dpThere’s one more surprise coming out of Horizons: A Carousel of Progress. And it’s the only thing host Neil Patrick Harris asked for! Aside from unlimited churros during the event.
Ok, picture this: two tiny wings, eyes big and yellow. The horns of a steer (but don’t worry, he’s a lovable fellow). From head to tail, he’s a royal purple pigment. Are you imagining it? Good, because voila — you’ve got a Figment!
Announced during the closing moments of the Disney Experiences showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa, 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.
You know what they say: a dream can be a dream come true.
“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.”
There’s so much more to come about Dreamfinder and Figment’s journey back to EPCOT, but it’s not like either one of them has totally disappeared from our hearts.
Who is 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.
But 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 loveable 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. His curiosity and playfulness most represent the identity of EPCOT as a park.
Who is Dreamfinder?
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.
