Figment!

Day 5 of 31 at Two Writing Teachers!

If you ask most people who their favorite Disney character is, you'll get a variety of well-known characters: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, etc.  Mine is a little bit more uncommon: Figment.

Ever since I was little, I've always liked picking favorite things that were unique.  My favorite dinosaur is the parasaurolophus.  My favorite island (that's right, I have a favorite island) is Montserrat.  (I've never been there, but they only say it once in the Beach Boys' "Kokimo" song, so it must be unique, right?!)  I wanted to be a paleontologist in kindergarten.  I was proud that I liked chartreuse and narwhals.  So, as far as favorite things go, Figment fits right in.  (I bet some of you don't even know who he is, right?)

Being a very imaginative little girl, I immediately fell in love with Figment and the whole Journey into the Imagination ride when we first went to Epcot.  (I can still sing the enchanting song, and I still have several stuffed Figments around the house!)  He was cute, he was an imaginary creature in a ride all about the imagination, and he was unique!  How could I not love him?

One of my stuffed Figments.  Isn't he adorable???

Apparently, today is the 30th anniversary of the date the ride opened, so I just had to write about him!

My parents have a home video of one of our trips to Disney that captures my love for Figment better than any description I could write.  In the video, I'm about 7 years old, with cornsilk-blonde braided pigtails and the biggest smile you can possibly imagine.  I'm holding my stuffed Figment and wearing my Figment t-shirt and Figment hat. The hat was the best, because the whole hat was Figment's face, with his little orange horns poking out the top. (I wish I had it here to show you a picture of it, but it's at my parents' house!)

Decked out in all this Figment gear, I'm talking to the Dreamfinder and his Figment puppet (with a death-grip on Figment), and then it's time to go, but I just can't tear myself away from them.  I start to unwrap my arms from Figment, and then I hug him again and kiss him on the cheek.  I take a step back, and then I dive back in for another hug.  I turn away, then run back and kiss and hug the puppet again.  Seriously.  It takes at least 4 fake goodbyes before we finally leave. (I'm sure there's another family standing off camera, saying "Seriously, what is this girl's problem?!")  The Dreamfinder guy probably laughed for 10 minutes after we left, then went home and told his family about the crazy girl who was in love with Figment!

Over the years, Disney has changed the ride several times.  For awhile, Figment was hardly a part of it anymore, and I was terrified that someday we'd go back to Epcot and he wouldn't be there at all anymore.  (Little tears are actually springing to my eyes now, just thinking about that.  That's how much I love him!)  Apparently, he's made a resurgence in the latest version (although digitally), so hopefully he'll be around to stay for a long time!