Disney fans waited up to 5 hours in massive lines to meet Figment, an old-school character who's doing meet-and-greets for the first time in years

• Disney fans say they waited up to five hours in line on Sunday to meet Figment, a purple dragon.
• The character is extremely popular, and it was his first meet-and-greet hosted at Epcot in years.
• Created for Disney in the '80s, Figment is best known for hosting the ride Journey Into Imagination.

Would you wait hours in line at Disney World to meet a cartoon character?

Thousands of Disney fans did just that on Sunday when the Orlando, Florida, theme park hosted meet-and-greets with Figment — a beloved purple dragon from the Epcot ride Journey Into Imagination With Figment — for the first time in years.

Fans began to queue immediately after Epcot's gates opened at 9 a.m., according to videos shared by those in attendance, and the line quickly extended past the Imagination Pavilion where the meet-and-greet was being held.

Some used umbrellas and handheld fans to deal with the hot sun while waiting in line, and many were dressed in their best purple-and-orange Figment-themed attire.

Amanda Batts, a 34-year-old podcaster, was one of those dedicated fans who waited to meet the character.

She told Insider that she arrived at Epcot around noon with her husband and two children on Sunday and found a huge line for the meet-and-greet with an estimated wait time between three and four hours.

But later around 2:15 p.m., Batts decided to brave the line while her husband and kids walked around the World Showcase.

"They closed the line at around 2:45 p.m. since it would take that long to cycle through the guests, and Figment was done with meet-and-greets for the day at 5 p.m.," Batts said. "Thankfully, my husband and our girls were able to jump in line with me at the end of my two-and-a-half-hour wait." 

As for why Batts and her family were willing to wait in line, she said they love Journey Into Imagination With Figment and consider the character to be an "Epcot icon."

And in her opinion, the wait was entirely worth it — especially because the character "very intentionally spent quality time with each guest."

"There were so many lifelong Figment fans in line, and it was so heartwarming to see adults turn into children before our eyes," she said. "So many sweet moments were had and Figment made it really special for everyone."

Specifically, she said, he waved goodbye to fans and personally escorted them out of the meet-and-greet when they were finished, and the character interacted with her toddler who was curious to know if he always wears his orange sweater.

"If you were wondering, he wears it when he's going to fly in case he gets cold," Batts said. "Overall, it was a lovely experience, and being there on day one was filled with pure Disney magic."

On TikTok and Instagram, other Disney fans said they waited three to five hours in line to take photos with Figment.

They also shared that the character doesn't sign autographs, though Disney employees hand out cards with his pre-printed signature.

Figment has been a staple of Disney World since 1983 when his namesake ride opened

The all-ages attraction was originally called Journey Into Imagination, later renamed as Journey Into Your Imagination, and eventually became Journey Into Imagination With Figment.

The slow-moving ride brings parkgoers through "sensory labs" with Figment as your guide to learn about "how the five senses capture the imagination," according to the Disney World website.

You're taken through upside-down rooms, guided through sensory experiences, and shown videos of the purple dragon interacting with Dr. Nigel Channing, played by Eric Idle.

And that's not to mention Figment's theme song "One Little Spark," which is played throughout the ride.

Disney World previously hosted Figment meet-and-greets over the years but phased them out around 2008. It wasn't until Saturday that the theme-park announced they would immediately return daily for an indefinite period of time.

The decision was likely the result of Figment's growing popularity in recent years. In January 2022, countless Disney World fans waited over six hours in line to buy a $25 popcorn bucket shaped like the character.

At the time, it was one of the few merchandise items depicting Figment. Since that chaotic day, however, Figment items have become available throughout Epcot and on the ShopDisney website.