It looks like Disney went against their own ruling with this one.
Walt Disney’s influence on Disneyland remains immense, even nearly 60 years after his passing. But for the first time, the man himself will be a part of a park attraction. At the D23 fan convention in Anaheim, the company revealed that Walt Disney will have his own animatronic, which will be featured in an all-new show.
Walt Disney Imagineering’s first Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney is being created for this very special experience. “I speak for our entire team when I say there is so much pride and excitement for everyone involved in this endeavor,” Josh D’Amaro told the crowd.
D’Amaro explained that the show will be set inside Walt Disney’s office at the Walt Disney Studios, offering park fans a rare glimpse into a space usually reserved for a select few on the studio tour.
An artist’s rendering shown during the presentation depicts Disney in his “work office” — separate from his formal meeting office — with an in-progress map of Disneyland in the background, as it appeared around 1965, before the Haunted Mansion had opened.
On the actual map in Disney’s real office, the attraction is labeled as having “1,001 ghosts,” reflecting the early stages of development before the final “999 happy haunts” were established.
Walt Disney – A Magical Life will debut inside the Main Street Opera House. After its initial run, the attraction will play in rotation with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, a fitting tribute to Walt’s significant advances in Audio-Animatronics, nearly 60 years after he first introduced the groundbreaking technology.
Discussing Film shared a photo of what Walt will appear to look like in his office.
“A Walt Disney animatronic will debut in Disneyland California in 2025.”
A Walt Disney animatronic will debut in Disneyland California in 2025. pic.twitter.com/fdTHVCgWFo
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 11, 2024
“Creating our first Walt figure is a huge responsibility, and we’ve brought members of the Disney family along with us for every step of the journey,” Josh continued on stage. “His great-nephew, Roy P. Disney, visited the Imagineering campus recently to see our progress. And he’s here tonight. Thank you, Roy, for helping us fulfill this dream.”
It is set to debut in 2025, coinciding with Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration.
Tom Fitzgerald, Senior Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, emphasized that “so much of Walt’s philosophy is timeless, and as valid today as it was in his lifetime.”
“We wanted the show and story to appeal to all ages, and while some of our younger audience may not know as much about Walt Disney, we felt his story could be inspirational to them,” Fitzgerald said. “Follow your dreams, turn setbacks into success, never give up, and give the world your very best.”
Bringing this new show to life is no small feat. Walt Disney is not only an iconic and beloved figure to The Walt Disney Company but also to pop culture and millions of fans worldwide.
Fitzgerald noted that Disney Imagineers took great care in crafting an Audio-Animatronics figure that could truly capture Walt’s essence.
“We’ve created so many Audio-Animatronics figures over the years, from pirates to presidents, but to create a figure of Walt Disney is an honor and a challenge,” he said. “How can we create a lifelike impression of Walt Disney, with the nuances that made him unique in person? The twinkle in the eye, his expressive face — those eyebrows — and the way he used his hands to punctuate his thoughts and ideas?”
Fitzgerald added that the Imagineers “worked closely with the Walt Disney Archives to ensure we had the details as accurate as possible.”
“We scoured through his speeches and documents to find the words that would bring him to life in a way that would feel as if we dropped into his office for a chat,” he said. “Our hope is that the end result will give guests the best sense of Walt and his engaging and warm personality.”
The addition of Walt Disney to the theme park has been controversial, as many fans believe that he should not be made into an animatronic since that was the company’s stance initially.
Jason Schultz shared a document from 1986 in which Disneyland asked for cast member suggestions for the park. If you look at the X post below, you can see that there is a section that often suggests changes but is “forbidden.” Basically, it states what Disney will never do. Making an Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney is listed under those “areas to avoid.”
Disney wrote: “Disneyland itself is a memorial to Walt’s creativity, in a way that could never be captured in an animatronic figure.”
“Disneyland Line, August 21, 1986, describing Cast Member suggestions “that appear year after year and are never implemented.
AREAS TO AVOID
Construct a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics attraction. Disneyland itself is a memorial to Walt’s creativity…”
Disneyland Line, August 21, 1986, describing Cast Member suggestions “that appear year after year and are never implemented.
AREAS TO AVOID
Construct a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics attraction. Disneyland itself is a memorial to Walt’s creativity…” pic.twitter.com/dmj8Dre4yF
— Jason Schultz (@ArchivistJason) August 17, 2024
Funny enough, it appears that under the reign of Disney CEO Bob Iger, that ideology has been put on the back burner and forgotten.
While Disney may now be going against their initial belief system, it is hopeful that this was a decision made decades ago when animatronic technology was nowhere close to where we have seen it come today. This version of a Walt Disney animatronic is likely going to be far more superior and detailed than leadership would have assumed possible back in 1986.
Do you think that Disneyland needs a Walt Disney animatronic?