Disney Fans Disappointed (and Horrified) By the State of This Abandoned Animal Kingdom Animatronic

Whether visiting Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort, the animatronics are some of the coolest things about a Disney vacation. Audio-animatronics just bring beloved characters to life in a way that screens simply can’t accomplish, making attractions more immersive and magical.

Early on in the theme park game, Disney built a reputation for itself, and some of the best animatronics can be found in Disney theme parks all over the world.

From Magic Kingdom to Disneyland Park, Disney Has Some of the Best Animatronics In the Game

Credit: Brian McGowan

READ MORE: Disney’s Sexiest Audio Animatronics

Disneyland’s California Adventure Park is home to Avengers Campus, where guests can watch a Spider-Man animatronic as it’s launched into the air, simulating a demonstration from everyone’s favorite web-slinger.

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom version of Pirates of the Caribbean houses several Jack Sparrow animatronics known for moving incredibly realistically, fooling several guests into thinking the real Johnny Depp is performing at the attraction.

Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise is full of different animal animatronics, and “it’s a small world” houses hundreds of adorable (or creepy, depending on who you ask) little animatronic children. But the most iconic and even infamous animatronics can be found in Animal Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom Is Home to the Most Iconic Animatronics In Walt Disney World

Credit: Joel, Flickr

READ MORE: This Iconic Animal Kingdom Animatronic Is Incredibly Eerie-Looking When Broken Down

In Pandora – The World of Avatar lies the Na’vi River Journey, in which guests travel a slow-moving boat through the bioluminescent forest of Pandora. At the end of the attraction lies Disney’s most expensive attraction to date, a Na’vi Shaman.

The theme park’s Expedition Everest attraction houses one of the biggest animatronics ever built. However, the animatronic hasn’t worked in years, and Walt Disney Imagineering is unable to fix it without dismantling the attraction, so it’s remained unfixed for years now.

Over in DinoLand, U.S.A., lies DINOSAUR, full of the Disney Park’s most fearsome animatronics. But there’s another dinosaur animatronic that used to greet guests visiting the Disney Park.

Animal Kingdom Used to Have Another Iconic Dinosaur…

READ MORE: Beloved Disney World Animatronic No Longer Working

This iguanodon animatronic was built to coincide with Animal Kingdom’s DINOSAUR attraction and was a part of the Discover River Boats, one of Disney’s least successful attractions ever.

Discovery River Boats was so unsuccessful that it was shut down after a mere year and a half of operation. Although it could have easily been repurposed for the DINOSAUR attraction, the iguanodon animatronic was unfortunately abandoned and left to deteriorate:

We are still sad that Disney took this super cool, totally operational, fully realized animatronic and let it rot to dust. How many places, other than a fake movie tour in Paris and now the garbage, could he have gone? The Energy dinosaurs are somewhere. What will their fate be? pic.twitter.com/N9g0OoaWB2

— Parkeology (@Parkeology) August 29, 2023

READ MORE: Disney Reveals Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Will Include Animatronics Instead of Screens, 4-D Effects, and More In This Huge Update!

For years, this animatronic was neglected, evolving into the stuff of nightmares. As DinoLand’s extinction looms closer on the horizon, fans wonder what will happen to the animatronics in the dark ride.

Many fans hope these marvels of Walt Disney Imagineering will be repurposed, but given Disney’s history with unwanted and unnecessary attractions, it doesn’t seem very likely.