Journey Into Imagination is 28 years old.
It’s pretty well known what I think of the creepy Dreamfinder and the cloying Figment. (See the first “Mousejunkies” book.)
Ah geez.
But all kidding aside, let me paraphrase a quote to explain my true feelings about it: A bad day on the Imagination attraction is better than a good day 1,500 miles away from Walt Disney World.
I will say that while I wasn’t crazy about the original attraction, it had a lot more heart than the current incarnation. And this is coming from a huge Monty Python fan. It’s hard to admit, but I could do without Eric Idle as Dr. Nigel Channing.
Here, have a look at the original Journey Into Imagination (it’s pretty dark, but you’ll get the idea.)
Here’s the second, largely Figment-free incarnation, that ran from 1999-2001:
And finally, here’s the current attraction – full of Figment:
What do you think Dreamfinder is doing today? Food service at Pinnochio’s Village Haus? Housekeeping at CBR?
Ya know I want Figment (and Dreamfinder) to be so much more than they are now. With them both being characters birthed IN and FOR a Disney park and not spawned from a Pixar movie for once, I want them to be utilized and succeed as an example of original character creation from Disney. They aren’t though. They are dying a slow and ugly death, sadly.
The latest example or an original (using that term loosely) Disney park character, Duffy the Disney Bear, I want to shoot out a potato cannon.
Re: Duffy/potato cannon – seriously… I think we can make this happen.
Wow, that would have to be one large potato cannon…let’s get the Imagineers on it!
FYI — Dreamfinder is enjoying your blog… and looking for work in OrBlando.
Ron – I kid because I love.
I hope my affection for all this comes through.
Hey Ron, email me some time! Former cast member / Imagineer who found a way to create a Disney job with better pay!