The 25 Most Incredible Theme Park Animatronics On Earth

It wasn’t too long ago that a theme park attraction was lifeless without Audio-Animatronics. In fact, the number and complexity of these robotic animated figures was often proportional to a ride’s budget and success! Put simply: if you wanted to blow audiences away, animatronics figures were the way to do it.

Let’s face it: we’re now firmly inside the Digital Age. Rides like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man redefined what headlining attractions could be, capturing all the force, thrill, story, and character interactions of old time classics without a single animatronics figure! It was revolutionary, as proven by the fact that modern headlining attractions like Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Transformers: The Ride, Ratatouille, and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts are wildly successful, richly-storied, and smart attractions – with no animatronics needed!

Even if there are more and more exceptions every day, it still seems that animatronics can be pretty securely tied to an attraction’s appeal. Here, we’ve collected twenty-five of the world’s most mind-blowing animatronics casts and figures. Each figure also has a YouTube link where we’ve fast-forwarded to the animatronics’ starring moment for you. Obviously those videos (and our list) contain some spoilers for big moments and surprising figures! How many of our twenty-five have you encountered?

25. The Enchanted Tiki Birds

Image: Disney

Debut: The Enchanted Tiki Room (1963)
Location: Disneyland Park
Video: The Enchanted Fountain and Birdmobile

The best place to start is the beginning – the Modern Marvel: Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. This beloved Disney classic is a tropical serenade populated by 150 singing birds, flowers, and tikis with a downright “magical” musicality. In fact, the enchanted inhabitants of the Tiki Room were the first ever Audio-Animatronics, and continue to mesmerize guests as they turn, blink, and even “breathe” while singing in harmony to pre-recorded audio.

Because the technology that powered the Tiki Room was so inconcievable to audiences of the 1960s, a single bird was originally perched at the entrance to Adventureland as a “tease” of what awaited within, spieling to attract guests into the show like a barker at old-time carnivals. One of the rare Audio-Animatronics outside of rides, this macaw didn’t make it long… Guests were so entranced by the breathtaking “barker bird,” enormous crowds would gather around it, clogging the entrance to Adventureland and necessitating its removal!

24. Pirates & Wenches

Debut: Pirates of the Caribbean (1967)
Location: Disneyland Park
Video: Inside the Fortress 

Often cited as Walt’s own magnum opus, Pirates of the Caribbean was the last major project in whose design and creation Walt Disney himself had final say. Disneyland’s definitive version – clocking in at 16 minutes – is a masterwork of themed design with a scale to beat nearly any attraction since. Part of its impressive place in Disney Parks history is thanks to its cast of 119 Audio-Animatronics (many being human lookalikes) that literally give life to the astounding, scenic ride. The sheer quantity of figures is what elevates this attraction on our list.

Perhaps worth noting: the piratical cast has also had its share of controversial swaps. Equally intrusive to fans are the addition of characters from the long-running (and long-in-the-tooth) Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and the ongoing edits made to the ride’s Audio-Animatronics in the name of political correctness. The latter – done via piecemeal changes over the last several decades – culminated in 2018 with a “reimagining” of the iconic auction scene, sending the beloved Redhead to our list of Lost Disney Parks Characters.​

23. The Dragon

Image: Disney

Debut: La Tanière du Dragon (1992)
Location: Disneyland Paris
Video: Waking the Dragon

One of the most spectacular and surprising “walkthrough” experiences at Disney Parks, Disneyland Paris’ gorgeous fairytale castle hides La Tanière du Dragon… the Dragon’s Den. The elegantly simple experience allows guests to journey into a hidden cavern where a forgotten dragon rests. Soundly asleep, the dragon stirs every few moments, twitching its claws in the stagnant water of the grotto or shifting and rattling its chains.

Once in a while, the dragon unexpectedly awakens, its pupils narrowing. When it spots visitors, a guttural, booming growl emanates from its throat… its mouth begins to smoke as if preparing to barbecue onlookers… But, seemingly remembering the futility of escape, the dragon relents and puts it head back on the ground, frustrated. The Audio Animatronic is easily one of Disney’s most impressive and it’s surprisingly complex, with the most minute motions in its seamless and fluid movement.

22. Goblins

Image: Universal

Debut: Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (2014)
Location: Universal Studios Florida (exclusive)
Video: “Here to open an account?”

Sometimes the most powerful message is none at all. Such is the case with the many goblins inhabiting the marble and granite interior of Gringotts’ lobby used as the queue for the Escape from Gringotts attraction in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. As guests pass under the towering crystal chandeliers of the bank, they step right between towering podiums occupied by miniscule goblins, each working away at their accounting and measuring. The goblins write on scrolls, glancing up every so often to glare at guests in line before returning to their work.

