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Disney’s most underrated mascot may finally be getting a major presence for the company, and it’s about time!

For those of a certain age, Figment was one of the most magical characters in Disney history. When Epcot Center opened in 1982, Disney wanted to distance it from the Magic Kingdom, which meant it wasn’t as common to see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and other Disney characters in the park for the first couple of years.

Instead, the mascot for the park was easily Figment. He was the highlight of the classic Journey Into Imagination ride, created by the odd Dreamfinder as a Figment of the imagination. The purple dragon stood out from the beginning with his charm, wit, and childlike eagerness to learn more.

Any visitor to Epcot in its first decade could see Figment all over the place in merchandising. Even when other Disney characters became commonplace, Figment still had a good presence.

During today’s investor call, Bob Iger was asked about the Walt Disney Company using Figment outside of Epcot for shows or a film. Bob Iger said he has been asked the question about 15 times since he’s been at the company. He continued by saying that he would be asking for a show or shorts featuring the purple dragon.

Here is what Bob Iger said,

“We know that he’s popular with shareholders…..but we also know that he’s popular at Epcot….I have been asked this so many times I am going to ask our creative teams to consider making some form of series or short form videos of Figment because he’s obviously more popular than just as a walk around character…”

These questions were pre-recorded to Disney likely just used this question as an opportunity to announce this.

I can tell you that Figment is indeed popular.

If you have visited a Disney park, you likely have seen that a Starbucks coffee shop is located in every park. At these locations, you can find your favorite Starbucks drinks and treats along with the popular “You Are Here” mugs that feature the particular Disney park you are in. Now, a new mug is coming at the end of the month.

On March 31, 2025, a new Starbucks mug will be released celebrating Walt Disney World.

The mug’s image shows two sides. The four theme parks appear to be represented on the single mug.

On one side, we can see the Hollywood Tower Hotel (Tower of Terror), Millennium Falcon (Smugglers Run), and a limo (Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster), which represent Disney’s Hollywood Studios. To the left of those images, we can see a tour vehicle and what looks like a representation of Kilimanjaro Safari in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Disney may be the undisputed king of theme parks, but even royalty makes mistakes. Over the decades, Disney has delivered unforgettable experiences with iconic attractions like Space Mountain and the Haunted Mansion. But not everything they’ve touched has turned to gold. Today, Luce is taking you through some of Disney’s most infamous theme park flops—those grand ideas that just couldn’t live up to the magic.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser (2022-2023) – The Immersive Hotel That Missed the Mark

When Disney opened the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel in 2022, it was billed as a fully immersive, interactive experience, offering guests the chance to live out their own Star Wars adventure. The concept was ambitious: a two-night stay on a luxury starship, complete with unique characters, missions, and activities that tied into the wider Star Wars universe.

Despite the excitement surrounding the project, the hotel quickly ran into trouble.

Disney’s TV special for Epcot Center's opening may have looked great, but behind the scenes, it was a nightmare!

Looking back at television in the early 1980s is an interesting experience. Cable TV was in its infancy, VCRs were barely used, and the overall tone was more conservative in many ways. It was also pretty old school as networks relied on tried and true stuff like the old variety show aspects and musical specials.

Disney had used that well for years as their TV specials were always unique, mixing in original songs with some fun stars. By the 1980s, they were working with Smith-Hemion, which is well known for some award-winning variety specials featuring stars such as Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Elvis, Bette Middler, and more. They could be silly and cheesy yet fun to watch. The company was also behind the now-infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.

One of...

Twenty-five years ago, Disney made a huge mistake that forever ruined one of their greatest attractions and is still loathed by fans!

Disney is usually good when it comes to making over some classic attractions. It’s always a risk, as fans hate change, and altering things can lead to a backlash. We saw it with Splash Mountain becoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but it worked out well for fans. Likewise, Maelstrom becoming Frozen Ever After turned into a hit.

However, there’s a very good reason why Disney fans are wary of changing a ride. Because 25 years ago, the company attempted a makeover of a long-standing Epcot attraction that, in the minds of so many, destroyed it forever. It’s still astounding how bad it was and why Journey Into Your Imagination is a shame for Imagineering.

The Magic of Imagination

One of the original Epcot Center opening pavilions,...

Back in 2001, Disneyland Resort opened a second theme park gate – Disney California Adventure – dedicated to the Golden State and all its glory. In the early days of operation, the park suffered from a lack of entertainment and inspiration, and an unavoidable comparison to the masterpiece across the street named Disneyland. But after a rocky start, Disney California Adventure has been slowly improving to where it is now considered one of the great theme parks in the country.

Cars Land – opened in 2012 – rivals any other intellectual property (IP)-themed land in the world, which is quite a feat among competition including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Pandora: The World of Avatar. The 2021 opening of Avengers Campus has made the park the go-to place for full-on Marvel immersion. With even more expansion on the horizon, the future looks brighter than ever for Disneyland’s second gate.

Back in June, Warner Bros. set a Summer 2019 release date for their highly-anticipated adaptation of Minecraft, which will be directed by Rob McElhenney (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). Today the project has seemingly found its first cast member, with Steve Carell entering talks to join the big screen ensemble. No details were given about the character he will play in this adaptation quite yet.

Variety reports that Rob McElhenney is still attached to make his feature film directorial debut with Minecraft. The director also wrote the latest version of the script with Jason Fuchs, who wrote last year's fantasy adventure Pan for Warner Bros., along with the studio's upcoming superhero adventure Wonder Woman, arriving in theaters June 2, 2017. Warner Bros. would not confirm the casting at this time, and the studio has yet to release any story details.

Warner Bros. picked up the project in February 2014, with Shawn Levy coming aboard...