Outsourcing of AAs hindering the return of missing AAs?

[pineapplewhipaddict]

Many audio animatronics have been missing from Disneyland for some time now.

The Big Thunder goat and Pirates of the Caribbean singing dog disappeared at about the same time, and while the goat has returned, the dog has not and has been gone for over a year now.

Mr. Bluebird has been MIA for a significantly long time as well, yet his voice is still heard (with stereo in plain sight).

Recently, one of the Pirates of the Caribbean pirates in the jail cell has gone missing, too.

If there are any more missing, I would encourage you to post so here, so we can all keep track of them.

What I'm wondering is, perhaps because of Imagineering now outsourcing on audio animatronics, seeing the return of these AAs will take longer? What do you guys think?

[techskip]

I read about the outsourcing but I am not sure if that was specific to new AA's or if this also is required for servicing AA's. Previously it was always a backstage refurb... where they simply took it backstage and worked on it. The downside is that if parts were broken, and on backorder, then it took a great deal longer to get it back. Some things were done onsite, others were offsite, no clue who was utilized and if it was an overall inhouse or if some of it was already outsourced. Also it was explained that it is a "one department at a time" type relationship so as each department waits for their respective material time is lost that could be utilized (don't have the part well we can send it over to be measured for new skin then etc.) I was told all of this when I inquired about the various African Veldt animals that would go missing.

[mycroft16]

From what I remember when the goat was mia, it was getting completely re-furred as it had become rather nasty from being outside. That takes a long time to do properly. And as I recall, it was done in-house on property. I don't know about the Pirate dog though. I'd assume it is also being done in-house. Larger AAs might be outsourced though.

[Uncle Bob]

I would doubt that repair work is outsourced. Supposedly they are just outsourcing the new small or simple AA's that anyone can produce these days. I have no inside knowledge, but to me outsourcing repair work just wouldn't make sense. I bet they just don't have enough emloyees with the skills to work on AA's, so they have to prioritize which ones get repaired first or they could be waiting on parts, like Tech said.

[PLAZAINN1]

you know I was out at Tom's Farm in Corona, I believe off the 10 or the 60 fwys. While there we were wondering around we noticed a small shooting gallery that had some AA figures in it and I noticed that one of them looked like a POC AA, which I noticed and made comment to my wife. It also looked like similar AA animals were in this too. So I am wondering if they came from Disney or not.