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/* Attraction History */
According to Kirk, Kodak liked the Dreamfinder concept, but they wanted to know if they go the dragon too <ref name="allears"/>. This request led to the creation of a second character for the Journey Into Imagination attraction, a purple, childlike dragon named Figment. Figment’s creation began when Tony Baxter was watching an episode of Magnum P.I <ref name= "E82"/>. In the episode, Magnum had hidden a goat in Higgins’ yard, and the goad had predictably torn up the vegetation. When Higgins suggested that a goat was ruining his yard, Magnum replied that it was all just a figment of his imagination. Higgins’ response that “Figments don’t eat grass!” gave Baxter the inspiration for his new character, named Figment<ref name= "E82"/>. Tony would later explain that Figment was a character that everyone knows about and has never been visualized.
Taking some inspiration from the Gallery of Illusion attraction, Figment was initially sketched by Disney artist Steve Kirk who turned in a rough drawing of the character <ref name= "EDC"> http://www.intercot.com/edc/Imagination/jfacts.html </ref>. Imagineer X Atencio then slightly altered the drawing to, "make the character lovable, in a way that kids could relate to" <ref name= "EDC"/>. With their two main characters designed, Imagineers set about finding voices for the duo. Although finding a voice for Dreamfinder was relatively simple (with actor Chuck McCann filling the role) finding a voice for Figment proved to be much more difficult. Disney had men, women, boys and girls all audition for the role, but no voice was deemed suitable. Eventually, they found Figment's voice in veteran voice actor Billy Barty, who was deemed perfect for the role<ref name= "EDC"/>. When talking about the role of Figment, Tony Baxter said:
{{Quotation| "The story needed to describe the complex process in an engaging, interactive way without seeming like a lecture. A persona was needed to give the process personality, but having a human character seemed too selective. A friendly imaginary being that could delight in the wonders of imagination would be more inclusive. <ref> https://www.disboards.com/threads/connecting-the-dots-with-a-potential-return-of-dreamfinder.1144737/ </ref>"| Tony Baxter}}
With their characters in place, it took Disney nearly six months to come up with an idea for the Journey Into Imagination attraction<ref name= "E82"/>. To help them with their understanding of imagination, Disney brought in various scientist and artists. Eventually they came to the conclusion that while everybody’s imagination was different, how people get their imagination is the same. Thus they decided to focus on how we gather, store and recombine ideas.
Despite originally scheduled as an opening day attraction, Journey Into Imagination opened on March 5, 1983, five months after EPCOT Center’s opening day<ref> https://d23.com/a-to-z/journey-into-imagination/</ref>. Although the rest of the pavilion opened with the rest of EPCOT Center, technical issues with Journey Into Imagination’s turntable, loading and unloading mechanisms caused the attraction to be delayed<ref> https://vimeo.com/3015806 </ref>. According to Tony Baxter however, the attraction was up an running, yet Disney executives did not think would be reliable and thus it was delayed. At the attractions Grand Opening, Kodak CEO Colby Chandler stated:
{{Quotation| We knew from the very beginning it would be a challenge to create a journey that would capture the imagination of everyone. But we also knew that if anyone could do it, Disney could...Epcot Center itself is a tribute to the reach of human imagination <ref> Sklar, Marty. Dream It! Do It!: My Half-century Creating Disney's Magic Kingdoms. Disney Editions, 2013. Print. </ref>}}
After opening, Journey Into Imagination remained essentially the same until 1998, when it was closed for refurbishment.
