Disney CEO Bob Iger Reveals Future of Figment!
The Walt Disney Company held its 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Thursday, March 20, 2025. During this, CEO Bob Iger showcased Disney’s “perfect marriage of exceptional creativity and groundbreaking technological achievement” that sets the company apart, while sharing highlights of the last year and looking forward at billions of dollars of investments in the years to come. Most importantly (by far), he mentioned the future of Figment.
Once or twice every year, old school EPCOT fans get new hope that maybe Walt Disney World will finally get around to doing the right thing and reimagine Journey into Imagination. This post details the latest development in the decades-long saga of hope and heartbreak as WDW diehards not-so-anxiously await Figment and Dreamfinder being restored to their former glory.
The biggest came over a decade ago, when there were credible rumors of a year-long refurbishment that ended up being derailed when Frozen was a smash success and Frozen Ever After ate up that budget. Most recently, Disney Legend Josh Gad made a public plea during his Candlelight Processional hosting duties for Imagineering to give Figment a ride that does him justice. Before that, there was a series of videos Disney Parks posted in which Figment visits the Walt Disney Studios corporate headquarters and Walt Disney Imagineering campus. The videos seemed to be teasing something, but over one year later, and it’s been crickets since.
For my part, I do not believe Walt Disney World is going to announce Journey into Imagination 4.0 with Figment and Dreamfinder anytime soon. I’ve already started thinking about my predictions post for the 2025 Destination D23 event around Labor Day, and regrettably, it won’t be making the list. Best case scenario at this point is an announcement at the 2026 D23 Expo.
Nevertheless, there are a few subjects I’ll find any excuse to report on without fail as my own form of protest or a pressure campaign. Among those are the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights, Night Parade at Magic Kingdom, Lights of Winter at EPCOT, Restoring Impressions de France, Saving MuppetVision, and the Journey into Imagination Reimagining.
Walt Disney World is definitely not always responsive to fan feedback and complaints, but they are sometimes and in the right circumstances. All of those qualify, so we’ll continue to push for these things even if the chances of success are low. It beats doing nothing. Which brings us to today’s update, which is actually meaningful for a few reasons.
During the question & answer portion of the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, Disney CEO Bob Iger was once again asked about the future of Figment. The question specifically asked whether the company would consider using Figment in other areas of the company outside of theme parks, such as a movie based on the character? (Even the BDX Droids pictured above reportedly nodded yes, that he should.)
Here was Bob Iger’s response:
“This is my 24th shareholder call, my 18th as CEO…and I think the question of Figment has been asked about 15 times. I call him ‘good ‘ole Figment.'”
“We know that Figment is popular with shareholders because of the fact that they ask questions about him all the time,” Iger joked. “But we also know that he’s popular at EPCOT, where you can meet him and experience Journey Into Imagination.”
“I am going to ask our creative teams to make some form of series or short-form videos of Figment. Obviously he’s more popular than just a walk-around character.”
While this sounded like an off the cuff response, it probably wasn’t.
By his own admission, Bob Iger has been asked about Figment on ~15 of 24 shareholder calls. No matter the actual number, that’s a majority of them. Iger is a meticulous planner, and would almost certainly be extensively prepped on the questions he might receive in order to give good answers, avoid misspeaking, etc. And a Figment question is about as inevitable as one about Disney returning to family values or whatever, so he’s undoubtedly scripted and rehearsed answers to both.
Underscoring this point is that he specifically mentioned the Figment meet & greet. Unless he just happened to pass by it on his visit to Walt Disney World last week (doubtful since the team escorting him would’ve taken him to what they wanted him to see–and Journey into Imagination would not qualify), he probably wouldn’t know that meet & greet even exists.
The Figment meet & greet was announced at the D23 Expo before he returned, and debuted as part of Destination D23, which he did not attend. At the risk of stating the obvious, character meet & greets are below the CEO’s pay grade. So he would’ve been briefed about the existence of this meet & greet, and incorporated it into his answer.
Assuming it was scripted and rehearsed, this also means a couple of other things.
