Journey into Imagination Refurbishment
We recently shared that the popular rumor that Journey into Imagination will receive an extensive overhaul is making the rounds again. As of May 2017, it’s unclear when the refurbishment will actually occur, if at all. In our 8 Huge Epcot Rumors post, Figment is barely a blip on the radar–ranking #8 in terms of likelihood.
In the past, there have been signals that something big is potentially in store for the Imagination pavilion, the only questions are “when?” and “what?” That’s unclear at this point, but the downtime was originally rumored to be for almost an entire year, but was derailed when Disney instead decided to add Frozen Ever After to Norway. It now seems possible that an overhaul of Journey into Imagination won’t occur until 2020 or later.
Whenever a pavilion at Epcot is expected to have significant downtime, there is always the understandable concern that the downtime is actually Walt Disney World’s way of quietly killing the attractions inside. Fans have witnessed this happen too many times to be completely trusting of the “refurbishment” designation for a pavilion that is only moderately popular. For a number of reasons, I highly doubt that’s what’s going to happen here, but the concerns are still valid.
What follows is the original post from a few years ago when the rumors were pointing to this overhaul being confirmed, and funding greenlit. As mentioned above, this did not occur–and it’s possible it won’t for a while now. Still, I’m preserving this for historical posterity…
Let’s start out with the elephant in the room. Dreamfinder. I think it goes without saying that it’s the wish of every fan who yearns for a return of EPCOT Center, its vision, and mission, to have Dreamfinder make a return, along with a return to form of Figment.
Since this should go without saying, it should also go without saying that I feel the same way. That said, I am prepared for Figment to vanish completely. Before you bust out the pitchforks and accuse me of betraying my favorite character, at least read my rationale.
Yes, Figment is my favorite Disney character. Always will be. This is not because of what he is today, but because of what he was up until the late 1990s. Figment is not the same character now that he was then, and witnessing how Disney has treated the character since his glory years has worn on me. I can’t bear to see the characters mistreated any longer. If the plans for overhauling Journey into Imagination include Figment just for the sake of including Figment, and there isn’t a top-notch concept for him or he isn’t going to embody the childlike sense of wonder (without being grating), I’d just assume he join Dreamfinder in the great Dreamcatcher in the sky. I’ll always have the memories.
What I also don’t want to see is a “restoration” of the original Journey into Imagination. I have rallied against the return of Captain EO, a once-fun Michael Jackson romp that now makes a mockery of the term “Future World.” Opposing that but wanting a return of the also-dated original Journey into Imagination would make me a hypocrite.
Besides, I think a better attraction is possible. Walt Disney Imagineering is one of the greatest creative organizations in the world (if you’ve lost faith in this, just look at Cars Land and Tokyo DisneySea) and they shouldn’t be handcuffed by guests’ sense of nostalgia. If given the financial resources, I know the creative minds there have the ability to make something superior to the original Journey into Imagination.
I also don’t want to see Phineas and Ferb infest the Imagination pavilion. I’ve heard plenty of people say that these characters perfectly demonstrate the sense of imagination, and would be a perfect fit for the pavilion. I don’t care. I’ll admit that I’ve never seen their show, but I have seen enough of their “presence” to think that they’re a bad fit. They are loud and obnoxious. The Imagination pavilion should be about the beauty and mystique of imagination. It shouldn’t be clumsy and loud. Moreover, they’re on a television show that undoubtedly has a shelf life. There’s nothing timeless about the characters or their animation, and I can’t help but think that if they invade the Imagination pavilion, no matter how popular their attraction is initially with kids, there will inevitably be a precipitous drop-off in a few years.
When mentioning Phineas and Ferb, it’s worth noting that the current “rumors” of them being added to the pavilion don’t have much basis in “insider information.” Rather, the rumors have snowballed from a lot of fans saying, “that might be a good idea.” I first saw this mentioned years ago, and since it has slowly morphed from “that might be a good idea” to “WDI is planning this for the Imagination pavilion.” The Disney fan community is like a bad game of telephone…just remember that when reading any rumors or “news” that isn’t coming directly from Disney. (Even then, Disney follows through on only about 75% of what it officially announces, so don’t put too much stock in official announcements until you see it with your own eyes!)
So, what do I want? I’m not entirely sure. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Pixar-ification of the attraction. This is another spot where you EPCOT Center fans are probably yelling, “TRAITOR!” at their computer screens, but hear me out. Pixar’s Inside Out hits theaters in 2015, and takes place in the mind of a young girl, with her emotions physically represented in the film’s characters. Sound like a familiar concept?
I realize this movie isn’t even out, and I realize there are complaints about Pixar in Future World. I don’t care. This film is an original concept from Pixar that sounds fairly similar to the concept of the original Journey into Imagination; if so, that would make it a perfect fit. While it could be an awful film, if there’s one studio I’d bet the farm on when working with original concepts, it’s Pixar. If an excellent Figment/Dreamfinder attraction isn’t possible for whatever reason, this becomes my first pick.
