D23 is answering some fan questions, and took the time to elaborate, albeit briefly, on the origin story of EPCOT fan-favorite characters Dreamfinder and Figment from the original Journey Into Imagination attraction at the park.
What’s Happening:
- Figment and the Dreamfinder are iconic original characters created for EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort—but do you know how they started spreading imagination? D23 recently asked their friends at the Walt Disney Archives to share the story of these two fan-favorite characters.
- While it's a very lengthy origin story, they seemed to do well getting it down to the concise minute-long video above.
- Francesca from The Walt Disney Archives explains, quite simply, that Dreamfinder and Figment began as “Professor Marvel” and his dragon friend for a proposed but never built expansion to Disneyland Park called “Discovery Bay.”
- While she doesn’t quite explain the evolution, she simply says the pair of characters were reimagined into their new roles for Journey Into Imagination at EPCOT.
- Luckily for us, we have our own extinct attractions expert who could tell us more about Discovery Bay and the original Journey Into Imagination that you can read about by clicking the links provided.
- Guests to EPCOT can still find Figment in some form, as he stars in the current occupant of the Imagination! Pavilion, aboard the Journey Into Your Imagination With Figment attraction. Dreamfinder, sadly, is no longer present for the journey, aside from an easter egg featured on the attraction.
- Dreamfinder was present in the attraction, as well as exhibits and activities in the former ImageWorks, up until the original’s closure in 1998. He was replaced by actor Eric Idle, reprising his role of Professor Nigel Channing from 1994’s 3D film, Honey, I Shrunk The Audience (which was still playing at the Magic Eye Theater in the pavilion at the time) for a new attraction, Journey into YOUR Imagination, which also demoted Figment to a cameo. Fans were outraged and a new attraction came shortly after, Journey Into Your Imagination With Figment, but still left Dreamfinder behind and kept Nigel Channing.
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