Imagination ride a little bit better than the older one which was a bit too psychedelic for my tastes.