Their silence speaks louder than words, and the almost-eerie humanoid creatures don’t have much to say until the end of the queue, where the lead goblin rushes guests off to the elevators without a hint of welcome in his voice. Outside, along Diagon Alley is the Gringotts Money Exchange, where a digitally puppeted animatronic goblin answers questions of visitors… so long as they exchange their Muggle cash for Gringotts bank notes (cleverly disguised Universal Orlando gift cards) at his teller station.

21. T. Rex

Image: Universal

Debut: Jurassic World: The Ride (1996)
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood
Video: It’s in the Building!

We’ll return to the “gigantic reptile” category for our next entry. When Jurassic Park: The Ride opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1996, there was no question as to which dinosaur was the star… After a tranquil journey through herbivore habitats was accidentally set off-course by a playful hadrosaur, riders found themselves drifting through the industrial environmental systems building. To the tune of screaming radio chatter and an eerily pleasant countdown to the termination of life support systems, a looming waterfall would part to produce the T. rex itself, swinging forward, throwing its head back, and snapping its jaws within inches of the boat just as it hit an 85-foot drop.

As you’d expect for the studio park, Jurassic Park was ceremoniously upgraded to the much hotter Jurassic World in 2019, skillfully blending the old and the new. Even though the new series’ fantastical Indominus rex appears in the updated grand finale, it’s still the tireless T. rex that serves as the climactic encounter… and an astounding Audio Animatronic in its pop-up appearance, its surprising realism, and its proximity to guests and their final freefall.

20. Maleficent

Debut: Fantasmic
Location: Disneyland Park
Video: “This is my dream…”

Despite Disney’s immense catalogue of “nighttime spectaculars,” many fans agree that Disneyland’s Fantastic is still the one to beat. The sensational show transforms the park’s Rivers of America into the abstract realm of imagination, beginning the moment Mickey Mouse falls asleep through his revelations that he can control light, water, music, fire, and more. The Villains’ plans to exploit Mickey’s dream by turning it into a nightmare culminate in the arrival of Maleficent herself.

In 2009, Disneyland’s version of the show was upgraded with an exclusive Audio Animatronic that should make Disney World guests jealous. The five-story, fully-articulated dragon sets the river ablaze by breathing fire, lowers herself to glare at Mickey, then rears back with a strike of his sizzling gold magic, crackling and bellowing flames before vanishing into the night. Though this Maleficent scored a not-so-coveted spot on our 10 Infamous Animatronic Malfunctions feature for two particularly bad accidents, the astounding, enormous dragon is still a force to be reckoned with…

19. Hopper & The Insects

Image: Disney

Debut: “It’s Tough to be a Bug” (1999)
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom (exclusive)
Video: Insect-Sized Chaos 

Think of “It’s Tough to be a Bug” as a show within a show. Flik – the kindly ant protagonist of Disney-Pixar’s A Bug’s Life – has made us honorary bugs just long enough for him and his pals to show off a few insect survival skills and a rousing musical number to remind us just how important bugs are in the world. Then, Hopper arrives. 

The legitimately startling animatronic – which appears out of nowhere, bursting onto the stage in an explosion of smoke – is grotesque. With his one glassy eye, spindly limbs, and a disturbing, snake-like rattle from his sputtering wings, the animatronic scolds the audience for the horrific way humans treat the insect kingdom. Then, the spiteful eight foot tall grasshopper proceeds to fill the entire theatre with pressurized fog, drops animatronic spiders rappelling to within inches of guests reach, and sends hornets to sting families between the shoulder blades thanks to pneumatic pistons in the seats. It’s a horrifying, chaotic experience (see video above) that’s legitimately scary and sends many families screaming for the exit doors… and it all starts with an eerily lifelike giant grasshopper with a bad attitude.

18. Sinbad’s Storybook Cast

Image: Disney

Debut: Sinbad’s Seven Voyages (2001)
Location: Tokyo DisneySea (exclusive) 
Video: Setting Sail!

Maleficent may be an impressive and astounding animatronic, but Disney Legend and storied Imagineer Bob Gurr said, “The larger a creature is, the more space there is inside. It’s actually easier to design something that’s 30 feet tall than, say, 3 feet tall.” Which is exactly what makes the cast of Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage so phenomenal and hypnotic to watch… Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage is a Tokyo DisneySea original and, to some, is a contender for the best ride in a park famously full of headliners.

