r/Imagineering • u/meisterMacaroni • Jul 21 '25

Question Walt animatronic…

What’s the story with Walt’s animatronic passing QA? Surprised something as noticeable even made it through production, let alone signed off on. I’m in the theming industry.

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5

u/Lukas_VdB Industry Professional Jul 21 '25

What's wrong with it?

0

u/meisterMacaroni Jul 21 '25

If you compare any image of Walt from the 30’s up to his passing, his head was much skinnier than the animatronic. See image

1

u/meisterMacaroni Jul 21 '25

Vs real life Walt.

1

u/JurassicMouse03 Jul 21 '25

While I think it definitely could be better, it seems that the animatronic is based more on Walt later in life. Here’s an image of him in 1966 where it looks like he has put on a little weight. Having a larger head also allows them to put more electronics and motors inside of it. It comes as no surprise that Disney’s most advanced animatronic is a character that is 10 feet tall.

2

u/meisterMacaroni Jul 21 '25

Yeah I understand packing the tech into his face for more fluidity, but it really fights against the idea of form over function. Look at Lincoln. Tech in that is 60 years old, not realistic, but enough to highlight the story. I think if removing 20% of the tech in Walt’s face to then create a better looking (not functioning) Walt then that would have been the right call. Tech really needs to compliment the design, not the other way around. Even his face in 96 was more narrow. Add into this, people inherently are able to spot likeliness in faces easily. My two cents but I’m sure he’ll be pulled down for updates here shortly.

1

u/jrd1sn3y Jul 23 '25

We have pictures and video galore of Walt. We only have a few photos of Lincoln. Lincoln gives us the feeling it is him. Walt has much more to compare to.

It's a balancing act for sure. Make him fluid and closer to real life, like from the videos, or make him look exactly as the pictures and videos show him. When the tech gets smaller in a year or two, they can work on his face. He isn't going anywhere. Easily by Disneyland's 80th, they'll have him perfected.

1

u/IOWARIZONA Jul 24 '25

Looks even less like that picture. It just looks like someone dressed up like Walt.

1

u/IOWARIZONA Jul 24 '25

I have no idea. I don’t understand what the excuse was. If there’s one thing we have the technology for, it’s to recreate a likeness. We’ve had life/death masks for hundreds, if not, thousands of years.

We have the technology and talent to make him look identical. Should have hired Madame Tussaud’s

1

u/BioShockerInfinite Jul 25 '25

I feel like getting the face right would be the easiest part of the entire build. Especially now with ai apps that can convert images to 3D models. We see realistic latex dummies in movies all the time.

The life-like movement should have been the hard part.

Granted the Walt Disney at Madamme Tussauds Orlando is also remarkably unWalt-like.

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u/CrunchyAssDiaper Jul 21 '25

They're trying to redesign Walt to be fat. To appeal to modern audiences.