Tuesday, September 2, 2014

WARNING: Graphic Photos of Figment Ahead

By Keith Mahne




What I'm about to show you is extremely graphic (not really unless you consider mishandled auto-animatronics graphic). Continue after the page break for some horrifying decayed remains of the Figment auto-animatronics used in the original Journey into Imagination attraction...






These were auctioned off on eBay back in 2008. Have a look:






This one is possibly the Mountain climber Figment or the pirate Figment being that one hand is stretched out, with the other recoiled in.
 
The Figment above was probably the ship driver or the weightlifter Figment. These Figments had hands that are both clasping something like a steering wheel or the dumbells.
 
The figment above is cowboy figment I'm assuming based on his posture and was made to swing back and forth on the horse.
 


 

 

 

 




Sad huh? Now of course the title and tone of this article is one of a joking matter but it is a bit sad to see these old Figment animatronics not taken care of or even archived by Disney. Hopefully someday soon, a brand new Journey Into Imagination attraction will be amusing us again with Dreamfinder and Figment back in their rightful home together.

1 comment:

  1. Keith... Just before I shipped out to Orlando to help open EPCOT Center in '82, I had occasion to visit the Disney Studio and watched the filming of one of the Figment scenes used at the end of the ride (which included the mountain climber, song-and-dance man, superhero, cowboy, etc.) which you referred to in your article. These dragons were not audio-animatrons at all! They were hand-operated puppets, shot against blue screen and operated by puppeteers wearing matching blue costumes so as not to be seen onscreen.

    While I can't tell you which charred and dessicated dragon pictured above was used in which scene of the ride, I'm fairly certain that they were not used in those film loops.

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