On paper, the seafaring voyage is simple enough: a “small world” style cruise through the journeys of Sinbad from 1001 Arabian Nights – and his tiger kitten companion, Chandu – set to the tune of an Alan Menken singalong original called “Compass of Your Heart.” But this storybook journey is brought to life by pint-sized, stylized Audio Animatronics of staggering fluid motion and amazing emotion. They breathe life into the literary adventure, making it a Disney classic all Imagineering fans should hope to see in person.

17. Ursula

Image: Disney

Debut: The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure (2011)
Location: Disney California Adventure and Magic Kingdom
Video: Poor, Unfortunate Souls! 

Despite needing a number of refurbishments and re-dressings to make it ship-shape, the Little Mermaid dark ride at Disney California Adventure was long overdue when it finally arrived in 2011. Folks had been clamoring for years to earn the timeless 1989 musical (which literally started the Disney Renaissance) a bigger presence in Disney Parks, and the dark ride did just that. But where there’s a mermaid, there’s a sea witch. The Audio-Animatronic Ariel located in the ride has earned some decided disapproval from fans, but there are no ifs, ands, or buts about Ursula.

The Sea Witch from the fable is present within the ride as a 7.5-foot tall, 12-foot wide Audio-Animatronic of exceptional proportions. Ursula sings, casts spells over her cauldron, and bounces along in her slithery, serpentine manner of choice with incredible detail, surprising range of movement and super-elastic skin. While the rest of the dark ride may get lukewarm reception from fans, Ursula is a sight to behold.

16. Imhotep 

Image: Universal

Debut: Revenge of the Mummy (2004)
Location: Universal Studios Florida (exclusive)
Video: “I shall rule for all eternity!” 

The queue for Orlando’s Modern Marvel: Revenge of the Mummy explores an ancient Egyptian tomb where the evil Imhotep and his curse await. According to the ride’s story, Imhotep is unstoppable… unless you can find the symbol of the Medjai, the ancient protectors of the Pharaoh who stand as the last guard between the mummified high priest and humanity. Shortly after boarding the ancient mine cars that travel into the tomb, guests get their first glimpse of just how serious Imhotep is about world domination. It seems that crewmember Reggie has gone missing from Revenge of the Mummy… and you’re about to find him.

Reggie – wrapped in mummified dressings – is leaned in a sarcophagus. As the coaster slowly moves toward him, he stirs. “Are you insane?! Get out of here! The curse – it’s real! This whole place is a trap!” Just then, the massive stone sarcophagus next to Reggie bursts open as the half-decayed Imhotep jumps out. “Silence!” he screams, extending his hand to Reggie. Dust is sucked out of Reggie’s mouth and into Imhotep as Reggie slumps over, dead. “With your souls,” Imhotep laughs, gesturing at the car, “I shall rule for all eternity.” Any future dealings with the Mummy will be in the form of projections, fog, and audio, but that first encounter with the surprising Imhotep figure leaves quite a taste in your mouth. And yes, it’s the only animatronic we can think of that jumps.

15. Abraham Lincoln

Image: Disney

Debut: 1964 New York World’s Fair
Location: Disneyland Park
Video: A Stately Address 

For Disney, the 1960s were a time defined by WED Enterprises’ involvement in the 1964 New York World’s Fair, where Walt had been commissioned to deliver shows for three corporations… and the State of Illinois. Luckily, that provided Disney with the opportunity (and funding) to take the Audio-Animatronics technology in the Tiki Room to the next level, bringing to life a human… and one who Walt personally admired. WED’s Audio-Animatronic figure of the nation’s 16th president (who hailed from Illinois) stood and gave a 5-minute address that left guests absolutely speechless.

The next year, the figure was duplicated to its own Main Street Opera House in Disneyland for the exclusive show, “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” That presidential encounter has briefly, intermittently closed so that the Opera House could play special presentations, and the Lincoln figure has been replaced and upgraded over the years. The most recent figure – an electronic-based Autonomatronic built in 2009 – has the most “real” emotional expression yet. Lincoln moves his eyebrows, sighs, gestures at the audience, reads from a note card in his hand, and stands upright from a seated position. Seeing Lincoln stand and address the crowd “in person” is deeply emotional. A virtual Lincoln on a 3D screen? Not so much.

