54
Credit: Walt Disney ArchivesOne of Disney’s most surprising D23 announcements is facing pushback from a direct relative of Walt Disney himself.
Related: Disney To Debut Marvel’s First Full-Length Musical Experience
The Walt Disney Company held its 2024 D23 event back in August, revealing several exciting projects and making some truly unexpected announcements. Among these announcements was confirmation of a new Incredibles sequel and several new projects from Walt Disney Animation.
Disney also had several surprises up its sleeves for theme park fans, revealing that a new Villains land is in the works for Magic Kingdom Park in Florida. In addition to this new Villains land, the Walt Disney World Resort will soon also be home to a new Encanto attraction and a thrill ride based on Indiana Jones.
Disney made several more announcements for West Coast guests and numerous projects for the original Disneyland Resort. One of the biggest announcements was a new attraction called Walt Disney—A Magical Life.
This new experience will open at the Main Street Opera House to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Disneyland Resort.
This show is set to feature one of The Walt Disney Company’s most impressive and advanced audio-animatronics yet: a life-size replica of Walt Disney himself.
This announcement shocked and surprised fans but has become quite controversial, with a member of the Disney family now speaking out about the new Walt Disney figure.
New Walt Disney Attraction Criticized by Family Member
Related: “You Gotta Do It” Former Marvel Star Admits He Was Pressured Into MCU Flop
A Facebook page named “It All Started With Walt Disney” shares messages and statements about this new attraction from relatives and individuals who personally knew Walt Disney and his family.
The page’s organizer, Leo N. Holzer, shared the following statement opposing the new Walt Disney animatronic based on the sentiments of Joanna Miller, Walt Disney’s granddaughter.
Isn’t it strange that Disney trotted out Roy Pat Disney and not one of Walt’s own grandchildren to deliver a stamp of approval on the Audio-Animatronic Walt Disney for a show in Disneyland’s Opera House?
Well, after I shared the information with Joanna Miller, Walt’s eldest granddaughter and who is as much as a bulldog as her mother Diane when it comes to protecting and preserving the Disney name and legacy, she IS NOT IN FAVOR.
“I am overwhelmed with disgust and anger. Mom would be ready to fight. I think it shows a lack of respect for Grampa.
“Walt is already BRANDED and used by the company everyday. Yet that he exists in film that was for his company and we have the real thing to see and listen to we do not need to turn him into a robot. I rather feel he is being used, victimized by the company.
“As someone else (posted), they will be able to make him do and say what they choose. The movements are not nessessarily ’his.’ Already the smile is wrong.
“I had thought he had built the company and that Grampa would be amazed at what it encompasses now. I thought that (the company/Bob Iger) was sensitive to the memory of Walt and the sentiments of his daughter, my mother, Diane.”
Joanna is arguably the most publicly active member of Walt’s side of the family. She attends many events at Walt’s Barn and recently completed a period-specific renovation of Uncle Robert Disney’s house. The craftsman home on Kingswell Avenue is where Walt first stayed upon his arrival in Los Angeles
Related: Disney World To Rip out Tree of Life, Gives Final Timeline
The page also shared a quote from former Walt Disney Imagineer Blaine Gibson from a 1995 interview, in which Gibson shared his thoughts regarding the idea of a Walt Disney figure.
“There are several reasons I would be against doing that … and it isn’t just the ‘sacred’ aspect of it,” said Gibson. “I know just how crude our medium is, relative to the human figure. You can’t get Walt’s smile … you can’t program that smile that I’ve got on Walt’s statue and have him be able to go into that.”
The idea of a Walt Disney animatronic figure dates back decades and has been rumored among the general public for some time, though the idea has always proved incredibly controversial.
Walt Disney’s grandnephew, Roy P. Disney, attended Disney’s D23 event to support the figure.
“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,” said Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro while on stage. “His great-nephew, Roy P. Disney, visited the Imagineering campus recently to see our progress.”
What do you think about this new Walt Disney experience?