YMMV / Journey into Imagination

• Accidental Nightmare Fuel:
  • While definitely not intended, the sudden loud flash to the ride's finale in the third incarnation can be an extremely jarring Jump Scare, especially for those that were not prepared for it.
  • The otherwise lighthearted third version of the ride includes a presumably unintentional example in the form of the terrifying singing Dr. Channing moon at the end.
• Alternative Character Interpretation: Figment's mischief in the current attraction: Is he a spoiled Looney Tunes-ish brat that hates the guests or is the attraction a Meta plot and he's a Karmic Trickster ruining Channing's Open House because he hated Journey into YOUR Imagination as much as everyone else did?
  • If it is the second interpretation, is Figment also acting out due to missing Dreamfinder seeing as a silhouette of the two riding the Dreamcatching Machine appears on top of the sheet music for "One Little Spark" in the second to last scene?
• Audience-Alienating Premise: The ride's second incarnation, Journey into YOUR Imagination, fell into this territory from the day it opened. Beyond the fact that the fan-favorite Figment and Dreamfinder are absent from the attraction (outside of Figment getting a couple of small cameos), the second version would shift away from the ride's original whimsical premise about the wonders of imagination in favor of a more scientific-oriented story starring the comparatively less charming Dr. Nigel Channing, who constantly talks down to the riders and treats them as if they're unimaginative idiots throughout the entire ride. In short, it failed to appeal to longtime fans by lacking the elements that made the original attraction so beloved, while also turning off more casual riders thanks to its sterile and condescending plot that had little to do with imagination. Due to the swift backlash it received, Disney would shut down the attraction only two years after its opening and replace it with the current incarnation, with the second incarnation quickly going down in infamy as one of Disney's worst ideas.
• Awesome Music: The main theme, One Little Spark, is an upbeat and cheerful piece centered around how all it takes is one little spark to create amazing things. Many have considered the theme to be an unofficial theme of Epcot itself. The orchestrated version in the third version is also great.
• Briefer Than They Think: Given how popular and beloved the first incarnation is (to where it gets promoted to this day), it's easy to think that the first incarnation is this long-lasting staple that had been in Epcot for decades prior to its shutdown. However, the first incarnation only lasted around fifteen years (1983 to 1998) before it was replaced by the second incarnation. Now granted, fifteen years is undeniably a good run, but it is not long when compared to other long-lasting Disney rides or even the current version that opened in 2002, which has since outlived the original ride.
• Ensemble Dark Horse:
  • Despite being gone for years and having been overshadowed by Figment, many fans, even those who did not grow up with the original ride, absolutely adore the eccentric, jolly and warm Dreamfinder from the original iteration and continue to beg Disney to bring him back to the attraction one day, as unlikely as it might be for the foreseeable future. His popularity is so large that when the Dreamfinder made an rare reappearance at the 2011 D23: Destination D event, the crowd absolutely exploded into cheering and screaming upon seeing him. Ron Schneider, who originally portrayed the meet-and-greet version of the character, wishes that he would return someday too, and even congratulated Figment when he made a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!.
  • While a very minor portion of the attraction, the disappearing butterfly introduced in the second version has become popular amongst riders; with even the ride's detractors agreeing that it was the only good thing the second version added. Largely because it is a legitimately impressive visual effect. Unsurprisingly, it would be kept in the third version.
• Fan Nickname:
  • Journey Into YOUR Imagination is often referred to as "Journey Into Your (Lack of) Imagination" by fans.
  • Dreamfinder's ship from the original ride is officially dubbed "The Dream-Catching Machine" by Disney. However, most fans call it either "The Dreamcatcher" or "The Dream Machine" instead. The latter would later be officially used to refer to the ship in Figment.
  • The Figment costume character that would interact with guests during the early-to-mid 2000s has been called "Figzilla" by guests. Due to how big he is compared to his appearance in the ride and the puppet of him that accompanied Dreamfinder back when he did meet and greets.
• Fandom-Enraging Misconception: Confusing Figment for another purple dragon (or the other way around) is a great way to piss off both fandoms.
• First Installment Wins: Most Disney fans usually agree that the later two versions of the ride are absolutely nothing when compared to the original, although the current version is generally regarded as at least being better than the second version. As an extension of this and despite the first incarnation being absent for decades, most merchandise based off of the ride, including the ride's comic book adaptation, Figment, are all based off of the ride's first incarnation as opposed to its current incarnation.
• Heartwarming Moments: For the original ride:
  • When he sees the guests, Dreamfinder greets them:
    Hello there! So glad you could come along.
  • Dreamfinder telling Figment that the guests can imagine too and that "imagination is something that belongs to all of us" can make anyone who previously didn't think they were creative smile.
• Memetic Mutation:
  • Jokes about the creepy singing Nigel Channing moon at the end of the third version of the ride are pretty common.