14. Seven Dwarfs

Image: Disney

Debut: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (2014)
Location: Magic Kingdom and Shanghai Disneyland
Video: Whistle While You Work

When Disney fans were given Disney’s 2009 plans for a New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom, they accosted the resort for the expansion’s obvious bias toward princess meet-and-greets and a severe lack of actual attractions. Surprisingly, Disney agreed. They went back to the drawing board and redesigned New Fantasyland with the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at its center. At the expense of the park’s original Lost Legend: Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Magic Kingdom would receive a new family roller coaster that would recreate at least a bit of Snow White’s story from the point of view of Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, and Doc.

The ride opened in 2014 as the culmination of Fantasyland’s expansion. While the zipping, tilting coaster is a fun ride, it was the single dark ride scene mid-way through that fans went nuts over. The short-but-sweet scene passes through the Seven Dwarf’s gem mine, where unbelievable animatronics with disturbingly fluid motion sing, bounce, and whistle while they work. Aside from their flawless motion, the figures also debuted the first large-scale use of rear-projected faces able to lip-sync to the music (even as they dance!) as no other animatronics before had. As a result, the Seven Dwarfs are among the most fun animatronics to watch.  ​

13. The Yeti

Image: Disney

Debut: Expedition Everest (2006)
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom (exclusive)
Video: A rare animation reel of the Yeti in full A-mode

Fittingly coming in at number 13 is the Yeti. Up until its 2006 debut, the Audio-Animatronic Yeti hidden inside the Modern Marvel: Expedition Everest was often sold as the ride’s highlight. Its big selling point was its status as Disney’s most advanced Audio-Animatronic ever. It’s a fair title to give it, since the 25-foot tall, 10,000 pound Yeti was able to swing out five feet and drop 18 inches in a simulated attack on the roller coaster train each time it zoomed through the mountain’s core, with each swipe requiring the thrust of a jet engine at take off.

Given that, why doesn’t the Yeti rank higher on our list? Famously, the Yeti only “worked” for a few months after the ride’s opening, at which point something mysterious happened that prevents its operation today. Disney has only said through its spokesperson that the “complex functions have presented some challenges affecting its operation,” and that designers “purposefully took measures … to reduce unnecessary stress … while we studied long-term solutions.” So far, the temporary solution has remained: fans blow on the creature while strobe lights flashe on it, giving the impression of movement while the creature sits, frozen, with its hand outstretched toward the roller coaster track (its “B-mode”).

About once a month, eagle-eyed fans race to Twitter or Internet message boards to announce “the Yeti is working!” It’s not. They’re just falling for the strobe light trick month after month, which is a good thing! It means that the simple effect really does give the impression of movement, and in the split second that the train passes by the figure, that’s enough. Anyway, the popular tale is that a cracked concrete foundation prevents its safe operation, and that foundation can’t be fixed without serious and multi-month work inside the ride that would close it for a long time… and given that Everest is one of only three major rides at Animal Kingdom, the extended closure of such a headliner is unlikely.

Would we like to see what the Yeti is really capable of? Sure. And in the video above, you can see the Yeti in his full A-mode thanks to a very rare demo reel. As well, we have this on-ride video from the Yeti’s short operational life. You’ll probably think just what we do: that it’s great, but it only lasts a second. We’re sure that no one is more disappointed than Imagineers that the Yeti is still broken a decade later. As it is, 99% of guests fall for the “Disco Yeti,” and the figure itself is still impressive in its scale.

12. Rocket 

Image: Disney / Marvel

Attraction: Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! (2017)
Location: Disney California Adventure (exclusive)
Video: “One of the Guardians of the Galaxy… the SMART one.”

Fans of Disney California Adventure’s billion-dollar, five year rebirth looked on in absolute shock as Imagineers stripped the Lost Legend: Twilight Zone Tower of Terror of its art deco Hollywood stylings and its Californian mythology (seemingly perfect for a park dedicated to, y’know, California) and – in a six month quick-change – turned the lightning-scarred Hollywood Tower Hotel into buzzing space prison powerplant looming over the resort. If it seemed like an irreverent, odd, and outrageous treatment for the newly-minted park, that was purposeful and befitting Marvel’s irreverent, odd, and outrageous Guardians of the Galaxy – the misfit super hero group introduced in Marvel’s sleeper hit film of 2014.

Fans will eternally debate the merits of replacing a timeless, Californian legend with a flavor-of-the-week superhero screen ride that’s seemingly antithetical to the park’s recently-adopted sincerity and direction, but one thing no one can deny: Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! has a very cool Audio-Animatronic. Shepherded into the hotel’s library – er… the Collector’s office – a pre-show recording from Tanaleer Tivan is interrupted by the mischievious Rocket, who appears to fall from a vent, crawl along the room’s collection cases, and even thwack his head against a well-placed pipe.

