Figment Makes First Mainstream Appearance in New Disney Short

One Little Spark Goes Digital: Figment to Make Mainstream Debut in New Disney Short

For decades, the mischievous purple dragon known as Figment has been the unofficial mascot of EPCOT, rarely venturing beyond the gates of Walt Disney World. That is all about to change.

Disney has officially announced that Figment will star in a new installment of the popular “How NOT to Draw” animated short series. Premiering on the Disney Channel Animation YouTube channel in March, this marks a historic milestone: Figment’s first-ever mainstream media appearance outside of the theme parks and small cameos.

Related-New Figment Artist Popcorn Bucket Debuts at 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Arts

Timing is Everything: A Birthday Surprise

Fans won’t have to wait long to see the “lovable fellow” in action. The short is scheduled to drop on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

The release date is no coincidence—it falls just two days before March 5, which marks Figment’s official birthday. For those keeping track of Disney history, the Journey Into Imagination attraction originally opened at EPCOT on March 5, 1983. Celebrating over 40 years of creativity, this digital debut feels like the ultimate birthday gift to the fan community.

Related-Adorable Figment Squishmallows Plush Spotted at Epcot!

What is “How NOT to Draw”?

If you aren’t familiar with the series, “How NOT to Draw” is a collection of meta-humor shorts where classic Disney characters literally jump off the page. The premise usually involves a live-action animator attempting to give a drawing tutorial, only for the character to come to life and cause absolute chaos.

Given Figment’s track record for turning “scientific” labs upside down and rearranging eye charts, he is the perfect candidate for a show centered on creative mayhem.

The Future of Figment: Movie or Series?

This short-form debut comes at a curious time for the character’s “Hollywood” career. Here is what we know about Figment’s jump to the screen:

• The Seth Rogen Project: In 2022, news broke that a Figment feature film was in development via Seth Rogen’s Point Grey Pictures, with Pokémon Detective Pikachu writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit attached.
• The Iger Pivot: During a 2025 shareholder meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger largely bypassed questions about the feature film. Instead, he noted Figment’s massive popularity and stated he would task creative teams with exploring series or short-form content.
• The Theory: While the feature film remains in a state of “production limbo,” this new YouTube short suggests Disney is testing the waters to see how Figment resonates with a broad, non-park-going audience before committing to a larger series or movie.

For years, Figment has been a “cult classic” character—beloved by those who have visited Florida, but a mystery to the rest of the world. By placing him on a mainstream platform like the Disney Channel Animation YouTube channel (which boasts over 11 million subscribers), Disney is finally introducing the “spark of imagination” to a global generation.

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