Walt Disney – A Magical Life and a first-ever Walt Disney animatronic premiered last July as part of Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary. The show takes place in Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House, in rotation with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. The pre-show is narrated by former Disney CEO, Bob Iger, and introduces Walt in his office as he talks to the audience about his role at Walt Disney Productions.
Taking on the responsibility of a Walt animatronic, is quite the feat. While most of us never had the opportunity to meet Walt, we all grew up knowing his face and voice from Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. Plus, Walt Disney has become synonymous with the American dream and the very spirit of The Walt Disney Company today. It took me almost a year to see Walt Disney – A Magical Life in-person and my actual experience was very different than my pre-conceived opinions about the animatronic.
Listen, when I first saw pictures of the Walt animatronic, I too thought he looked like the My Pillow guy. My initial reaction was not great. However in person, it’s so much better. It probably helps that you’re sitting in a dark theater and not watching it through a zoomed in camera lens. I also think the combination of hearing his voice and seeing his mannerisms, make it feel more familiar. The Walt animatronic feeling familiar and not an exact copy of a larger than life man who passed away 60 years ago, feels right to me. It’s an enjoyable, thoughtful show, and the Walt animatronic feels endearing and not the distraction I thought it would be.
Hot take – the look of the animatronic was far less distracting than the sound of Walt’s voice. Even though it is Walt’s voice and how we know it, it sounded like a recording from the 1960’s. Because it is. In person, I couldn’t wrap my head around seeing a “real life” Walt Disney and hearing a recording. It’s like the two didn’t synch up for me. While this didn’t change my enjoyment of the show, it caught me by surprise.
Funny enough, my takeaway from watching Walt Disney – A Magical Life was not the Walt animatronic. The pre-show before the curtain opens on Walt’s speech, is “One Man’s Dream” that played inside Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Why is no one talking about this?? It’s a great, emotional look at Walt’s life that I sorely miss at Hollywood Studios. Evidently “One Man’s Dream” is better than making a new mini-documentary. It’s wild to see this film played at Disneyland and makes me wonder, “Why we couldn’t have it at Hollywood Studios?”
One of the best parts of visiting the Main Street Opera House during Disneyland 70th is the “Evolution of a Dream” exhibit. The opportunity to see real props from classic attractions, concept art, and even the original lamp and furniture from Walt’s apartment, is pretty surreal. Many of these items are on loan from The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and are worth a visit.. The combination of these Disney heirlooms and Walt Disney – A Magical Life, are a perfect example of why Disneyland is so special. You can feel the optimism and hope for the future that inspired Walt’s original park.
Is the Walt animatronic perfect? No. Is it a great production? Yes. All that to say, I think early criticism was too harsh and Walt Disney – A Magical Life is now a Disneyland must-do for me. I’m even more excited for Walt to come to my favorite Magic Kingdom attraction, The Carousel of Progress.
