Gather, Store, Re-Combine: Part 4

OUR STORY SO FAR… The whimsical Journey Into Imagination has transformed into the kinetic The Imagination Institute. The light-hearted antics of the Szalinski family have moved into the Magic Eye Theater as Honey, I shrunk the Audience. And at the turn of the millennium the former focal point of the pavilion and second most popular attraction in the park, Journey Into Imagination (the ride) has artificially dropped in attendance causing a dramatic overhaul of the entire attraction. Journey Into YOUR Imagination is underfunded and it’s designers are ill-equipped (and perhaps ill-experienced) to deal with the enormous pressure to deliver a quality attraction with an impossibly short deadline. The ride is destined to become the most notoriously inept attraction in the history of Epcot.

History Became Legend
Legend Became Myth
And Some Things that Should Not
Have Been Forgotten Were Lost
-Philippa Boyens
(The Lord of the Rings, Screenplay 1998)

The year is 2001 and Epcot has just experienced one of the most populous years in the park’s existence. As the confetti settles, the park that announced the “beginning of the 21st century” is now suffering a post-millennial hangover. The pomp and circumstance manifested by the many “temporary” structures created for the celebration are now decidedly awkward in both their appearance and subject matter. Thanks to a lack of demolition funds most of the architecture intended to only stand for a year would stay for quite awhile longer. (1)
The Millennium Celebration, necessitated that every available venue had to be used to absorb the high attendance of the fifteen-month campaign. As such any modifications, preventative maintenance, and future developments were put on hold. (2) In addition, the severity of Imagination complaints had been masked by guest's responses to the mostly positive Celebration. It wasn’t until the campaign was over that the cast at Epcot Guest Relations (and WDW Communications) was made fully aware of the public’s distain for the new Imagination ride. Fortunately, the attraction never had a strong ally in the upper echelons of the company, and even the slightest amount of negative feedback would cause the attraction to change. What was unexpected is the massive quantity of the negative comments that the new attraction received.
To the Disney aficionado, the complaints and reactions were a response to multiple factors on multiple levels. From a Macro perspective, the cycle of closing cherished attractions and replacing them with shorter less-immersive experiences at Epcot had grown more tiresome with each successive rehab. Even though the numbers for the attraction had diminished the original Journey was one of the most beloved experiences ever created for the park. The complete elimination of not just the ride but also its characters only helped to spur public outrage. The final factor was the overall concept for the YOUR Imagination attraction itself.

By the middle of 2001 the decision was made to fix the Imagination situation. Once again, timing and finances would prove to be the biggest hurdles in the re-interpretation of the ride. Kodak was both unable and (rightfully so) unwilling to provide any more funds. Disney did not press the issue mostly because they were already on thin ice with several sponsors. From Kodak’s perspective, they were promised a “must-see” attraction and instead got quite the opposite. This was Disney’s issue to fix. A retooling of the attraction was developed and Journey Into YOUR Imagination closed on October 8th, 2001. The attraction existed for exactly two years and seven days. The timing of this rehab could not have been worse, less than a month before the unthinkable happened and all of Walt Disney World closed for the second time in its history, and the first time because of terrorism. The 9/11 attacks, rippled through virtually all economic centers of the country. One of the hardest hit was tourism and the effects of an attack a thousand miles away were extremely direct. (5) Once again, budgets were extremely low and Imagination’s quick fix was to be done on a budget of less than Eight Million Dollars.
Eight million dollars, to put that in perspective; it’s the theme park equivalent of remodeling an entire 2,000 square-foot home (new furniture, lighting, paint, and art work) for a little over $400 dollars!

It has been said that “Art thrives on restrictions”, and considering the pressures that the team was under, the “new” attraction could be considered quite impressive. At this point the public had spoken, and integrating Figment in any and all ways possible was the primary (if not the only) objective. During the two years of YOUR Imagination, more than a dozen of the ride’s animatronic Figments became artifact displays scattered in several offices around property. The first order of business was to call these little guys home and most of these Figments would soon be reinstated into active-duty. The attraction itself would be significantly lighter in tone and combine the light-comedy of Eric Idle’s Dr. Nigel Channing and a rather mischievous version of Figment. The redesign of the attraction (by necessity) would have to be almost purely aesthetic. The conversion process would be even shorter than the previous attraction from 356 to a mere 236 days. Journey Into Imagination with Figment is more of a descriptive term than a title. But, fully describes exactly what the conversion set out to accomplish. In hindsight, the re-tooling of the attraction’s storyline is entirely reactionary. The “new” attraction would still be a tour of the Imagination Institute but instead of going through illusionary tableaus, the attraction would now focus on the five senses.

