I have no idea what the actual scene is but I've always believed in a design principle of "If you can't do it right, do it wrong on purpose." In this case, if "doing it right" is animatronic characters -- and the budget isn't there to do it right, then instead of doing that badly (such as a static figure, which is certain to disappoint due to its obvious comparison to what it should be), do a story-telling tapestry or mosaic or fresco or paint the static figures like a statue or carving from the old world representing an allegorical/folklore tale...
In other words, pick an approach in which the execution can look intentional and be done top notch. Audiences can be more forgiving if you execute something less ambitious exceedingly well rather than fail (and lay your budget-limit cards out on the table) while attempting something more ambitious.