The North arrow points down in the above photos
The Imagination! Pavilion
The Imagination! Pavilion (formerly The Journey Into Imagination Pavilion) is a building located in Epcot Future World. It holds various imagination-based attractions. It is commonly referred to as The Imagination Institute (a fictional institute that is featured in some of the attractions) or by the name of one of the attractions that it holds.
The Imagination! Pavilion has probably changed more than any other pavilion in Epcot. The last changes were a direct result of guest displeasure with the reworked Journey into Your Imagination Ride which debuted as part of the Millennium Celebration October 2001. In June 2002, Figment reappeared (in more than just a cameo) and folks are enjoying the attraction once again.
The pavilion has been sponsored by the Eastman Kodak company since it opened in 1982.
Orientation
The Imagination! Pavilion is located in the Southwest corner of Future World. It is neighbored by the Canada Pavilion (of the World Showcase) to the South and The Land Pavilion to the North. The very large show building, which houses Soarin’ is immediately to the West. The Monorail passes through Future World and directly in front of the Imagination! Pavilion, offering some excellent views of Imagination!
History
The Journey Into Imagination Pavilion started out in 1982 as an area in which the 3-D film Magic Journeys was played with a song by the same name by the Sherman Brothers. The Makin' Memories slide presentation, a history of photography, was the preshow presentation. When Journey Into Imagination opened a year later, the area was dubbed The Journey Into Imagination Pavilion. From 1983 to 1986 it held Journey Into Imagination, the (upstairs) ImageWorks, and Magic Journeys. In 1986, however, Magic Journeys was replaced by Captain EO, a more advanced 3-D film created by George Lucas and starring Michael Jackson as the title character. In 1994, Captain EO was replaced by Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, starring Rick Moranis as Professor Wayne Szalinski and Eric Idle as the Imagination Institute chairman, Dr. Nigel Channing. The pavillion was renamed Imagination! in the mid 1990s after the alternative title of the Dreamfinder's song (aka "One Little Spark which was also a Sherman Brothers creation. The actual name of the song; however, is "One Little Spark" and is the Imagineers unofficial theme song, although some believe the title to be the former.
Attractions
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
Journey Into Imagination opened on March 5, 1983. It has been through three incarnations over the years, two of them featuring Figment, a small purple dragon, as a character. The ride also uses the Omnimover ride system and features the song One Little Spark lyrically or instrumentally, with it being the basis of the score in the original and current versions.
Journey Into Imagination (1983-1998)
The original attraction opened on March 5, 1983, nearly six months after EPCOT had already opened to the public. It began with the omnimover vehicles “floating” in the clouds and seeing the silhouette of a strange blimp mixed with a vacuum cleaner and hearing the humming and singing of its pilot. In the next scene we come right next to this vessel and the pilot, an old man with a red beard dressed in a blue suit and top hat, introduces himself as the Dreamfinder and saying that he uses his vehicle, called the Dream Mobile or Dream Catcher by some fans, to collect dreams and ideas to create all sorts of new things. Soon he creates a figment of his imagination who comes up from a door near the back and comes up with enough ideas to fill the Dream Mobile’s idea bag, all of which show up later in the ride. Dreamfinder then tells Figment that before we create something, we have to go back to the Dreamport which he says is never far away when you use your imagination.
We then leave the side of the Dream Mobile and enter the Dreamport’s storage room, which includes a massive washing machine like device for sorting ideas. Also in the room there are numerous objects including boxed applause, a plasma ball, and a birdcage of musical notes.
After leaving the storage room, the ride continues to go through several rooms based off of Art, Literature, the Performing Arts and Science.
The Art room was mostly white colored, probably to represent a massive canvas, and had a large painting Dreamfinder was making using a large fiber optic paint brush, a carousel with giant origami animals, and a pot of rainbows held by Figment.
The Literature room was mostly focused on suspenseful tales and had Dreamfinder playing a massive organ with words coming out of it, words that turned into their meanings, a massive book featuring the raven from Edgar Allan Poe’s story cawing menacingly, and books of horrible monsters Figment tried to keep closed.
The performing arts had Figment trying on costumes backstage while Dreamfinder was conducting a laser light show similarly to an orchestra conductor.
The last of the rooms, Science, featured a large machine that Dreamfinder was operating that took a closer look at the workings of nature such as the growth of plants, the formation of crystals from minerals and looking into space. At the end, Dreamfinder tells Figment and the audience that Imagination is our key to unlock the hidden wonders of our world. The ride then enters the final show scene as our picture is taken as we see Figment surrounded by several movie screens of him being a scientist, a mountain climber, a pirate, a superhero, a tap dancer, a ship captain, a cowboy, and an athlete. Dreamfinder, who is behind a movie camera gives us one last inspiring message and tells us to use our newly found sparks of imagination in the ImageWorks and the on-ride photo is shown to us on a screen next to the camera.
The ride closed on October 10, 1998 in order to begin a major renovation of the attraction.
Journey Into Your Imagination (1999-2001)
The second version of the attraction opened on October 1, 1999 and featured an updated theme based off of the 3-D movie Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Now guests would take a tour of the Imagination Institute and be test subjects for the new invention, The Imagination Scanner. Dr. Nigel Channing, who was played by Eric Idle, hosted this version. The ride began with guests going through the scanner and saying that the riders have no imagination. Then Channing decides to send us through the numerous labs throughout the Institute including Sound, Illusion, Color, Gravity and Connections.
