So what was the high point of Destination D: Walt Disney
World 40th, that D23 event that was held this past weekend at Disney’s
Contemporary Resort ?
Given that there were so many terrific panels &
presentations over this two-day-long event, it wouldn’t really be fair to
single out a particular one. But that said, I can guarantee you that there was
one moment which members of the Official Disney Fan Club will be talking about
for years to come.
Picture this: It’s Sunday night. Well into that evening’s presentation,
“Magic Journeys: A Flight of Fancy through 40 Years of Walt Disney World
Musical Memories.” And as Disney Legend Richard M. Sherman seems ready to wrap
his fond look back at all of the great music that he & his brother Robert
created for The Walt Disney Company …
Tim O’Day (Left) looks on as Richard M.
Sherman
plays the piano. Photo by Jim Hill
… Disney historian Tim O’Day says to Richard “Aren’t we
forgetting something?”
The stage then goes dark. And the audience is then treated
to some extremely rare footage from the official March 1983 opening ceremony
for Epcot‘s Journey into Imagination pavilion.
Dreamfinder and Figment back in
1983. Photo by Jim Hill
And then the lights came back up on stage. And there – in the
flesh, back together on WDW property for the first time since this Future World
attraction underwent an ill-fated revamp back in October of 1998 – was the
Dreamfinder and his old pal, Figment.
Dreamfinder and Figment together again.
Photo by Jim Hill
The roar from the crowd in the Fantasia ballroom was so loud
and went on for so long that many Destination D: Walt Disney World 40th
attendees missed out on those great little totally-in-character lines that the
Dreamfinder threw away. Like when he snatched the yellow 3D goggles off of Figment’s
head and said “No, we’re not going to see ‘Captain E0.” Or – when gesturing to
a D23 member – the Dreamfinder (obviously referring to that
oversized Figment walk-around character which used to do meet-n-greets with WDW
Guests a few years back) stated “I think a few of the younger (members of the Official Disney Fan Club are) confused as to why you aren’t 8 feet tall.”
The Dreamfinder, Figment and Richard
Sherman sing “Imagination.” Photo by Jim Hill
The Dreamfinder then crossed to the piano and asked Richard
Sherman for a favor. Could this Disney Legend please play “One Little Spark” ? And – of course – Richard complied.
All together now! Photo by Jim Hill
Which is how the Dreamfinder was then able to lead all 1200
attendees in singing the “Journey into Imagination” song.
Now I know that people – whenever they’re talking about Disney’s
theme parks, movies and TV shows – often mention dreams & magic. But this
one moment at this past weekend’s Destination D: Walt Disney World 40th
was legitimately magic. The way that those D23 members in the Fantasia ballroom
reacted when the Dreamfinder initially appeared live onstage with Figment was
like something out of an Elvis concert.
The cast of Sunday night’s “Magic
Journeys” concert takes a bow. Photo by Jim Hill
To be honest, I almost felt sorry for ENCORE!, the WDW cast
member choir & orchestra that followed Dreamfinder & Figment. Because –
as far as the members of the Official Disney Fan Club were concerned – nothing else could possibly top
that particular moment in Sunday night’s concert.
And if you don’t believe me, go check out this video of the Dreamfinder & Figment’s cameo appearance in Sunday night’s “Magic Journeys: A Flight of Fancy through 40 Years of Walt Disney World
Musical Memories” concert. And you’ll then see that this unlikely pairing of man & dragon was a really tough act to follow.
Your thoughts?