Tucked away in World Celebration is a ride that has a rather tumultuous history.
Are you okay, Figment?
Journey Into Imagination with Figment is the third iteration of the attraction in the Imagination Pavilion, and fans tend to have VERY strong opinions about both the character of Figment and the ride itself. Both have some deep EPCOT lore. And honestly? We think it’s time for this ride to get its redemption arc.
Of course, in order to really dive into this topic, we’ve got to go back in time. The original attraction here opened in 1983 and was called simply Journey Into Imagination. It had not one, but two main characters — the Dreamfinder and the Figment of Imagination. The ride focused on the power of imagination and introduced the original song “One Little Spark.”
It’s THE Dream-Catching Machine!
The original version of the ride created a massive fanbase for Dreamfinder and Figment, and the character became somewhat of a mascot for EPCOT as a whole. However, with the ride’s second iteration, things took a sharp turn. Journey Into YOUR Imagination opened on October 1st, 1999, and it received such negative response that it only lasted two years before it was closed and revamped again.
The scientists
The second version of the ride was based on the nearby Honey, I Shrunk the Audience show, featuring characters from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Flubber. Figment’s appearances were reduced to the queue movies, and Dreamfinder was cut from the attraction entirely. Fans of those characters were, naturally, very upset by the changes.
The current ride’s queue
When the second version closed in 2001, it was revamped yet again. Now, we have a version with Figment, but no Dreamfinder (instead, it’s hosted by Dr. Nigel Channing). The ride mostly focuses on your five senses, with a new version of the “One Little Spark” song played throughout.
Figment’s House
Nowadays, the two main complaints we hear about the ride are that Dreamfinder is missing or that people find the current version of Figment to be annoying. This version of the ride has been around since June 2002, meaning it has now been open even longer than the original. After 23 years, it might be time to rethink Figment yet again.
Sight Scene
Since Figment as a character is such a staple of EPCOT, it would likely be a huge miss to get rid of his ride altogether. However, a new version of his ride with the return of the Dreamfinder and the original version of the song would probably make quite a few OG EPCOT fans happy. Of course, the technology could be updated substantially, but if it pays homage to the original, this could be a very successful revamp.
ImageWorks
What do you think? Is it time for Journey Into Imagination to get a redo? Or should Disney just let it be? 23 years feels like enough time has passed, and we should keep moving forward.
Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news and updates.
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Name a Disney ride closure that couldn’t have been revived if it had only received a substantial technology update.
They need to not only bring back Dreamfinder (possibly with enhanced technology), but The Land should bring back Food Rocks (veggie-veggie fruit-fruit).