mecllap said:
Saw some rumors that Dreamfinder might be returning -- at least Figment is back! We were delighted to find a Figment character to visit up in a small room past the "Honey I shrunk" movie, when we were there in May -- but you pretty much had to be looking for him. Would be great to have this attraction returned to the Imaginative space it once was. We got some great photos with Figment (alas no Photopass photog tho) and would also enjoy seeing Dreamfinder again. After all, isn't Imagination what Disney is all about?
If you're going soon --please go visit Figment, and "talk him up" so he continues appearances, and maybe leads to a re-imagineering of one of the most "under-done but with great potential" pavilions in Epcot. (It used to have neat, fun stuff upstairs).
We looked for Figment last October but he was not in his room.
We will look again when we go in September.
I am glad you got to see him and that he is making apperences.
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I miss the original Figment also. At least this one has Figment in it a lot more than the first redo. When Kodak sponsored the original Figment Disney signed a contract that the ride would be redone before the year 2000. For those of you never got to experience the original Figment or if you would like to relive it this is a great website.
http://figmentsimagination.com/
Here is an except from that website that explains why the Original Figment ride was Changed:
"It has been confirmed by a Disney source that the original Journey Into Imagination was closed due to a contract agreement between Kodak and Disney. The contract stated that JII was to be changed by the year 2000. The original JII, due to large amounts of projectors, sets, lighting and animatronics, was VERY expensive to maintain each year. JII was the most advanced attraction of its kind in the US when it opened in 1983. Even when it closed, the technology involved with producing the show was ahead of other theme park attractions. Many Imagineers were not at all happy about making the changes because they had fear that the new attraction would fail. Armed with a budget far less than they had to build the original JII, the replacement opened and the fans were not happy. WDI realized that mistakes were made but at this point, there is no physical way to return the attraction to its original state because of the way the building has been altered and the money that would be needed to do it is not there. The current budget to redo JIYI is still not enough to restore the magic we all miss. But we will be able to see Figment again! "
This excerpt is from this site:
http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id37.htm
The chances of Figment making a full return looked bleak. Disney sold part of the ride props on eBay and used one of Dreamfinder's flying machines as a prop in the Mouse Gear store. Then the ride closed in the winter of 2002 for renovation and reopened in June of 2002 as Journey Into Imagination with Figment. While Eric Idle and the Imagination Institute are still featured, Figment has been added to every scene and a new version of One Little Spark is sung. Dreamfinder is still MIA but one of the lab office doors is now labeled as belonging to "Dean Finder".