FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

3. "Murphy's" flaw

Image: Disney

Disney's Fantasmic! is one of the most astounding, electrifying nighttime spectaculars in the history of theme parks; a 25-minute, abstract, multi-sensory battle between good and evil culiminating in an epic showdown faceoff with Mickey and a 45 foot-tall,18,000-pound, fire-breathing Animatronic of Maleficent in her imposing dragon form. That Animatronic – a Disneyland exclusive – made her thunderous debut in 2009 after months and months of delay.

Even once she was officially on the scene, though, the Maleficent figure couldn't seem to keep it together. The figure earned the nickname "Murphy" from fans as a tribute to Murphy's Law: "whatever can go wrong will go wrong." For the better part of a year, "Murphy" appeared only sporadically. When she did emerge, she was frequently frozen, failed to breathe fire, or forgot to launch the fireworks embedded in her snout. That's why, in our must-read look at 13 Abandoned, Broken, and Cancelled Special Effects, "Murphy" ranked high on our list.

Video evidence: That said, the Animatronics figure's problems came to a head in August 2010 when, during a performace, the dragon literally fell face-first. The 18,000 pound Audio-Animatronic was so stuck, it remained in its precarious position into the next day until it was literally dismantled in front of guests to get it out of sight. Today, "Muphy" is much more reliable. But the massive Audio-Animatronic's failure right in front of guests is an unforgettable moment for those who witnessed it.

2. The Disco Yeti

Image: Disney

Of course, you knew our list would need to include the (in)famous Yeti. We explored the full fiction and fact of this abominable Himalyan guardian in an epic standalone feature on the ride, Modern Marvels: Expedition Everest – a must-read for Disney World fans. The Audio-Animatronic Yeti hidden deep in the underbelly of the mountainous E-Ticket is of particular interest to Disney fans, because it's a rare example of an effect left broken in plain sight.

It's not just that the entire story of Everest revolves around the creature... The Yeti was a cornerstone of the E-Ticket thrill ride's marketing campaign! The face-to-maw encounter with the Yeti was sold as the ride's highlight; a technological marvel in and of itself; a bone-chilling interaction wherein the mechanical Yeti would swing out from its perch and swipe down toward passing vehicles in a harrowing near-miss. And before the ride's first anniversary, it broke.

Video evidence: As the story goes, a fatal flaw in the structure of the dynamic figure forced Disney to freeze it in place. Allegedly positioned in such a way as to be inoperable without an extended refurbishment (unlikely in a park with very few rides), the Yeti was re-positioned into its "B-Mode," locked into place with its paw out toward riders. Disney's short term solution – to blow fans on the furry figure and flash strobes to imply movement – has earned the mocking name "Disco Yeti" from fans, becoming an inside joke on message boards.

The above video (filmed by our friends at SoCal Attractions 360) uses a special low-light camera, picking up more detail than the human eye would. Imagineers continually promise that they'll fix the Yeti eventually, and in the meantime the simple lighting trick is enough to disguise the massively broken effect from most day guests.

1. Maleficent smoulders

Attraction: Festival of Fantasy Parade
Location: Magic Kingdom

Disney Parks are renowned the world over for their elaborate parades, but Magic Kingdom's Festival of Fantasy takes it to a new level. The parade's seven main units are each spectacular, but no float earned the respect of fans quite like the 26-foot-tall, 35-foot-long centerpiece of the Sleeping Beauty portion of the parade: a steampunk-stylized, retro-mechanical Maleficent marching down Main Street. The bramble-throated Animatronic periodically raises its head and blasts flames from its mouth in a choreographed, show-stopping feature.

Video evidence: On May 11, 2018, something went wrong. During the parade's normal run, the Maleficent figure caught fire, with its head melting into a grey, burned-out husk right in the middle of Liberty Square – made all the more frightening since Cast Members armed with extinguishers weren't sure if the dragon would continue to blow fire as its neck lowered to street level from the damage. Insiders suggest that the compressed gas used to light the dragon's flame-thrower effect inadvertantly pooled in the hollow horns atop the figure's head, causing the surprising fire. 

Following the accident, the similar dragon in Disneyland Paris' Disney Stars on Parade was temporarily extinguished (until holes could be bored into its horns to prevent the same mistake). Back in Florida, a temporary princess float took Maleficent's place.

It took nine months for the dragon to be reborn, but Maleficent eventually made her grand return at end of January 2019. Disney celebrated the return with a playful acknowledgement on the Disney Parks Blog, casting the dragon as the cover model on "Villains Weekly" magazine. Still, they only coyly hinted at the float's fiery demise, mentioning " the Maleficent dragon will be sporting a refreshed look, enhanced with new features designed to keep her in check while on show."

Animatronics oops

For over 50 years, Audio-Animatronics have been at the heart of what makes Disney Parks so different. But with increasing technological power comes a proportionate increase in what can go wrong... Gone are the days of simple electro-mechanical figures. Today's Animatronics have about as many moving parts as a real human body; and just as many ways to malfunction. What's more, camera-ready fans are on-hand to capture faltering figures and spread them across discussion boards and social media before the park even closes for the day.

If you're fascinated with Audio-Animatronics like we are, be sure to check out our definitive Countdown: 25 Best Audio-Animatronics on Earth. And if you get a sense of schadenfreude watching Disney's rare mistakes, make the jump to our list of 13 Abandoned, Broken, and Cancelled Special Effects. Then, share your memories of malfunctioning Animatronics in the comments below!

 
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Add new comment

About Theme Park Tourist

Theme Park Tourist is one of the web’s leading sources of essential information and entertaining articles about theme parks in Orlando and beyond.

We are one of the world’s largest theme park guide sites, hosting detailed guides to more than 80 theme parks around the globe.

Find Out More About Us...

Plan Your Trip

Our theme park guides contain reviews and ratings of rides, restaurants and hotels at more than 80 theme parks worldwide.

You can even print them.

Start Planning Now...