Welcome, World Travelers! Dreamfinder and Figment Return to EPCOT
by James Coulter
“One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation.” For decades, that spark has been kept alive by a certain purple dragon, and now, after nearly thirty years, the dreamer who created him is finally returning to EPCOT.
Earlier this year at the Disney Experiences showcase during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney announced several major updates coming to the parks. Among them was the long‑awaited return of a fan‑favorite character to EPCOT’s Imagination Pavilion.
Guests who ride Journey Into Imagination know Figment well, the playful, curious purple dragon who delights in exploring creativity. But longtime EPCOT fans remember that Figment once had a companion who helped him guide guests through the boundless world of imagination.
Before Figment came to life, there was Dreamfinder. Debuting in the original Journey Into Imagination attraction in 1983, Dreamfinder was a whimsical, bearded inventor who soared through the skies on his flying machine, “collecting sounds, colors, ideas; anything that sparks the imagination,” as Disney Parks Blog stated.
From those collected bits of inspiration, Dreamfinder imagined Figment into existence. Together, the duo led guests through a vibrant, imaginative journey that became one of EPCOT’s most beloved experiences.
Dreamfinder and Figment remained central to the attraction until 1998, when the ride closed for refurbishment and reopened as Journey Into YOUR Imagination. Figment eventually returned in a later update, but Dreamfinder remained absent…until now.
Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum announced Dreamfinder’s comeback to an enthusiastic crowd at D23: “We are taking a new journey into imagination at EPCOT with Dreamfinder and Figment. 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.”
For many fans, Dreamfinder’s return represents a restoration of EPCOT’s original spirit, one rooted in creativity, curiosity, and optimism.
Though Dreamfinder has been gone for decades, Figment has remained a defining symbol of EPCOT. As Disney Parks Blog notes, he has become “one of the park’s most recognizable and enduring icons.”
Since 2017, Figment has served as the official mascot of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, and his 2022 popcorn bucket became a viral sensation, with guests lining up for hours to bring one home.
“As the embodiment of imagination itself, part of what makes Figment so special is that he’s uniquely EPCOT,” Disney Parks Blog wrote. “His curiosity and playfulness most represent the identity of EPCOT as a park.”
With Dreamfinder’s return, EPCOT fans can look forward to a new chapter, one that honors the past while inspiring future generations to dream, create, and imagine.
