Disney Axing Animatronics, Replacing Them With Screens - Inside the Magic

Comments for Disney Axing Animatronics, Replacing Them With Screens

Jack Sparrow Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland

Credit: Disney

19 Comments

  1. Lezlie Rafferty

    Disney parks exist because of the fans who visit. These rides belong to the people, keep your greedy paws off my childhood rides!
    Signed a 54 yr old Disney park fan, I pay the entrance, I am paying for what I want to see, not what you think I should want!

  2. Chris

    The hacks running the place now grew up with screens in front of them, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s all they know how to do.

    1. Stella Guzman

      Please do not replace animations with video screens.
      It would no longer be Disneyland as we grew up with and as we know it.

  3. Trey

    Screens are a lazy cost cutting approach. For example, Navi River Journey. Just think how much better this ride could have been with animal animatronics or even real waterfalls! Rainforest Cafe has more animatronics than that ride does.

    1. JoeNYWF64

      Could be more at Stew Leonards supermarkets too. lol & it’s FREE to see those & even turn them on yourself!!

  4. Mickeymouse3

    Several years ago, Pirates of the Caribbean added a video of Davy Jones to the ride/attraction. It took away from the general theming and seemed out of place. Quite frankly, it sucked (IMO)! Disney removed the video as the guests complained and/or Disney finally realized it really did not fit. Don’t retrofit a video into a classic ride, simply because it’s cheaper. It may be, but it also cheapens the feel.

    1. Dear Disney, DON’T DO IT! Universal uses video on most of their rides and it is not as good as Disney. Video only makes sense for fast moving scenes and then it’s all a blur anyway. Many people report getting sick from all the video, especially the 3D ones.

  5. Michael

    “Rides” surrounded by big screens make me nauseous. I’ll ride big rollercoasters all day long but two screen rides and I am done for the day.

  6. Royz

    Audio Animatronics are staple of the Disney Parks experience.

    Projection screens should ONLY be used as a tool for effects within the scenes, and or to be used when an effect would be extraordinarily diffuclt to achieve other ways. Use of projwctions work quite well for effects.

    When the whole attraction becomes projection, then , why bother? Go to the movie theater and see a film, even in IMAX or watch Disney+ on a 70″+ 4k lcd.

    Example:
    Toy Story Mania, The que lines of the attraction are much better and detailed than the actual attraction which is all.projection. Elements in the que areas are what should be in the attratction.

    Hopefully the Disney Imagineers are listening to the fans. Lets change the name to ImaginEars, they may listen then.

    “Hey Imagineers are, are we PROJECTING are concerns big enough for ya?”

  7. Susan

    Don’t change the amatroics.

  8. Charley E Cheddar

    I work for a different mouse (rat) that is in the process of removing all of their animatronics. Worst mistake ever. They have lost more money then they are saving.

  9. Matt Brewster

    This article is PURE B.S.!!! You substituting news with your own paranoia!!! This trash does not belong here

    1. Bobber

      Didn’t they already do this on the cheapo conversion of the Norway ride.screens…jeez…the young generation has low expectations…no idea what they are missing…but cheaper for disney…the magic is gone for us.

  10. Erin

    If I wanted to watch a movie, I could have stayed home!

  11. Pete

    Screens as a B mode backup is fine. A judicious use of screens as an augment works. Nav’i River journey is borderline in that respect. Just a bit too many screens where animatronics would have been better. A few animatronics of jungle cats front and center in NRJ to augment the video background ones would have been a great balance and less jarring.

  12. Rick

    I guess this was to be expected. The proposal published in 2020 for the Splash Mountain retheme says the plan is to remove animatronics and make the rides screen based as a cost saving measure. Wouldn’t be surprised to see others down the road.

  13. Karen

    Leave the animatronics alone. That is what set Disney apart from others.!!if I want to watch tv or a movie I can do it at home.

  14. Quincy

    Easily the worst one, with the exception of Lefty Jess, who is a more skillful writer, but pushes a severe liberal agenda. Either way, they both are very replaceable.

  15. Rita Gyomber

    No, No, No Imagineers ! Do not get rid of any animatronic. Replacing them with screens ? No way! I am in the 65 year old age group, and a frequent Disneyland visitor.

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