Journey Into Imagination

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Journey Into Imagination
Figmentdream.jpg
The Dreamfinder and his creation Figment, were the stars of the original Journey Into Imagination attraction.
Epcot
Land Future World
Theme Imagination
Opening date March 5, 1983
Closing date 1998
Hosted by The Dreamfinder
Vehicle type Train
Number of vehicles 93
Ride duration 13:00 minutes
Theme Song One Little Spark

Journey Into Imagination was an attraction located in the Journey Into Imagination pavilion in EPCOT Center. The attraction was operational from 1983 until 1999. If you are looking for the second and third version of the attraction see: Journey Into Imagination With Figment. If you are looking for the pavilion in which the attraction is located see: Imagination!

Attraction History

What would one day be known as Journey Into Imagination, began as an idea from Imagineer Tony Baxter. Baxter was tasked with working on an attraction for EPCOT Center's Kodak Pavilion, with the only request being that they wanted something that would be "very imaginative" [1]. Mulling on this idea over a period of six months, and based on this request, Tony came up with the idea of a Dream Catcher (as it is unofficially called); a machine which traveled through space collecting sparks of imagination [1].

Piloting the Dream Catcher, would be Dreamfinder, a whimsical inventor who collected and reused imagination. The Dreamfinder character actually began as the host of an unbuilt attraction called the Gallery of Illusion [1]. This attraction was to be built in the never constructed Discovery Bay expansion of Disneyland, and it was to be hosted by an investor named Professor Marvel [2]. In one of the scenes in this attraction, Professor Marvel showed how he domesticated dragons, even holding a baby one [1]. When work began on Journey Into Imagination, Captain Marvel became the inspiration for Dreamfinder, with Joe Rhode serving as the model for the character [3]. According to Imagineer Steve Kirk:

Tony (Baxter) was in with the Kodak folks as being potential sponsors for some kind of pavilion. He ran into my office in the middle of this meeting and said, 'Can I borrow Marvel and the dragon?' And he grabbed the model and took it in to them to show it to them [4].

According to Kirk, Kodak liked the Dreamfinder concept, but they wanted to know if they go the dragon too [4]. 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 [1]. 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[1]. 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 [5]. Imagineer X Atencio then slightly altered the drawing to, "make the character lovable, in a way that kids could relate to" [5]. 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 [5]. When talking about the role of Figment, Tony Baxter said:

"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. [6]"

Tony Baxter

John Kirk's original design of the Dreamfinder and Figment.

With their characters in place, it took Disney nearly six months to come up with an idea for the Journey Into Imagination attraction [1]. 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 [7]. 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 [8]. 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:

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 [9]

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

Attraction Plot

The original Journey Into Imagination was a dark rides which focused on human imagination.

After making their way through the queue, guests would board their ride vehicles. The vehicles were trains consisting of four cars. As the vehicles began to move, guests could hear a voice singing the attractions theme song, "One Little Spark". In the clouds to their left, the shadow of a flying contraption could be seen sucking up various objects. As the song continued, the clouds would part relieving the Dreamfinder as the pilot of the flying contraption known as the Dreamcatcher. The Dreamfinder and guests would then fly together at the same speed as he introduced himself.

Oh, hello there. So glad you could come along. I am the Dreamfinder. Ah, ha, ha. Musical notes! What delightful melodies those will make. I love these flights of fancy. Searching the universe for sounds, colors, ideas, anything that sparks the imagination.

As the Dreamfinder continued to sing, "One Little Spark" the objects that he talked about would be projected in the background. The machine that he was flying would also suck up various objects, which would end up in his bag. The Dreamfinder would then create a dragon like creature called Figment. He explained how he was creating Figment in song.

The Dreamfinder flying in his Dreamcatcher.
Two tiny wings

Eyes big and yellow
Horns of a steer
But a lovable fellow!
From head to tail
He's royal purple pigment
And there, Voila!
You've got a Figment
A figment of imagination!

Figment would then appear alongside the Dreamfinder, telling him that (Figment) was perfect. The Dreamfinder would respond that Figment still needed a "dash of childish delight". The Dreamfinder would then show Figment the "guests" that had joined them. Together they discussed how everybody could use their imagination. As the Dreamfinder and Figment began to sing about various things, the objects of their imagination would appear. They would then begin to imagine all kinds of things. The Dreamfinder imagined a stormy night, and lightning combined with ghostly shivers and a full moon.He then told Figment they could "turn them into a tale of fright!" (as laughter could be heard.

