What is the history of Figment and Journey Into Imagination?

[Hakunamatata]

It was an amazing attraction back from a time when amazing things could be created not tied to an intellectual property in existence but created to become something that could on its own.

 

[montyz81]

It was an amazing attraction back from a time when amazing things could be created not tied to an intellectual property in existence but created to become something that could on its own.

If it can’t be tied to a movie, it does not become a ride. The last pioneer of rides with their own story line just announced his retirement. Sad times indeed for the Parks. Even SSE will eventually see IP. That is the main reason why there will be a statue of Walt behind SSE. Tie int story telling so IP can be infused. This is all my opinion of course.

 

[peter11435]

The last pioneer of rides with their own story line just announced his retirement.

That’s not really true at all. Lack of original story lines for attractions is not an imagineer issue.

 

[DisneyGentlemanV2.0]

Don’t forget Yesterworld’s video for part 2 in the collaboration! These were the videos that helped bring me in to understand what happened.



Definitely check out Martin’s videos if you want to go as in-depth as possible.

Quick summary to start:

Journey Into Imagination opened as an elaborate dark ride that was beloved and introduced Figment and the Dreamfinder who became the unofficial mascots of EPCOT Center.

Disney wanted Kodak to put up more money to update the ride if they wanted to keep their sponsorship contract, but Kodak didn’t have much to spare. Combine this with egos at WDI and issues during construction led to a serious decline in quality on the attractions at the Imagination Pavilion with essentially the full removal of Figment and the Dreamfinder, characters that were beloved by guests.

The new ride was a cheap carnival ride that cut everything that made the original special and guests complained regularly. After 2 years, the ride closed to bring some of the joy back into the ride, but with this happening just after 9/11, budgets were again slashed. WDI cheaply as possible tried to make it better and at least brought Figment back, but it’s nowhere near what the original was. Definitely watch a ride-through of the original and you’ll see that this ride was on par with Disney classics like The Haunted Mansion.

The current ride was meant to be temporary, but has outlived every incarnation of the ride in its history, and any makeover to restore it to its original glory is regularly put on the backburner.

TL;DR
To anyone who first rode in the last 30 years, ride quality seems like a figment of one's imagination.

 

[tirian]

I'd say the time slot between 1998 and 1999 was equivalent to this:
View attachment 512585

I’m laughing at your comment and crying at the loss of Horizons.