Journey into Imagination with Figment closing

[pigletto]

Whether this is a rumor or not, you'd have to believe that Disney plans to do something with the Imagination pavilion someday. You can hear crickets in the place when you enter to ride.

Yep. I love Figment. The original ride was my absolute favorite. But that pavillion needs a refurb and needs it badly. I'd love to see a better ride that still uses Figment. I would love to see some of the space not currently used being used.
It is likely a rumor. Doesn't keep me from wishing though

 

[ducky_love]

Eh, I used to love Figment but they have made such a mess of that ride that I wouldn't care. I wish they would bring the original back or just use the space for something better.

 

[dkoerner27]

Haha! I WISH they would close Stitch and put in something new. What about a cool ride about an actual scary alien (not an annoying one)? That would be novel.

I wish it was still the way it used to be. Alas, The alien encounter wasn't "Disney" enough for the MK. It would have been better suited at DHS.

 

[Katie In Wonderland]

The original wasn't "broke", but they've "fixed" it..twice. Maybe, third time's the charm? I wish DIsney, would do it right, but it seems, they've run out of magic.

I saw a video (I believe it was Martin Smith's) that talked about the history of the ride. The "Flight of Imagination" set was a giant turntable, not unlike one used in a theater, and the cars kept slipping and it would break down. Part of it's still there apparently but damaged, I heard. Alas, Disney decided to "make it better" and did the first rehab. People had their voices heard and we got the current one. I think you're right, Disney should do this right and maybe,for this ride at least, maybe they're running a little out of pixie dust But since Tink and her friends are in Epcot right now, maybe they could share some. Here's hoping for a better ride, closer to the original hopefully, and the comeback of the upstairs

Oh and about two years ago, my cousins and I were getting in our car at Imagination and we were talking about how we liked the no wait but the attraction was just okay but we love Figment. The guy closing the doors (why doesn't Disney have automatic doors on those cars?) told my cousin and I Imagination was going to get re-imagined along with Star Tours (this was quite a bit before they announced it was happening). We felt SO cool because we knew that I was starting to believe it was just something he told us, leading us on but I'm glad to see other people have now heard of it.

 

[starrysky]

I just hope that this turns out to be the CM's own figment of imagination.

I hope that if they do refurb it again it will turn out to be as magical as the original version was. And given all the developements in motion caputre etc in video games (kinect and the wii etc) that they can do some really cool things with the upstairs area.

 

[salabencher]

Hey guys,

Like I say, we live 5 mins from Epcot and go 2-3 times a week. I doubt they will just close the pavilion completely like they did with the wonders of life. Its a great building, but has been hardly used for so long.

My kids are 3,6 and 12. They all hate captain EO, say it looks cheap. I agree it does and they need to refurb it with a state of the art movie. The upper floor is just closed off, and the Figment ride doesn't seem to have a point to the whole ride. The ride is ok, but the entire portion where you go into Figments house upside down is pretty lame in my opinion. If the ride is only a few minutes long, every moment of it should be interesting, not just getting from point A to point B.

If this post should have been in another place, by all means move it. I was concerned when I talked with the cast member and was looking for info. I have read this board over the years but have not posted. I assure you I'm not trolling.

We are going to Epcot tonight, Ill see if i can get more info.

 

[salabencher]

Is there a sum forum for Epcot specific chatter?

 

[larryz]

But that's a tie-in with Disney characters, not with any movie.

There are segments practically lifted directly from "The Three Caballeros."

Watch it. Love it. See it in the Mexico pavillion.

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

Needs to be true. Epcot is outdated and boring in terms of rides.

I have to agree...

 

[si-am]

But that's a tie-in with Disney characters, not with any movie. So it makes the ride fun for kids and a tiny bit more entertaining for adults bored by 'that kind of thing'. In fact, Norway might take a tip from Mexico. Only a small percentage of the guests who ride through Norway stay for the movie to learn about the country.

Ugh, Norway already ruined itself by turning the restaurant into a princess meal. I don't think it needs anything else annoying.

 

[mollygirl13]

Eh, I used to love Figment but they have made such a mess of that ride that I wouldn't care. I wish they would bring the original back or just use the space for something better.

Agreed! Was just there 8 weeks ago. Sad to see what it has become. My mom and I only went in there because it was hot, we didn't want to see Captain EO and there was absolutely NO LINE.
Miss the original as well.
I quite can't understand who makes the decisions to replace the original versions of attractions and replace it with garbage.

 

[Robo]

I quite can't understand who makes the decisions to replace the original versions of attractions and replace it with garbage.

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.

 

[ModernArtist]

Has any one confirmed this with a bus driver or the guy that empties the trash cans???

Until then it is just a rumor.

Dan

 

[pezheadmeg]

Really?

Three pages (so far) on "the CM said..." info from a first-time poster?

Was waiting to see if someone beat me to the first time poster thing. Should have known it would be Robo.


But for the record, I would be heartbroken if Figment was to go. It has always been the whole family's must ride at EPCOT. I mean I wore a Figment pin to my grandfather's memorial service because I knew it would have meaning.

 

[bootc3]

Did anyone hear they are extending the monorail to the other theme parks? I think I heard this from a CM who heard it from a CM who heard it from and Imagineer!

 

[DisneyScraps]

It was so outdated. We were headed there to kill some time until the Soarin FP was due, I said skip it, it's not worth the walk!

 

[Ariel8676]

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.

Great post (as usual)...i LOVED the original, It was beautiful.. and my brother and i would keep my Grandparents upstairs for hours..lol I have so many pictures of us with the Dreamfinder and Figment...
I still ride it every trip and my kids love it..whats not to love about a cute purple dragon and a catchy tune. Not to mention no line and air conditioning..lol
I showed my kids the original version on you tube and they were amazed..my 9 yo DD said "i don't understand how this could be so much better soooooo long ago,you would think this one would be the original and the one we watched would be the new version " lol

 

[humboldthny]

Whether it's a rumor or not I certainly think JII needs to go (no refurb thanks, something brand new and relevant would be welcome), as does Captain EO. For those of us who have no nostalgia for the old ride (my childhood trips were to DL) all we know is what it is now. I think we've been on it once in 6 trips...and once was enough for Captain EO as well (altho' we were slightly entertained by what appeared to be a guest appearance by the Borg Queen from Star Trek).

It just seems a shame with all of Disney's brain power and resources that they let rides and buildings just languish, especially those in Epcot....

 

[goofyernmost]

It has been an interesting week on the boards. One has been running a lengthy thread concerning the "alleged" sale of the Disney Parks to an outside party. One mention has been an Arab Prince and the other being China itself. Anyway, everyone there is pretty convinced that it is a done deal.

Another is the reduction in service of the monorails and how it is just the forerunner of the complete elimination of the entire fleet...relying on buses and boats for all transportation. Everyone there is convinced that this is a done deal.

And now JII is closing. What will there be left to do at WDW. Will we just arrive at the parking lots, pay our $14.00 to park, board a tram and travel the complete circumference of the parking lot only to be returned to our cars where happy waving mechanical (broken) CM's will wave Bye Bye and say have a Magical Day.

It's almost funny. Not that some of that couldn't happen but the degree of excitement generated is usually reserved for events such as World War III. Hopefully everyone next week will have come down from the 4th of July holiday week and function on a more "calm" level.

Oh, yea. Robo great post and history lesson there. It's too bad it doesn't seem possible for people to learn from past mistakes.

 

[Jabba20000]

I know the ride is a bit outdated but my family would miss it. It isn't EPCOT without Figment.