DISNEY World has unveiled a glimpse of its newest attraction: an animatronic replica of President Joe Biden. But the life-like robotic figure of the 46th US President has been widely mocked on social media, with some insisting it looks “more life-like than the real thing.” Disney announced on Monday that it was applying the finishing […]
DISNEY World has unveiled a glimpse of its newest attraction: an animatronic replica of President Joe Biden.
But the life-like robotic figure of the 46th US President has been widely mocked on social media, with some insisting it looks “more life-like than the real thing.”
Disney announced on Monday that it was applying the finishing touches on the Biden replica, ahead of its debut at the Hall of Presidents attraction inside Orlando’s Disney World resort next month.
The Biden bot is set to take center stage at the Liberty Square attraction in a dark suit and red-and-blue striped tie.
Next to the figure, on a table, is a series of signature items including a pair of Biden’s aviator sunglasses, a bundle of Amtrak tickets in a nod to his days as a commuter in the Senate, and a vase of peach blossom – the state flower of Delaware.
The Biden figure will recite the oath of office, which was recorded by the president especially for Disney, and then deliver a short speech to the audience.
“Just as Walt envisioned, creative teams have been busy programming an Audio-Animatronics replica of the President, pairing it with a delivery of the presidential oath of office recorded at the White House by President Biden himself just for the attraction,” Disney’s Thomas Smith wrote in a blog post.
“Every detail comes together to create a realistic and symbolic glimpse into the office of the President through the years, from the carefully tailored clothing to the props, documents and furniture placed throughout the stage.”
Smith also shared an image of the new Biden figure, which was later mocked on social media.
“More life-like than the real thing,” wrote one user.
A second joked: “Will it speak gibberish and trail off?”
Speaking to the special items displayed alongside the Biden bot, a third chimed in: “They left out his teleprompter.”
“Does he know where he is?,” asked a fourth user. “It would be an improvement from the real one.”
“Joe’s not very animated these days. They could have just gone with a statue,” added another user.
Others poked fun at Biden by referencing claims and reports that his aides instruct him what reporters to speak to and encourage him to not field questions.
“It will be just like the real version. There will be those programmed responses that the handlers will give him to say after ‘give me a break’,” one said.
“Does it have puppet strings attached?” asked another.
Biden’s bot will be ousting Trump’s likeness from the stage when the attraction’s doors open next month.
It’s currently unclear on the tableau where Trump will be placed, but Smith noted in Disney’s blog post that the animatronic will “take its place on stage among those who have previously served.”
The Trump figure, first installed in December 2017, was largely mocked for its appearance, which some likened to his political rival Hilary Clinton.
Disney event went as far as to install mental spikes in front of it and placed security guards on standby in case the figure upset any guests.
Many Disney fans asked the park to remove or hide the Trump robot once he left office.
Some also suggested the park should remove the attraction entirely, with the Orlando Sentinel reporting that tensions have been rising over the show in recent years as the nation has become increasingly more politically divided.
For now, Disney has ignored those calls, writing: “Almost 50 years later, the story of liberty’s leaders continues to be told and retold to new generations as Walt Disney originally envisioned,”