If it’s not Figment, it’s likely going to be something else based on Disney IP, so it might as well be a property that closely fits. EPCOT Center fans are delusional if they think the current Disney would rebuild Future World without a good amount of Disney IP. That’s just a practical reality. I think bringing Pixar into the fold guarantees that some of the “big dogs” at Pixar will take an interest in the attraction, and ensure that it receives sufficient funding to achieve the type of mesmerizing attraction worthy of being found in the Imagination pavilion.
Speaking of mesmerizing attractions, there’s been a lot of talk about a trackless ride system, a la Pooh’s Hunny Hunt in Tokyo Disneyland, being used in the next version of Journey into Imagination. I think that’s purely wishful thinking. It’s unlikely that such a ride system could be retro-fit in a year or so, plus there’s the question of money. The wishful thinking is for good reason, though. While a ride system by itself absolutely does not make a ride (something SeaWorld is likely now realizing), it absolutely can be a significant part of the experience.
When we first rode Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, my sense of wonder (as corny as this sounds) was absolutely captivated. Not only were the visuals outside the ride vehicle amazing, but the way the honey pot ride vehicle made guests a part of the experience was nothing short of amazing. It was as immersive as a ride system can be–our generation’s version of the flying pirate ships in Peter Pan’s Flight.
A version of Journey into Imagination using this ride system would be able to draw guests further into the experience, with the ride system further sparking their imaginations and senses of awe. The one-two punch of the storytelling outside the ride vehicles and the storytelling via the ride vehicles would be the perfect combination to make the attraction a true journey into imagination.
This brings me to my ideal Journey into Imagination attraction. It would involve an updated (but not modern) Dreamfinder alongside Figment. The premise would be familiar (although I don’t care whether it’s the one of the first, a “something has gone wrong, now we need to collect bits of imagination,” or something different entirely), but the environments would be totally different, taking place in the surreal worlds of the human imagination, with small nods to the sets of the original attraction. Concepts from the original would be included, but in the form of visits to the minds of scientists, artists, etc., with the concepts being showcased in the abstract landscape of the imagination of each such mind.
Of course, I’m not a creative. I’m sure I’d be elated with any concept the Imagineers cook up for Journey into Imagination that is thoughtful, creative, and ambitious, and restores Figment and Dreamfinder, in all of their glory, to the attraction.
As for the rest of the Imagination pavilion, I’d love to see the return of the upstairs ImageWorks and a new 3D film that stars Dreamfinder and Figment. In my ideal world, the refurbishment would include both things, but I think at this point, that’s just getting greedy!
I guess we won’t truly know what’s planned until Disney announces something, and even then, we won’t know whether that something is any good (although I’m sure there will be plenty of speculating!) until the attraction reopens. In the meantime, we can take a trip in our time-traveling Dreamcatcher and look back at the original…
Your Thoughts…
What do you expect from this Journey into Imagination refurbishment? What would you like to see happen in an ideal world? Share your thoughts in the comments!
if u agree with me on this comment back but i hate to say this but if they don’t do a good refurb on it soon then they should just send figment to the great dream catcher in the sky
i have a friend that knows a disney imagineer and he said that they r not doing a refurb on this but i don’t beleive half the things my friend says
I really hope the plan is to bring back more elements of the original ride. Since Disney/Marvel started releasing Figment comic books this year starring the Dreamfinder, my hope is that this is a hint that something special is coming . . . Figment is my favorite character, and the original ride is my favorite ride of all time. I have the song (along with all old EPCOT music) on my iPod, and I dream about visiting the original EPCOT and rides at least once a month.
what they need to do is bring back the original attraction exactly as it was with new technology
I think that they should completely get of the 3-D theater and add Phineas and Ferb while keeping Figment to the ride.
In place of the 3-D theater, they should make a kiddie splash area with Figment, Phineas, and Ferb.
I love figment! The ride that it is today is defiantly one of my favorites. I recently went to Disney world just last month, and iI went on Journey to Imagination with Figment 5 or 6 times. I know there are many families who have a soft spot in there hearts for Figment, nothing seemed to be going on with the ride. Everything was completely normal. Except for one time when we tried to go on and a worker stopped us saying the ride was closed because of technical difficulties, but that just means the ride was having technical difficulties. It was back up and running the next day. Also it is very annoying how the imagination pavilion closes earlier than the rest of the park. Why? Well honestly I have no idea! But I guess my point is, I never went on the old versions of Imagination< but the way it is now is PERFECT to me, I couldn't IMAGINE a ride that didn't have a purple dragon bouncing around or a skunk smell spraying out or the big line at the end stating "Imagination is a BLAST!" and the song one little spark, well I love it, I downloaded it on itunes, unfortunately they didn't have it for ringtones! So if they ever close Journey into Imagination with Figment, well I'll grab my Figment mickey ears, my giant stuffed animal, my ornament, and my passport, and sit outside the ride crying. Because Figment is everything I love at DIsney World.
