Anyone love those old Mold-A-Rama machines?

[Chuck S]

Our Zoo in San Antonio has 8 vintage working machines, and they change the molds out now and then. I remember getting them as a child 40+ years ago at Marineland of the Pacific in California, and Disneyland even had a Mickey Mouse mold in the 1960s.

I wish Disney would consider these wax figures again. They are lightweight and pack easy for flying. Our zoo charges $2 per mold, some other zoos charge $3, but Disney could probably make a killing at $4 for Disney themed molds, and as they are really a retro-futuristic item, Tomorrowland and Future World at EPCOT would be perfect locations.

Anyone else like these things?

 

[Micca]

Disneyland even had a Mickey Mouse mold in the 1960s.

My first trip to DLR was 1965 and I saw those machines molding Mickeys! I wish I had gotten one then and I'd sure go for one now. I suspect they make quite a bit of money with the pressed penny machines, why not these?

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

We have a number of them from Weeki Wachee Springs from my childhood and I did one again in 2014 which was the last time I went there.

 

[J'aime Paris]

Our zoo has those! (Milwaukee Zoo) I think there are at least 7 of those machines.

Coolest souvenir!!!
I used to get them when I was a kid.
My DD used to get them when she was a kid.
They've been around a long time, lol!

 

[cleverclovers]

Toledo Zoo and the Henry Ford Museum still have them.

 

[dosekies]

I love them! I get a new one every time I go to a local zoo or museum

 

[Shutterbug]

Toledo Zoo and the Henry Ford Museum still have them.

Yeah I have some from the Henry Ford. I always forget to let them cool down first lol

 

[BaymaxForever]

Saw those machines at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago a couple of years ago and HAD to get one!
That plastic smell reminded me of going on field trips as a kid!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Two years ago we were in Chicago at the Skydeck - after we finished and came back to the 1st floor, the smell of that machine hit me right in the face. I hadn't seen one in 30+ years and had completely forgotten about them but my nose didn't! Memories of a childhood trip to Chicago came flooding back as I darted across the crowded lobby to find the machine I could smell. My husband thought I had lost my mind.

He had never heard of one, and wasn't quite as amused as I was, but we made several there at the Skydeck. Our trip to the Museum of Science and Industry was a true test of my self restraint - they had tons of machines and I wanted one of each and had to be choosy.

I haven't seen another machine since! I would love if WDW had them. Such a unique souvenir.

 

[powellrj]

I think we just got rid of ours that we got on a trip to Chicago when I was a kid. I am almost 60 so it was many years ago. It was at my parents house when we cleaned it out.

 

[Marchand63]

I've never seen them before but I would love to try one

 

[BrianL]

Our zoo used to have those. They were so great! I have a bunch of animals from them, and I loved watching them get molded, not to mention the smell. I do miss them.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Two years ago we were in Chicago at the Skydeck - after we finished and came back to the 1st floor, the smell of that machine hit me right in the face. I hadn't seen one in 30+ years and had completely forgotten about them but my nose didn't! Memories of a childhood trip to Chicago came flooding back as I darted across the crowded lobby to find the machine I could smell. My husband thought I had lost my mind.

He had never heard of one, and wasn't quite as amused as I was, but we made several there at the Skydeck. Our trip to the Museum of Science and Industry was a true test of my self restraint - they had tons of machines and I wanted one of each and had to be choosy.

I haven't seen another machine since! I would love if WDW had them. Such a unique souvenir.

Same! I mean I had never seen one, but immediately went over and bought one of those models of the tower. Plastic extrusion is so cool!

 

[Chuck S]

Here's a photo of the Mickey I remember from Disneyland as a child:

And here's what I found online about Disney molds and the machine they had at Disneyland:

 

[lorimay]

Wow! What a blast from the past these are.

I remember getting these in the 70's from Crandon Park Zoo in Miami, which is now Zoo Miami. I used to love standing there waiting for the mold to come down, and I loved how they smelled.... weird, I know

I wish Disney would bring these back, my grandkids would love them.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Brookfield Zoo near Chicago still has about 10 machines and that's one of the only souvenirs that I buy when we go.

 

[Music City Mama]

I grew up in FL and definitely remember these from the zoo, etc. My favorite was a dolphin from the Miami Seaquarium. That smell was unmistakable.

 

[PanamaMike]

I made a dolphin at the St. Pete's aquarium in 1973.

It sat on a shelf in my bedroom for many years.

 

[RangerPooh]

Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, MI had one when we were last there in 2009. Our daughters thought they were really neat. Theirs made orange giraffes.

 

[Owlpost23]

Two years ago we were in Chicago at the Skydeck - after we finished and came back to the 1st floor, the smell of that machine hit me right in the face. I hadn't seen one in 30+ years and had completely forgotten about them but my nose didn't! Memories of a childhood trip to Chicago came flooding back as I darted across the crowded lobby to find the machine I could smell. My husband thought I had lost my mind.

He had never heard of one, and wasn't quite as amused as I was, but we made several there at the Skydeck. Our trip to the Museum of Science and Industry was a true test of my self restraint - they had tons of machines and I wanted one of each and had to be choosy.

I haven't seen another machine since! I would love if WDW had them. Such a unique souvenir.

I have one of those,too! My cousin went up to the skydeck,and we stayed downstairs and I made a Sears Tower.I love moldaramas!