Figment then imagined a rainbow, that he could color with. He then imagined:

"Numbers, letters, papers for writing. Costumes, make-up, stages for lighting. Teardrops, laughter..."

The Dreamfinder would then ask Figment about science, to which he would respond:

"Science! We'll need electron beams and crystal prisms, gyroscopes and magnetisms, holograms in three dimensions"

While he talked about science, projections of the equation E=MC², an atom and the elemental symbol CO2 appeared. While Figment was imagining science, the Dreamfinder had to cut him off. On the flying machine, the world "full" lit up and the Dreamfinder had to inform Figment that the bag could not hold any more ideas. He then told both Figment and the guests that, "We must store these ideas with the others in the Dreamport. ". When Figment asked how far away the Dreamport was, the Dreamfinder told him that it was never far away, when they used their imagination.

Guests would then travel with the Dreamfinder and Figment to the Dreamport. Here, they would see various objects, ideas, and thoughts covered with gears and cogs. The Dreamport was the place where the Dreamfinder and Figment stored all of their ideas. At this point, guests could see the Dreamfinder's bag, hooked up to a machine known as the Imaginometer. The Imaginometer, sorted through the ideas, grouping them together. The groups that the Imaginometer sorted included: dreams, sights, words, sounds, colors and ideas. The machine also had a meter which read how full the Imaginometer was.To the left of the machine, was gold container labled, "Deep Thoughts". Guests could see inside the container, through a window. Inside the Dreamport guests would also see

  • A giant coffee pit pouring coffee right above guests heads
  • A chest labeled "Fog Bank"
  • A box, which opened to reveal numerous clapping hands
  • Rainbow colored cylinders
  • Mini lightning bolts and a tornado which created a "brain storm"
  • A neon sign which read "Neon"
  • Molecular structures
  • Bags which held the warm North wind and the cold South wind. They would blast guests when the ride vehicles went by.
  • Barrels with the word "laugh" written on them.
  • A bird cage containing musical notes, sitting on perches.
  • A File cabinet which was labeled "Buzzes", "Groans", "Barks", "Oohs" and "Aahs". Guests could also hear these noises.
  • A bottle of Morning Miss perfume, which sprayed guests and made the room smell like fresh flowers.

After exiting the Dreamport, guests would enter the art scene. Here, spouts poured "Sun Rays," "Molten Lava," and "Gem Stones", which the Dreamfinder then used to paint with. He then used his paintbrush (which changed colors depending on what he was painting) to create a river, flowers and animals. In this scene, the Dreamfinder would sing:

The Imaginometer which could be found in the middle of the Dreamport.
"Mix red and gold

From autumn flowers
Purple and blue
From twilight hours
Green summer hills
And rainbows play a part, ha, ha
A painter's brush,
A work of art"

As guests continued on, they could see various 3D animals and flowers. They were all colored white and appeared to made out of paper. The objects were lit with colorful lights, and serine music could be heard. Guests could see a large fish, lion, ostrich, unicorn and camel are rotating under a giant flower. In the art scene, guests could see Figment sitting at the base of a group of flowers wearing a beret and tie. He was painting the rainbow that he had mentioned earlier, while sitting next to a pot of gold

The scene then shifted to the "Tales of Terror" segment. As the clouds which lined the top of the room turned grey and angry, the Dreamfinder could be seen playing a haunting tune on a volcano shaped, organ. The organ is also unique, in that it has a typewriter for a keyboard, instead of the standard musical keyboard. As the Dreamfinder played, lava and smoke would erupt from the top of the volcano. The words would then turn into words such as "Horror," "Danger," and "Thrill". In this room, the Dreamfinder sang:

One chilling word

Like shriek or killer
Can spark the mind
To start a thriller
Add some more sparks
Like dagger, blood, and gory
And then,
A mystery story!

