Editor’s note: After the publication of this story, Disneyland announced that the new attraction Walt Disney – A Magical Life would open on May 16th, 2025.
Today is a day that Disney fans celebrate the birth of Walt Disney. — who, along with his brother Roy, founded the organization that has brought us joy and community for over 100 years. As we remember his legacy, we look ahead to the upcoming opening of Walt Disney – A Magical Life at the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland next year. This new show will be the first time that Walt has ever been represented by an Audio-Animatronic figure.
This news was met with a lot of debate online, as to be expected. One of Walt’s granddaughters, Joanna Miller, has her own take and posted her position on a public Facebook post:
I would appreciate support to convince the COMPANY to abandon the Robot of Grampa. Please if you feel the same perhaps write letters.
MOST IMPORTANTLY I learned that GRAMPA TOLD SAM MCKIM THAT HE NEVER WANTED TO BE AN ANIMATRONIC.(Thank you Matt McKimfor first hand proof)
MARTY SKLAR TAUGHT THE IMAGINEERS THAT. HE KNEW GRAMPAS WISHES. JOHN HENCH.
The idea of a Robotic Grampa to give the public a feeling of who the living man was just makes no sense. It would be an imposter, They are Dehumanizing him. People are not replaceable . You could never get the casualness of his talking interacting with the camera his excitement to show and tell people about what is new at the park.
You can not add life to one. Empty of a soul or essence of the man.
Knowing that he did not want this. Having your predecessors tell you that this was out of bounds….
So so Sad and disappointed
While I would never pretend to know Walt’s wishes more than his own granddaughter, there are some things that I don’t understand. To start, I cannot believe that Walt would view being represented as an animatronic would be disrespectful. His first human figure was of his childhood hero and an American hero, Abraham Lincoln. I cannot imagine someone as patriotic as Walt would have brought Abe to life in any way that could be perceived as disrespectful.
Through the years, Disney has brought every U.S. President to life and numerous celebrities to life in this way. Many view it as an honor. For example, Dick Van Dyke has his figure from The Great Movie Ride displayed proudly in his home. That doesn’t mean that Walt would want to be recreated, but I don’t think it is disrespectful.
Also, no one is claiming that this new show will recreate all of the essence of Walt when he was with us — nor is anyone claiming that his show will provide as in-depth insight into Walt as the fantastic Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. However, this new show will expose many more people to Walt Disney than those that are going to make the pilgrimage to the museum. In fact, it is likely that many will be inspired by the show to learn more about the man and may eventually make the trip up north. The exposure this attraction will get will introduce many more people to the man behind the corporate name.
While I do not know what Walt would want, I do know that by investing in this experience, we are gaining some insight into how Disney Experiences values Walt. Let’s be honest, it is hard to imagine that Disney is going to see a groundswell in attendance based on this offering. If they are truly investing as much care as they say they are, this will not be some minor expense. They are building this not for financial gain but, instead, to show that, despite the passing years and Disney’s growing empire, Walt is still viewed as their North Star.
Now, I do believe Disney could have handled the announcement of the attraction better. It was odd that they used Roy P. Disney, whose side of the family famously quarreled with Walt’s side, as their one endorsement. I also feel they should have had a historian or archivist take the time to discuss the care they are hopefully putting into the experience so it is clear this is not some low-grade figure or experience. But one of the main complaints I have heard over the years is that they don’t respect Walt enough. By greenlighting this show, I believe current Disney leadership is showing that they value the man and his legacy.
In my conversations with long-time Imagineers, they have mentioned that they feel that now is the right time to bring this kind of experience to the parks when, in the past, they may have been less eager. As we get further and further away from Walt’s lifetime and there are fewer and fewer people to give us first hand accounts of him, any attempt to respectfully share his legacy should be applauded.
As a young Disney fan, I was exposed to Walt through the Disney Channel, which often played retrospectives of his life. In this fragmented media environment, young fans may not stumble upon his story as I did. I hope that this new experience will inspire the next generation of Disney fans to not only appreciate all that Disney brings to our lives, but be inspired to learn more about the man whose dreams made everything possible.