There has been a lot of news recently surrounding Audio-Animatronics from The Walt Disney Company. Earlier this year, as a part of the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration, a new Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic debuted at Disneyland as a part of Walt Disney – A Magical Life. Walt Disney World Resort is also getting a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure in an update for the Carousel of Progress. Along with that, there will also be new Audio-Animatronics figures coming to Zootopia: Better Zoogether! in November and also to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets when it opens next year. If that isn’t enough, next year will also see Audio-Animatronics figures in Frozen Ever After upgraded at Walt Disney World Resort. With all the exciting things to look forward to, Disney also looked back at the history of Audio-Animatronics.
The origins of Audio-Animatronics for Disney go back to Walt Disney himself. He discovered an antique mechanical singing bird in New Orleans. He returned with this bird (which is still in his office at the Walt Disney Studios) and charged his Imagineers with learning how it worked. This would lay the groundwork for Audio-Animatronics in Disneyland and later beyond.
The first generation of Audio-Animatronics figures were known as the A-1. They debuted in the 1960s at Disneyland. They were found in attractions like the Jungle Cruise, Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room with more than 200 singing birds. This was just the start. Through the coming years and decades, Disney would continue to innovate and create more Audio-Animatronics figures that got progressively more advanced and life-like. Here is a brief overview of that progression:
- The world’s first fully animated human figure appeared in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which debuted at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.
- In 2017, Imagineers introduced one of the most sophisticated figures with the Shaman of Songs in Na’avi River Journey in Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
- In 2019, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Audio-Animatronics saw a huge advancement in technology with the introduction of the A-1000 figure, boasting enhancements in range, speed, and overall performance.
- In 2025, the Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure appeared in Walt Disney – A Magical Life. This marked the first time that Walt Disney appeared in Audio-Animatronics form, marking another advancement in the technology he pioneered 60 years ago with Abraham Lincoln at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Disney shared that it continues to strive in its desire to “captivate, immerse, and entertain.” It is something that is at the core of Disney. The continued updates and developments to Audio-Animatronics technology are just another way that Disney continues to move toward the goal of always doing more to deliver for guests. A Disney Parks Blog post about Audio-Animatronics concluded with, “We continue to invest in this technology because – as someone we all know once said – we keep moving forward. I, for one, can’t wait to see the stories these new Audio-Animatronics figures will tell!” It will be fun to see what comes next!
What are you most excited about in the realm of Audio-Animatronics in the future? Do you have a favorite Audio-Animatronics figure that currently exists? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
