The Imagination Pavilion was one of the buildings available to guests when EPCOT Center originally opened in 1982. At the time, the only attraction open in the pavilion was Magic Journeys, a 3-D movie which took place inside the mind of a child. Construction soon began on a dark ride which would become home to some of the most expensive visuals in the park. The ride would use Disney´s omnimover system to convey guests in small vehicles, and had a very unique feature. After departing the loading area, the vehicles would group into a short train to slowly circle a stage. The stage rotated at the same speed as the trains, so that guests were treated to what appeared to be a stationary show for over three minutes. Then the trains separated to continue through the attraction. The total time for the journey was 14 minutes.

Imagination's glass pyramids rise majestically over the Epcot landscape. Photo by Pat Whitson

The official opening of the ride took place on March 5^th, 1983. The hosts for the journey through the imagination process were the Dreamfinder, a bearded man who wore a trademark blue suit; and Figment, a purple skinned dragon who was created from the rider's imaginations. He was the embodiment of the phrase, "a figment of your imagination." Dreamfinder traveled on a ship resembling a vacuum cleaner mixed together with a blimp while gathering people's dreams and ideas to create things such as Figment. The ride then featured various rooms based on Art, Literature, Performing Arts, and Science. Each of these rooms was famous for their impressive visuals. Some highlights included a fiber-optic paint brush, a carousel of origami animals, a giant copy of Edgar Allan Poe's works, and a laser light show

As is the case with many Disney rides a song was created for the ride. The Sherman Brothers wanted to honor Walt's cheery outlook on life and upbeat attitude with a song. They found the perfect showcase in an attraction based on the human imagination. The song has become an unofficial anthem for Walt Disney Imagineers and Cast Members who help design theme parks worldwide. Veteran cartoon character Chuck McCann provided the voice of Dreamfinder, and Figment was the unmistakable voice of Billy Barty.

The ride ended at an escalator leading upstairs into the glass pyramids. This was the entrance to Image Works, an interactive playground filled with ways to expand your imagination. Many of the activities featured Dreamfinder and Figment as your guides.

The Magic Journeys movie was replaced in 1987 by "Captain EO," a 3-D extravaganza created by George Lucas and starring Michael Jackson. This movie closed in 1995 and was replaced by "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience," a 3-D multi-sensory experience expanding on the popular movie "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and its sequels, starring Rick Moranis and Eric Idle.

In 1998, Disney decided to close Journey into Imagination to rework the ride in time for the upcoming Millennium Celebration, because of a stipulation in the sponsorship contract with Kodak that the ride must be changed by the year 2000. To make the ride blend in more with the "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" movie, the Dreamfinder story line was scrapped. When it reopened on October 1, 1999 as "Journey into Your Imagination," guests took a ride through the fictional Imagination Institute with their new host, Dr. Nigel Channing, played by Monty Python actor Eric Idle. Instead of rooms based on professions that use imagination, the new ride featured rooms devoted to the human senses. Another major change that upset fans was the removal of the iconic cartoon character Figment. The omnimover track was shortened and the revolving stage removed, significantly reducing the ride´s duration. At the same time, the Image Works on the second floor was shuttered and replaced with a smaller version on the first floor. Two years after the opening of this newer version it was closed once again for improvements to the storyline. Pressure from fans and also from the sponsor Kodak forced the Imagineers to take action.

Omnimover cars for Journey Into Imagination. Photo by Bill Iadonisi.

 

Unknown to most fans Journey into Imagination was almost completely removed before the Millennium Celebration. Fujifilm attempted to become the new pavilion sponsor when Kodak´s deal expired. Their plan was to place a shorter and cheaper thrill ride in that area that had nothing to do with imagination. At that time, the visual effects in Journey into Imagination were more expensive to maintain than Spaceship Earth (since that time period the ride has been surpassed in overall expenses by Test Track, Mission: Space, and Soarin´). Kodak decided to renew its sponsorship, and Disney ultimately decided that it was more cost effective to redesign the existing ride than change the theme of the entire pavilion.

On June 2^nd, 2002 the third version of Journey into Imagination opened its doors to eagerly awaiting fans. The story line was a combination of the previous two versions, combining the Imagination Institute and Eric Idle with Figment. In this version Figment plays the role of the antagonist, interrupting the Institute´s open house until he is given free reign to show the riders the power of imagination. Many of the stunning visual effects are present in this version, along with one of the popular innovations in Disney rides: the additions of scents - in this case, a skunk. The ride still uses the shortened track, and lasts about 8 minutes.

 

The third version has been met with both positive and negative reviews. Some riders find the 'new' Figment too annoying, while some pine for the days when Dreamfinder ran the show. Most fans are just happy that Figment has returned to EPCOT again. A popular rumor currently circulating through the Walt Disney World is that John Lasseter, the new head of Imagineering, has given the green light to a fourth version of the ride. While it hasn´t been officially announced, many fans hope that this will lead to a reunion of Figment and Dreamfinder. Until an announcement is made though, fans can at least enjoy Figment's return to Epcot.

Justin (OneLittleSpark) is a relative newcomer to the site and a newcomer to writing articles on Disney. With numerous trips under his belt he hopes to spread some of the interesting behind-the-scenes stories of rides that he has discovered. If you have any ideas for future articles or would like to request a ride to be covered, please PM him on the forums at the screen name featured above.