Overview
- The figure premiered July 17 in the Main Street Opera House with a virtual-queue system and alternates showings with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
- Engineers integrated dozens of articulated joints and archival recordings to replicate Walt Disney’s gestures, expressions and voice.
- Chairman Josh D’Amaro praised the attraction as a fitting tribute to Walt Disney and an inspiration for guests of all ages.
- Granddaughter Joanna Miller condemned the creation as disrespectful while several other descendants and Disney leadership defended its realism.
- Parkgoers and online users posted both emotional reactions and critiques, applauding the animatronic’s motion yet questioning its facial likeness.