Whether you hold a grudge against Mission: BREAKOUT! or not, the impressive interaction between Rocket and your small group of visitors is probably the only chance we’ll ever have to get this close to the rough-around-the-edge, not-raccoon character (voiced by Bradley Cooper). Cooler still is that the figure is also present (and reprogrammed) in the Halloween-exclusive Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark, which is set just hours after the usual Mission: BREAKOUT storyline.

11. Albert

Image: Disney

Debut: Mystic Manor (2013)
Location: Hong Kong Disneyland
Video: Welcome to Mystic Manor

Often considered among the pantheon of Disney’s best modern dark rides, Mystic Manor is part of the incredible and enigmatic storyline of S.E.A.: The Society of Explorers and Adventurers that connects multiple rides, shows, and even restaurants at Disney Parks around the world. The ride sends guests into the eclectic home of Lord Henry Mystic and his pet monkey Albert. The pair have spent their lives collecting wonders from around the world… Mystic’s prized possession, though, is an ancient music box said to grant life to the lifeless! Of course, that’s all silly superstition, so Mystic sends us ahead to the Aquisitions and Cataloguing Room to view the priceless music box.

As you might image, the glowing gems and painted primates on the music box prove too much for Albert to resist, as he opens the chest and sets our unthinkable adventure into motion. The mischievious monkey is so wonderfully lifelike and adorable, he’s become a defacto icon for Hong Kong Disneyland. As for Mystic Manor itself? With some of the most spectacular special effects and asotunding animatronics Disney’s ever created, the ride earned its own in-depth entry in our newest series, Modern Marvels: Mystic Manor that’s an absolute must-read for Disney Parks fans. A 3D ride packed with screens wouldn’t have the same effect.

10. Cars

Image: Disney / Pixar

Debut: Radiator Springs Racers (2012)
Location: Disney California Adventure (exclusive)
Video: “Get out there and do us proud!“

It’s race day in Radiator Springs! And you know what that means – time to put the pedal to the metal. The incredible Modern Marvel: Radiator Springs Racers – opened as part of the incomparable Cars Land at the new Disney California Adventure in 2012 – returns Disney to its roots: an incredible E-ticket that’s chocked full of impossible settings, breathless wonder, and a cast of Audio Animatronics that defy logic in their lifelike expression and movement. Only this time, it’s not a cast of humans or even animals. Lightning McQueen, Mater, and the rest of Radiator Springs’ residents are cars. Full-sized ones, with all the trimmings! And these cars, bounce, drive, blink, and talk through some of the most sophisticated and fluid motions Disney’s ever concieved of. You won’t believe the realism of the animatronic wonders until you see it in person, but the video above helps.

With more than a dozen of the Cars characters populating the attraction, it’s nearly impossible to choose a favorite. That said, there’s something very striking about seeing Doc Hudson hoisted up on an auto repair lift. As he turns to the car, he offers some of his usual sage wisdom: “It takes more than new tires to win a race. Now get out there and do us proud.” The ride has been compared (rightfully) to Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland next door as the Resort’s top attraction. While the big race finale may be the selling point, it’s the no-expense-spared animatronics that have really fueled up Disney fans and reminded them just how innovative Imagineering can be.

9. C-3PO

Image: Disney / Lucasfilm

Debut: Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011)
Location: Disneyland, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris
Video: “I am not programmed to fly these things!” 

In our in-depth Lost Legends: STAR TOURS feature, we call the original 1986 attraction “the ride that changed Disney Parks forever.” One of the first major collaborations between Disney and George Lucas, the ride managed to kick off the Age of the Simulator, begin the “Ride the Movies” era, and irrevocably brought non-Disney films into Disney Parks – all part of new-CEO Michael Eisner’s decree that Disney Parks needed to feature the stories and characters people cared about in modern times, even if they weren’t Disney stories and characters! And Star Tours was a hit, with guests on a domestic flight to Endor being dragged into a fight between the Empire and the Rebellion thanks to unforgettable first-time pilot RX-24 (or “Rex“). 

In 2011, the ride became its own prequel. In a new preshow, C-3PO steps aboard the StarSpeeder 1000 to conduct his pre-flight maintenance, only to be accidentally closed up in the captain’s cabin. Once we step aboard and are cleared for auto-take-off sequence, C-3PO appears on screen. “Why, we can’t take off,” he rebuts, “the Captain’s not on board!” It’s too late. As the cabin shield lowers, we see C-3PO himself, mere feet away from us. Sure, the Droid doesn’t have a mouth or eyes, but being this close the “real” C-3PO – seeing the gold glint off of his shell – leaves Star Wars fans gobsmacked.

