Dreamfinder

**The Dreamfinder** is a character from the defunct EPCOT attraction *Journey Into Imagination*. He makes a cameo appearance within the Skipper Canteen at Walt Disney World. He was originally voiced by Chuck McCann but has also been portrayed by Ron Schneider and Joe Rohde.

## History

### Background

"The Dreamfinder" was a scientist/inventor who studied imagination and psionics. Based off of his wardrobe and steampunk/arcanepunk technology, it is likely that he was active in the Victorian and/or Edwardian era. Prior to 1938, he created a vehicle known as *The Dream-Machine* or *Dream-Mobile* which could fly and absorb imagination, "Sparks" to turn into physical energy. Also prior to 1938, the Dreamfinder created an imagination creature known as, "Figment" who was a child-like purple dragon.

Dreamfinder was active by the late 1930s and was seemingly impervious to aging for the following decades. Around the 1980s, he became a resident of the futurist colony of *EPCOT* (The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) in Central Florida, outside the sleepy town of Disney Springs. It was here that the Dreamfinder made his base in the *Dream-Port*, a location in EPCOT's *Imagination! Pavilion* that could access the *Realms of Imagination*. Dreamfinder and Figment would use this pavilion to take guests on tours of the Realms of Imagination from this facility.

Dreamfinder went mysteriously absentee around the 1990s. In his absence, the *Imagination! Pavilion* was run by an academy known as the Imagination Institute which studied science similarly to the Dreamfinder and which had been active since around 1889-1894. The institute and pavilion would be run by a stuffy Englishman named Dr. Nigel Channing who also became the apparent caretaker for a much more troublesome Figment who often terrorized pavilion employee and staff by causing havoc, hijacking tours and farting on them.

### Development history

Dreamfinder was originally conceived of under the name **Professor Marvel** for Tony Baxter's unbuilt Disneyland expansion of *Discovery Bay*. Professor Marvel was seemingly inspired by the character of the same name from 1939's *The Wizard of Oz* and would have been subject of an illusion gallery and sky-way inspired hot-air balloon attraction connecting to a proposed Dumbo's Circus expansion of Fantasyland. Ultimately plans for Discovery Bay fell through and the space would eventually be used instead for *Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge*.

During development of Epcot, Prof. Marvel was revisited as **The Landkeeper** who would be the lead character for Living with the Land. This went unused and instead he was turned into the Dreamfinder for the Kodak sponsored attraction Journey Into Imagination. When Kodak ceased their sponsorship of the attraction, the ride was changed into much more controversial incarnations such as *Journey Into Your Imagination* and *Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment*, both of which failed to include the Dreamfinder.

## Jungle Cruise Appearances

### Skipper Canteen

The Dreamfinder makes an audio-cameo in the mess hall fo the Skipper Canteen as one of the restaurant's customers along with Nigel Greenwater and Shrunken Ned. Dreamfinder can be heard asking employees of the Jungle Navigation Company where he can park his Dream-Machine and with Figment being acknowledged as a, "Purple crocodile thing". There is also a book in the library titled, "Flights of Fancy" which might reference Dreamfinder's line, "What delightful melodies those will make. I love these flights of fancy" from Journey Into Imagination.

### Other connections

#### Jungle Cruise

In the Amazon River Base of Walt Disney World's Jungle Cruise is a crate addressed to one *M. Jones*, referencing Thomas Kirk's character of Merlin Jones from *The Misadventures of Merlin Jones* (1964). Jones is referenced in *Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment* as a member of the Imagination Institute. There is also a popular rumour that there is a, "Hidden Figment" in Shir Lee Temple though this is apparently just a damage-mark. The Virtual Jungle Cruise's central character was Wayne Szalinski from *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids* (1989), another member of the Imagination Institute.

## Other appearances

### Imagination! Pavilion

#### Journey Into Imagination

Dreamfinder was one of the main characters in this attraction.

##### Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment

There is an Imagination Institute office with the name, "**Dean Finder**" on it, referencing the Dreamfinder. Dreamfinder's creation Figment does appear in this attraction albeit in a more troublesome and annoying form and affiliated with equally obnoxious Imagination Institute president, Dr. Nigel Channing.

### Liberty Square Ticket Office

There is a poster showing Dreamfinder and Figment flying overtop of Cinderella's Castle in this office.

## Trivia

* The Dreamfinder was partially inspired by the artwork of Mary Blair who might be the namesake for his Disney Kingdoms variant Blarion Mercuriel.
* The fictionalized setting of EPCOT which Dreamfinder is affiliated with has assorted connections to the Jungle Cruise:
	+ Trader Sam has a life-preserver from the *Norway Pavilion* in his Grog Grotto. Sam was also friends with the fictionalized Disney Parks version of Walt Disney who is affiliated with EPCOT's in-universe history.
	+ There is a book by Peter "Star-Lord" Quill in the Skipper Canteen's library titled, "The Stars Above Us", referencing the Galaxarium of Epcot's Xandarian Outpost. There is also a book by Tomorrowland character Tom Morrow whose robotic successor *Tom Morrow 2.0* is a character from EPCOT's Innoventions.
* Discovery Bay which Dreamfinder was created for has assorted connections to the Jungle Cruise.
	+ Jason Chandler and Captain Brieux have a map of the Mekong river in the Skipper Canteen. Another map shows the Nautilus.
	+ Several entities from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are affiliated with Trader Sam.
	+ Jason Chandler has an oar in the Tropical Hideaway.
* Dreamfinder is supposedly voiced by one of his past portrayers in the Skipper Canteen.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.parkeology.com/2010/02/cartographers-crate.html
2. ↑ https://www.themeparktourist.com/features/20140313/16801/secrets-jungle-cruise-skipper-disneys-magic-kingdom?page=587