Is Disney going too far with its newest audio-animatronic?
July 17th marks a major event at Disneyland, as it’s not only the resort’s 70th birthday, but the premiere date of the NEW Walt Disney — A Magical Life show at the Main Street Opera House. The new show (which will eventually play in rotation with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln) is incredibly noteworthy as it will feature the FIRST-EVER Walt Disney audio-animatronic. Although many are looking forward to this historic debut, one prominent member of the Disney family is speaking out against the animatronic and believes Walt never wanted this.
According to a story from the Los Angeles Times, Walt Disney’s granddaughter Joanna Miller claims the animatronic is disrespectful and goes against her grandfather’s wishes.
Disney passed when Miller was nearly 11 years old, and by then, she had built a close relationship with her grandfather. In an interview with the Times, she called him “the greatest guy. The best guy.”
Her protectiveness of her grandfather and his legacy has led her to be outspoken over this new show debuting in July, which Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro described as an experience that will allow guests to see “what it would have been like to be in Walt’s presence.” Miller doesn’t see it that way, however.
In a viral Facebook post, Miller — who claims to have been one of the few to have already seen the animatronic — referred to it as a “robotic grampa” and called it “dehumanizing”. In the post, she wrote, “People are not replaceable. You could never get the casualness of his talking.”
When Miller saw the animatronic, she was overcome with emotion. “It didn’t look like him, to me, “she says.
She also argued that her grandfather was against “mechanical immortalization, despite endorsing the animatronic of President Abraham Lincoln.
The animatronics are largely based on fictional characters at the Disney Parks, save for the American Presidents at the Hall of Presidents in Disney World and Lincoln at Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. However, this new Disney animatronic has struck the wrong chord with Miller, who had a talk with The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger after her comments got back to the company.
Of Disney, Miller said, “He’s ours. We’re his family.” Miller’s mother was “the guiding force behind the foundation of San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum,” per the Times. Miller is on the board and says the idea of an animatronic of Disney is not new and has been considered for the museum. Her mother — who sadly passed in 2103 — was not a fan of that idea as she wanted to portray him as a “real human” instead of a robot.
Per the story, Miller was made aware of the new animatronic weeks before the announcement. When D’Amaro revealed the details of the show, he highlighted that the animatronic would be very lifelike, with real dialogue used along with realistic movements. D’Amaro added that the Disney family was in support of this new show.
In its reporting, the Times confirmed that Miller acknowledges that she “does not speak for her siblings or other descendants and that Iger heard her out and let her make her case. His mind remained unchanged, though.
Disney Imagineers argue that this new animatronic not only honors Walt’s legacy but is a way to prevent him from being “lost to history.” They believe the new show will allow guests to learn more about Disney, the man, and that current animatronic technology is advanced enough to do him justice.
In the story, Miller also wanted to make it known that she respects the Imagineers and believes they do great work with animatronics. Yet, she argues a better way to preserve Disney’s legacy would be to release “episodes of his weekly ‘Disneyland’ show” on Disney+.
Where she thinks Lincoln works because there is a lack of filmed footage, the Disney animatronic might not, as it could easily become a caricature.
In Miller’s letter to Iger, she wrote, “I strongly feel the last two minutes with the robot will do much more harm than good to Grampa’s legacy. They will remember the robot, and not the man.” She says she has received emails and letters of support from former Imagineers.
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Do you think the new Disney animatronic is “dehumanizing”? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Like the other 3 that have already commented, I think it’s a great idea. Obviously I’d like to see it before I could say definitively, but audio animatronics have come on in leaps and bounds since the death of Miller’s mother. Just look at Hondo Ohnaka in Smugglers Run. The first time we saw him, we all wondered if it was a cast member dressed up as the movement was so fluid. Maybe if Miller’s mother had seen this before she died, then she would have been more open to the idea of Walt being immortalised this way, and would have passed that approval on to Miller herself.
Personally, I would have to experience it person to make a judgement, but I would also caution against dismissing one of his relative’s concerns as she has an emotional tie to Walt that most of us will never have or be able to understand.
I’ll wait to reserve judgment until I see the show myself but if there is one person perfect to have an animatronic, it would be Walt. Hopefully they will do it with his actual voice. She makes a good point about having actual footage available instead but I don’t think this will take away from his legacy. Done right, of course. Is it really much different than an actor portraying him in a film?
I do NOT think that it is “dehumanizing”. This is no different than an animatronic Lincoln, or any of the other animatronic figures of real people in the Hall of Presidents.
The Disney company is clearly doing this out of love and respect for Walt. They want to honor him. Plus, they have stated that they are using archival audio of Walt for the figure.
Walt Disney would not have had a problem at all with the new attraction featuring an Audio-Animatronic version of himself. If anything, he would have loved it.
Walt was always pushing the boundaries of technology and storytelling—he was personally involved in the creation of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, a figure was so lifelike, people thought it was a real actor! Walt didn’t just sign off on it—he helped shape the tone, the voice, and the emotional impact of the entire experience.
So if he was okay with “bringing Lincoln to life” to inspire people, we would not object to doing the same with himself—especially if it’s used to share the story of Disneyland or the power of imagination. He always saw himself as a storyteller and host. He even appeared on the Disneyland TV show every week to speak directly to the audience.
This new attraction IS a continuation of that spirit. He clearly would LOVE it.