Another fun detail tucked away inside Epcot Mouse Gear is a contraption that was capturing thoughts and ideas and turning them into new things long before the Mouse Gear machine was constructed. Look closely above the wall bays near the duck office windows, and you'll notice a blast from the Epcot past:
It's the Dream Catcher from the original Journey Into Imagination attraction. While Dreamfinder is enjoying his retirement and Figment is off causing trouble for Dr. Channing at the Imagination Institute, the Dream Catcher has been put to work inside Mouse Gear. In the old show, Dreamfinder would pilot the Dream Catcher around the world, collecting little sparks inspiration to be brought back to the Dream Port. Today, it draws inspiration from Disney's classic cartoon characters to help magically create tangible memories for Walt Disney World Guests.
Since the Journey Into Imagination attraction closed not long before Mouse Gear was built in the late-90s, it was the perfect opportunity for the Imagineers to not only reuse a perfectly good prop, but to pay tribute with a little bit of Hidden Disney.
Similar "Yesterland" artifacts exist in other parts of the parks, like the pin shop in Tomorrowland Disneyland next to Stitch's Escape has (or at last had in 2006) a (doom) buggy from Innerspace, a WedWay Peoplemover car, and one of the old white rockets (when it was on the 3rd story platform) hanging off its walls above the guests.
ReplyDeleteWith the addition of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (Stitch's Great Escape is only at Magic Kingdom in Florida), the shop was re-themed as Little Green Men Store Command. I don't recall, though, if the old attraction vehicles were still there or not last time I visited.
ReplyDeleteFor those interested in this sort of thing, click on the Hidden Disney tag at the bottom of this post to find all the Hidden Disney blog entries I've done so far. There will be many more to come!