EPCOT Imagination

[Blackie Pueblo]

I still think the ride could be salvaged if they returned to the imagination theme of the original ride (collecting inspiration) and converted the vehicles into buzz light year style cars with a wand for capturing ideas (instead of shooting Zs) then you get a picture at the end with all of your inspiration images.

And yes bring back the imagination playground with all the hands on stuff. And the rainbow tunnel! So much fun!

An interactive Imagination ~ that would be pretty neat!

That truly is a great idea. It would be updated technology and be a lot of fun. I agree with everyone that the original was truly imaginative and fun. My wife and I avoid this like the plague when we visit EPCOT. Which is a shame because Figment is such an enjoyable character that could really be a spokesman for the park.

I think one of the major problems is as stated before it's more about your senses than imagination. And that was the whole point of the original ride! Using your imagination. I think they cater to the children so much, which wouldn't be bad, if they didn't treat kids like they are morons! The ride is actually insulting to young kids.

But what do you think it was that made the original so great. Was it the team of Dreamfinder and Figment? The overall idea and display of using your imagination? Or was it all the truly fun things at the end of the ride?

[zhoover]

I think one of the major problems is as stated before it's more about your senses than imagination. And that was the whole point of the original ride! Using your imagination. I think they cater to the children so much, which wouldn't be bad, if they didn't treat kids like they are morons! The ride is actually insulting to young kids.

That's a very interesting point, and something I hadn't considered before. I'm a new(ish)comer to Disney geekdom - my first trip to WDW (other than a 2-day trip as a pre-schooler in '84 that I barely remember) was 2010 with my now wife - so I don't have anything to compare the current version against, and I never understood the frustration expressed by fans of the original. Put this way, it makes more sense.

[Blackie Pueblo]

https://youtu.be/FLg1o6XVtIc

Well I'm sure there are better videos but here is a quick video I found the original journey into imagination I'm sure if somebody can do the work they can find a better one but it is a nice way to look at it

[MmeLeota]

Fortunately/unfortunately, I was only able to ride the original once, but at least I was old enough to [somewhat] remember it. I didn't return to WDW for 6 1/2 years and had JUST (by a few days) missed the permanent closure of the original attraction. (Even more depressing was finding out years later that it actually closed ON our wedding day)

When we went to EPCOT for a brief 4-hour stint in 2000, we were [un]fortunate enough to have seen the monstrosity that replaced the beloved attraction. By the time we returned 3 years later, it was in its current version...only slightly better than it had been before...at least Figment was back (though without Dreamfiner, he is a tad annoying...there, I said it...please don't kill me)

I like JenMuse's idea of "collecting" ideas. What if you collect your ideas during the ride (all while learning about using your imagination, of course), and then be able to pull up your collection on a screen after disembarking the ride to create something that you could eventually email to yourself/post to social media (a la Spaceship Earth). Don't ask me what the something could be...I haven't thought that far into it yet (maybe be able to create your own figment of imagination), but the point is being able to use your imagination interactively with the attraction. It would be something different, that's for sure.

Side note on the powdered soap and hand stamps:

When I was a kid, I remember that powdered soap at school too and used to "play" with it before actually washing my hands. I used to add a couple of drops of water to make a paste and rub it in my palm, then watch it crack as I bent my hand (yeah, I was easily amused...still am).

For me, being a west-coaster, going on Peter Pan was the best attraction to figure out the hand stamp...and to see how much lint was on my clothes.

[Amy]

I'm glad you had a chance to experience the original Journey Into Imagination ~ It really was a fun attraction with Dreamfinder and Figment. The current abomination is, as you said, slightly better than the one in the middle, but not by much. Here's to them rediscovering their Imagination and putting something in there that is good again!

Ah, the powdered soap. So much fun to watch it glow under the black lights, along with the hand stamps. I miss the hand stamps I don't remember lint being/glowing on my clothes, but I always loved when my socks or shoes or whatever was light lit up almost like magic

[MmeLeota]

I think the lint issue came with wearing a sweatshirt...

[Amy]

I think the lint issue came with wearing a sweatshirt...

[Mr.ToadWildRider]

As much as I **loved** the original I think Disney nerds such as ourselves tend to have too much of a nostalgic view towards attractions. Some attractions are replaced by crummier things, some are replaced by better things it's kind of the nature of the beast. If EPCOT looked exactly like it did in 1990 I would certainly be happy in one way, but sad in others. It's called the "Imagination" pavilion for a reason - if things didn't change it would be hard to sell us on grand ideas for the future stuck 30 years in the past.

What they really need is the creative prowess Imagineering once displayed with the corporate (Disney and sponsor) funding backing that up. We're a tough crowd to please: they build something new that we don't like more than what was and we want the old thing back; they build something new in a previously unused area like Little Mermaid at MK and we say it's missing something; they leave an attraction for too long like HISTA and we grouse that they don't update fast enough.

[Amy]

True Mr.ToadWildRider, but I think many would agree that the latest few offerings of the Imagination attraction have been pretty much anything but imaginative. You are probably correct in that they need someone with deep pockets to make another good attraction there though.

[Searlproudbottom]

I wish I could remember some of the older rides. Before kids we only visited once every six or seven years.
I can only remember that we had a good time.

Searl

[BuDz211]

I remember the old version with Dreamfinder and agree that it was much better than the current version. However, my 7 year old son went there for the first time this month and loved it. It's not as good as the original but some people like it anyway.

[Thumper1]

Wish I could have seen some of the older versions of rides, like this one!!

[Amy]

Wish I could have seen some of the older versions of rides, like this one!!

You never got to see the original? Oh, that is too bad. That is one of my fondest memories ~ I loved the whole opening sequence with Dreamfinder and Figment Horizons is another because of getting to choose the ending. My Dad would always sort of vie for pressing the ending buttons with me, but then he would choose the same one I chose so I could see the one I wanted