\n<\/p>\n
No matter your opinion on the current state of its animated movies, Disney is proving that it can still knock animatronics<\/em> out of the park. This week, the entertainment giant gave us another early look at the new audio-animatronics being prepared for Tiana\u2019s Bayou Adventure \u2014 a retheming of the iconic (and controversial<\/a>) Splash Mountain ride \u2014 and the demonstrations so far have been breathtakingly impressive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Recognizable characters from The Princess and the Frog<\/em> (2009) have been brought to robotic life across various social media posts<\/a> and Disney\u2019s new \u201cWe Call It Imagineering<\/a>\u201d YouTube series, including Princess Tiana herself, Mama Odie, Charlotte La Bouff, Louis the Alligator, and a host of other swamp critters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seriously, some of these animatronics move so fluidly that they seem genuinely<\/em> alive! If these new animatronics were developed like the ones for Tokyo Disneyland\u2019s Beauty and the Beast<\/em> attraction<\/a>, their movements and facial expressions may have been provided by actual animators from Walt Disney Animation Studios, which is why it feels like the characters have simply escaped their 2D confinements. They\u2019re not as realistically lifelike as the Shaman that features in the Na\u2019vi River Journey ride<\/a>, but that animatronic was a groundbreaking feat of engineering in 2017 \u2014 it\u2019s exciting to see technology that complex now being applied at scale around the parks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m also pleased that Disney has moved away from the rear-projection technology<\/a> that was used on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Frozen Ever After rides in Disney World. It just looks odd and unusually washed out in some circumstances and feels rather lazy compared to previous animatronic innovations from Disney\u2019s Imagineering division over the last 60 years<\/a>. By contrast, seeing the Princess and the Frog<\/em> character\u2019s lips, eyes, and facial structure physically moving makes me take a second to remember that these are real metal and plastic constructs and not CGI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s an exciting time for any like-minded nerds who love to see animatronics or robots used in theme parks and other live experiences. The free-roaming, chicken-like BD-X droids<\/a> showcased by Disney Imagineering last year<\/a> will be set loose at the Black Spire Outpost in Disneyland\u2019s Galaxy\u2019s Edge park between April 5th and June 2nd. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n If any of this has piqued your interest then I recommend watching The Imagineering Story<\/em><\/a> docuseries on Disney Plus \u2014 it provides some fascinating insight into Disney\u2019s extensive history in the animatronic industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n