The opening of Journey Into Imagination with Figment was handled very quietly with little to no fanfare. The marketing of this event (if you can use that word) was especially blunt. The whole reopening was focused on the tagline “Figment’s Back!” this slogan was used on T-shirts and other media. The whole non-event was analogous to an extremely large newspaper retraction. Nonetheless, this was an awesome statement and friends of Figment the world over cheered that after years of pursing the masses Disney’s neglected core audience was being listened too. The overall reaction was in essence “It’s a lot better than what we got, but less than what we had”. The final judgment on Journey Into Imagination with Figment, is a highly complex one. It is important to consider all factors. From a historical perspective, it is unique as it is one of the first uses of what could be called “Guerilla Imagineering” (7) No Budget, No time, only armed with your creativity to get you through. Considering this the ride is very well done. On the other hand, it is designed as merely a stopgap to appease Figment lovers and present a decent attraction until time and funding provide a more spectacular replacement.

In general, one should never compare different things to each other. The Disneyland Verses Magic Kingdom debate will continue for as long as both parks exist. The results of comparison are pirmarily negative and as such are unproductive. However, comparing approaches to different subject matter is extremely interesting as in the 1958 film “4 Artists Paint 1 Tree”. In much the same way, it’s fascinating to examine the differences between the three very different interpretations of the abstract concept of Imagination. In the most recent version, (with Figment) the subject is an exploration of how we absorb stimuli. With the five senses, we take in a lot of information and then GATHER it for future use. In the second version, (YOUR Imagination) those senses are revealed to be at times deceiving. In a way, we STORE information for the final brain scan at the end of the ride. Finally, the original Journey shows us how we can RE-COMBINE many different stimuli to come up with something new. This is the biggest difference between the versions of Imagination, the second and third storylines are focus on Perception where as the original version is concerned with Application and exciting prospects of taking your imagination to the next level by bringing the sparks of creativity into real world!

The Image Works as of 2006

The Imagination Pavilion has become one of enormous historical contradictions. For as much change has occurred on the pavilion’s first floor, the story is quite different on the second. The mere existence of the Image Works is one that has fascinated theme park enthusiasts for the past decade. The fact that the space has existed frozen-in-time that also was an Opening Day attraction of the park has become a source of intrigue that is equally (and unusually) interesting and morbid.
Whenever a Disney facility closes for a period of more than six months OSHA dictates that the structure must be brought up to current building codes. The part of this code that concerns Image Works is one of wheelchair accessibility. For an exhibit of its size and occupancy, a single use elevator is not appropriate for the needs of 21st century structures. The transition between the original and second versions far exceeded time limits and the cost to make major improvements to the existing space was cost prohibitive. (11) As a result, its existence was as architecturally concealed as possible. One of its two escalators was caged and the other was walled-off entirely. The central elevator and spiral staircase was cleverly masked by with non-descript banners and merchandise displays to prevent easy passage to the second floor.
Soon after the space was closed any and all useable equipment (monitors, touch screens and other electronics) was removed to be used in other exhibits around property. And so for the next several years the space was used sparingly for conventions, internal company meetings, and has been a long time stop on the “Undiscovered Future World Tour”. In 2006, a large amount of the space received slight refreshment as a part of the test for the Kim Possible Experience where your last mission took place inside The Image Works. During this time, there were also a few architectural adjustments made to the main exhibit space. Walls were constructed enclosing the "Making Faces" and "School of Drama" and (as of this writing) have become a monitored storage area for Epcot’s more valuable electronic equipment. Over time, only a few original props have wound-up “missing” from the exhibit. The Electronic Philharmonic has been stripped of its Orchestra, and the pin screen tables are constantly “roaming” around the exhibit and occasionally “make appearances” in the atrium. Most recently, Figment’s Coloring Book (aka Pyramid B) has been used for storing many of the displays and signage for the Honey, I shrunk the Audience attraction while its future return hangs in the balance.
The Image Works is one of the few remaining abandoned spaces in Disney Theme Park History. On a personal note, I’ve been “up there” several times in the course of its now ten-year hibernation. And every time I do so, I always feel like some ROV exploring the decks of the Disney version of Titanic, and to spite its neglect the second floor of Imagination is remarkably well preserved. In recounting its history one is reminded of another charming attraction that was brought back to life after decades of “sleep” The Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-Through suffered much the same fate and has the same limitations, so one can only hope that Aurora’s prince and Imagination’s creator, Tony Baxter will breathe life into the void once again.

