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5 June 2002: Journey Into Imagination with Figment photos (Thanks Fudgie!)
20 April 2002: Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Figment is back! The playful purple
dragon who captured millions of hearts at Walt Disney World Resort
returns to Epcot in June to once again demonstrate the power of
imagination.
Journey Into Imagination with Figment invites guests to an open house at
the Imagination Institute led by Dr. Nigel Channing, who plans to show
how the five senses can influence a person’s imagination.
Future World guests traveling through the colorful, energetic attraction
stop for Dr. Channing’s demonstrations in laboratories to discover how
the human senses are being studied to help “capture and control” the
imagination. The stops are interrupted, however, by the free-thinking
Figment, a mischievous dragon who tries to show the ever-practical Dr.
Channing and his guests that the imagination works best, not when it’s
controlled, but rather, when it’s set free.
Guests will encounter stimulating experiences:
In the sight laboratory, Figment has fun with a vision chart to prove
that there is more to the imagination than meets the eye!
Sniff, sniff – What’s that aroma in the smell laboratory?
In the sound laboratory, guests enjoy a symphony of delightful melodies
as Figment shows how thoughts can appear by way of the ear.
The fun continues when guests are invited into Figment’s house, which is
upside-down to show how imagination can really come “home” when you look
at things from a new perspective. By the end, his impish antics convince
Dr. Channing how much fun a free imagination can be.
“The return of Figment adds another level of excitement to this
re-energized attraction,” said David Mumford, show designer for Walt
Disney Imagineering. “Journey Into Imagination with Figment is bright
and fun and should appeal to guests of all ages.”
The revamped attraction also heralds the return of “One Little Spark,”
an uplifting song written by legendary Disney composers Richard M. and
Robert B. Sherman for the attraction’s original opening in March 1983.
Comic actor Eric Idle also returns as Dr. Nigel Channing, a role he
originated in the adjacent “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” 3-D attraction
at Epcot.
Journey Into Imagination with Figment is part of the Imagination!
pavilion presented by Kodak at Epcot.
11 January 2002: JIYI Ride Vehicles
News in from Jon...
"While in Disneyworld this weekend, I saw unidentified, covered ride
cars on the back of a flatbed truck heading away from Epcot. Then, while
running the Epcot Family Fun 5K, which takes you through some backstage
areas of Epcot, I spotted several JIYI ride cars sitting by a loading
dock, apparently waiting to be picked up."
So this looks as though either the cars are off for modifications, or are being removed to be replaced with new vehicles.
3 January 2002: New JIYI Sign announcing the new attraction
20 July 2001: Journey into Your Imagination Update (Thanks Fudgie)
There are new rumors circulating within the area that the ride will undergo rehab (again) this time in Sept/Oct with a March 2002 opening. A name change is also in the works from "Journey in Your Imagination" to "Figment's Journey into Imagination" to incorporate the guest's demand of Figment's return. This information was provided an upper-level CM who looked at the story boards and said it will be a complete overhaul of the ride. Many of the CM's are taking this lightly since every rehab announced has been postponed and with the upcoming 100 years celebration it seems unlikely.
24 September 2001: Journey into Your Imagination Update
An update to our July news item about the rehab. The October 2001 date was pretty accurate, I now have word that the attraction will close on October 8 2001, and the current reopening date is set for June 14 2002. As always completion dates are always subject to change, but this is how things stand right now.
More good news is that originally you may remember we had heard of the $5million figure to complete the rehab. Well it seems that has now been increased further.
There is no word as to what the changes will be, as some elements are still under development, while others have been green lighted. There are some suggestions that there may be changes to the ride system, as well as a much larger role for our friend Figment.
It seems WDI have a clear plan of what they are trying to do this time, so I think we can look forward to a good attraction coming out of this project!
28 December 2000: Rehab pushed back (thanks Fudgie)
According to a CM at JIYI, the attempts to repair the terrible Journey into Your Imagination have moved back from early Jan 2000 to sometime in Spring 2001. Hopefully they have found more money - or better ideas!
13 November 1999: FASTPASS construction at Honey I Shrunk the Audience
November 1 1999: Eisner Visit
Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney, visited WDW October 26 1999 to check out the new Millennium shows at Epcot. Whilst everything else got the seal of approval, the new Journey into Your Imagination ride didn't do to well. Reports indicate that he hated it, and has order a reworking of the ride with an additional $5million budget.
30 September 1999: Ride photo
26 September 1999: Journey into Your Imagination CM previews today
The new ride previewed today for Cast Members only. Initial reaction seems mixed, some saying the ride is terrible, some saying average.
25 September 1999: Official Press Release on the new ride
One Giant Step For...Imagination!
Imagination takes a giant step for the millennium in Epcot's latest mind-boggling adventure in the Imagination! pavilion presented by Kodak.
