Disney Imagineers Bring Walt Disney to 'Life' with Groundbreaking Audio-Animatronic

Disney Imagineers brought Walt Disney back to 'life' and I still can't figure out exactly how they did it

Disneyland is in the middle of celebrating its 70th year, and amidst the nighttime spectaculars and MagicBand+, Disneyland will open what may be its most important tribute: 'Walt Disney - A Magical Life' - the latest attraction that will be housed right near the front of the park in the Opera House. And I just spent time at the attraction twice over. It starts with a 10-minute movie that tells the story of Walt Disney, featuring archival footage and narration from Disney himself, as well as other parts spoken by Bob Iger, Disney's current CEO. Then, however, the curtain rises and you see a recreation of Walt's office and, more remarkably, what appears to be Walt Disney. Standing in front of the approximately 400-seat theater is the latest audio-animatronic creation by Walt Disney Imagineering. It was a tall order that had been in the idea stage since July 2018 and under development for a full seven years. When animatronic Walt comes to life, speaking and moving, even leaning up from the desk, settling his arms as we humans do, and then actually taking a step or two forward as if he's coming out to the audience, it's magic. True to Disney, it's a remarkable feat of engineering and effectively creates an immersive moment. The Walt Disney in 'A Magical Life' looks like the real-world counterpart who died in 1966. He moves like a human with full finger articulation and takes steps quite naturally. It's less transformer-like than some other animatronics, including Disney's own Lincoln, with much more fluid body movements and a certain sense of grace. Seated in the audience, I couldn't figure out exactly how it works - there's no visible harness or backing, not even leads from the desk. This is the first entirely electric figure to complete that lean-to-stand motion fully. With both mannerisms and likeness, Disney Imagineering took great care to ensure a faithful recreation here, working in part with the Disney Archives and the Walt Disney Family Museum. This extends to matching how Disney would move and meander, as seen in videos, but also to the clothing and fabric materials used in the chosen attire. Disney Imagineering shared that this version of Walt is from the 1963 timeframe. Take note of the pants hems, which match Disney's pants from that era. The team behind this audio-animatronic also shared that special attention was paid to two distinct areas. First, with the eyebrows, as the man was very expressive in this regard, requiring the team at Imagineering to spend time studying facial muscle groups to ensure the eyebrows move in just the right way. There's also a notion that Walt Disney has a gleam in his eye, which required the team to study human eyeballs and learn about the cornea bulge of the eye, which is responsible for that sparkle. That's successfully created here, and I could see both on-axis centered and off, though the effect was more present from the head-on viewing. The idea here was to go beyond just something that looked like Walt Disney. That effect can be achieved by watching a video, as the team has done with archival footage. Disney's R&D team told us this was all about immersion and performance. "Most importantly, we were passionate about creating an Audio-Animatronics figure designed specifically for this attraction, delivering a portrayal that has his nuances, hand gestures, facial expressions, and more- all of the attributes that make this figure's performance feel uniquely Walt and not simply creating a figure to look like Walt," explained Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz, a Portfolio Executive Creative Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering. It really goes back to the story - I think for fans of Disney, this attraction will be a treat, giving them an opportunity to go back in time and see what Walt was like in his office. The choice of dialogue for the animatronic performance goes back to him describing how important the people are at the company, not forgetting where it all started - Mickey Mouse -, and sharing some aspects of his life. For folks who watched 'Wonderful World of Color,' which Walt Disney hosted on a regular basis, it'll be especially nostalgic. It's also evident that Disney wanted to create something truly unique here and to push the technology. Instead of placing the Walt Disney figure behind the desk, it's in front, leaning on the desk, and then standing and taking steps forward toward the audience. Beyond having a connection to the brand, the technology here, particularly the use of robotics within an audio-animatronic, is incredibly impressive. It's better than most other ones I've encountered. There was also no AI voice recreation used here - rather, the audio was selected, cut, and stitched together from films and shows, and other recordings of Walt Disney's voice. If you have the chance to visit Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Walt Disney - A Magical Life' will be running daily beginning on July 17, 2025. After a period during the 70th Celebration in the park, it will run on and off with 'Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.' There's also a feat of engineering involved, as Disney Imagineering had to re-engineer the stage to create a turntable that allows both Walt Disney and Mr. Lincoln to run within the same venue. One fun fact - the new turntable stage and its various parts were made in Glendale, CA, as a complete object. Imagineering had to break it down to load it into the Opera House at Disneyland through a small double door, then rebuild it. All for something that's not visible, but will allow the shows to run.

Walt Disney - A Magical Life Impressions: A Remarkable Experience that Honors Walt's Legacy in a Powerful Way - IGN

