KEVIN FROM DEFUNCTLAND Previously on Defunctland, I explored how Tony Baxter took an idea from his never-built Disneyland expansion, brought it to Florida, and turned it into one of the most beloved dark rides of all time. Learn of the creation of and relive the magic behind Journey into Imagination in Part 1 of this two-part crossover between Defunctland and Yesterworld.
MARK The story continues here, after the attraction was suddenly closed on October 10th, 1998. And we’re now going to explore what led to Journey into Imagination’s closure, and its controversial alterations to not just the attraction, but the pavilion itself, as well as the ultimate fate of Figment and the Dreamfinder, and what traces of the beloved attraction still exist today.
(Opening sequence) --- To fully understand why Journey into Imagination was closed and how its replacements came to be, you have to go back five years to 1993, when Horizons lost General Electric as a sponsor - as without a sponsorship, and Disney in the middle of its Euro Disney financial troubles and cost-cutting initiatives set in place by Michael Eisner and Paul Pressler, by 1998 Horizons was hanging on by a thread after having initially been closed in 1995, only to reopen the following year and kept as a placeholder for the temporary closure of Universe of Energy and the construction of Test Track…and would be the first example of just how reliant attractions and pavilions were on EPCOT’s sponsorship model, in which mega-corporations would use this integration to promote their brands or products, and in turn, have incentive to put up the cash to keep their investments up-to-date.
The same was true, if not even more, for the Kodak-sponsored Journey into Imagination.
(Promotional video)
ANNOUNCER Inside the glass pyramids of Journey into Imagination await some of the most exciting experiences in all of EPCOT Center.
MARK While still one of EPCOT’s most popular attractions and pavilions, Disney had been pestering Kodak for years to put up the funds for an update or major refurbishment…but with the rise of digital media and photography, the once dominant imaging company was struggling financially, and had resisted further investing into the pavilion. However, with Epcot’s upcoming Millennium Celebration as an attempt to breathe some new life into the theme park - which even Disney executives admitted had become woefully outdated - Disney finally put their foot down and invoked Kodak’s contractual obligation to avoid being replaced.
(Movie clip, with Eisner’s head superimposed onto a boss on the phone, and the Kodak logo onto the worker.)
BOSS You will do as what we say.
WORKER No.
BOSS You have a contract!
MARK Despite being one of their biggest sponsors, Kodak was in no financial position to properly fund the refurbishment…but with their rival FujiFilm having lobbied for years to become a major sponsor in Disney’s theme parks - so much so, it’s rumored Kodak was behind the cancellation of the Japan Pavilion’s Mt. Fuji coaster - Kodak agreed, but with one catch: they could only offer a fraction of the requested funds. And pressed for time and resources, Disney agreed to Kodak’s terms, and the ride was closed in late 1998 to begin work on a new attraction to replace Journey into Imagination. And despite rumors of being based on Flubber or an adventure through the mind of a child, it would instead be inspired by the neighboring Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!
(Millennium Celebration promo video.)
ANNOUNCER This year, Epcot is also the exhilarating center of the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration.
GUEST Epcot and the new millennium already embodies all of our ideas and dreams for tomorrow.
MARK On October 1st, 1999, despite being omitted from vacation planning videos, the attraction debuted as ‘Journey into YOUR Imagination.’ And even before setting foot on the ride itself, it was clear this was not the refresh or refurbishment many had hoped for, as the once stunning atrium of beautiful murals inspired by imagination had been replaced by a new queue involving the premise of an open house at the Imagination Institute, an extension of the plot within the neighboring Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!
(Clip of the 3D show.)
HOSTESS Ladies and gentlemen, the chairman of the Imagination Institute, Nigel Channing.
MARK In this new version of Journey into Imagination, Eric Idle reprises his role as Dr. Nigel Channing…and in addition to a series of painfully unfunny video segments about the various labs you’ll be touring, he tells you of the Imagination Institute’s newest invention.
(Ride footage.)
