Journey into Imagination with Figment closing

[Robo]

Really?

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

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Plus Ellen's Energy Adventure.

D'oh! I can't believe I forgot that one. OK, then: 10 rides.

 

[goofyernmost]

Really?

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

I hate to be the one to point this out but your last post appears on the 7th page as well. Remember the old adage..."If your not part of the solution, you must be part of the problem."

Anyway, it's kind of fun to speculate. I seem to recall that the last time anyone messed with Figment, we got what we have now. I think I would think twice about attempting to make a change to it.

Carrying this a bit further, and remember this is just my opinion. The only part of the original Imagination ride that was really memorable was the very beginning when we met up with Dreamfinder and Figment.

I know there was a lot after that but I can honestly say that I don't remember any of it at all. I do remember thinking that it wasn't my favorite ride or even close. Me thinks that people have short memories and that once something is gone we all tend to glorify it as something that was utterly great. It was better than what we have now for sure, but, great? Not so much in my memory.

There...that ought to get the ball rolling for a few more pages, at least!

 

[jblife62442]

Ever since my first trip to WDW I have been in love with Figment. That being said, I've always wanted them to bring back the Dreamfinder (though I never rode the ride when it was the first version) and somehow have a celebration of every version that's been in the pavilion. I doubt that would be what would occur, at this point I'm just hoping they don't get rid of Figment all together. also, I'm taking my friend in less than a month who has never been, and I know she'd love figment! So it had better not be closed before we get there! (or ever for that matter.)

 

[themilesfamily]

If they refurbbed it back to the original ride -- the way it was in its first incarnation -- I would love them forever.

That was one of my Disney favorites...

 

[JenSop]

Carrying this a bit further, and remember this is just my opinion. The only part of the original Imagination ride that was really memorable was the very beginning when we met up with Dreamfinder and Figment.

I know there was a lot after that but I can honestly say that I don't remember any of it at all. I do remember thinking that it wasn't my favorite ride or even close. Me thinks that people have short memories and that once something is gone we all tend to glorify it as something that was utterly great. It was better than what we have now for sure, but, great? Not so much in my memory.

There...that ought to get the ball rolling for a few more pages, at least!

The part I remember the most from riding the original when I was a kid was the beginning and then the "Figment Room" as we used to call it. That's where you saw all the different incarnations of Figment - astronaut Figment, Renaissance Figment, artist Figment, the list goes on.

I can't emphasize enough how this was my all time favorite ride at Disney World when I was a kid - not just at Epcot, but at all of WDW! We had Figment figurines, Figment toys, Figment everything.

Considering I went almost every year for a big chunk of my early years, that original ride is very special to me.

 

[wcpamotm]

Plus Ellen's Energy Adventure

And Living With The Land.

 

[TinkBride]

I just hope it will not be another empty building in the shell of what was once FW. I can't handle another empty building.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

And Living With The Land.

Ack! 11.

Wow. I fail.

 

[jesswindsor]

I agree, I hope it's not going to be another empy building, I love Figment the Character, but didn't like the ride, it was nice that there was never a line, but I would like to see something else go in it's place.

 

[akhenaten]

At this point I will comment that it would not be very hard to reinstate the original. The turntable and original tracks were not removed. Flooring was put in over the tracks; when that is removed the original tracks will be in place and structurally sound.

Ron, who was the original walk-around Dreamfinder (for about two years) was the one who was at Destination-D in May (and interviewed in the current Orlando Attractions magazine). Steve, who was the primary walk-around Dreamfinder for 15½ years before the original ride closed currently lives in the Orlando area; although he does not currently work for Disney, he would be willing to drop his current job and return. If you remember meeting Dreamfinder, it was probably Steve.

I have a picture of Dh and I with dreamfinder (about 1986) !! LOL Loved the original ride and song!!

 

[Robo]

He asked what there was to do at Epcot once you rode "a few rides". From his perspective, not much and that's a shame because I remember a place that was quite a bit different at one time.

So, our count goes to 11 "rides" now.

What "net loss" in number of Epcot rides has there been?

They added Sum of All Thrills, which (as long as we are just counting) counters the loss of Body Wars.

And we are still not counting the amazing American Adventure...
or the major CircleVision360 and wide screen films, or IllumiNations, or the popular musical groups and other show-type attractions found there.

Times change.
And, everyday technology has caught up with many of the "futuristic" aspects of the "old" Epcot.

We can't be dazzled by cellular phones, kids using the Internet to converse world-wide, robots that build cars,
CM's who talk to guests via a video screen,
-and- let's face it... the flying car just ain't gonna be in everyone's garage.

