No matter your opinion on the current state of its animated films, Disney is proving it can still hit animatronic out of the park. This week, the entertainment giant gave us another early look at the new audio-animatronics being prepared for Tiana's Bayou Adventure: a new theme of the iconic (and controversial) Splash Mountain ride, and the demos so far have been incredibly impressive.
Recognizable characters from The princess and the frog (2009) have come to robotic life in several twitter.com/DisneyScoopGuy/status/1775917217177276673″>social media posts and Disney's new YouTube series, “We Call It Imagineering,” featuring Princess Tiana herself, Mama Odie, Charlotte La Bouff, Louis the Alligator and a host of other swamp creatures.
Seriously, some of these animatronics move so fluidly that they seem truly alive! If these new animatronics were developed like those at Tokyo Disneyland Beauty and the Beast attraction, their movements and facial expressions may have been provided by real animators at Walt Disney Animation Studios, so it appears that the characters have simply escaped their 2D confines. They're not as realistic as the Shaman that appears in the Na'vi River Journey ride, but that animatronic was a groundbreaking feat of engineering in 2017; It's exciting to see such complex technology now being applied at scale in parks.
I'm also glad Disney moved away from the rear projection technology which was used in the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Frozen Ever After attractions at Disney World. It just looks strange and unusually washed out in some circumstances and feels quite lazy compared to previous animatronic innovations from Disney's Imagineering division for the last 60 years. On the contrary, see the Princess and the Frog The physical movement of the character's lips, eyes, and facial structure makes me take a second to remember that these are real metal and plastic constructions and not CGI.
It's an exciting time for any like-minded nerd who loves seeing animatronics or robots used in theme parks and other live experiences. The chicken-like wanderer BD-x droids presented by Disney Imagineering last year will be released at Black Spire Outpost in Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge park between April 5 and June 2.
If any of this has piqued your interest, I recommend you watch it. The history of imagination Documentary Series on Disney Plus – Provides a fascinating look at Disney's extensive history in the animatronic industry.
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