In this room, Figment could once again be seen. He would be holding three blocks which spelled out the world "CAT". Behind him, a shadow of cat could be seen. Figment would then turn the "C" to a "B", to create the word "BAT". When he turned the block, the shadow would change to one of a bat. At this point, guests would would enter another room with large rock words. Words here included, "Avalanche," "Tumble," "Sway," and "Shake". The words would perform the action that they depicted (ie. the word "Avalanche" would look like it was about to fall over). Guests would then see the word "Surprise" light up on the wall, before a room full of fireworks was revealed. The tub of fireworks shells on guests right, would explode in the area above them. The fireworks would spell out words such as "Twinkle", "Flash", and "Sparkle. The crackling fireworks would give way to a star-field where a red genie would appear and disappear.


At this point, the scene once again shifted, now showing a magical library. Here, books with names such as "Serpents", "Trolls", "Giants", "Leprechauns", "Knights", "Dragons", and "Eyes". The phrase "Once Upon a Time" could also be seen here, leading guests towards a castle. Lightning would then strike, as the word "lightning" appeared to guests. Figment could then be seen holding a flickering candle. The candle cast a shadow of the word "Shadow" onto an open book behind him. On guests left, they could read the word "Dungeon", as red eyes of monsters peered at them. Figment could then be seen hanging from chains on the ceiling, and holding a book entitled, "Nightmare". At this point, guests could hear a Raven cawing, and see it's shadow on an open book. The book was actually Edgar Allen Poe's poem the Raven, with the page reading, ""Quoth the raven, nevermore.". A book reading vampires could then be seen along with a book titled, "Monsters" which Figment was trying to keep closed.

The words "Once Upon a Time" led guests to a haunted castle.

As guests moved out of the scary literature scene, they entered a scene depicting the backstage of a theater. A large marquee reading, "World Premiere Performance" could be seen, along with three rotating signs which read words such as, "Dance", "Music", "Tears", "Laughter". On their left, guests could see Figment dressed in a tuxedo and standing in front of a make-up mirror. In his hand was a mask of the Dreamfinder's face. A sign above him read, "A Brand New Show!". Dreamfinder (unseen) and Figment then began to sing again:


Dreamfinder Figment
Some happy songs Some snappy dances
With laughs and tears and footlights all aglow
The sparks ignite, ha! A brand new show!
Some happy songs Some happy songs
Some snappy dances Some snappy dances
Costumes and sets Costumes and sets
Spoofs and romances Spoofs and romances
With laughs and tears With laughs and tears
And footlights all aglow
The sparks ignites
Ha! A brand new show!
Yes Sir!

Guests would then see the Dreamfinder conducting a laser light show. Guests could see musical notes, various shapes, and a top hat and cane projected onto the wall. Guests would then see Figment, now in a astronaut suit, hitchhiking his way to the next scene, science. At this point, the ride vehicles entered a tunnel where various shapes were reflected onto the walls and ceiling. The shapes seemed to be constantly moving away from guests as they passed through. Inside the tunnel guests could hear the Dreamfinder repeating:

What about science, science, science, science... And what about science, science, science, science...?

On the other side of the tunnel, guests could see the Dreamfinder wearing a white lab coat and turning a large microscope. The Dreamfinder showed guests a view of Earth from space, in this view the Earth looked like from space. Earth then morphed into a single drop of rain, which fell into a pond of water. The Dreamfinder then spoke saying:

"Technology, like a newfound potion

Allows us to marvel at mysteries of motion
Water dances where visions begin
Science reveals a life within

At this point the microscope was used to show all of the living organisms within the water. The Dreamfinder then continued, "I'll wind this dial and time escapes, Watch minerals change to crystal shapes". The microscope then zoomed in to show enlarged crystals. He then said, "Let's look at nature at this speed, From germination, then back to seed". A time lapse film was then shown, in which a flower is shown growing from seed to a full flower. The Dreamfinder then concluded:

"Skyrockets soar towards outer space

Imagine yourself in an infinite place"

Figment hitchhiking in his astronaut suit.

After the Dreamfinder said this, fireworks exploded. The film restarted, showing Earth from space once again. In a window behind the screen, guests could see Figment doing various tricks. Continuing on, guests could see signs reading, "World's Beyond", "The Known and the Unknown", "Destiny", and "Dreams", all pointed in different directions. Straight ahead, guests could see the Dreamfinder wearing a sorcerer's costume with a turban and cape. He was waving his arms over his crystal ball, while Figment watched intently. He and Figment were discussing the nature of imagination, while guests pictures were taken. Figment and the Dreamfinder would then once talk.

