Disney Imagineers brought Walt Disney back to ‘life’ and I still can’t figure out exactly how they did it
Disneyland is celebrating its 70th year, and in the midst of the spectacular nights and Magicband +, Disneyland will open what could be its most important tribute: “ Walt Disney – a magical life ” – The last attraction that will be hosted right next to the park in the opera house.
And I just spent time attracting twice. It starts with a 10-minute film that tells the story of Walt Disney, with archive images and a Disney narration itself, as well as other parts spoken by Bob Iger, current CEO of Disney.
Then, however, the curtain increases and you see a recreation from the Walt office and, more remarkably, which seems to be Walt Disney. Standing in front of the theater of around 400 places is the latest audio-animatronic creation by Walt Disney Imagineering. It was a major challenge that had been in the idea of the idea since July 2018 and under development for seven years.
When Animatronic Walt comes to life, speaking and moving, even leaning on the office, adjusting his arms like us humans, then taking a step or two as if he came to the public, it’s magic. True to Disney, it is a remarkable engineering feat and effectively creates an immersive moment.
The Walt Disney in “A Magical Life” resembles the real world of the real world who died in 1966. He moves like a human with a fingers articulation and takes steps naturally enough. It is less transformative than other animatronics, including Disney’s own Lincoln, with much more fluid body movements and a certain feeling of grace.
Sitting in the public, I could not understand exactly how it works – there is no harness or visible support, not even head of the office. This is the first fully electric figure to completely complete this Lean movement with stand.
With the two ways and the resemblance, Disney Imagineering took great care to guarantee loyal leisure here, working partly with the Disney archives and the Walt Disney Family Museum. This extends to the correspondence of the way Disney would move and serve, as seen in the videos, but also to the clothes and fabric used in the chosen outfit. Disney Imagineering has shared that this version of Walt comes from the 1963 deadline. Take note of the hems of the pants, which correspond to the Disney pants of that time.
The team behind this audio animatronics also shared that special attention had been paid to two separate areas. First of all, with the eyebrows, because man was very expressive in this regard, forcing the team to imaginering spend time studying facial muscle groups to make sure that the eyebrows move in the right way.
There is also an idea that Walt Disney has a glow in his eyes, which forced the team to study human eye globes and to discover the bulge of the cornea of the eye, which is responsible for this brilliance. This was successfully created here, and I could see both of the two axes centered on the axis, although the effect is more present in frontal visualization.
The idea here was to go beyond something that looked like Walt Disney. This effect can be made by watching a video, as the team has done with archive images. Disney’s R&D team told us that it was a question of immersion and performance.
“More importantly, we were passionate about the creation of an audio -animatronic figure designed specifically for this attraction, offering a representation that has its nuances, its hand gestures, its facial expressions, and more – all the attributes that make the performance of this figure feel only WALT and not simply a figure to look like WALT.
It really comes back to history – I think that for Disney fans, this attraction will be a treat, giving them the opportunity to go back in time and see what Walt looked like in his office. The choice of dialogue for animatronic performance returns to him by describing how important people are in the company, without forgetting where it all started – Mickey Mouse – and share certain aspects of his life. For the people who watched “Wonderful World of Color”, which Walt Disney has organized regularly, it will be particularly nostalgic.
It is also obvious that Disney wanted to create something really unique here and push technology. Instead of placing the Walt Disney silhouette behind the desk, she is in front, leaning on the desk, then standing and taking steps to the audience.
Beyond having a link with the brand, the technology here, in particular the use of robotics in an audio animatronic, is incredibly impressive. It is better than most of the others I have met. There was also no AI voice law used here – rather, the audio was selected, cut and sewn together from films and shows, and other records of Walt Disney’s voice.
If you are fortunate to visit Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Walt Disney – a magical life ‘will take place daily from July 17, 2025. After a period of the 70th celebration in the park, it will take place and go out with `great moments with Mr. Lincoln.’ ‘There is also an engineering feat involved, because Disney Imagineering had to reinge the scene to create a plate that allows Walt Disney and Mr. Lincoln to run in the same place.
A fun fact – the new platinum stadium and its different parts were manufactured in Glendale, California, as a complete object. Imagineering had to decompose it to load it into the Disneyland opera through a small double door, then rebuild it. Everything for something that is not visible, but will allow emissions to work.
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