Vending machine made plastic Mickey?

[MikeSquared]

I remember being at Disney in '76, I was 11, and I got a green plastic Mickey from a machine. The Machine made right there on the spot, I even remember it being warm when I got it. I also remember my younger brother crying becuse he dented the back of his Mickey's head when he squeezed it too hard. Am I crazy or does anyone else remember this machine?

 

[flyinglizard]

I don't remember seeing them at WDW, but I think these machines first appeared at the 1964 World Fair, outside the Ford Pavilion.

They had a big plexi dome on top so you could see the blow mold production. The machines at Ford's "Magic Skyway" made dinosaurs!

 

[Dizneypins.com]

I remember getting Dinasaur, bird and I think Sea World or Busch Gardens had them. In the 60's weren't they wax and not plastic?
Now does that bring back childhood memories.

 

[MikeSquared]

They had a big plexi dome on top so you could see the blow mold production.

Now that you mention it, I kinda remember this but I do remember it being a Mickey though. Anyone else out there have some more info in this?

Thanks
Mike K

 

[flyinglizard]

Mike- If they were in Disney World, Mickey would be the obvious first choice.

Larry- Nope, not wax. Same kind of plastic as the milk jugs of today. Remember how hot they were when they came out of the machine?

 

[wdw4us2]

I do remember the machine. If you look on ebay, on the Vintage Disneyana section, someone is trying to sell one of the machines.

I don't know if it has the Mickey mold in it, though.

 

[flyinglizard]

Lisa- How about an auction number or a few key words on that vending machine? Thanks!

 

[PanamaMike]

During my family's 1973 trip to St. Petersburg, the aquarium had a similar type of vending machine....the finished product was made of white wax...I bought a dophin, which sat on a shelf in my bedroom until the mid 80s when I moved out of my parent's home.

 

[wdw4us2]

The auction has already ended - but here's a link to the closed auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2589992342&category=13848

At $9,500 the price was a bit steep, don't you think?

 

[grantsmom2]

They have a few of those machines at a museum here in Michigan. The Henry Ford Museum has them all the time. They have had the statue of Liberty, Abe Lincoln, trains, and even a Mickey statue but, he was red. I will check if Mickey is there next time I go.
Vicky

 

[Mr. Plutonium]

Hi!
I can't help you with Mickey but in Chicago the machines are at the Brookfield Zoo (haven't been there recently, not sure), Museum of Science and Industry (Space Shuttle, Submarine, Lincoln), and the Field Museum (Dinosaurs). So somebody has a business maintaining the machines and the molds for Mickey must be somewhere. Years ago the Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine had an article about the guy who owned and maintained the machines in Chicago at that time (1970's?).
-Gene

 

[Dizneypins.com]

I will be at the Henry Ford Museum in 2 weeks.
I will see what they have and take some pictures..

 

[sorcerormickey]

I work across the street from the Henry Ford Museum, so I took a trip across the street to find info on the plastic Mickey. There is a sign that says the Museum currently offers 7 or 8 different figures, Mickey not included. I went to the information desk and asked about the Mickey (which I had purchased about a year ago) and the lady told me that they rotate the molds, and Mickey is currently not available there.

I found a website for the company which makes the molds at www.moldaramaville.com

 

[flyinglizard]

The web site above states that the dinosaur molding machines were outside the "Sinclair Dinoland" pavilion...

I stand corrected, it was not at the Ford Pavilion.

 

[MikeSquared]

Thank you all for the great info. I'm not really looking for one right now, It's just something from my memories of that first trip to Disney.

Mike K.