The first is that the Figment feature film by Seth Rogen is dead. If it weren’t, Iger would’ve mentioned that instead of Disney+ shorts or a series. This wouldn’t be even remotely surprising. For one thing, that movie was never officially announced and it’s been over two years since we’ve heard anything about it. In between, Disney has cut back significantly on streaming production.
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but I’d hazard a guess the whole “Magic Kingdom Universe” planned for Disney+ that was announced back in 2021 is dead. But c’mon, it’s 2025 and there haven’t been updates on almost any of that…did we really think it’s still happening?!
More recently, we’ve learned that Jon Favreau is writing and producing a Disney+ live action/animated hybrid series about Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. This is rumored to be part of the director’s bigger-picture plans for a Mickey Mouse Cinematic Universe. Perhaps Figment will join that?!
More optimistically, Iger’s comments being scripted and rehearsed also presumably means he’s not just going to ask the creatives about a Figment series or shorts. It means something is already being explored or, hopefully, in the early stages of active development.
Iger knows word travels fast and that Figment fans like me are a rabid bunch. He’s going to be asked about Figment next year, and the year after that, etc., and my people aren’t going to be satisfied if he comes back in a year and say: “Aw shucks, I tried my best, but those darned creatives said there’s absolutely nothing creative we can do with Figment, international mascot of childhood wonder and imagination. Sorry dorks.”
That would constitute an impeachable offense (CEOs are impeachable, right?!). We geeks would be hitting up Nelson Peltz so fast and begging him to revive his campaign to restore the magic and so forth. Further reinforcing the notion that this was planned and not impromptu is Disney Parks quickly posting about this on social media, rather than walking back the comments or ignoring them:
🚨 Figment update! pic.twitter.com/DqXN4dWWVL
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) March 20, 2025
Less optimistically, it means there’s probably nothing coming soon for Journey into Imagination 4.0 at EPCOT. Even though the question specifically asked about movies and the company’s other businesses, Iger would’ve taken the opportunity to tease a reimagined ride if it were moving forward anytime soon. Just like he did with the Pandora expansion at Disneyland long before it was officially announced.
As noted above, this is fairly unsurprising. Walt Disney World is unlikely to proceed with Journey into Imagination 4.0 because management hung the ole “mission accomplished” banner with the opening of Spirit Halloween Superstore CommuniCore Hall. With that, they declared the overhaul completed, despite many of its announced projects never being finished.
This perspective was more or less reiterated during the recent D23 Expo. There were tons of announcements for Walt Disney World, including new lands and attractions at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Each of these parks will, conservatively, see hundreds of millions of dollars of investment at minimum. Magic Kingdom could fairly easily eclipse $2 billion depending upon the scale and scope of its new lands.
Meanwhile, the only thing announced for EPCOT was a new lounge inside Spaceship Earth…which takes over a lounge space. Not exactly ambitious. Additionally, new details were revealed about Test Track 3.0, a ride being funded by Chevy Bucks. Suffice to say, the amount of money Disney will invest in EPCOT over the next couple of years is next-to-nothing. The contrast between EPCOT and the other three parks really says all that needs to be said. EPCOT is not the priority–it is deemed “done” for reasons beyond me.
Nevertheless, I’ve taken a sacred oath to advocate for Journey into Imagination 4.0 whenever the opportunity presents itself, so I’m going to proceed with that, yet again, here. As we’ve said many times and for many years, it’s time to reimagine the Imagination pavilion (Figment called–wants changes!).
That’s hardly a bold assertion–it’s been time for almost two decades. The last version was only a band aid, meant as a quick fix for the truly abysmal second version. That third version–again, a temporary solution–is now the longest-running version of Journey into Imagination. (Let that sink in.)
It’s no secret that even as diehard Figment faithful, we don’t love the current incarnation of the ride. It made our lists of the 10 Worst Attraction Replacements at Walt Disney World and 10 Attractions That Have Aged Poorly at Walt Disney World. We did defend Journey into Imagination as one of several attractions at EPCOT that you should not skip, which is a “controversial” opinion because the attraction truly is divisive.
The current Journey into Imagination has low guest satisfaction scores relative to other rides of its kind. We’ve routinely remarked that first-timers confuse Figment for a Spyro the Dragon knock-off, which is really only a half-joke.
Unless you’re a child of the 1980s or 90s who experienced the original attraction–which has been gone for far longer than it existed!–or are a voracious consumer of Disney history videos, you likely have zero affinity for Figment and might even be confused by why the current character has such a strong fan following. (He doesn’t! It’s the old Figment we love!)
The current Journey into Imagination attraction and the pavilion as a whole are underutilized. The ride routinely is a walk-on or has an actual wait time of under 5 minutes. The theater has been showing the Pixar shorts for a while now, which was also meant to be a band aid following the removal of Captain EO. Along with Journey into Imagination 4.0, I can think of few better landing locations for MuppetVision 3D than the Imagination pavilion.
Prior to the big D23 announcements, Disney leadership expressed a desire to increase capacity of the parks by reimagining areas that are currently underused. There are several such spots in EPCOT, but aside from Wonders of Life, I can’t think of any that have as much potential for absorbing more crowds as the Imagination Pavilion. Even without actual expansion, there’s so much untapped potential with the Imagination pavilion.
Journey into Imagination 4.0 should’ve been fast-tracked to debut before 2027. Walt Disney World needs more between now and when Tropical Americas opens to offer some semblance of competition to Universal’s Epic Universe. It’s too late for that, so it should be a 2028 project. (Realistically, it’s more like a 2029 or 2030 project, at best.)
I also think that Disney is mistaken in its assessment that the half-baked EPCOT overhaul is “over.” I suspect that they are already discovering this via attendance, and that trend will only accelerate as Epic Universe eats into the attendance of Animal Kingdom and EPCOT to disproportionate degrees.
At that point, something will need to be done, and the most likely candidates are reimaginings. Several are possible at EPCOT, as discussed in our List of What EPCOT’s Overhaul Needs in Phase 2. That is unsurprisingly topped by JII4, but also on the list are updates to other former Future World pavilions as well as additions to World Showcase.
This is both my hope and my expectation. Walt Disney World’s current 5-year plan calls for minimal investment in EPCOT as other parks are the focus. I’m skeptical that’s actually possible or practical, and the company might have to divert some of those resources from Magic Kingdom–a park needing no help to begin with–to EPCOT as it becomes apparent the park is not “fixed” from an attendance perspective.
Disney is notoriously slow to respond to trends, so it’ll probably take until Epic Universe opens for that realization to occur. While there’s considerable debate over whether Universal’s new park will eat into Walt Disney World attendance or a “rising tide lifts all boats,” our expectation is that it’ll be a bit of both. That Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios will benefit, whereas EPCOT and (especially) Animal Kingdom will suffer. (The average family only has so many vacation days to allocate to theme parks, and that number is under 4.)
Realistically, that puts the earliest conceivable announcement of Journey into Imagination 4.0 at the 2025 Destination D23 event at Walt Disney World, which will occur over Labor Day weekend. As mentioned above, I doubt that’ll happen. It’s too soon after Epic Universe opens, and also, I suspect Spaceship Earth or something going into the Wonders of Life pavilion is the more immediate priority and lower hanging fruit.
Above all else, the reason a reimagining of Journey into Imagination could and should happen is repairing relations with fans and positive PR. As pent-up demand continues to fade, attendance drops and Epic Universe opens, Walt Disney World will need the diehards more than it did a few years ago.
For Bob Iger, getting Journey into Imagination 4.0 greenlit should be a no-brainer move. Although it’s unlikely he himself is a Figment fan, Iger has demonstrated upon returning that he does care (somewhat) about guest goodwill and fan disenchantment–but there’s much more work to be done on that front. Much more importantly (to him), Iger is concerned about his legacy.
Then there’s Josh D’Amaro, who is in the running as a successor CEO. Fans have viewed D’Amaro favorably over the last few years in spite of all that’s happened, largely because Chapek has taken the blame–and D’Amaro is much more likeable. But the tides are starting to turn–and that’s despite a huge slate of D23 Expo announcements. D’Amaro has yet to prove himself (his track record at this point is basically just CommuniCore Hall and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure), and a reimagined Journey into Imagination could help raise his stock.
Bringing back Figment and Dreamfinder is a surefire way of undoing a lot of the outrage and brand damage from the last few years, quieting the complaints and criticism. I can’t think of any other single positive announcement that would outweigh so many prior negatives ones. A lot would be forgiven by fans in the blink of an eye. We’d win, the executives who want to bolster their statures would win. Everybody wins.
It’s already been a decent couple of years for Figment fans. We’ve gotten some great merchandise (that has sold like hotcakes), a great new book, and the meet & greet remains popular. (Speaking of which, I should probably get around to sharing photos from Baby Bricker’s first Figment encounter.) A new series on Disney+ would be another small victory for Figment fans, and if Bob Iger follows through on it, I promise to park Megatron in front of the television for 12 hours per day (who currently isn’t allowed any screen time), watching it on loop to further indoctrinate her into the Figment fandom. But we still need more; Figment deserves more.
An overhaul of Journey into Imagination would be both a legacy project and something that would define the otherwise underwhelming World Celebration neighborhood of the EPCOT transformation, tying it together into a more cohesive project. Figment would become the face and mascot of the new-look EPCOT, elevating the otherwise underwhelming central spine in the process. Walt Disney World has done enough dipping its toes into the pool to test the popularity of Figment. It’s beyond time for a redone ride.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Disney CEO Bob Iger saying he’s going to push creatives to make a series or shorts about Figment? Could this be a precursor to Journey into Imagination 4.0? Or is this just more false hope for fans? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment that now is the second-most logical time for a Journey into Imagination overhaul? Any questions? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your thoughts in the comments!
Should you be pondering expanding into merch, I would buy “Figment called – wants changes” on a t-shirt!
Well, keep hammering on this, Tom. Even if they would put it back as originally enjoyed on opening, I would be excited. One little spark of inspiration…., you know the rest of the story.
I feel the worst thing they did to Figment was to make him this monstrous size thing for the meet & greet! He was supposed to be small…small enough to be carried by Dreamfinder! That giant Figment is downright scary!
I am 75 so any changes they make will have to happen fast for me to see them. “Another 5-10 years” for something to happen is always dismaying to me. My first visit to EPCOT was 1981 with my oldest son who is now 44. He loves the original Figment and has since he first met him. My middle son who is now 38 was familiar with all the stupid (imho)movies portrayed in the current ride so at least he appreciates them. Youngest son who is now 33 really loved the 2nd. Flubber movie. So we have seen this ride change. But Figment manages stick around. We would all love to see his presence grow in the future.
I will always respect the current version of the Imagination ride for not hiding its contempt for the second version of the ride, which Tom – to the benefit of his anxiety or sanity levels, no doubt! – refuses to acknowledge. That said, it results in a lot of “making the subtext text” that makes this one seem more simplistic and less imaginative the further and further we get from version 2. It’s long past time to be at refined, upgraded, or replaced.
As far as the minimal EPCOT in the front I thought maybe that the front half of the ten-year plan was based on 2023 attendance changes (a *20%* jump in attendance for EPCOT versus a -6% drop for HS) as opposed to total attendance that year (both parks were roughly tied around 11K, much less than MK and significantly more than AK). If so, that was a mistake since short term changes are often driven by cannibalizing attendance at other WDW parks, and there’s typically a return to the mean once what was new is no longer new. With SE practically falling apart, I don’t buy into the argument I’ve seen elsewhere that management just didn’t know which idea they want to tackle next in EPCOT. It’s got to be next!) Too bad that there’s probably cost efficiencies doing the Big Thunder refurb, Cars Lot paving, and Villains Lair construction at the same time, since that’s a lot of resources thrown at the MK in the first five years, and that park could do fine with more doubles and triples rather than Grand Slams.
My family and I tried the figment “ride” for the first time on a recent visit and it was really bad- like it should probably just be boarded up. Was the original ride a dark ride? I assume yes but am curious if you would like to see it become more of a thrill ride? (Nothing too crazy)
That Monty Python guy as the smarmy, insincere scientist just doesn’t have the heart & warmth of Dreamfinder. Who was that, Eric Idle? I heard somewhere he doesn’t even remember making the attraction, that’s how much of a Disney Legend he isn’t. Some British people consider theme parks beneath them (though of course others don’t & frequently visit). But I’m thinking of when I’ve read Berlitz travel guides & Monocle city guides for fun & to increase my knowledge of world cultures. Those series both originate in Britain, and they give short shrift to theme parks, maybe briefly mentioning one in the back pages under “things to do with kids”. They think all adults will be into visiting historical villas instead. yawn is what I say to that.
I think Disney is scared to death to put so much $$ towards something that isn’t tied to a proven franchise right now. It’s a shame! A re-imagined attraction would be a dream come true, IF done right. JII 1.0 really has a lasting legacy. It’s been gone for 27 years and us fanboys are still obsessed with it! That shows you how special it was.
Never stop fighting for figment!!!!
I can’t do roller coaster rides and I’m not into marvel etc rides or Star Wars so although the majority of people do enjoy those rides it would be nice to update a ride or 2 to the “old style” rides for the rest of us to have something “new” to enjoy
I’m with you. I used to enjoy roller coasters but, for medical reasons, can’t ride them any more. And Figment is not about thrills. You want thrills, go to Universal. You want inspiring, heartwarming, stuff with gentle humor that the whole family (including us older people) can enjoy – go to Disney World as it was originally envisioned. I love the educational mission of Epcot and do not want to see it going by the boards.
Spaceship Earth needs to be renovated and updated first as it’s the most important attraction at Epcot. Journey Into Imagination should be next. After that, the empty Wonders of Life needs a new and fantastic attraction. Hopefully Iger and his team will be be gone soon so that they are not involved with any of them. And that comes after experiencing their first “Epcot Overhaul“, their themeless new resorts, and their inability to adhere to the original designe and cohesion of their parks.
Our daughter was born in 1998 and her first trip to WDW was in 1999! Since the beginning of her visits, Figment has been her favorite! She LOVES the current Journey Into Imagination. However, she and I do agree it needs a bit of refurbishing and upkeep. Last time we rode it together there were no “scents” coming out during the olfactory presentation. While you and others want the Dreamfinder/Figment back, my daughter, and dare I say others from her generation, would be so disappointed to not have the Figment story/ride THEY grew up with. We appreciate the pictures of Dr. Szalinski and Dr. Brainard as you walk through the line. My daughter absolutely loved playing on the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids immersive show back in the day.
I suppose everyone longs for the way things were, which is to say, the way things were that brings them fond memories. You and others have fond memories of the original Dreamfinder/Figment. My daughter and the rest of our family, and surely others, have fond memories of Journey 2.0/3.0. It’s a matter of perspective.
My daughter was so excited to meet Figment when they started his meet & greets that you would have thought she was meeting her favorite band! And she was 20something years old at the time!
I’m glad to hear there will be some sort of media offering for Figment.
Freshening up the ride and better maintenance would be great. But I really hope that whenever they get off their sticks and decide to actually invest in Figment, that they don’t lose all of the current version.
The jii is awful! And I love Monty Python. But every park needs more rides and entertainment to help with the wait times. Making JII a better story would increase attendance and that would be huge.
And think of the popcorn buckets! It’s a win win win. Yeah, that’s right, three wins.
I completely agree that EPCOT needs some more attention. I think Remy is the only new (not replacement) ride since Soarin’ in 2005. Is that right? In 20 years EPCOT has only added one ride… That seems crazy… We did get Moana also, so I guess two rides/attractions. Oh, no Soarin’ replaced Food Rocks, so there has only been one additional attraction added in decades.
I mean the best ride at Disney World- cosmic rewind is pretty new
To Kris’s point, Guardians of the Galaxy ride replaced Ellen’s Energy Adventure — so even though it’s a massive change/improvement, it’s still not a “net new” attraction. Though “net new” attractions aren’t that common in US parks in the past decades. Off the top of my head, SWGE and Toy Story Land added a total of four to DHS. Pandora added two to AK and Tropical Americas could technically be perceived as a net loss. Tron is the only one I can think of in MK — New Fantasyland was mainly replacements of older stuff.
Out west, you’ve got SWGE and MMRR for a grand total of 3 net new at Disneyland (the rich get richer!) and at DCA it’s trickier math as there have been so many replacements over the years. Most recently we have the Avengers Campus — Web Slingers seems “net new” but at present it’s the only replacement for 5 separate (while small) attractions from A Bug’s Land, so it’s (technically) a net negative by four. This kind of illustrates the challenge of talking about brand new, non-replacement attractions since not all rides are created equally!
I’m cautiously optimistic but like many other Disney execs, Bob Iger always reminds me (in spirit and appearance) of the Duff Brewery tour guide.
Iger: What does the future hold for Figment? Let’s just say we’ve got a few ideas up our sleeve.
Fans/shareholders: Like what?
Iger: Humm, I’d rather not get into it right now.
Fans/shareholders: Why not?
Iger: Alright, we don’t have any ideas for the future, we got nothing. Happy?
Fans/shareholders: No… 🙁
Yes, it’s beyond time for Journey into Imagination to return to its former magical roots. Dreamfinder is critical in this remaking. After all, he is the reason Figment exists! I’ve gone to Disney World every year since 2015, except for the 2021 Covid year. (My previous trips were 1983, 1984, 1990, and 2004.) I am planning on no more trips after this May due to the desecration of Frontierland (specifically, Rivers of America, the Liberty Belle, and Tom Sawyer Island.) If Journey into Imagination is restored/improved, i might consider returning without going to MK, but we’re running out of time. I’m fast approaching 70 and have to travel solo. That probably will have to stop by the time I’m 73ish – so, if Disney doesn’t go warp speed on Imagination, they can wave goodbye to the money i spend on Deluxe hotels, character meals, and other pricey stuff.
Can you imagine if they announced our beloved Muppets 3D and a new (based on our old Figment and Dreamfinder) Journey ride going into the Imagination pavilion? The good will that would generate would be a game changer for many.
I was trepidatious when I saw the headline in my email, but this is more or less what I expected for better or worse. No real announcement, but at least they haven’t forgotten about Figment. We did finally get a night parade, so hope is not lost for things on your crusade list. Maybe someday for this (though I’d put Castle Dreamlights as a higher probability.)
“Sorry dorks” sent me!! HAHAHA. But truly, to revamp the Imagination pavilion and move Muppets 3D there would really be a dream! There is definitely so much underutilized space in Epcot, and it needs more things to draw in crowds, especially since the past maybe 3 times I visited, I couldn’t get on Frozen – because it was unexpectedly closed! How they can stamp DONE on Epcot when many of the rides are unreliable and in need of creative and/or mechanical updates is beyond me.
My Daughter, who is 4, absolutely LOVES the Figment Golden Book. Every time we read/sing it I hope more and more that she will get to ride a JII ride that is high quality and similar to the original story line. Hopefully that happens before she’s 18.
That’s awesome!
Our daughter loved the Figment Little Golden Book, past tense. Now whenever I pick it up to read, she says no. “A is for Alien” has become her new go-to (for now?).
I likewise hope she’s able to experience a proper Journey into Imagination before she can drive or drink.
The follow-up video 100% validates your reasoning. If it was an “off the cuff” comment then that video doesn’t get quickly posted. I’m bet you are correct something TBA in 2026. Spaceship Earth will have to go sooner versus later; that’ll be a priority.
I’d really love to get an announcement on Spaceship Earth at the upcoming Destination D23. Honestly, I don’t think much new news is coming from that event, but that could be the one “big” thing.
Knocking out SSE in 2026 clears the table for JII to close for reimagining in 2027-2028.