  • To a lesser extent, the Figment animatronics in the Sound lab and just outside the Touch and Taste labs each wearing a blue sweater with the original Imagination pavillion logo on it during the holiday season starting in 2020 being something that fans like, though not without a mention of how one can still take it or leave it when it comes to the ride itself.
  • Figment popcorn bucket.^Explanation During the 2022 Festival of the Arts at Epcot, Disney would introduce a Figment popcorn bucket to commemorate the event. The popcorn bucket would become instantly popular amongst parkgoers and cause a Demand Overload, leading to thousands of guests waiting up to eight hours for the popcorn bucket. Unsurprisingly, the popcorn bucket and its insane reaction would become the subject of many jokes and memes amongst fans, with even Eric Idle joining in on the joking by remarking that Disney should make a Nigel Channing popcorn bucket.
  • Seth Rogen is Figment.^Explanation On September 28, 2022, Disney would announce that a film based off the attraction is planned to be produced by Seth Rogen's Point Grey Pictures. The news that Seth Rogen is involved has led to many jokes that Seth Rogen is the one who is playing Figment, which unsurprisingly, has led to stuff like this being made.
• My Real Daddy: While The Dreamfinder was voiced by Chuck McCann in the attraction, many tend to associate Dreamfinder with Ron Schneider instead, who was his actor outside of the ride and also did a few lines as him in the attraction.
• Nightmare Fuel: The Literature realm counts as this since it is themed after the horror genre. There's even a segment in the ride during this scene where Figment is trying to prevent a book full of monsters from opening up.
• Opinion Myopia: Amongst Disney Park and Epcot fans, the Dreamfinder is a highly beloved character who is just as essential to the attraction as Figment is. However, if you were to ask many casual visitors today (especially younger visitors who were born in the late '90s and 2000s, by which they would likely be more familiar with the second and/or third incarnations instead of the first incarnation), chances are, they'll likely have no clue as to who Dreamfinder was, even if they recognize Figment. In fact, if comments from Ron Schneider on the Defunctland podcast are anything to go by, Dreamfinder was apparently not all that well-regarded amongst casual visitors back in the day, as he attracted massive backlash from Moral Guardians due to being an old bearded guy running around Epcot and hanging out with children, which he believes is the reason why Disney phased him out entirely when the attraction was retooled in the late '90s.
• Overshadowed by Controversy: It is pretty much impossible to talk about either the second or third incarnations without bringing up that they’ve both replaced the original ride.
• Replacement Scrappy:
  • Virtually no one liked Journey into YOUR Imagination, which is what caused the ride to quickly be revamped a second time. While the third version is better received, it is still widely regarded as being inferior to the original attraction.
  • As far as actual characters go, there is Dr. Channing himself. He was especially hated on the second iteration of the ride where he replaced both Dreamfinder and Figment, and came off as a bland, uninspired scientist character who if anything was the total antithesis of imagination. He found a little more love in the third version of the ride since Figment's Bus Came Back, but is still considered to pale in comparison to the Dreamfinder who continued to be missing in action. That all said, people do willingly admit he isn't that bad a character on his own, and the fact that he's played by Eric Idle helps lessen the sting a bit.
• Signature Scene: In the third incarnation, the finale featuring all the various Figments singing "One Little Spark" is easily the ride's most iconic scene and it tends to be the scene Disney uses when advertising the attraction.
• So Okay, It's Average: How people tend to react towards the current version of the attraction, feeling that while it's not anywhere near as bad as Journey into YOUR Imagination, it still lacks the charm of the first iteration.
• Take That, Scrappy!: The entire joke of Journey Into Imagination With Figment is that it's just a few minutes of Figment tormenting Dr. Channing in revenge for how crappy Journey Into YOUR Imagination was. Alas, many don't get the joke^note or think it's not funny if they do get it and complain about Figment being unlikable (it should be noted that the worst thing Figment does to Dr. Channing is mess up his experiments about "capturing and controlling the imagination", as far as Karmic Tricksters go he's pretty tame).
• They Changed It, Now It Sucks!:
  • This sums up the general reaction to the beloved original ride being shuttered and replaced with the less beloved second and third versions, on top of both versions replacing The Dreamfinder with Nigel Channing. Fans of the original ride also dislike the changes made to Figment's personality in the third version, finding him to be more obnoxious and unlikable compared to how he was originally.
  • Fans were outraged after sketches and a clay model of a proposed redesign of Figment was briefly featured in the One Day at Disney documentary, finding his current design to be fine as is and disliking the new design for barely resembling him. That said, the design has not been featured since the documentary, nor has it been used for anything, so Disney has likely backed off.
• Ugly Cute: Figment isn't neccessarily the most appealing character appearance wise, being a strange, crocodile/dragon hybrid of sorts, but he is still adorable looking nevertheless. There's a good reason why he is the Breakout Character of the Disney parks after all.
• Vindicated by History: While the current incarnation of the ride was still somewhat detested by fans of the original when it first opened despite Figment's return, those who have since grown up with it have begun to view it more fondly, even among those who agree that it is inferior to the original version.

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