Disneyland is turning 70 on July 17, and one of the biggest ways the park is celebrating is by bringing Walt Disney back to life as an Audio-Animatronic for a new show. Disney invited us to see this attraction, titled Walt Disney - A Magical Life, and it's a remarkable experience that honors Walt's legacy in a powerful way. Walt Disney - A Magical Life will live at the Main Street Opera House in Disneyland alongside Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and it's a roughly 17-minute show that begins with an updated version of the fantastic 'One Man's Dream' film, but now with Disney family home videos and narration by Disney CEO Bob Iger thrown in. The film lasts for around 15 minutes and tells the story of Walt Disney from his earliest days to his planning of his secret Florida project that would become Walt Disney World. It sets the stage in such a great way, especially with Walt talking about his failures and how they helped him become who he became, and it all culminates at the end when the screen and curtains rise, and we drop in on him in his office as he would have appeared circa 1963. Disney invited us to Imagineering back in May to see the model that was built for reference when creating the Audio-Animatronic, but we didn't get to actually see the figure until now. While there is undoubtedly a bit of uncanny valley in the actual Audio-Animatronic's face, that worry quickly fades when the tech on display starts to shine in concert with the meaning behind it. You almost forget an Audio-Animatronic is in the room, and you feel as though you are actually with Walt Disney for but a moment. We first see him leaning against his desk, as he was known to do, and his motions are just so fluid and smooth. In what is perhaps my favorite moment, Walt actually does a 'lean to stand' motion from his desk - the first for an all-electric figure - and it's a stunning moment I won't soon forget. I spoke about this in my preview of the Audio-Animatronic, but this is all accentuated by the research and care from the team to recreate Walt as he was all those years ago, down to his mannerisms, how he would talk with his hands and even place them on his back, and more. The authenticity also extends to his suit, shoes, tie, rings, and even that undeniable glint in his eye that countless people who knew him spoke of. Speaking on that glint for a moment, Tom Fitzgerald, Senior Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, shared that the glint was actually caused by a corneal bulge he had, and the team behind the Audio-Animatronic replicated it to mimic its appearance in real life. And the words he speaks are as relevant as ever, but more importantly, they are his words, ums and stammers included. There are no AI recreations or voice imitators, these are Walt's actual words gathered from historical footage and audio recordings that were blended together to make this new speech. "We keep moving forward," Walt says. "Opening up new doors, doing new things because we're curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. We're always exploring and experimenting. We're interested in doing things that are fun in bringing pleasure and especially laughter to people, but I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing, that this was all started by a mouse." Walt's appearance on stage may be short, but I actually think that's not a bad thing. The real point of this attraction is to keep Walt's story alive for the incoming generations that never grew up with seeing him on TV or may only think of him as a brand, and the 'One Man's Dream' film does that in a great way - with the origins of Mickey Mouse, Oswald, Snow White, Disneyland, and more included - and the Audio-Animatronic is the proverbial Mickey waffle on top that brings it all together. Perhaps most importantly, however, is how involved Walt's family and the Walt Disney Family Museum have been since the start. We had the chance to hear from the museum's director, Kirsten Komoroske, and she shared a few stories that really meant everything. "Yesterday, three generations of Walt Disney's family were here and viewed the show," Komoroske said. "And they were so moved and so touched by it. They also really appreciated the film because that tells the story of Walt the man and that he's more than a brand anchored here in the park that he created. "And also youngest generation... the little ones... we couldn't convince them that it wasn't a real person. The family also thought that Walt would really have liked this... that intersection between art and technology... and that he would've been very honored." There's going to be a lot of talk as to whether this looks exactly like Walt or not, but this project is so much more meaningful and layered than that discussion. Furthermore, much like Disney World's Hall of Presidents, it can be improved over time. This is an incredible feat of technological marvel - made up of breakthroughs the team calls 'moonshots' - that was brought to life by world-class Imagineers who worked as a team for over seven years to honor the man who made the world believe in magic and share his story. I think Fitzgerald puts it perfectly, and I'll end our tale there, but this is so much more than just an attraction, this is meant to honor the legacy of a man who changed entertainment forever and show that dreams do come true to those who are brave enough to take that first step and believe in themselves. "His story is still so relevant," Fitzgerald said. "I think when you see the film before you see the figure, you'll see the life lessons he learned were really amazing and important - follow your dreams, never give up, turn setbacks into success, and give the world your very best. Those are messages that are as valid today as in Walt's time, and his story is an inspiration. We wanted his story to be able to inspire our Disneyland guests, especially our younger guests, and encourage them to follow their dreams as well." As we previously mentioned, Walt Disney - A Magical Life will debut at Disneyland on its 70th anniversary, July 17. Guests who wish to see the show will be able to join a virtual queue, once per day, on the Disneyland app that will open at 7am PT and 12pm PT. As for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, it will return after this 'initial run', and it's actually now behind Walt Disney - A Magical Life as Imagineers built a new turntable stage to allow both shows to be seen at different times. Alongside the shows, the lobby of the Main Street Opera house is home to 'Evolution of a Dream,' which features more than 30 artifacts from the Walt Disney Family Museum, including original items from Walt's private apartment that have never been seen publicly at the park before. It also features many of the awards Walt was given in his life, including my personal favorite - his plaque from the Racing Pigeon Association that honored him for "The Greatest Contribution Ever Made to the Sport of Racing Pigeons" thanks to the 1958 film 'The Pigeon that Worked a Miracle.' You'll also be able to find countless pieces of concept art of the making of Disneyland and a special exhibit about the story and history of Audio-Animatronics from such attractions as Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, it's a small world, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more. The latter exhibit even has a replica of the iconic mechanical singing bird Walt owned that helped inspire him to begin making Audio-Animatronics. And when you leave the theater, you will be able to see a tribute to Disneyland cast members who have truly made Disney magic come to life for 70 years alongside a mural and images that celebrate the past, present, and future of Disneyland. For more on Walt's story, check out our look at how a century of Disney magic began from Disney's 100th anniversary.