Figment - What happened to this ride?

[mslhb]

I haven't been to DW in 20 years. The figment ride used to be a lot different right. I remember it being cheesy but the whole ride layout seemed different. Wasn't there a catchy song? My DD LOVES dragons so figment so far has been her favorite ride. Went on it twice yesterday. We are back to EPCOT again today and I see a lot more rides on it!!!

 

[Robo]

I haven't been to DW in 20 years.

5- The figment ride used to be a lot different right. What happened to this ride?


1- I remember it being cheesy but

2- the whole ride layout seemed different.

3- Wasn't there a catchy song?

4- My DD LOVES dragons so figment so far has been her favorite ride. Went on it twice yesterday. We are back to EPCOT again today and I see a lot more rides on it!!!

1- "Cheezy" in in the eye of the beholder. (And, I would not apply that to the original Journey into Imagination, myself.)

2- It is, mostly.

3- Yes. That song is still sung on the current version if the attraction.

4- Figment used to Meet & Greet with guests. (No longer, however.)

5- Here's some background-

Kodak, the original "Journey Into Imagination" attraction's corporate sponsor since the opening of Epcot, had an agreement with Disney that stated the attraction must be "updated" for the year 2000.

Little did anyone know that the "creative minds" in WDImagineering would not be nearly as creative in 1998 as they had been in 1980!

The new "Journey Into Your Imagination" ride was one of the biggest disappointments in the history of Disney parks. There was NOTHING left of what had made the original ride such a major crowd pleaser (and that also meant that there was no Figment in that version!)

So, they finally "re-did the re-do" and you now still see the result:
"Journey Into Imagination With Figment."
Its "cute," (and, obviously, Figment is back) but the current ride is nothing but a far too short, sliver of the amazing first version of the ride.

In the grand scheme of these kind of things, re-designing the original ride was a colossal blunder.

There's a saying that goes, "Do you want to trade the devil you KNOW for the devil you DON'T know?"
(Meaning that if you don't like your situation NOW, how do you know that you won't move into a WORSE one by making a change?)

I'll paraphase it in the case of "Imagination" to say to Kodak/Disney...
"Do you want to trade the ANGEL you KNOW for the POSSIBLE devil you DON'T know?"

The original version of this ride is my all-time favorite attraction at Epcot.

It was so RICH in details that I'm sure that I never saw "everything" in it, even after literally dozens of ride-throughs.

The scenes were diverse and always surprising.
The musical arrangements were complex and interesting.
The characters were engaging.

There was even a "ride photo" that displayed as you rode along near the end.
What a tragedy that this was "lost" in an untimely and entirely AVOIDABLE set of missteps.

I'll assume that there was an entire CHAIN of memos and meetings where warnings of
looming problems were ignored (or not spoken strongly enough.)

I have seen so many majorly ill-advised corporate decisions made in all kinds of companies.

So sad that in a "vast bastion of creativity" like Disney, could they make such an unfortunate move
as to lose the original artistic creation that was the first version of Journey Into IMAGINATION.

 

[ttintagel]

Yeah, there have been major changes there since the late 1990's. The original ride was gutted and drastically re-imagined.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

We had somehow never ridden the Figment ride until our August trip and my boys LOVED it!!! We were easily in the double-digits of rides in our two days at Epcot. Anytime we asked them what they wanted to do, that was it. I'm so glad that we finally tried it out, and that I didn't let the many negative comments I'd seen here on the DIS keep us off of it. Glad your DD liked it too!

 

[browniemtb]

I vaguely remember the old ride as a kid.....but just saying to myself this is different. But my kids love the current ride as well, though they don't know any different. They especially like the skunk smell.

 

[ttintagel]

This video goes into the changes that were made in 1999 and 2002: http://vimeo.com/5777117

 

[Markstudy]

This has happened twice in Disney's history

The original Journey into Imagination was a- "10"
It was replaced by a smaller ride designed to save money and is now a- "5"

The same thing happened with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- "10"
It was replaced by a park and some pavement for stroller parking- "3"

Both rides were deemed too expensive to operate, and cost cutting seems to be the motivation, instead of Walt's original passion for creativity (and damn what the Bankers and Accountants think).