The Image Works as of 2010

In 2009 the tragic loss of entertainer Michael Jackson sparked an enormous amount of interest in all things Jackson. To the Disney universe, this naturally lend to much discussion and coverage of the all but forgotten 3D Space Fantasy, Captain EO. There were multiple articles written about the groundbreaking film from all angles. (As was previously discussed at E82) there were even articles written about the films that were Not Made. In addition, anything associated with MJ was selling in record numbers including the motion picture profiling his incomplete concert for the UK which was to once again feature the latest in 3D effects. The Walt Disney Company took notice of all this and fans of Captain EO cried out for the film to be shown once more. Disneyland has always been home to temporary (albeit expensive) spectacles. It’s dynamic as a “local theme park” allows attractions and shows to be replaced or refurbished with little to no guest complaints. Consequently, the park often serves as a test lab for Imagineers and Park Operators to experiment with new offerings with little to no risk. As such it was decided to bring Captain EO back to the park for an indefinite period of time. The attendance numbers for the attraction were significantly higher than any of those seen for Honey, I shrunk the Audience, and the guest satisfaction numbers were off the charts. In six months time, the Tokyo and Paris parks had already made plans to join the Captain’s crew and finally Walt Disney World Management decided to join the party by committing to bring the “Rag Tag Band” to its original home at Epcot. The conversion from the Imagination Institute to EO was handled very quickly and much of the Institute’s props and and wall décor was carefully stored (upstairs in The Image Works) while the company is unsure of the attraction’s final destination.

Officially, the only “Captain EO Tribute” is found at Disneyland with all other shows in the revived franchise simply stated as “Captain EO”. This minor title change is important because when the original Disneyland show reopened the preshow was displayed with a narrative that explicitly states the historical context of the presentation. California is where the term Kitsch was invented and hence it’s expected that any Disneyland-style park would join-in the local culture. The same cannot be said for the Epcot presentation. When it opened in 1986, the EPCOT Center Version of the film was preceded by a Kodak photo presentation set to the song “Capture a Smile”. A lighthearted Song/Pre-show that had absolutely nothing to do with the main attraction itself. Once the presentation concluded a Cast Member would make a brief spiel, then curtains would retract and the theater doors open. This is also when the much sought-after Pre-show space music would begin. The dark, mysterious, and magical music of James Horner was echoed in the atmosphere of the theater itself and was primary lit by starlight. This atmosphere perfectly set the tone of the film’s opening moments. It is also important to note that the film itself used state-of-the-art projection technologies and numerous in-theater effects that created an extremely immersive experience of the film. In sharp contrast, is the 2010 presentation wherein the film has the original Disneyland pre-show filled with the worst of 1980s clichés. From the leg warmers, to the big hair and from the dancers to the heavily mustached Imagineers this film portrays almost nothing about the craftsman ship and artistry found in the film it attempts to document. This might sound a bit harsh, but during the pre-show nearly everyone today is heard laughing for all the wrong reasons. In addition, the historical context announcements appear to excuse the attraction for its short-comings before the film even begins seemingly setting-up the audience for disappointment with the hope that by lowering initial expectations they will increase guest satisfaction for a surprisingly good show in the end. It is in this historian’s opinion that no attraction should either excuse itself for its age nor be excused because of if it. Walt Disney himself never intended his parks to showcase themselves for their own intrinsic historical value. Nor is it ever appropriate for an attraction or theme park to exhibit anything less than high-quality simply because of its age. At the time of this writing, Tokyo Disneyland has changed Captain EO’s presentation from a “Temporary” to “Permanent” Attraction. So one can only hope that the Oriental Land Company will fund a comprehensive film restoration and digitization, that one day will spread to all four corners of the Captain’s Changed World.

The existence of the 3rd incarnation of the Journey into Imagination is something of a milestone in the history of theme park attractions. Although slight modifications had occurred over guest feedback, a complete restructuring due to guest demands simply did not happen until the events of 2002. (13) It is also the first time in Walt Disney World history where it’s much neglected (inner most) core audience was listened too. (14)
In a few short years, the almost unthinkable occurred. Following the then recently established trend of “Retro” the name “EPCOT Center” was once again seen on current in park merchandise. These items were quickly noticed by Classic Epcot fans and were soon flying off the shelves. Then more products were created and still more are created to this day with a new t-shirt appearing roughly every six months. One in particular that stirred a large amount of discussion was a one in which Dreamfinder and Figment where prominently featured prompting speculation about the character’s return. Disney Theme Park Merchandising spends more time and effort getting to know what people will buy than any division of the company. It is a business in its purest form and Product Developers are keenly aware of the spending power that Classic EPCOT Center merchandise holds. For almost a decade, Figment and Dreamfinder have been the focal point of Pin Celebrations, limited edition sculptures, and artwork. If it’s an event that is in anyway associated with Walt Disney World’s second theme park it WILL have Dreamfinder and figment in there somewhere.
This unusual attention given to a retired character has sparked (no pun intend) debate that reincorporating the character is imminent. Unfortunately, there is no evidence to support this. Product Development (PD) and Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) work together only during the last phase of a new attractions development. PD works 18 months ahead and WDI works 3 to 5 years before that. If there was to be a new version of Imagination, its merchandise would appear just a few days before reopening the pavilion.
In the past year, there have been several events that have brought a new awareness to and respect for classic Walt Disney World characters and locations. (15) Just a few short weeks ago, D23 celebrated the upcoming 40th Birthday of the Magic Kingdom (and ultimately Walt Disney World). At this event it was obvious that Epcot was the biggest focal point for those in attendance. At the closing of this Weekend-long event was a musical tribute to the songs of the Sherman Brothers. The concert-like performance (appropriately titled “Magic Journeys: A flight of fancy through 40 years of Walt Disney World’s Musical Memories”) transitioned from the Sherman’s animated work to the parks and finally settled on EPCOT Center Classics. When it came to “One Little Spark” THE Dreamfinder, Ron Schneider, appeared on stage as the character for the first time in well over decade. The reaction to this surprise appearance was ecstatic to say the least. Many who were in attendance said that he received “a reception similar to Elvis.” One can only hope that with such an overwhelming response a return of this much beloved character will occur sometime soon.

