Disneyland visitors will soon be able to sit down in Walt Disney’s office and listen to the visionary who created the Anaheim theme park talk about how he got started, his thoughts on his career and his dreams for the future.
The world’s first Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure created by Walt Disney Imagineering will debut in 2025 at the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland.
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“Creating our first Walt figure is an idea that’s been whispered in the hallowed halls of Imagineering for years, maybe even decades now,” Disney Parks Chairperson Josh D’Amaro said during the D23 fan event in Anaheim. “We just had to wait for innovation to catch up with our dreams — and we’re finally ready.”
The new “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” animatronic show will initially run solo before playing in rotation with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
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Disneyland has filed building permits valued at $5 million with the city of Anaheim to replace show elements, lighting, audio and show systems on the landmark audio-animatronic attraction in the Main Street Opera House, according to city records.
The new animatronic show will be based on the life of Walt Disney who will recount his own history, the projects he was working on at the time of his death and future plans he was busy dreaming up.
The set for the new show approximates Walt Disney’s office suite on the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank when he died in 1966.
“The Opera House will be transformed into Walt’s studio offices,” D’Amaro said during D23. “We’ll visit with him as he reflects on his life and shares his hopes for a great, big, beautiful tomorrow. This experience will give you the chance to imagine what it must have been like to be in Walt’s presence.”
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Concept art of the new animatronic show features a mash-up of elements found in Walt’s working office where he conducted company business.
Walt had a separate formal office where he greeted visitors, Hollywood celebrities, foreign dignitaries and presidents.
A bulletin board on the left side of the stage set includes a circa-1966 aerial view of Disneyland, preliminary plot plans for the “Florida Project” that would become Walt Disney World and a photo of the Mr. Lincoln Audio-Animatronic.
The Disneyland aerial photo has red markers for completed projects (Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Tahitian Terrace) and yellow markers for projects in progress (New Tomorrowland, It’s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion).
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The right side of the stage set includes a view of the Disney Studios water tower through the picture window. Beneath the window is a pigeon-hole cabinet with 10 cubbies where Walt kept current movie scripts. On the floor is Walt’s leather briefcase that he used to bring home scripts he was reading.
A model of the Grumman Gulfstream plane that Walt used to fly over Central Florida for Disney World research trips sits on a shelf on the left side of the set.
The animatronic figure of Walt leans against the edge of his desk wearing a gray suit with a white pocket square and tie pin on a black tie.
Disneyland will pair the new “A Magical Life” animatronic show with the park’s 70th Anniversary celebration next year.
