- “Nothing comes back from the dump.”
- ―Forgetter Paula
The Memory Dump is a location in Disney/Pixar's 2015 animated feature film Inside Out and its 2024 sequel. It is a deep chasm that stands below Headquarters and the Personality Islands. At the bottom of the pit are hills of faded memories that eventually disappear if completely forgotten.
Role in the film[]
When Joy and Sadness first met Bing Bong, Riley's childhood imaginary friend, he was upset over the fact that his rocket wagon was dumped into the bottom of the pit, and was deeply saddened by this, but Sadness later comforted him.
When Joy, Sadness, and Bing Bong managed to hitch a ride onto the Train of Thought to get back to Headquarters, the destruction of Honesty Island destroyed the train track, and the train began to fall. Joy and Bing Bong fell into the Memory Dump, but Sadness managed to avoid falling in. With the two heroes trapped at the bottom of the pit, all hope seemed lost and this causes Joy to cry (something not expected for her to do), thinking she has failed to keep Riley happy. It is at this moment that Joy realizes something she had never noticed before: a memory of Riley being sad over losing a hockey match until she was cheered up by her parents and teammates. This also meant all memories that were created by Sadness not only made Riley cry, but it also signaled others that she needed help. Realizing that Sadness' role in Riley's life is truly important, Joy declares that they have to get back up there.
Luckily, Bing Bong finds his rocket wagon, and in order to activate it, the two have to sing a special song. Joy and Bing Bong begin to sing the song as loud as they can, but no matter how loud they sing, they come up short of the top of the cliff and fall back down. With one more attempt, they fly upwards, and while they do so, Bing Bong intentionally jumps off to make the wagon lighter, and Joy makes it. Seeing what Bing Bong did, Joy looks into the dump, and Bing Bong asks Joy to "take Riley to the moon for him," and he fades away, forgotten.
Gallery[]