The complete history of the Imagination pavilion has been one filled with success and conflict. In many ways, the history of the pavilion directly mirrors the history of Imagineering itself. (16) The epic scale and lavish productions of a generation ago have developed into timely, straight-forward attractions with plots that are easy enough for a five-year-old to grasp. It also appears that the past is repeating itself with classical storytelling on the rise. (17) Although it’s impossible to determine the next course in Imagination’s evolution, let’s speculate about what a future Journey could be like …

This is just one vision of what Tomorrow’s Imagination could be. The great thing about this attraction/pavilion is that it can be anything. This is also the biggest of all fears for Imagineers. How does one define the concept of imagination in the 21st Century? In the late 1970’s Tony Baxter, Kirk Wise, Barry Braverman, and several others came up with a concept explaining the of mechanics of the imagination process. Over the past 30 years, we have gathered a lot of sparks. We have self-contained highly-interactive walking animatronics. There are 3D high-definition multi-screen presentations coupled with vibrant color-changing LED effects and there are even ride vehicles that require no track or wire to guide them! Journey Into Imagination can (and should) be a place where All of these amazing technologies can be put to use. And if we’ve learned anything over the past two decades its that the best of all rehabs are those of enhancement and not reinvention. And the most well loved attractions and characters simply need better methods of telling their story. The public knows what it wants for Imagination and once funding is in place I can’t see Imagineering suffering the same oversight.

As Walt Disney World approaches its 40th Birthday (with Epcot’s 30th soon to follow), there is a wealth of adoration for the charm of classic Walt Disney World Character’s and a wellspring of appreciation for the undated sophistication of decades-old designs. Captain EO (whatever its flaws) is back! The long concealed name EPCOT Center is celebrated once again. The Enchanted Tiki Room will soon be free of “Management”. And the Magic Kingdom (in comparison to her sisters) will at last be given a Fantasyland to be proud of. It seems like Walt Disney World is finally reaching maturity. Comfortable with what it was, and cautious to make the right decisions for its future. Whatever is done Today is done for Tomorrow. Longevity is the focus for Imagineering.
The original Journey has become an indelible fixture in the history of Epcot and ultimately Walt Disney World. From its whimsical style and prophetic visions of creativity in the 21st Century to its playful fountains and lighthearted tone in an otherwise very serious World of the Future, Journey Into Imagination has left a very big imprint on those lucky enough to visit during those first 15 years.
With the original Journey, Imagineering created the most impactful of all gestures. You’ve never been able to pet a Tiki Bird or flirt with a Pirate Auctioneer. The Hitchhiking Ghosts really don’t follow you home and Skippy, for all of his teleported adorableness, never did meet-n-greets. But from Day One (and even five months beforehand) you could experience the attraction and then interact with its characters. Long before Turtle Talk, you could have a conversation with Dreamfinder and Figment could play with your rainbow colored EPCOT Center baseball cap before Lucky the Dinosaur was engineered to do so. To Tomorrow’s Children, Dreamfinder & Figment were real! And if the events of the last month have proved anything The Marvelous Professor and his Baby Dragon are just as real today as they were decades ago.
It has been said Dreamfinder was based off of none other than Walt Disney himself, a childlike dreamer that worked toward bringing his creations to life. By extension Figment could also be seen as an upgrade from Mouse to a Dragon that is just as obsessed with creating as his creator. When looked at through this lens it’s no surprise that people are still remember the words to “One Little Spark” and stepping through a multi-colored portal of mesmerizing Neon Light.
Living Characters, Prophetically Interactive Exhibits, Leap-Frog Fountains and High-Speed 3D Films are among the many innovations that have made Journey Into Imagination a landmark in the history of themed entertainment. But it is history that is far from over and if the events of the last five years are any indication quick-fixes are becoming extinct. “Timely” has been replaced by “Timeless” and whatever the future holds I am sure that the Next Journey will surpass everyone’s expectations.