EPCOT fans who have waited a generation for Dreamfinder finally have an official answer. At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum confirmed a new journey into imagination at EPCOT that reunites Dreamfinder with Figment, the park’s purple dragon of pure creative spark.
The Disney Parks Blog announcement frames the project as more than a nostalgia cameo. Disney is taking a new flight of fancy into imagination at EPCOT, and the long-missing Dreamfinder is back in the story with Figment. No opening date, concept art set, or construction window was published, so travelers should treat this as a confirmed product direction rather than a day-of operating change.
- What changed: Disney confirmed Dreamfinder returns with Figment at EPCOT.
- Attraction: A new Journey into Imagination experience is coming.
- Announced at: D23 2026 Horizons Disney Experiences showcase.
- Opening date: Not announced yet.
- Who should care: EPCOT fans, multi-generational Disney travelers, and planners tracking major ride rewrites.
What Disney said on the D23 stage
Disney closed the Horizons: A Carousel of Progress showcase with a high-emotion EPCOT reveal. Mazloum told the crowd the company was taking a new journey into imagination with Dreamfinder and Figment, and that guest demand had been heard. The official Parks Blog write-up repeats that framing and notes that more details are still to come.
Independent specialist coverage goes one step further on the attraction version itself. Laughing Place reported that a brand-new version of Journey into Imagination is coming to EPCOT and that Dreamfinder appeared on stage with a Figment puppet in the classic pairing fans remember from the original attraction era.
That is the material delta for travelers. Figment never fully left EPCOT merchandise, festivals, or the current ride branding. Dreamfinder’s official return for a new Imagination journey is the traveler-facing change that had been missing for decades.
Why Dreamfinder’s return is a real trip-planning story
Journey into Imagination first opened at EPCOT in 1983 with Dreamfinder guiding guests through collected sparks of creativity and Figment as the living proof that imagination can take shape. That original version ran until 1998. Later replacements, including the current Journey into Imagination with Figment, kept the purple dragon in the park while the Dreamfinder character largely disappeared from the attraction storyline.
For many adults who grew up with the original, this is not a minor cast announcement. It is a signal that Disney is willing to rebuild one of EPCOT’s most personal attractions around the creative duo guests still request. For first-time visitors, it means the Imagination pavilion is no longer only a short current ride and a Figment meet-and-greet opportunity. It is now an active multi-year planning flag on the EPCOT map.
Deep Arrival’s evergreen Journey into Imagination with Figment page remains the best place to understand the operating attraction while the new version is still undated. Use the broader EPCOT park guide when you are weighing pavilion visits against festival days, evening fireworks, and park hopper timing.
What is confirmed versus still unknown
Confirmed: Disney is developing a new Imagination journey at EPCOT that reunites Dreamfinder and Figment. Confirmed: the announcement came from the top of Disney Experiences at D23 2026. Confirmed: more details are promised later through Disney Parks channels.
Unknown: the opening year, whether the current ride will close for a full rebuild or a phased rewrite, how long any closure could last, and what show scenes will replace today’s Imagination Institute style storyline. Specialist reports also note that no concept art package or construction timeline was released with the stage moment.
That known-versus-unknown split should control the itinerary response. Near-term EPCOT days can still include the current Figment ride as normal. Longer-horizon trips should leave room in the World Celebration or former Future World side of the park for a major attraction rewrite once Disney posts dates.
How different travelers should respond
If you are visiting Walt Disney World in the next several months, do not cancel or reshuffle an EPCOT day solely because of this announcement. Ride the current Journey into Imagination with Figment if you want the present version, and enjoy any Figment meet-and-greet or festival merch that is already operating. Dreamfinder’s return is not yet a queue-time event.
If you are planning a 2027 or later trip, especially a multi-generational visit built around EPCOT nostalgia, put Imagination on your recheck list with Spaceship Earth and other D23 product updates. The first official construction notice will matter more than the stage applause for hotel choice, park hopper days, and whether to save a Lightning Lane slot for the current ride before a possible closure.
Parents introducing EPCOT to children who only know Figment from popcorn buckets and festival art get a useful story too. The park’s signature purple dragon is not being replaced. Disney is expanding the character’s world by restoring the mentor figure that helped define him in the first place.
What to do before your next EPCOT day
Keep the current pavilion in your normal EPCOT circulation if you like low-intensity indoor rides, air-conditioned breaks, and character-driven photo moments. Recheck My Disney Experience and Disney Parks Blog in the two weeks before travel for any first dated refurbishment notice. If no date appears, assume normal operations and treat Dreamfinder as a future product, not a same-week disruption.
Also separate emotional priority from logistics. Guests who care deeply about the original Dreamfinder and Figment relationship should plan to experience the current ride at least once before any rebuild starts, then return after the new version opens. Guests who mainly want a short EPCOT filler attraction can keep the pavilion as flexible capacity and wait for the rewrite if their trip lands later.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Visit EPCOT soon | Plan for the current Figment ride and any operating meet-and-greet as normal. |
| Care about the original Dreamfinder era | Ride the current version soon, then watch for the new journey’s dated rollout. |
| Are booking a 2027 or later EPCOT day | Leave itinerary flexibility for a possible Imagination pavilion rebuild window. |
| Travel mainly for festivals or World Showcase | Do not rearrange the whole park day until Disney posts a construction date. |
| Need a low-intensity indoor stop today | Keep the current pavilion in your plan; no D23 date changes boarding access yet. |
- Opening or construction year: the first official date that turns this into a calendar decision.
- Closure length: full pavilion rebuild versus shorter attraction rewrite.
- Show details: how Dreamfinder and Figment share the new journey’s story.
- Meet-and-greet impact: whether Figment greeting or ImageWorks-style areas change during work.
- Concept art: any published scenes that clarify ride length, tone, and family fit.
The smart-neighbor takeaway is simple. Disney officially put Dreamfinder back into EPCOT’s Imagination future with Figment, and a new Journey into Imagination experience is coming. Nothing about today’s boarding rules has changed because no construction date has been posted. Enjoy the current pavilion if it fits your day, and treat the first official schedule notice as the moment to rewrite the plan.
Is Dreamfinder back at EPCOT right now?
Not as a daily operating attraction character. Disney announced his return with Figment for a new Imagination journey, but no opening date has been published.
Will Journey into Imagination with Figment close soon?
Disney has not announced a closure window. The current ride should be treated as operating until an official construction or refurbishment notice appears.
What is the material change for travelers?
Disney confirmed a new Imagination journey that reunites Dreamfinder and Figment, restoring the original creative pair after decades without Dreamfinder in the attraction storyline.
Should I change my EPCOT itinerary because of this announcement?
Not for near-term trips. Keep the current pavilion if you want it, and only rework later trips after Disney posts dated construction information.
Where will more details be published?
Disney said more is still to come and pointed fans to the Disney Parks Blog and D23 coverage channels for later updates on the new journey.
