8. Journey into Imagination with Figment
TheJourney into Imaginationattraction was born on March 5, 1983, only a few months after EPCOT opened. The original version of the ride included the lovable Figment and his companion, Dreamfinder. Dreamfinder had red hair and a red beard and often wore a top hat. He and Figment rode aboard the Dream Machine, which looked like a blimp mixed with a vacuum cleaner, mixed with—well, let’s just say, it was definitely the brainchild of the Imagineers’ vivid imaginations! The attraction has been changed twice, and while each version included Figment, the adorable purple dragon, only the first version included the Dreamfinder. Today’s version is a 5-minute ride aboard an omnirover ride vehicle that seats three Guests in its front row and four Guests in its back row. The omnirover takes Guests through the labs at the Imagination Institute. There are five labs—one for each of the five senses. Dr. Nigel Channing (played by Eric Idle) is our tour host, and much to his disapproval, Figment is also along for the ride and causes mayhem everywhere he goes. Be sure to hold your nose in the Smell Lab—that skunk spray is powerful! At the end of the lab tours, Guests get a glimpse of Figment’s “living arrangements” from a very unique perspective. After disembarking from the ride vehicles, they are invited to enjoy ImageWorks, an interactive area with different areas and kiosks in which Guests can use their imaginations to make music and more. FastPass+ service is offered for this attraction and can be useful during peak seasons.
