Walt Disney is just the latest animatronic to be featured in Disney Parks’ experiences and attractions. The figure debuted for Disneyland’s 70th birthday at the Main Street Opera House, headlining a new show.
In Walt Disney – A Magical Life, you can come face-to-face with the man behind the name, programmed to present his history as Imagineering’s latest tech feat. The figure joins the legacy of Disney’s contribution to theme park advancements, combining animation and robotics for his animatronics, which started with a bird and now bears the face of its creator.
And he’s not the only memorable animatronic to grace Disney Parks with his presence. Here are some other notable entries, with yearbook-style superlatives to explain the impressions they make.
Most likely to get into trouble: Hondo Onaka in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
He’s always getting unsuspecting tourists to do coaxium runs for him on the Millennium Falcon. If you’re not careful, you’ll land on the First Order’s suspect list. And unfortunately, if that happens, Hondo might be MIA, just as his animatronic so often is.
Most likely to ghost you: the 999 ghosts in The Haunted Mansion
And only after they try to follow you home first, like the Hitchhiking Ghosts.
Sassiest: Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones Adventure
Dr. Jones spends the entire ride complaining that he has to save our skins; it’s glorious. Plus he’s the original stuntronic, always having to dangle in front of that incoming boulder.
Best Makeover: Ariel in Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
The lore behind her soft-serve-ice-cream-looking hair of yesteryear haunts the internet; we’re glad she was able to get her look fixed.
Best Dressed: Everyone in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Seeing Tiana in her mother’s fashions and iconic 1920s New Orleans textiles and textures makes this our pick for best dressed. That goes for the rest of the characters too, especially once the ride gets to its showstopping finale.
Class Clown: Figment the Dragon from Journey Into Imagination with Figment
That Figment, always up to some nonsense, but at least he’s full of imagination and lots of surprising sights and smells to discover.
The Cutest: Grogu in Galaxy’s Edge
It’s no contest; being able to meet and greet an interactive Baby Yoda who makes the noises makes us want to protect him at all costs too.
Most likely to succeed: The children of the world in It’s a Small World
Yeah—more like succeeding in leading the animatronic uprising for having to sing that earworm of a song for 70 years.
Most underrated: Captain Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean
Geoffrey Rush’s iconic performance as Captain Barbossa also got its own animatronic inside Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean and fits right in so well, many don’t realize he’s being featured. The real pirate’s pirate, our apple-a-day king—he’s just missing the monkey, Jack.
The most scarily expressive: The Shaman from Avatar in Pandora’s Na’vi river journey
That’s one very realistic animatronic. And like in the Avatar movies, it sees you.
The most chatty: The birds inside the Enchanted Tiki Room
They’re the OG blueprint of the animatronics, so we’ll allow it for another 70 years at least.
The most athletic: Spider-Man Stuntronic at Avengers Campus
Spidey does the flips in one of the most thrilling moments at Avengers Campus, where the “struntronic” flies through the sky before an actor takes over the performance! Even more excitingly, sometimes the robot webslinger misses.
The GOAT: The Disneyland Goat on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Not only is it still proudly perched in its spot, it provides the distraction to make the coaster all the more thrilling. Never forget to look at the goat and lock in.
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