Changes

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. Imagineer X Atencio then slightly altered the drawing to, "make the character lovable, in a way that kids could relate to". 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. 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."}}

Despite originally scheduled as an opening day attraction, Journey Into Imagination opened on March 5, 1983, five months after EPCOT Center’s opening day. 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. According to Tony Baxter:

After opening, Journey Into Imagination remained essentially the same until 1998, when it was closed for refurbishment.

[[Image:Dreamfindermodel.jpg|thumb|The original model of the Dreamfinder.]]