 

[BDL]

I just really hope they are not pushing Figment aside to make room for that teddy bear that came to life premise.

 

[disneymom0104]

Awww- my family would be sad if Figment went away. They LOVE him! I went to MK as a child, but never went to Epcot (we lived in CA and did DL often and we didn't make it to FL much) so I never saw the original version. I do think it is corny, but it is a must do for us every time we are in Epcot- and we usually do it twice each time- and usually do Epcot 3x per trip! My girls love Figment!

As far as the Norway movie- we have seen it at least 5 times so tend to just walk through now.

 

[Planogirl]

So, our count goes to 11 "rides" now.

What "net loss" in number of Epcot rides has there been?

They added Sum of All Thrills, which (as long as we are just counting) counters the loss of Body Wars.

And we are still not counting the amazing American Adventure...
or the major CircleVision360 and wide screen films, or IllumiNations, or the popular musical groups and other show-type attractions found there.

Times change.
And, everyday technology has caught up with many of the "futuristic" aspects of the "old" Epcot.

We can't be dazzled by cellular phones, kids using the Internet to converse world-wide, robots that build cars,
CM's who talk to guests via a video screen,
-and- let's face it... the flying car just ain't gonna be in everyone's garage.

I have trouble calling the Sum of All Thrills a complete ride. There's that little issue with the theming. However, I understand that we're just counting. I also see some in the list that I consider worse than their predecessors but of course that is subjective.

However if some of the old attractions were removed because they weren't futuristic any more then why was It's Fun To Be Free removed? Most of it was a look back after all. Plus wasn't the original idea to keep Epcot ever changing? Why was that plan abandoned?

 

[Mickeysgirl34]

I don't think Figment is going anywhere at the moment. We don't want another Journey into Your Imagination with only Eric Idle. With all the new Figment merchandise coming out,I feel Disney is giving Figment a chance to shine again. On my recent trip,I bought a Figment and Dreamfinder shirt to show my appreciation to the pair. Figment is one of my favorite Disney characters and if they ever got rid of him like in 1999,let's just say Disney won't be getting any money from me anymore. What's not to love about a purple dragon?

 

[Experiment_626]

let's face it... the flying car just ain't gonna be in everyone's garage.

And thank goodness for that! Have you seen the way people drive on the ground? Now imagine those same people piloting a flying machine!

Scott

 

[southern_redhead]

Gran Fiesta with Donald Duck (basically took the ride at Mexico and just threw Donald in)

I hate it -- talk about a ride that needs a refurb

.....I kinda liked it. Poor Donald doesn't get many places to shine. Gran Fiesta, Philharmagic, and Tusker House. I really loved Philharmagic, and DS treasures his picture with Donald from TH. I think the only reason he rode GF with me, though, was because it included Donald LOL

I hope if it is true, it will be after our trip in August. I know my young kids would have enjoyed Figment, actually I just got custom clothes made with Figment on them!

I want to see them Can you post pictures? I love Figment - the PP was right - what's NOT to love about a little purple dragon?

The ride is......ok. I was prepared to love it, I love all things 80's (and take quite the ribbing for it at work), but it just fell short. There wasn't much Figment about it, with the exception of a few statues and a couple of video effects. Really, there wasn't much more to the ride as far as theming. The professor was annoying. Really and truly annoying. I never saw the original so I vote they remake it in all it's former glory!

 

[FireDancer]

I think it is important to keep education as a part of Epcot. I like rides like Soarin' and Test Track but also think Living With the Land and Ellen's Energy Adventure should stay.

I think that WOL should be refurbished and reopened. The human body is fascinating and should be the focus of a pavilion IMO. There were some good attractions in there back in the day and if they give BodyWars the same treatment they gave StarTours they can make it another must do attraction. With the childhood obesity epidemic only getting worse having a pavilion that talks about health would be a good thing.

I think they really missed the ball on Mission:SPACE. That isn't to say I don't like the attraction, I do. I just think that the ride should have been part of a bigger space-themed pavilion. My favorite pavilion is The Land. It has an educational film, an educational "dark ride" (kind of) and a more thrilling ride (I hesitate to call it a thrill ride). I think doing a space pavilion that included the current Mission:SPACE ride along with a dark ride along the lines of a shortened and updated Horizons and then maybe a film or planetarium-style room would be the way to go.

All that being said I think getting the Imagination Pavilion back closer to the original only updated would be a welcomed change. I would also welcome a new 3D movie. I have no idea what that movie should be.

All of this is merely my opinion.

 

[kaligal]

I just really hope they are not pushing Figment aside to make room for that teddy bear that came to life premise.

Oh, God help us.

The very idea of a Duffy ride makes me want to hurl.

Duffy = vomit.