All it takes is one little spark.
For generations of Disney Parks fans, there might be no duo that embodies that idea quite like Dreamfinder and Figment. Together, the imaginative pair helped define an entire era of EPCOT, teaching guests young and old that creativity can take us anywhere—as long as we are willing to use a little imagination.
Now, after decades apart, Dreamfinder and Figment are finally getting back together.
During D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney revealed that a new journey into imagination is officially coming to EPCOT, one that will not only continue to feature everyone’s favorite little purple dragon but bring his longtime friend Dreamfinder back alongside him.
And for longtime EPCOT fans, this is considerably more than the return of another Disney character.
It is a little piece of EPCOT history coming home.
One Little Spark Started It All
Long before Figment became the face of EPCOT merchandise, festivals and some particularly popular popcorn buckets, he was simply a little spark of imagination.
Figment first took flight in 1983 with the opening of the original Journey Into Imagination, quickly becoming something incredibly rare within Disney Parks.
He wasn’t pulled from a popular animated film.
He wasn’t part of an established Disney franchise.
Figment belonged to EPCOT.
The curious little purple dragon embodied creativity itself, encouraging guests to explore ideas, colors, sounds and everything else that might ignite their imaginations.
But Figment didn’t make that journey alone.
Dreamfinder Is Coming Home
Alongside Figment was Dreamfinder, the whimsical inventor, storyteller and dream-chaser who traveled through the world collecting anything capable of sparking imagination.
Dreamfinder served as Figment’s creator, mentor and friend, with the two becoming inseparable parts of EPCOT’s original identity.
From 1983 until 1998, the pair welcomed generations of families into a world where imagination didn’t have rules and even the smallest idea could grow into something extraordinary.
While Figment eventually returned in later versions of the attraction and has since grown into one of EPCOT’s most recognizable characters, Dreamfinder remained largely part of the park’s past.
Until now.
Imagination Takes Flight Again
Disney hasn’t revealed exactly what this new Journey Into Imagination will look like just yet.
But perhaps the most important piece is already here.
Dreamfinder and Figment will be together again.
That opens the door for Disney Imagineers to not only celebrate what made the original attraction so beloved, but introduce its ideas to an entirely new generation.
Because there is something timeless about what Dreamfinder and Figment represented.
Kids grow up.
Technology changes.
EPCOT itself continues to evolve.
But imagination doesn’t belong to any particular generation.
The idea of taking something as small as a thought, a color, a sound or a dream and turning it into something bigger is just as important for children discovering Figment today as it was for those who first met him more than four decades ago.
A Little Piece of EPCOT Magic Returns
There has always been something special about characters created specifically for Disney Parks.
They become tied not only to stories, but memories.
For longtime EPCOT guests, Dreamfinder and Figment can instantly bring back thoughts of childhood vacations, family trips and an EPCOT that encouraged visitors to dream about what might be possible.
For today’s kids, however, this could become their version of that experience.
Their first introduction to Dreamfinder.
Their first adventure alongside Figment.
Their own little spark.
We still have plenty to learn about what Disney is dreaming up for this next journey into imagination.
But after decades apart, one thing is finally certain.
Dreamfinder and Figment are together again.
And imagination is getting ready to take flight at EPCOT once more.