What’s more, C-3PO is literally long for the ride, adjusting controls, turning to speak to us, and even holding on tight when the StarSpeeder jumps to lightspeed, subjecting riders – and the Audio-Animatronic – to some serious forces. It’s astounding that the C-3PO figure is with us throughout our entire adventure (and to consider that he’s in each StarSpeeder, meaning that – counting his appearances in the queue – that are 12 C-3PO figures between the U.S. parks alone…)

8. Davy Jones 

Image: Disney

Debut: Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Sunken Treasure (2016)
Location: Shanghai Disneyland (exclusive)
Video: An Undersea Encounter 

Pirates have been a part of Disney Parks for fifty years, all based on Disneyland’s original Pirates of the Caribbean dark ride. You know the drill: lost caverns, a waterfall, a cannon battle between a sailing ship and a fortress town, the pirates’ raid on the village, jailed vandals coaxing a dog with a key… The formula works, and for fifty years, it changed only by incorporating the key characters from 2003’s film adaptation and the ensuing Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise.

Shanghai Disneyland changed everything with Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Sunken Treasure. A gripping re-invention of the classic, this indescribable dark ride is easily on par with Escape from Gringotts, the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, or Indiana Jones Adventure as one of the world’s best modern dark rides. Battle for Sunken Treasure tossed out the Pirates rulebook and started from scratch. The whole ride is packed with unfathomable wow-moments, but one key encounter is with Davy Jones himself. The shocking figure is so realistic, it would easily be mistaken for a live actor in costume as he challenges guests to just try to steal his treasure. It’s an awesome and arresting moment and, trust us, the same figure created digitially on a screen would not carry the imposing strength and intimidation of this animatronic.

7. Lightning McQueen

Image: Disney

Debut: Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy (2019)
Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Video: “Put your wheels together…”

Ever since Disney announced that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was due to join the relatively small Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Imagineers raced been in an all-out sprint to add capacity to the park. (After all, Galaxy’s Edge’s two rides are two of 38 in Disneyland, but two of only 9 rides at Hollywood Studios…!) As if the construction of the “Sunset Showcase” flex space at the end of Sunset Blvd. didn’t seem odd enough, its subsequent filling with mere dance parties and meet-and-greets felt like a strange waste of the large theater. Is that really what they built it for?

In spring 2019, we found out its more permanent purpose in the lead up to Galaxy’s Edge: Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy. The attraction (while still impermanent) finally feels like a real use of the space, with wraparound screens giving guests an idea of the “training” McQueen goes through to prep for a race. While spectacularly colorful, fun, and high-energy, the real star is McQueen himself. And while his appearances on Radiator Springs Racers are impressive as you drive by, this Lightning is under the spotlight for the duration of the show, meaning he needs to hold up to intense scrutiny… and boy does he!

More than ever before, the figure appears truly alive, moving forward, backward, and side-to-side, tipping forward and back, and revving with fluidity you’d only ever expect on the screen. With lifelike eyes and mouth, and cleverly-animated wheels (appearing to fully rotate in perfect sync with his movements), this Lightning McQueen earns a sincere ‘Ka-chow!’

6. Kong

Image: Universal

Debut: Skull Island: Reign of Kong (2016)
Location: Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Video: “This cannot be good…”

For decades, King Kong terrorized guests at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida, albeit in different ways. In Hollywood, the towering great ape was merely a small (but starring) part of the hour-long, world-famous behind-the-scenes Studio Tram Tour, ravaging a New York set and rattling the passing tram. The wild animatronic – 30 feet tall and full of fury – was easily one of the most stunning figures on Earth when he debuted in 1986. When Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990, the creature encounters of Hollywood’s Studio Tour were split into standalone attraction, yielding the Lost Legend: Kongfrontation. After barely a decade in action, Kongfrontation folded to Universal’s rapid growth, and Revenge of the Mummy took its spot.

In a sort of mea culpa, Universal heralded the return of the king with 2016’s Skull Island: Reign of Kong. Whereas Kongfrontation set the ape lose in our world, Reign of Kong flipped the script, trapping us among the unearthly horrors of Skull Island – much more fitting for the fantasy and literature-inspired Islands of Adventure park it inhabits. 