CHANNING It’s the Imagination Scanner, developed right here at the Imagination Institute. You’ll be scanned twice - at the start of your journey, and then again after you’ve completed a series of perceptual exercises.
MARK If it hadn’t already, by the time you reached the new loading platform, the horror of these new changes finally sets in, as the once magnificent and iconic turntable show scene introducing the Dreamfinder and Figment had been replaced by what lay before you: the loading platform itself.
(Clip from the Lord of the Rings.)
FRODO How? When?
MARK Evidently, with Kodak putting up only a fraction of the funds to renovate the attraction, it was decided to quite literally cut the attraction in half by roughly 35-40%, altering what was once a twelve-minute experience into about five. But believe it or not, that was far from the most controversial change to the ride, as while Dreamfinder and Figment had been icons of the attraction and considered the unofficial mascots of EPCOT, every single Dreamfinder animatronic had been removed, and this new version contained not a single appearance or reference to his existence…with every single Figment animatronic also being removed, and was virtually erased from the attraction, with the character only appearing in the queue and a brief cameo on the ride as a figment of Nigel Channing’s imagination. And to add insult to injury, the catch and memorable tune ‘One Little Spark’ was nonexistent, leaving virtually nothing of the cherished elements of the original.
FRODO NOOOOOO!
MARK As far as this new experience itself, shortly after boarding the attraction, you arrive at the Imagination Scanner…only to find out that you have none.
CHANNING Well, as you can see, there’s not much going on upstairs imagination-wise. That’s just perfect for our experiments.
MARK After being backhandedly insulted, what follows is a mostly uninspired and lackluster experience void of any of the magic and wonder of the original - and with the exception of a single genuinely impressive illusion, the ride is a stream of stagnant show scenes and cheap visual and audio gags as you travel room to room. And while on paper these concepts might have seemed like a golden idea, without the budget to fully realize them, Journey into YOUR Imagination felt more like an above-average carnival ride.
Approaching the end of the journey, you were retested with the Imagination Scanner - and wouldn’t you know it, the results are off the charts.
CHANNING Fantastic! Look what your imaginations have created.
MARK And if fans of the original attraction hadn’t already felt their heart shatter to pieces, the voice of an all-too-familiar character was sure to do the trick.
FIGMENT You’re quite clever - all of you!
CHANNING What a brilliant burst of creativity.
MARK But the pain isn’t over, as upon exiting the attraction, you get to see just what took the place of the gutted portions of the ride: the new ImageWorks: ‘What If’ Labs. Even worse, as many of the experiences were less than innovative, you might have been tempted to go upstairs to the original ImageWorks…only to find the elevator behind a wall, the stairway roped off, and both escalators caged up - as allegedly, when a Disney attraction closes for six months or more, OSHA inspects and reevaluates whether it meets current safety standards. And in the case of the original ImageWorks, it did not. So without additional funds from Kodak to bring the original ImageWorks up to code, it was simply abandoned.
It should come as no surprise that these changes and new incarnation were less than well received, with both Kodak and Michael Eisner criticizing the new incarnation. But despite these complaints, the attraction remained. However around a year and a half later, in mid-2001, Epcot lost its third sponsor in less than a decade. And with Kodak still being unhappy with the results of their investment and guests considering it Epcot’s worst attraction, it was decided to try to restore the ride to some of its former glory…only this time, Disney would foot the bill themselves, and Imagineers were given a modest makeover budget. However, as the tragic events of September 11th had caused tourism to plummet, the budget was cut to an estimated eight million dollars - the equivalent of remodeling a 2,000 square foot home for just $400.
Regardless, on October 8th of 2001, just two years after opening, the Imagination Pavilion’s main attraction was again closed. And just six months later, the ride reopened as ‘Journey into Imagination with Figment.’
(Promotional clip.)
ANNOUNCER You can go anywhere you can imagine on a Journey into YOUR Imagination with a friend named Figment.
MARK Upon entering the retitled attraction, while the queue featured a few new alterations, the biggest differences could be found immediately after setting off and approaching where the Imagination Scanner had previously insulted your creativity.
