What the hell did they do to Figment?

[Tramspotter]

This topic came up when I was discussing the recent trip to EPCOT that Erica and I took.

I built up the Imagination area and the character of Figment to her without knowing they changed it so drastically and she was quite unimpressed with both him and the attraction...

But they gutted the ride changed his voice and got rid of the old scientist guy and made it some bastardized honey I shrunk the audience theamed cheese-feast imagination was replaced with co-branding bulsh.

I love Eric Idol but the script itself and him as a nervous strait-man playing the Inventors society president did nothing for me and not knowing his prior work would have kids think of him as the high strung scary old mad scientist. Figment was not developed enough in the new attraction and made me wish he was put to death and the spirit of 3D from the Muppet movie or one of the characters from Honey I shrunk the kids might as well replace him he has been made useless...

The ride and my fondness for it and special place for figment has perhaps been irrevocably damaged if not killed by this horrible abomination of an attraction. Redoing it was a mistake but attaching fig to it is unforgivable.

Anyone else on this drift... I got my Java gonna step of the soapbox and let you other cats discuss..... Hey if you like the new attraction I might spit coffee all over the floor but won't hassle you (much) for your opinion either.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Journey Into Imgination was my favorite E.P.C.O.T. ride before E.P.C.O.T. became Epcot and the stupid management decided that Dreamfinder and Figment were too dated.

In fact, Steve, I don't know if you knew this, but before the updated ride had Figment, an incarnation completely without the little dragon took the original's place for a year. Epcot got so many guest complaints that they closed the new ride down and added Figment back in. Though it isn't nearly as good as once it was, it's absolutely a step up from the one sans Fig.

When I'm missing the ride, I visit here and watch video files of the good old days.

I don't remember-- does the interactive display in its current format still have the musical hopscotch and the direct-your-own-orchestra? Man, I loved that place. Childhood glory.

[Kim]

Oh no~I didn't realize they'd slaughtered the Journey into Imagination attraction. When we visited in 93 that was my favorite. I looked forward to it on our 97 trip but don't remember it being as wonderful. I was also 8 months pregnant when we went in 97 and visiting WDW with my in-laws so the whole trip wasn't as wonderful as the 93 trip. That little dragon was just adorable. I can't imagine what it would've been like during the time they cut him out altogether.

[HTHBellcaptain]

The, dare I say it, Coporate America version was really bad. How bad? Superstar Limo bad. What it looks like to me, is that the current version was made on a very small budget, but by some very creative and resourseful people. My guess, is that they were told to fix the hideous version, but weren't given much money to do that.

I really miss the upstairs play area. It had a lot more charm than the current downstairs version.

[mousepod]

Yeah, the interim version was the big suckola. I think the major problem is that they've tried to tie the "ride" part of the attraction with the "Honey, I Just Got Sneezed On" (or whatever it's called) part of the attraction.

Bring back Magic Journeys! At least that had the weirdest Sherman Bros song (maybe I'll play a Japanese version on a future MP...).

SYRS
Jesse

[Sheila]

Originally Posted by HTHBellcaptain

The, dare I say it, Coporate America version was really bad. How bad? Superstar Limo bad. What it looks like to me, is that the current version was made on a very small budget, but by some very creative and resourseful people. My guess, is that they were told to fix the hideous version, but weren't given much money to do that

Yeah, that was David Mumford's last big project before he passed. Imagine what people like him could've done given a proper budget. Heck, imagine what Tomorrowland at DL could've been like given the *correct* budget.

It's depressing, but I'm actually glad that many of the really creative Imagineer-types have gone onto Landmark and other companies that will properly fund theme park projects.

What I would give for Oriental Land Company to have funded DCA. But that's a whole 'nother rant, isn't it....

Well, on a happier note, the holiday fireworks add-on at Illuminations in Epcot were kick-booty!! Wow, what Disney can do when the creative types are let loose.

Man, I am so jonesing for another trip to WDW (even though I just went in December).

[Matterhorn Fan]

Originally Posted by HTHBellcaptain

I really miss the upstairs play area. It had a lot more charm than the current downstairs version.

I'm sure it still does.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Figment was one of my favorite memories. We went in 1982, I was what, 12? something like that. It was amazing. I loved the ride with Figment and I'm sad to hear they gutted it.