After far too long dabbling in entirely screen-based rides, Reign of Kong turned out to be… well… only mostly screens. After a 360-degree projection tunnel experience wherein Kong turns out to be our savior from Skull Island’s horrors, the ride’s grand finale is a much-needed face-to-face encounter with the ape – albeit, as an exhausted, heaving protector that lacks the gravitas of Kongfrontation’s meeting with the raging, wild, angry ape. Still, the Kong figure is technically brilliant and absolutely mesmerizing. It just also happens to be undeniable evidence that the red-eyed, maddened beast of old is simply the preferred way to see him. 

Ready for the top 5? Read on…

5. Citizens of Arendelle

Debut: Frozen Ever After (2016)
Location: Epcot (exclusive) 
Video: “I’m free!”

Many in the Disney Parks fan community were horrified when Disney announced that the Lost Legend: Maelstrom – a stormy dark ride through the myths and legends of Norway – would disappear forever in favor of a ride based on Disney’s runaway smash hit Frozen. Naysayers were probably right that Frozen probably could’ve been better represented by a built-from-scratch mega E-Ticket in Fantasyland and that the fantasty ride feels out-of-place in World Showcase. Luckily, the criticisms end there.

Itself a Modern Marvel, Frozen Ever After is fascinating, largely thanks to its cast of Audio Animatronics figures that are, without a doubt, among the most lifelike human figures on Earth. The fluidity of their motion is accentuated by projection technology that makes them expressive, astounding, and (put simply) alive. For the first time (in for)ever, these figures might actually be mistaken for the real characters sprung from the screen; the figures are two-dimensional animation translated perfectly to three dimensions – something Disney has simply not been able to master in the recent past. It’s largely thanks to the figures groundbreaking switch to being all-electric, allowing precise movement and small motors that hydraulics simply don’t allow.

From the very first sight of Olaf, riders will be mesmerized. You might expect Elsa in her obligatory “Let It Go” scene to be the most impressive of the lot, and you’d be right. But literally every animatronic in the ride is amazing. Seriously, it’s that impressive. Frozen Ever After may always ruffle feathers in the Disney Parks fan community, but at least now its legacy will also be tied to fantastic innovation, too.

4. Hondo Ohnaka

Attraction: Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run (2019)
Location: Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Video: Making of…

Chances are, you could rattle off a list of a dozen or more Star Wars characters without even having seen the films. Would Hondo Ohnaka make the list? Probably not… But of course, the Star Wars universe is populated by hundreds upon hundreds of characters supported by in-depth backstories of their own, and Weequay space pirate Hondo Ohnaka is no different. To date, the character’s only “canon” appearances have been in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels – each an animated series. But in 2019, Hondo was pulled into the larger mythos in a big way…

Given that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is (controversially) set in the timeline of Disney’s “sequel” trilogy, original heroes like Han Solo are no where to be found. His fabled ship, however, is one of the land’s centerpieces, and one of the land’s two mega-attractions – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – needs a host. Enter Hondo, who’s happy to enlist us for a smuggling mission across the galaxy to gather containers of coaxium behind the Falcon’s controls. The space pirate (voiced by legendary voice actor Jim Cummings) acts as the attraction’s pre-show.

The figure is thought to be one of a new generation (commonly called A-1000s) that takes Frozen Ever After’s all-electric figures to the next level of complexity… Unsurprisingly, A-1000s make up the two top spots on our list, as well. But there’s one thing wild enough to break up these three A-1000s figures…

3. Lava Monster

Image: Disney

Debut: Journey to the Center of the Earth (2001)
Location: Tokyo DisneySea (exclusive)
Video: A subterranean attack…

Proving that film franchise tie-ins are hardly necessary for stellar rides, Journey to the Center of the Earth at Tokyo DisneySea is an unimaginable attraction from beginning to end. Riders board earth-moving carts with diamond-tipped drills on the front and begin a descent deep into the earth through scenes inspired by the Jules Verne novel of the same name. However, when an earthquake cuts off the intended route, the cars are forced to divert into a previously undiscovered molten chamber. We recounted the entire treacherous trip in its own feature, Modern Marvels: Journey to the Center of the Earth, but here’s the highlight…

The ride passes through the treacherous and hilly terrain of the Earth’s core where enormous basketball-sized eggs drip with goo… Whatever laid these eggs must be pretty big, right? Suddenly, a massive spider-like leg begins slamming on the cavern wall through a hazy membrane… We’ve invaded a nest. As fire bellows, the car turns the corner where a flaming molten pool awaits. And inside that pool is the most advanced Audio-Animatronic Disney has ever created – a molten millipede with spider fangs and glowing eyes with cooled, jagged rock forming an earthen crown on top of its head.