CHANNING Hello. On your tour, you’ll see how the five human senses can help capture your imagination.
FIGMENT Oh, oh! Can I go too? (After the passing of Billy Barty in 2000, Figment was now voiced by Dave Goelz [of The Muppets fame.])
CHANNING Absolutely not. Uh, this is one of our discoveries, the Figment of imagination.
FIGMENT Yeah, I know all about the senses.
NARRATOR Right off the bat, the re-inclusion of Figment and the theme ‘One Little Spark’ was a welcome improvement. However, the rest of the ride was hit-or-miss, as while it did feature new show scenes, many elements of Journey into YOUR Imagination still remained and were simply retrofitted within the plot of exploring the human senses…of which only three of the five are actually part of the ride, more than likely due to budget constraints. But perhaps the biggest and only real highlight of this reworked attraction would be its grand finale, in which a room full of Figments sang ‘One Little Spark’ with its original lyrics, several of which paid homage to the original Figment animatronics and puppets used in the film finale.
(A picture of the finale, with Nigel Channing’s face on the Moon, with the caption, ‘This is what nightmare are made of…’)
While many agreed this version was a slight improvement, it was a far cry from recapturing the magic and wonder of the original, with some criticizing Figment’s new portrayal as a nuisance and a menace compared to his childlike innocence of the original.
However, it was only meant to be a temporary solution that would ultimately be rectified with Project Gemini, a proposed $350-500 million overhaul of Epcot’s Future World that would’ve included drastic aesthetic changes as well as new attractions and experiences. (Project Gemini shared many design elements of the unbuilt WestCOT.) Unfortunately, while then-President Jay Rasulo loved the proposition, CEO Michael Eisner would only approve parts of the overall project, such as an initially planned alternate version of Soarin’ Over California (was finally realized with Soarin’ Around the World in 2016) and a Little Mermaid attraction that involved into Nemo and Friends…ultimately leading Journey into Imagination on the sidelines as a shadow of its former self.
In 2010, Kodak ended its sponsorship with the Imagination Pavilion and its attractions, leaving many to wonder whether it would meet the same fate as the Wonders of Life Pavilion, Ellen’s Energy Adventure, and Horizons, all of which fell into disrepair and limped along for years without a sponsor until their eventual closure or replacement. However, presently - for better or for worse - this has not proved to be the case.
And when looking back at the original Journey into Imagination as far as what happened to the iconic ride elements, most if not all the Figment animatronics were thankfully spared, and are either in Disney storage or in the possession of collectors, with some having been put on display over the years since the attraction’s closure. Even the puppets used in the ride’s film finale surfaced in an online auction in 2008. And while more than likely not an original, in the queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, Figment can be seen in a frosted cage as one of the Collector’s items. Less is known about the fate of the Dreamfinder’s animatronics…though in Disneyland Paris’ Phantom Manor, you can find an animatronic which used the same mold as the Dreamfinder.
However, a large portion of his floating vehicle, the Dreamcatcher, can be found in Epcot’s Disney gear shop, with its various extensions also becoming prized possessions of collectors. Even traces of Journey into Imagination’s original structure can be found if you know where to look, including the escalators used to enter and exit the original ImageWorks, which up until 2016 was used primarily for conventions and company meetings before being converted into a Disney Vacation Club lounge, retaining much of its original structure. And for a short time, members could get a glimpse into the abandoned sections which have remained for the past two decades, but were quickly covered up by the end of the year.
(Clip from D23 Expo 2017.)
PRESENTER Epcot is a reassurance that we are part of something great. If we can dream it, we can do it.
NARRATOR Today, while the character of Figment is more popular than ever, the future of Journey into Imagination with Figment is unclear. But as it’s clear, big changes are coming to Epcot in the following years. We may yet see an attraction worthy of replacing the original Journey into Imagination.
So what about you? What do you think could replace Journey into Imagination with Figment? And if you haven’t already, make sure to check out Part 1 on Defunctland. As always, thank you all so much for watching, and I’ll see you next time.