Here on our blog I’ve written so many posts showcasing Walt Disney World elongated coins, and honestly they seem to be the most popular so I’m going to be milking them for as much content as I can. Over the years I have visited all of the machines, and some more then once. Did you know that there are over 180 penny machines? Well in today’s article I wanted to go review my Top 5 favorite penny machine cabinet designs on Walt Disney World property. So let’s get to the countdown!
#5 – Art of Animation Resort: Pixel Arcade Machines
My number five machine is located at the ever popular Art of Animation Resort. Inside the main lobby building there is the Pixel Place Arcade home to these two beautiful looking machines. The penny designs available here are all themed around the animated Wreck-It Ralph films, so it seems only fitting that the machine cabinets follow suit. These are just large vinyl decals but honestly I’m not mad at that. From a distance the details really pop, and the machines look just like the building that Ralph climbs and destroys as part of the Fix-It Felix Jr video game from the movie. These are just a lot of fun to see and use.
#4 – Boardwalk Inn: Lobby
Coming in at Number four we are jumping over to another resort the Disney Boardwalk Inn. Head inside the main lobby, and be sure to not make eye contact with the creepy chairs haunting this place (if you know, you know). These two machines can be seen from a distance with their striking designs. The wood work details are gorgeous and fit right in with this turn of the century beach themed resort. The pastel colors are also a nice touch and seem like they were something Disney actually found in an old casino along a boardwalk and relocated them here for us to enjoy.
#3 – Magic Kingdom: Main Street Fire House
Time to get into one of the parks and why not kick things off with the big one the Magic Kingdom. Now when I was creating this list I was actually surprised how few “unique” cabinets there are inside the parks. With all the different themed lands you would think this was a given but it’s just not the case. There is one in the Magic Kingdom however that I think does belong here on this list and that’s the machine found inside the Main Street Fire House. If you aren’t paying attention you may walk right by it thinking this is just another piece of historical fire fighting equipment. It even has a hose nozzle on one side, and a pressure gage up on top. Trust me this is a fully functioning pressed penny machine and a really cool looking one at that.
#2 – Animal Kingdom: Windtraders in Pandora
Number two is over at the Animal Kingdom park where we transport ourselves to Pandora the World of Avatar. Near the Flight of Passage (Banshee) attraction exit let’s head inside the main gift shop here called Windtraders. Tucked away in the back is this larger 8-design machine, but take a look at the details on this cabinet. The backstory of this land is that it’s a generation after the events that took place in the movies, where the RDA and military have left and the natural surroundings have begun to take back the land. This machine looks like it was created out of an old storage container, with plenty of rust details in every corner and even along the digital display. This just fits the theming of the land and this shop perfectly.
Honorable mentions from Disneyland
Now as fun as these cabinet designs are, I have to admit they pale in comparison to some of the Disneyland versions. Let’s take a quick look at a couple standouts.
This machine from the Port Royal Curios & Curiosities gift shop is perfectly themed for my favorite attraction the Haunted Mansion. Have you ever seen a penny machine that looks like it’s in a casket?
However I think my favorite was the classic Splash Mountain penny machine (unfortunately no longer available). As you can hopefully see inside has a replica of the big splash drop down into the briar patch and your penny would actually take the plunge before being pressed. Hopefully we see this machine back in an updated form when the new attraction opens.
#1 Animal Kingdom: Discovery Trading Co.
Here we are with my top machine cabinet design in all of Walt Disney World, and we are staying inside the Animal Kingdom park. I will admit that Animal Kingdom is not my favorite park, but the incredible details that are here inside the park are undeniable. There are actually a couple machines with the same cabinet design all can be found near the Tree of Life just outside the Discovery Trading Company gift shop. Following suit with the tree of life this machine has incredible animal’s carved into the wood along all sides, the tray where the coin drops out resembles a lion’s mouth.
My absolute favorite part has to be the large crab on top holding a huge penny in between its claws. Whichever artist worked on these machines is truly talented and I’m in awe every time I see them.
What do you think of my list? Agree, disagree or maybe you have a favorite machine I missed, be sure to let me know down in the comments below I’d love to hear all about it. If you are interested in seeing a similar list maybe for Universal Studios Florida, or maybe any machines I’ve come across on my US and Canadian travels maybe we can revisit this again in the future.
Keep on Pressing!