In sound, you entered a room of total silence and complete darkness. Slowly, you hear the sounds of crickets chirping, distant city noises and an approaching train that comes closer and closer until it seems to pass over the audience’s heads.
In Illusion, there is a fish swimming in and out of its tank and a cage with a disappearing and reappearing butterfly.
In the Color lab, there are sounds of jungle animals and cities that cause two large light screens to change colors to the sounds.
In the Connections lab, we see numerous stars that soon form into constellations.
Finally, in the Gravity lab, we enter an upside down house. Soon we go through the Scanner again and our minds have been supercharged with ideas as you exit to the updated version of the ImageWorks. Figment’s appearances in the experience were reduced to a few cameos in the queue movies, a constellation in the connection lab and in the end movie. The attraction closed on October 8, 2001 and again, went through another rehab.
Journey Into Imagination With Figment (2002-Present)
The current version of the attraction opened on June 2, 2002. Figment returned with a larger role and appeared in every show scene. The song "One Little Spark" also returned with new verses.
This time, the Institute had five labs based on the five human senses: Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch and Taste. Dr. Nigel Channing returned as well and invited us to the Institute’s open house. Figment tags along to Channing’s dismay and causes mischief along the way.
In Sound, Figment interrupts the experiment and comes up with a telephone and the train sound is now a “Train of Thought”.
In Sight, Figment messes with the room’s eye chart and begins a sing along to "One Little Spark".
In Smell, Figment becomes a skunk and we suffer the smell. Channing, after seeing the chaos Figment has been causing, gives up on the tour and Figment takes us to his own open house, which he turns upside down (literally!) with his carefree mind. Channing soon learns from Figment that Imagination should be set free and we go into the finale with numerous Figments and Figment and Channing sing the song together and we disembark for the ImageWorks.
Honey I Shrunk the Audience
Without a doubt, one of the most creative 3-D movies of the late 1990s. This is a 20-minute misadventure with the likes Professor Wayne Szalinski. Professor Szalinski is about to accept the Inventor of the Year Award, however, he had a little mishap with the remote for his hoverpod and he's flying out of control around the Institute. As part of the award ceremony, Professor Szalinski will demonstrate his Dimensional Duplicator and Incredible Shrinking Machine. You too will be shrunk as part of the misdirected laser beam. There are some super special effects, including feeling the wind from the hoverpod when the Professor flies into the theater.
What If Labs
At the conclusion of your journey you enter the Kodak What If! Labs (similar to the Image Works that was on the 2nd floor of the building). The What If! Lab experiments include Stepping Tones (much like the original, though now featuring picture panels making sounds) and Figment's Melody Maker where guests can cause Figment to play an instrument to the tune of One Little Spark, changing pitch by what height Figment is at on the screen.
Dining
There aren’t any places to eat in the immediate vicinity of the the Imagination pavilion. However, next door at the Land there is the Sunshine Seasons food court and sit-down character restaurant, the Garden Grill.
Shopping
The Gift Shop immediately following the What If Labs has computer-generated photos taken with Disney Characters. There is some Figment merchandise in the form of mugs, T-shirts, key chains etc., as well as new Figment and Imagination merchandise. There are also some unusual etched Lucite gifts here -- the images they can etch into the material are really quite impressive! There are a number of Instant Photo booths by Kodak where, for $5, you can make your own Epcot Passport, Photo-ID Badge for the Imagination Institute, or picture postcards to send to friends and family!
Interesting Facts
-Based on the enormously popular Walt Disney Pictures -- "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids" (1989), "Honey, I Blew Up The Kid" (1992), and the follow-up "Honey We Shrunk Ourselves" (1997) -- the performance "on stage" at the Imagination Institute Auditorium features the original Szalinski film family: the invention-happy professor, his trusting wife, Diane, their sons, Nick and Adam, and their frisky dog, Quark. As in the films, Wayne Szalinski is portrayed by comedic actor Rick Moranis.
-Although seldom necessary, Honey I Shrunk the Audience is a FastPass attraction.
-Dr. Nigel Channing is played by Eric Idle from Monty Python's Flying Circus.
-"Honey I Shrunk the Audience" brings together all the special effects of the Szalinski movies but in 3D.
-The Journey to Imagination Pavilion that opened with Epcot Center provided a "child's-eye view of imagination". A spectacular 3-D journey in the Magic Eye Theater and the creative Image Works area were part of the original pavilion.
-Honey I Shrunk the Audience replaced Captain EO starring Michael Jackson.
-Figment sometimes appears in the small building to the left of the Honey I Shrunk the Audience entrance (the former Kodak camera store). Check your daily Epcot Times Guide for times and locations.
-There's no charge for e-mailing your digital image in a "Postcard from Space."
-Be sure to explore the imaginative fountains that are located in front of the Imagination! Pavilion.
-Look for this "Hidden Mickey" - On the ride, Figment is resurrected and you get a look into his upside-down house. In his kitchen, look at the meal - Onion Rings on the table make up a simple hidden Mickey.
. I love the history you are including on here for everyone too. Thanks again for your hard work!
