Disney World’s Official Declaration Seals Fate of Controversial Ride

A new permit filed by Disney indicates major changes are on the way for an infamous attraction at EPCOT.

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The Walt Disney World Resort is home to many classic and iconic rides and attractions. Disney is best known for its well-themed dark rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. Other rides like “it’s a small world” and Peter Pan’s Flight are just as legendary, transporting guests into an immersive and magical world.

However, not every Disney creation is a hit, with Journey Into Imagination with Figment becoming one of the most controversial and infamous attractions ever built by Disney. This ride first opened in 1983 and was originally called Journey Into Imagination. Over the last several decades, the attraction underwent three significant overhauls, with the third and most recent version of the ride severely lacking in comparison to the original.

For years, it’s been debated what Disney should do with this attraction, with some saying to retheme it while others say to demolish it entirely. It appears Disney is doing something, with some major news breaking out regarding this attraction.

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Earlier this month, Disney filed a permit for extensive work at the Imagination Pavilion at EPCOT. This is where guests will find Journey Into Imagination and other experiences like ImageWorks and the Magic Eye Theater. The permit includes both the Imagination Pavilion and Journey Into Imagination with Figment, signaling some major changes could be on the way.

The work listed is “general construction,” with the contractor listed as Poli Construction LLC. The permit details are rather vague but indicate Disney is preparing to overhaul Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Something that makes this new permit especially interesting is its expiration date. Typically, permits have a blank expiration date, which defaults to one year after it was filed.

This new permit for the Imagination Pavilion at EPCOT expires on November 28, 2025, 19 months after its filing date. This indicates that this new project is far more significant than what we typically see at Walt Disney World, and with Journey Into Imagination with Figment being such an unpopular ride for many guests, it’s likely the ride is about to change drastically.

This news follows a series of videos shared by the official Disney D23 TikTok account last year, which showed Figment interacting with Disney cast members and other employees before entering the official Walt Disney Imagineering building. These videos did not lead to any type of specific announcement, but it’s likely Disney was hinting toward a total reimaging of Journey Into Imagination with Figment all along.

@disneyd23

We couldn’t imagine a better day than showing Figment around Walt Disney Studios 🌈

♬ original sound – Disney D23

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Many projects are happening at the Walt Disney World Resort, with several exciting additions and upgrades currently being worked on. Alongside this new EPCOT permit, the theme park will also lose one of its major attractions, Test Track, later this summer. Disney announced it would be closing Test Track last year, revealing it would be overhauling the attraction for the third time.

Disney is also working on retheming DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a massive project that would transform the entire land into an area inspired by South America.

All of this news comes before Disney holds its annual D23 fan event in August, which will undoubtedly be one of the biggest events The Walt Disney Company has held in recent memory. Fans expect to get many confirmations regarding ride and attraction news, as well as updates on other projects across the Disney theme parks, like Disneyland’s upcoming Avatar expansion. For more information on this year’s event, visit the official D23 website.

What Disney project are you most excited about? What’s your favorite theme park at Walt Disney World?

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