This Lava Monster – presumably the mother of the eggs we disturbed – turns 90 degrees. Upon seeing us, her eyes narrow in anger as it hisses. The creature rears back, its legs and fangs gnashing as it snarls and screeches. Then, it lunges forward at the car, triggering an acceleration that blasts riders through the darkness, then up and out of the park’s 190-foot-tall volcano icon. The encounter with the Lava Monster lasts only a few seconds, but the incredible range of motion and expression of this subterranean creature makes it easily Disney’s most impressive, and the absolute highlight of one of the greatest rides at one of the world’s greatest parks. And to consider that it resets to perform the action again ever 10 seconds or so? Color us impressed.

2. Shaman of Songs

Image: Disney

Debut: Na’vi River Journey (2017)
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom (exclusive)
Video: “Oel Ngati Kameie“

Just as Universal put the finishing touches on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Disney announced – completely coincidentally, of course – that they, too, had picked up the international worldwide rights to build highly-immersive, cinematic lands based on a pop culture phenomenon… in fact, their licensing of James Cameron’s AVATAR gave them exclusive access to the highest grossing film ever! … Never mind that AVATAR quickly disappeared from the pop culture lexicon without leaving so much as a character or quote in its wake. Fans rallied hard against the knee-jerk decision to build a permanent, full land based on the PG-13 20th Century Fox action movie at Disney’s Animal Kingdom…

And they (that is, we) were wrong. Pandora – The World of AVATAR is one of Disney’s crowning Imagineering achievements, transporting guests to the bioluminescent jungles of the alien moon Pandora. Brilliantly, the land and its rides were severed from the films, taking place generations later with no need to remember the unremarkable characters or the largely-forgotten plot details.

While the breathtaking Flight of Passage simulator is by far the land’s anchoring E-Ticket (and perhaps one of the best products of the simulator age in the entire world), it was the Na’vi River Journey that most intrigued fans… after all, when’s the last time Disney built a meandering, peaceful, boat-based dark ride? While Na’vi River Journey could stand to double its length, its opening debuted the world’s most impressive Audio-Animatronic… The Shaman of Songs resides in a grotto at the ride’s end, conducting the interconnected flora and fauna of the harmonious jungles of Mo’ara in a spiritual song that’s as inspiring as it is entrancing. The Shaman herself is absolute art, and Imagineering fans could literally watch the figure for hours in speechless wonder.

1. Kylo Ren

Debut: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Video: “You will tell me the location…”

There are practically no words to describe Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the ultra-E-Ticket (U-Ticket?) anchor of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge lands at both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. Blurring the line between where the queue ends and the “ride” begins, the attraction utilizes three separate ride systems in an epic journey that sees guests ferried away from Black Spire Outpost before being abducted by the villanous First Order just as the Resistance arrives. Enlisted in a plan to escape from the First Order ship and return to Batuu, guests encounter a ride that’s more ambitious than nearly any Imagineering has ever attempted.

But the attraction’s star must be Kylo Ren – the “sequel” trilogy’s conflicted counterpart to Darth Vader – who’s present in at least two astounding Audio Animatronics during the ride. The second (and the number one figure on our list) is encountered when guests find themselves sealed off from the escape pods that may be their only hope off the ship. Using his Force powers, Ren grabs hold of the ride’s prisoner transport vehicles to pull guests in close with a final threat if they refuse to betray the location of the Resistance base on Batuu.

Just then, a Resistance missile strikes the ship, blowing open a hole into space. In unbelievable motion, Kylo is flung forward by the force of the explosion with the wall shattering behind him. He flails forward in an attempt to grab something, but is ultimately sucked backwards, reaching helplessly as the ship begins to disintegrate around him. With Kylo’s Force grip cut off, the path to the escape pods is clear, ending one of the most epic encounters with a brain-shatteringly lifelike figure – the perfect climax of a modern Imagineering marvel.

Conclusion

The 21st century has shown that animatronics are not make-or-break when it comes to an attraction’s success. Transformers: The Ride is an incredible, action-filled thrill ride without a single animatronic, and Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem doesn’t need a robotic Gru to be captivating, heartwarming, and fun.

Even still, there’s something powerful about seeing a character come to life in the old-fashioned, glasses-free kind of 3D. Sure, Spider-Man leaping onto the hood of your SCOOP virtually is stunning and awe-inspiring, but folks are still just as captivated by the hairy leg of that pirate of the Caribbean, aren’t they? That sort of visceral, “real” experience is important, and even if new genres leave animatronics out, we don’t ever expect them to disappear completely. Have you seen all of the figures on our list? Which took your breath away? 

Image: Disney