Expanding on the continuing success of its 3-D special effects sensation, "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience," the new Journey Into Your Imagination adventure explores with tongue in cheek the imaginary effects of sound, color, illusion, dimension and gravity on people's "imagination generator."
Disney Imagineers have already shown, with hilarious results, what happens when scientists like Prof. Harold Szalinski of "Honey, I . . ." let their imaginations run wild with hi-tech wonders like the incredible shrinking machine.
The Imagination! pavilion adds the "sense-sational" ride-through adventure, letting guests discover how individual imagination expands during their trip through the amazing laboratories of the Imagination Institute, plus a new "ImageWorks -- The Kodak 'What If' Labs" playground for imaginative hands-on "experimentation."
13 September 1999: News from the CM newsletter - Eyes and Ears
Imagination Institute will host new 'open house' at IMAGINATION!
Figment will be part of the refurbished pavilion's new attraction as guests explore their imagination.
By Steve Longlois, Eyes & Ears
IMAGINATION! presented by Kodak, formerly the journey into Imagination pavilion at Epcot, will debut on Oct.1 with the rest of the Walt DisneyWorld Millennium Celebration with a new look, new theme and new attraction. The "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" 3-D show will continue to be a main feature of the pavilion. in fact, the entire pavilion will appear to be transformed into the Imagination Institute, the fictional laboratory seen in the show. In the pavilion's new ride, Journey Into Your Imagination, guests will take a behind-the-scenes visit of the Institute. According to the storyline, "We're having an open house of the entire facility," said Joseph Reyes,Walt Disney Imagineering show producer. "Our guests will be test subjects for an experiment we've developed in which we'll scan their imaginations and digitally display [them]. Next, we'll run them through a series of experiments and then scan their imaginations again and display the results." Dr. Nigel Channing from "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience," will welcome guests on overhead screens in the queue, along with a new computer-generated version of Figment, the purple dragon from the previous ride. Ride vehicles will take guests into five different labs devoted to sound, illusion, color, dimension and gravity. For example, the color lab will be a guest-activated room where screams, claps and whistles will make intense colors appear on the walls. When guests' imaginations are scanned at the end of the experiments, they'll be in for a surprise. Guests will exit into an interactive area called the ImageWorks - The Kodak "What If"" Labs. Innovative imaging technology will produce one-of-a-kind photograph souvenirs for guests. Watch for Cast preview information.
4 September 1999: Update
- The Journey into Imagination pavilion will be renamed to IMAGINATION!
- The new ride through attraction will be called Journey into Your Imagination.
18 August 1999: Construction Update
The building of Journey into Imagination is now being repainted in a bright blue. The covered entrance to Honey I Shrunk the Audience has been removed.
UPDATE from Paul - yesterday the building was partly being painted red. Not sure whether some of these are undercoating, or whether the building will be multi colored?
Old News
The Journey Into Imagination pavilion presented by Kodak at the Walt Disney World Epcot theme park will feature a brand new ride-through attraction in October 1999.
Described by Walt Disney Imagineering designers as a "fun,
behind-the-scenes look at the Imagination Institute," the new show
is inspired by Journey Into Imagination’s hugely popular Honey, I
Shrunk the Audience attraction. In Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, theme
park guests become the audience for the Imagination Institute’s annual
awards ceremony.
In addition to expanding the Imagination Institute story, the new
attraction will feature Kodak’s innovative imagining technologies.
While Honey, I Shrunk the Audience will remain open during renovation,
Image Works and the current ride-through attraction, Journey Into
Imagination, closed October 10, 1998.
The new show is planned to open during the first month of a 15-month
Walt Disney World Millennium celebration focusing on Epcot. It comes
on the heels of a year of unprecedented expansion that will
feature the opening of eight new entertainment attractions, a new resort
hotel and the second ship of the Disney Cruise Line fleet.
The Original Journey into Imagination
Capacity: 2,240 per hour, 7 per car
(ride)
1,776 per hour, 592 per show (theater)
Show Time: 13:00 minutes (ride)
17:50 minutes (theater)
Speed: 1.25 - 3.0 fps
Ride System: Omnimover (ride)
Sit-down Theater
Walk-through (Image Works)
Participant: Kodak
Description (Ride): Join host Dreamfinder and his impish companion, Figment, on an imaginative romp through the creative process. A stunning ride-through attraction, Journey into Imagination displays how all literature, drama, music, art, and inventions come from "one little spark" ... the magical quality of imagination that dwells inside each of us.
Description (Theater): Presenting "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience." Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis) is being honored with the inventor-of-the-year award when things get a little out-of-hand and the audience experiences some of his inventions at close range. Also features Eric Idle as President of the Imagination Institute.
Description (Image Works): A "fun house of the future" where you can challenge your own imagination. Create works of art with an electronic palette. Take a role in "Dreamfinder's School of Drama," play an orchestra full of instruments with a wave of your hand, or create your own face at Making Faces.