Dreamfinder is coming back. Disney confirmed at D23 that the Imagination pavilion at EPCOT is getting a refurbishment — and that Dreamfinder will return alongside Figment for the first time since 1998.
The announcement came during the closing moments of the Disney Experiences showcase, which tells you how Disney weighted it.
Quick Summary
- The Imagination pavilion is getting a refurbishment
- Figment stays at EPCOT
- Dreamfinder returns alongside him
- The two haven’t appeared together since 1998
- Disney has not released specific details yet
- More information is expected soon
What Disney Said
Figment will stay at EPCOT, and he’ll be reunited with Dreamfinder, the character who introduced him back in 1983.
“We are taking a new flight of fancy into imagination at EPCOT with Dreamfinder and Figment!” Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum told the 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.”
Disney hasn’t released specific details on what the refurbished pavilion or attraction will include. More information is expected soon.
Read That Quote Carefully
“We know how important this is to you. We’ve heard you.”
That is unusually direct language from a Disney executive. It’s an acknowledgment that the current attraction has been a sore point, delivered without the usual hedging.
It also lands alongside the Expedition Everest Yeti repair confirmation from the same weekend — another long-standing fan complaint being addressed rather than ignored. Two in one showcase is a pattern worth noting.
The caveat: saying “we’ve heard you” costs nothing. What matters is what the refurbished attraction actually is, and Disney hasn’t said. Enthusiasm here should be provisional.
Who Is Figment?
If you’ve spent any time at EPCOT recently, you’ve run into Figment. He does meet and greets in the Imagination! pavilion and appears on a large amount of EPCOT and festival merchandise.
Figment has been the face of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts since it started in 2017. A novelty popcorn bucket featuring him went viral in 2022 and helped bring him back into the spotlight.
He’s been part of EPCOT since 1983, when the first version of Journey Into Imagination opened. The attraction has changed several times since then, but Figment has stayed a constant, and he’s become one of the park’s most recognizable characters.
His curiosity and playfulness reflect what EPCOT is about.
Figment’s Odd Career
Worth being honest about how strange Figment’s position is.
He is arguably EPCOT’s most beloved character and the star of an attraction most fans dislike. The current Journey Into Imagination With Figment opened in 2002 and is widely regarded as the weakest version of the ride — a rushed replacement for the poorly received 1999 rework, which itself replaced the 1983 original.
Figment’s popularity survived three attraction versions largely on merchandise and goodwill. The popcorn bucket going viral in 2022 is a genuinely funny data point: a character kept culturally alive partly by a snack container.
Which is why “Figment will stay” needed saying. With a full refurbishment announced, the obvious fear was that Disney would use it to move on from the character entirely.
Who Is Dreamfinder?
Before Figment, there was Dreamfinder.
He appeared in the original Journey Into Imagination attraction when it opened in 1983, guiding guests as he collected “sounds, colors, ideas, anything that sparks the imagination.”
Dreamfinder created Figment and acted as his mentor and friend throughout the original attraction, encouraging guests to stay curious.
He was part of Journey Into Imagination for 15 years, from 1983 to 1998.
Dreamfinder has remained a favorite among longtime EPCOT fans, even in his absence. His return alongside Figment closes a loop many guests have wanted for years.
Why Dreamfinder Specifically Matters
Dreamfinder is one of the most persistently requested returns in Disney Parks fandom, and the reason is structural rather than nostalgic.
Figment without Dreamfinder is a character without a relationship. The 1983 attraction worked because it was a two-hander — a mentor gathering ideas and a creation learning from him. The 2002 version has Figment mostly alone, running around Eric Idle’s laboratory, and it never establishes why we should care about him beyond his being cute.
Bringing Dreamfinder back restores the dynamic that made the original work. That’s a more meaningful change than a new ride system would be.
It’s also a rare case of Disney reversing a removal rather than replacing it with something new. The company’s usual instinct is forward. Twenty-eight years is a long time to bring a character back.
The Rumours Were Right
This confirmation follows rumors from Friday that plans for the Imagination pavilion redevelopment had been approved, per multiple sources, with an announcement expected at D23.
That reporting proved accurate within roughly 36 hours.
What We Still Don’t Know
Everything that matters, essentially:
- Whether the existing ride is refurbished or replaced
- What the ride system will be
- Whether the Imagination Institute framing survives
- What happens to the pavilion’s other spaces
- When work begins, and when it reopens
- Whether Journey Into Your Imagination’s music returns
A refurbishment announcement with a character reveal and no attraction details is a teaser, not a plan. Disney says more information is coming soon.
The Bottom Line
EPCOT’s Imagination pavilion is getting a refurbishment, Figment is staying, and Dreamfinder returns for the first time since 1998.
Disney executives explicitly framed it as responding to fan requests, alongside the Expedition Everest Yeti repair announced the same weekend.
No attraction details, no timeline, no reopening date. More expected soon.
20% Off site-wide, plus Free Shipping on all orders of $65+
Over 75+ Designs! Your next park shirt is just a click away
Looking To Book Your Dream Disney Vacation?
Your Disney vacation should create unforgettable memories that last a lifetime.
Whether you’re a first-time Disney vacationer or looking to plan your next magical adventure, it isn’t enough just to go on a Disney vacation. We want you to talk about your vacation for years to come and create memories you’ll cherish forever. Vacation is calling! Are you ready to answer?
Meet the Author: Nate Bishop
I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!
LAST UPDATED: