New CEO Disney Josh D’Amaro Asked “The Figment Question”

Per tradition, new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro was asked about the future of Figment during the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Although it was the question that concluded the call (ending on a not-so-high note), some might say it was the true passing of the baton from Bob Iger to D’Amaro, not the videos that played at the beginning.

A final shareholder question asked whether Disney would make a new Figment feature film or whether there are any plans to bring more Figment to the theme parks. (Smart phrasing, leaves the door open for Figment to go global, not just be confined to EPCOT or Walt Disney World!)

D’Amaro responded with a chuckle and “there it is,” before continuing that he embraces the Figment question, which has become a tradition of the annual meeting of shareholders. “I love the fact that there’s so much adoration for Figment,” D’Amaro shared. He continued by acknowledging that Figment “has clearly stood the test of time as a fan favorite and continues to spark creativity and imagination across generations.”

He then pivoted to the recent animated short “How Not to Draw with Figment,” which was narrated by Neil Patrick Harris and has been hugely popular since its release. He pointed to this as a sign that Figment remains an active character in Disney’s creative pipeline.

D’Amaro concluded by saying that he had nothing to announce today (emphasis on today?!), but that the Walt Disney Company is “always exploring new ways for guests to engage with Figment and other characters that fans love.”

I’ve gotta be honest–I didn’t catch the full second half of the quote because my heart skipped a beat when D’Amaro switched gears to the “How Not to Draw with Figment” reference, because it initially sounded like he was getting ready to make a substantive announcement (“Well, given that this question is coming up…”). He was not.

Not that we expected that type of news during today’s shareholder meeting. It would’ve been a big and bold way to come out swinging from day one and really extend that honeymoon with fans, but it makes sense to save any theoretical Figment news for D23. Today’s news is the passing of the torch from Bob Iger to Josh D’Amaro, Dana Walden & co.

Amusingly, this was not the only Journey into Imagination question during the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Q&A was kicked off with an inquiry about switching out the films in the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, which is what replaced Captain EO when that revival ended a long time ago and is basically something you could watch at home on Disney+.

D’Amaro began his answer to that question with a reference to reference to Bao, before pivoting. I thought maybe he was laying the foundation to start the meeting with a bang, by announcing that the recent Figment short was only the start, and the EPCOT fan-favorite character would soon by taking over that venue.

Instead, the answer was essentially the same as the final question: no further plans at this time. Although part of me is slightly thankful, because announcing only a Figment short film and not a fully-fledged attraction is my fear about the eventual outcome here. That a big IP goes to the ride, and a “new” Figment & Dreamfinder “attraction” goes to the theater as an olive branch or attempt to placate fans. (Fair warning: I will not be placated by that.)

Bookending the Q&A with questions about Journey into Imagination feels like a tease to me. (Doesn’t it–or am I just crazy?!)

Keep in mind that these questions are not live, so Disney could’ve chosen and ordered them in any way they so desired. They didn’t need to have two Journey into Imagination questions (that’s some serious overrepresentation given the scope and scale of the company!), and they didn’t need to come at the beginning and end.

All of this is to say that you can expect to hear a lot more from me about all things Figment as I embark on my (continued) grassroots campaign ahead of the 2026 D23 Expo. I’ve taken a sacred oath to advocate for Journey into Imagination 4.0 whenever the opportunity presents itself, so I’m going to fulfill that as often as possible in the coming months.

In case you missed it, this was basically a follow-up to last year’s annual meeting, when then-CEO Bob Iger was asked during the Q&A about the future of Figment. During that, he was 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? 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.

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.”

Disney fulfilled Iger’s promise with a new Disney Channel short featuring Figment on Disney+ and YouTube.

For whatever it’s worth, the “How NOT To Draw” featuring Figment is performing strongly. On YouTube, the short has already racked up over 170,000 views. More impressively, it was trending on Disney+, climbing as high as the #2 spot!

If you haven’t seen it already, we highly recommend watching the “How NOT To Draw” Figment video for yourself a time or two dozen. Maybe just put it on loop in the background to help pump up its stats and show Disney how huge of a fanbase Figment still has. Here’s the short:

As noted by D’Amaro, the short is narrated by Disney superfan Neil Patrick Harris, who talks to Figment about imagination while the pair draw different scenes using inspiration from ordinary objects around the room.

Figment is voiced by A.J. LoCascio in this video, who started voicing the character with the Disney Speedstorm game. This would seemingly suggest he’s taking over the role from Dave Goelz, which is honestly fine by me. I still think of Gonzo whenever I hear Figment in the current attraction.

A.J. LoCascio’s version has grown on me, even if it’s still a bit too raspy and adult. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, and I think he could nail it in a future version of the attraction. (Figment was originally voiced by the late Billy Barty.)

If popular enough, perhaps this “How NOT To Draw” Figment video will convince Disney to proceed with the Figment feature film by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The film was announced back in 2022, but it seems to stuck in development purgatory.

Our hope is and has been that Rogen’s ongoing relationship with Disney results in the Figment feature film getting greenlit and moving forward. Maybe Disney already has decided to push forward with that after the surprise success of The Muppet Show revival by the duo.

After Rogen’s pitch-perfect handling of the Muppets, with the revival being at once a nostalgic love letter and timeless reboot, we’re further convinced he’d be a great choice to helm a Figment feature. There also (seems to be) the reality that Figment needs something big to turn the character into a serious brand or franchise for Disney.

A feature film is not necessary to “prove” Figment’s popularity. The last few decades of the character’s enduring appeal and merchandising potential despite an underwhelming attraction have already done that.

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. As it exists now, Journey into Imagination is not objectively good, but it is a lovable loser. And we’ve heard from plenty of parents whose kids still latched onto Figment (ours included, although that may be a special case).

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 attraction and Imagination pavilion as a whole are underutilized. The ride routinely is a walk-on or has an actual wait time of under 5 minutes. Guest satisfaction scores are not great, to put it mildly.

On several occasions, Disney leadership has expressed a desire to increase capacity of the parks by reimagining areas that are currently underused. There are several such spots in EPCOT, but few have as much potential for absorbing more crowds as the Imagination Pavilion. There’s so much unrealized imagination in that space.

The success of Test Track 3.0 since its reimagining has demonstrated the fruits of this approach. Similar strategies are currently being undertaken with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets.

A similar strategy should be used with Journey into Imagination. Nothing new has been announced for EPCOT, meaning the next all-new attraction isn’t coming until sometime in the 2030s. Journey into Imagination 4.0 could be fast-tracked to debut this decade, along with a reimagined Spaceship Earth and the Wonders of Life pavilion finally being put to use again. All of these projects would meaningfully grow effective park capacity without any actual expansion.

Enter new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro.

As discussed in 11 Great Changes Josh D’Amaro Could Make for Big Wins as New CEO, it’s common for new leadership at Disney to make a lot of announcements and changes early in their tenure to set the tone. We’re fully expecting a couple waves of announcements, likely with an initial set of guest experience wins this spring and summer, followed by more substantive news at the 2026 D23 Expo in August.

I can’t think of any bigger and bolder move that Josh D’Amaro could make during his tenure as CEO to win over alienated fans than announcing Journey into Imagination 4.0. (Except greenlighting a full Imagination pavilion, complete with MuppetVision 3D taking over the theater!)

Bringing back Figment and Dreamfinder is a surefire way of undoing a lot of the damage from controversial changes of the last few years, quieting complaints and criticism. There is no other positive announcement that would outweigh so many prior negatives ones.

It would be the surest way for D’Amaro to distance himself from Iger and Chapek, unloading the negative baggage onto them. Rivers of America, MuppetVision, DINOSAUR, guest experience cutbacks–all of it–would be forgiven by fans in the blink of an eye. Or blamed on someone else.

It would send a powerful message that there’s a new sheriff in town, and one who “gets” fans and is responsive to feedback. It would establish the Disney Parks as their own intellectual property (something that should already be obvious), and not just dumping grounds for movie IP. It would be a big win for legacy building.

I’ve been advocating for a new Journey into Imagination for longer than this website has existed. Figment was my entry point into the fandom in the first place, and was far and away my favorite attraction when visiting EPCOT Center as a child in the 1980s and 1990s.

There’s literally no news that would be as meaningful for me as a reimagined Journey into Imagination. Walt Disney World could announce that improbable 5th gate at the 2026 D23 Expo, and I’d still be asking about Figment. It is the news I’ve been anxiously awaiting for the last decade-plus.

And although I’ve wanted this for a long, long time, there’s a new sense of urgency for me: we now have a daughter who is entering her formative years when this attraction could really resonate. She’s already outgrown her adorable Figment costume (no one tells you time starts moving faster when you become a parent), and is entering the ‘sweet spot’ for Journey into Imagination to spark her curiosity.

Setting aside my own motivations and nostalgia, Figment is more popular than ever. He sells popcorn buckets, sweaters, and everything else. It would generate goodwill among WDW diehards and forge new fans in the process. Figment would become the face and mascot of the new-look EPCOT, elevating the otherwise underwhelming central spine in the process. It’d be a license to print money on more new merchandise, too.

Recapturing that lost magic and spirit of imagination would have the same impact today as it did decades ago, which is why so many of us are still Figment fans. 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. It just makes sense to reimagine Journey into Imagination.

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YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think of the questions bookending the Q&A during the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders? Coincidence, or purposeful tease? Could this be a precursor to Journey into Imagination 4.0? Or is this just more false hope for fans? Hoping that Josh D’Amaro does the right thing and announces a ride reimagining or pavilion overhaul at the 2026 D23 Expo? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your thoughts in the comments!