It’s Official: Figment and Dreamfinder Will Be Reunited at Epcot
There was one final big surprise coming out of Horizons: A Carousel of Progress. Also, it’s the only thing host Neil Patrick Harris supposedly asked for. Disney confirmed an Epcot Imagination Pavilion update at D23, bringing back Dreamfinder alongside Figment. However, what does that look like? Is this simply adding a classic character back or a full refurbishment?
Grab a light bulb and hang it over your head, because it finally happened. At tonight’s “Horizons: A Carousel of Progress” showcase during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney confirmed what Epcot diehards have been manifesting for over two decades: a reimagining of the Epcot Imagination Pavilion, with Figment and, yes, Dreamfinder! If you need a minute, take it. We’ll wait! We know many who have spent an unreasonable percentage of their adult lives defending a purple dragon’s honor in comment sections.
What Disney Announced at D23
Announced during the closing moments of the Disney Experiences showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, it’s time to take a new flight of fancy into our imagination at Epcot. Not only will everyone’s favorite creative purple dragon be sticking around, but he’s finally reunited with Dreamfinder, too.
“We are taking a new journey into imagination at EPCOT with Dreamfinder and Figment!” Disney Experiences chairman Thomas Mazloum told the cheering crowd. “I’m so happy to share this news tonight. We know how important this is to you. We’ve heard you, and this is one more way we’re putting you in the center of everything we do.
Basic History of Figment
Unless you’ve been living under a geodesic sphere for the last few years, you’ve probably seen Figment out and about around EPCOT — both doing meet-and-greets in the Imagination! pavilion, and adorning copious amounts of Epcot and festival merchandise. Figment has been the focal point for Epcot International Festival of the Arts since the inaugural season back in 2017. His most recent resurgence kicked off with a viral novelty popcorn bucket in 2022.
Still, Figment’s been at Epcot since 1983 when the first iteration of Journey into Imagination opened. While the attraction has been through a few different versions over the years, that purple dragon has always been a staple in the park, becoming one of the park’s most recognizable and enduring icons. As the embodiment of imagination itself, part of what makes Figment so special is that he’s uniquely Epcot. According to Walt Disney World, his curiosity and playfulness most represent the identity of Epcot as a park.
Basic History of Dreamfinder (According to Disney)
Photo Credit: Disney
Before there was Figment, there was Dreamfinder, the whimsical dream-chaser who helped bring imagination to life. Introduced in the original Journey Into Imagination attraction at Epcot in 1983, Dreamfinder guided guests “collecting sounds, colors, ideas, anything that sparks the imagination.” The cheerful inventor and storyteller served as both creator, mentor and friend to Figment, encouraging guests to remain curious. All it takes is one little spark.
For 15 years, from 1983 to 1998, Dreamfinder was at the center of Journey into Imagination, inspiring generations of Epcot fans with his boundless optimism and sense of wonder. Decades later, fans still hold Dreamfinder close to their hearts, not just because of the adventures he shared with Figment, but because of the feeling he inspired: that imagination is something worth holding onto, no matter how old you are.
What We Do Not Know About the Epcot Imagination Pavilion Overhaul
While the anticipated announcement of Dreamfinder’s return and Figment’s new setup was great, we still know very little! When will this happen? How long a refurbishment for the Epcot Imagination Pavilion? Will the ride get a full overhaul? Will the new version restore a longer ride track closer in spirit to the beloved 1983 original? Basically, we know there are plans. We will have to wait for those plans to be revealed. Of course, this could end up being like the announced Mary Poppins attractions never heard about again!
Fittingly, host Neil Patrick Harris, whose affection for Figment is a matter of public record, got to dress up as Dreamfinder and help deliver the news himself. It’s hard to imagine (sorry) a more appropriate messenger for the pavilion’s third act.
“One Little Spark” Isn’t Going Anywhere?
The Sherman Brothers’ “One Little Spark,” the closest thing Epcot has to a national anthem. We assume it will stay part of the Epcot Imagination Pavilion. Also, we expect the Epcot Imagination Pavilion’s signature rainbow-and-sunburst branding to stick around, so this reads less like a replacement and more like a long-overdue restoration.
Epcot Imagination Pavilion Timeline and What Happens to the Ride in the Meantime
Disney did not commit to a hard reopening date on stage, which tracks with a project of this scope. Imagineering has a well-earned reputation for keeping construction timelines vague until they’re not. Expect permits, refurbishment notices, and the inevitable construction walls to fill in the rest of the story over the coming months.
Why This Epcot Imagination Pavilion Announcement Matters
Epcot has spent the last several years finishing its central-spine transformation, and Spaceship Earth has understandably eaten most of the oxygen in “what’s next for Epcot” conversations. By the way, we got no announcement of a Spaceship Earth refurbishment that is badly needed.
Tonight’s news reminds us that the Epcot Imagination Pavilion, quietly one of the park’s most emotionally loaded pieces of real estate, hasn’t been forgotten. For a character whose entire mythology is about the power of a single spark of imagination, it only feels right that his own pavilion is finally getting one. Still, we will have to wait and see about this Dreamfinder and Figment reunion.
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