 

[joefeyas]

The same thing happened with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- "10"
It was replaced by a park and some pavement for stroller parking- "3"

Its now ariel's grotto or atleast in the expansion area....so it could go back up to a 10.

 

[Disneyof3]

Where in Epcot is this ride? Is it still open? Never been on this ride?

 

[CaliKT]

When I visited WDW for the first time in 1987 as a kid, Journey into Imagination was my favorite ride. I was sorely disappointed by the current iteration. Quite frankly, I think it stinks (and not just because of the skunk).

It's not just me who thinks so. Imagineer Tony Baxter has said that he doesn't think the ride works anymore.

 

[ghtx]

My 5-year-old son was really peeved that it was built up that you were going to all five sense labs, but you only got to do three (I think you skip taste and touch). He was angry about that.

Also, there's a whole floor of the pavilion filled with cool stuff (like the electro-tunnel) that's closed, and has been closed for at least a decade (we saw it on our behind-the-scenes tour of Future World 7 years ago).

 

[mousermerf]

Note: Same designer did the original Test Track and first revamp of Imagination.

 

[GeorgiaDawg7]

There was a lot that went into the closing of 20k, I have always heard that it was very hard to keep the pool clean, and the subs were starting to go downhill a bit. I also think the large crowd lines weren't necessarily because of the attractions popularity but inability to move people on and off the ride in a quick way.

This has happened twice in Disney's history

The original Journey into Imagination was a- "10"
It was replaced by a smaller ride designed to save money and is now a- "5"

The same thing happened with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- "10"
It was replaced by a park and some pavement for stroller parking- "3"

Both rides were deemed too expensive to operate, and cost cutting seems to be the motivation, instead of Walt's original passion for creativity (and damn what the Bankers and Accountants think).

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1- "Cheezy" in in the eye of the beholder. (And, I would not apply that to the original Journey into Imagination, myself.)

1) Alas, correct.
2) And, yes they did try to "fix" it.
3) But, they were severely hampered.
4) A lot of the original parts were removed, destroyed or used elsewhere
. . . track
. . . switch mechanisms
. . . scenes
5) And, as Robo said, the WORST "decision" ever made at WDW.
6) Or, even whole-Disney-wide.
7) Even worse then keeping Eisner for 10-yrs too long !!!

 

[mslhb]

This video goes into the changes that were made in 1999 and 2002: http://vimeo.com/5777117

Thanks for the link! Wow that ride really changed! I totally miss how open the line and loading area used to be. And I remember that circular part of the ride being great. Such a shame to see what it is now. I still love EPCOT but really bummed that this ride is so different... And that Horizons is gone.. I was so bummed when I heard that. The new Figment was still my DD's favorite ride of our trip though. So I am happy she is making memories of stuff she can be nostalgic about in another 20-30 years!

 

[quietgirll]

This video goes into the changes that were made in 1999 and 2002: http://vimeo.com/5777117

Thank you so much for that link!! I absolutely loved it, one of the best things I've ever seen on the Internet! Thank you again!

 

[Magpie]

It's my 16yo daughter's favourite ride, and the only ride she specifically asked to do on our visit last year.

Go figure! But we all enjoy singing along, and there's never a line, so no one minds getting on the ride with her.

 

[SueM in MN]

A group called Friends of Figment, which DIS poster Cheshire Figment is part of, was instrumental in getting Figment added back into the ride.

I miss the original. It was truly original, educational and fascinating.

 

[mad madam mim78]

When I visited WDW for the first time in 1987 as a kid, Journey into Imagination was my favorite ride. I was sorely disappointed by the current iteration. Quite frankly, I think it stinks (and not just because of the skunk).

It's not just me who thinks so. Imagineer Tony Baxter has said that he doesn't think the ride works anymore.

I wish I could have ridden it.

 

[mad madam mim78]

My 5-year-old son was really peeved that it was built up that you were going to all five sense labs, but you only got to do three (I think you skip taste and touch). He was angry about that.

Also, there's a whole floor of the pavilion filled with cool stuff (like the electro-tunnel) that's closed, and has been closed for at least a decade (we saw it on our behind-the-scenes tour of Future World 7 years ago).

I also am disappointed that we take a detour at the touch and taste labs. I try to imagine how they would accomplish the taste lab and the only thing I come up with is they throw cream pies and rotten fruit into our open mouths.