If you're the type of Magic Kingdom guest who stops to crank the old Mutoscope machines at the Walt Disney World Railroad station, you may notice something missing on your next visit. The vintage machine featuring Fritz Lang's classic 1927 silent film Metropolis is no longer in its spot, and cast members on site weren't able to say when it was taken away.
These charming Mutoscopes — which give viewers a flip-book-style peek at early cinema — have been a quiet piece of Main Street history for decades. They originally lived inside the Main Street Penny Arcade, which closed in 1995, and were then relocated to the railroad station to keep them accessible to guests. Four machines have called that spot home, showcasing clips from Car Train Bag, Way Down East, The Cats in the Bag, and the now-absent Metropolis.
The pink-and-gold Metropolis machine was still present as recently as a week before the report was filed. Photos taken in both 2022 and 2024 confirm it had been a consistent fixture there for years. The three remaining machines are still in place for guests to enjoy.
There's reason for cautious optimism, though. Other Mutoscopes have been pulled from the station before for maintenance — cleaning and repainting among the likely reasons — and later returned. The green Way Down East machine, for instance, was temporarily absent in 2022 before reappearing. Whether the Metropolis machine is simply off for a touch-up or has been retired entirely remains to be seen.
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This story was first reported by WDW News Today.