I can’t even read your entire comment. Can someone please reply to all of mine?
I just don’t want to IMAGINE a world without Figment. I would be thrilled if they just put back the original ride (with minor tech upgrades).
I saw your joke there.
@Matt B I don’t agree with your idea.
Could this be something?
http://www.jerryrees.com/page7/page7.html
Mystery Project?
– li’l Spark
That would be incredible, and a lot of fans hope that’s the case. Most people are guessing his project is something in World Showcase, though.
What is it?
And another “one” bites the dust. Rumors that is…
Is ANYTHING ever going to happen to JII? I’ll settle for “anything”!
– li’l Spark
The more I get in to this rumor the more confusing it gets… To be honest, I did not like Figment or Journey into Imagination the first time I saw it; I saw the version with Eric Idle. It wasn’t until I heard about the Dreamfinder and saw a video of the original attraction that I realized how wonderful the origin of Figment truly was. As I wasn’t born or old enough to visit WDW around this time, I never got to experience the original version. That being said, I think it would be wonderful to see the return of the Dreamfinder as Figment’s creator and re-imagine the story while giving small nods to the original attraction. Ok, rant over… All we can do is dream for the best! 🙂
Great. Another comment that I can’t read all of. Will someone please reply to all of mine?
Seriously, go actually watch Phineas and Ferb before hating on it. It’s totally brilliant, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. They got to do a Marvel crossover last year; they’re doing Star Wars this year, they have four other hour long specials happening, a movie on the back burner… They’re just getting started. Now, if they’re replacing Figment with Phineas and Ferb, it’s going to be way more than just an overlay. I’m guessing a brand new ride system, probably similar to Transformers. After seeing how fast Transformers went up, they can be done with the ride by the Summer of 2015 no problem.
I agree with the Phineas and Ferb idea too. Just read my two comments below.
Hate to see Figment go though. He’s also my favorite character next to Donald Duck. So sad!
They ruined this ride years ago when they first changed it. It was such a creative ride. Last time I saw it in December I was very disappointed. I thought the ride was very dark where it once used to be colorful and fun.
The second version of the ride only lasted two years.
I agree with a great deal of this, but I have to differ on some important points. First, there’s very little that would be dated about the original version of the attraction – perhaps some of the science and technology parts, but the rest is timeless; that’s part of why it was a masterpiece. The use of Pixar, or indeed any existing IP, would date every bit as quickly as Phineas and Ferb. The desire to see the original attraction return, albeit with a few updates, has almost nothing to do with nostalgia. Simply, that ride was an unparalleled work, and while it’s conceivable to create something that would equal it nothing in the modern era – TDS possibly aside – has given reason to believe the current group at Imagineering is capable of the achievement. As for surpassing it, I think that’s quite literally impossible.
BlaBlaBlaBla!
I think the BLABLABLA has a lot of truth to it! I agree and hope Figment can stay with all of my heart! And–if they do refurbishment–they have to re-open sometime, right?
Just a thought- why not do something with the Muppets?! Use Figment along with them!
Figment the Muppet? No offense, but I shudder at the thought! Figment is his own thing and doesn’t need another franchise to make him totally amazing. But as an extra in the Muppet ride in Hollywood Studios….THAT might be cool!
As much I loved the original attraction,I wouldn’t want to see it return.The Imagineers are capable of so much better now.Right now all I care about is that they’re finally getting rid of that mediocre Journey Into Imagination With Figment.
Have you heard about whether or not they are doing this refurbishment for sure? We are going in Jan and my husband is a huge figment-lover and loves this ride (although he preferred the original). We usually ride it at least 5 times a visit and he wants to pass the figment-love onto our son (who already knows who figment is, but this is his first trip).
I grew up in the 80’s / 90’s and loved the original Imagination ride. I have so many wonderful memories of riding it with my family. The current version just makes me sad and it is unlikely I will ride it on my trip next week. I would love to see the imagination attraction continue with Figment and Dreamfinder in some way. Regardless I think Disney can do better than the attraction that is currently there. And please no Phineas and Ferb, it’s bad enough my husband watches the show!
We just got home from Disney, and because we knew about the upcoming refurbishment, we made sure to do Journey into Imagination with Figment, and Captain EO. We haven’t done either in years, and we’re so glad we made time for them this trip. I agree it all needs a major overhaul, but Captain EO was so bad it was fun! If they made it available on DVD I would buy it, just for the nostalgia! I hope they do a good job with the refurbishment and make it something great!
Yes, me too. I also really hope that Figment can stay! He is THE EPCOT MASCOT (Even though it never had one) and he is probably the best Disney Parks character ever.
I was told by a cast member that Captain EO was being replaced by a 3D Phineas and Ferb show.