Figment: Oh, there are so many places to dream about.

Dreamfinder: We can visit worlds that were, that could be, and those of fantasy and reality.

Figment: What's next Dreamfinder?

Dreamfinder: Why, imagination can take us over the rainbow and to worlds beyond.

Figment: Boy, I wish I could be an astronaut! I bet I can use imagination to discover all kinds of new things.

Dreamfinder: Of course! It's your key to unlock the hidden wonders of our world

Guests then passed through a giant star and into the attractions final scene. In the final room, guests could see Figment sitting on a film role surrounded by 8 screens. The screens showed Figment:

  • Dancing
  • Flying as a superhero
  • Weight lifting
  • As a scientist
  • Mountain climbing
  • Riding a wooden horse
  • Sailing
  • Sitting on a treasure chest dressed as a pirate

Continuing on, guests then saw the Dreamfinder rolling a movie camera. Although he was supposedly filming the the movie on the screen behind him. Instead of the movie however, guests would see the ride photos taken earlier in the attraction. The Dreamfinder would then give one final speech as guests disembarked, reminding them to visit the ImageWorks.

And what about you folks? Imagination is something that belongs to all of us. So, join us now in a magical playground, where technology and your creativity combine to make dazzling new images. Next stop, the Image Works!

Figment and I have certainly enjoyed our Journey Into Imagination with you. And in just a few moments, you'll get a chance to use your sparks of inspiration in the Image Works! The creative playground of the future.

Cast

The Dreamfinder- Chuck McCann (speaking) and Ron Schneider (singing)

Figment- Billy Barty

Fun Facts and Trivia

  • In the scene where Figment sat with the blocks that spell out "CAT", other words could be found. One set of blocks spelled out "WED" for Walter Elias Disney (or WED Enterprises) and another spelled "TB" for Imagineer Tony Baxter.
  • The laser show that the Dreamfinder conducts, was actually the test program that came with the laser equipment. Originally, the scene was to have featured Figment dancing and chasing a ballerina around the stage.
  • When the attraction first opened, guests would have to step out of the moving vehicles and onto a moving ramp. Because the transition was difficult, the belt was eventually removed.
  • Across from where Figment held onto the "Nightmare" book, guests could see a large book spine which read "Something Wicked." This was a reference to the a Disney, 1982 Halloween movie called "Something Wicked.
  • In 2011, the Dreamfinder and Figment appeared on stage together at the Destination D: Walt Disney World 40th event. It was the first time the Dreamfinder had been seen since Journey Into Imagination closed in 1998.

References to the Closed Attraction

  • On the current Journey Into Imagination With Figment attraction, guests can see a door with a nameplate reading "Dean Finder" near the beginning of the attraction.
  • Pieces of the Dreamfinder's flying machine can be found on the west wall in Epcot's Mouse Gear store.
  • Figment currently appears in Journey Into Imagination with Figment, the newest incarnation of the attraction.
  • The Dreamfinder was originally going to have white hair, however this was changed when it was determined he looked too much like Santa Clause.

See The Attraction!

To see the original Journey Into Imagination click play below:


References

http://www.intercot.com/edc/Imagination/jfacts.html

http://www.mickeyxtreme.com/Epcot%2025years%20JIIpage.htm

http://www.intercot.com/edc/Imagination/jiiscript1.html

http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/9/15/surviving-pieces-of-journey-into-imagination.html

http://allears.net/tp/ep/jyi_archive.htm
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 http://www.epcotlegacy.com/historical-expositions/2010/6/30/gather-store-re-combine-a-history-of-imagination-part-1.html
  2. http://allears.net/ae/issue722.htm
  3. http://yourfirstvisit.net/2015/08/21/a-friday-visit-with-jim-korkis-figment-and-dreamfinder/
  4. 4.0 4.1 http://allears.net/ae/issue722.htm
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.intercot.com/edc/Imagination/jfacts.html
  6. https://www.disboards.com/threads/connecting-the-dots-with-a-potential-return-of-dreamfinder.1144737/
  7. https://d23.com/a-to-z/journey-into-imagination/
  8. https://vimeo.com/3015806
  9. Sklar, Marty. Dream It! Do It!: My Half-century Creating Disney's Magic Kingdoms. Disney Editions, 2013. Print.