Battle of the Bots: Top 10 Animatronics at Disney World! (Who Will Win the Top Spots??)
Walt Disney World is home to an incredible array of Audio Animatronics. From talking birds to prestigious presidents, there’s enough robots here to populate an entire village! And that’s by design. Delightfully imagineered bots have been citizens of the parks ever since the beginning, adding an extra spark of life and intrigue to the attractions.
Some of those early animatronic designs are still in use in various parks today, while others have been slowly improved over the years to offer guests a more realistic experience. Today, with the achievement of hyper-realistic movement, Disney’s most advanced figures can fool some guests into believing they’re live actors. Especially if seen at a glance!
This article features a list of our favorite animatronic figures currently residing at Walt Disney World (no past animatronics count, unfortunately for the Pirates of the Caribbean Auctioneer). Admittedly subjective, these rankings are based on personal opinions regarding technological impressiveness, nostalgia, and amusement. Do we have the same favorite Audio Animatronics at Disney World? Let’s find out!
1. Sonny Eclipse
For those who don’t know, Sonny Eclipse is the suave alien musician who performs at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café in Tomorrowland of the Magic Kingdom. Despite the restaurant itself being a bit chaotic, the animatronic serenades listeners with a smooth, soulful voice that completely changes the dining experience. His singing is both impressive and amusing (based on the lyrics and between-song exchanges), and his design is completely one of a kind.
The voice of Sonny, Kal David, was primarily a blues musician who recorded multiple albums in the 1960s and 1970s. Sadly, David passed away in the summer of 2022, but we’re happy that Sonny Eclipse keeps singing in his stead. Even if you’re not eating at Cosmic Ray’s, be sure to pop your head in for a moment to appreciate the incredible sights and sounds of this highly underrated animatronic character.
2. Big Al
The Country Bear Jamboree in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland is classically iconic, and Big Al might just be the most entertaining bear in the band. His animatronic isn’t necessarily all that advanced or impressive, but the character created from the technology is extremely memorable.
It may come from a place of nostalgia, but we think it’s the mark of a great animatronic that Big Al never fails to make everyone laugh during his performance. The animatronic exudes such a funny and interesting personality, making it one of the best at Disney. Big Al is, of course, supported by a cast of other animatronics who provide great support and an amazing atmosphere for the entire Country Bear Jamboree show.
3. The Navi Shaman
If you’re familiar with Animal Kingdom’s most recent land addition, you might have suspected the Shaman to top this list. It’s a truly incredible animatronic, with perfectly executed facial and mouth movements and amazingly fluid full-body motions. There really is a sense it could be a living being.
Even though it is one of the most advanced Disney animatronics, the Navi Shaman’s impact on the ride leans toward the negative. With its insanely great design, the animatronic chewed up a massive chunk of the Navi River Journey ride budget, leaving the rest of the experience short and even feeling somewhat incomplete.
Don’t get us wrong. The ride is thoroughly enjoyable, and the sights and sounds are totally immersive, but the overall experience adds up to less than the sum of its parts.
Though the Shaman is almost always fully working, it has a built-in failsafe to ensure the ride isn’t ruined by a non-functioning animatronic. The entire thing is connected to a rig that will lift it up and out of sight! Unfortunately, if you’re unlucky enough to ride when this happens, then the ride feels even shorter and emptier.
4. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln stands among 45 other life-sized animatronics of America’s presidents in the aptly named Hall of Presidents. The show itself was something Walt Disney wanted in his new park because he was so proud of his country and of the incredible men who built it. He began this homage by creating the “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” attraction for Disneyland (and the 1964 New York World’s Fair!). The Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom is an expansion and successor to this show.
The Lincoln animatronic is particularly impressive due to the fact that it moves from a sitting position to a standing position. Though plenty of animatronics move their limbs around and tilt their bodies forward and backward, the up and down movement makes this animatronic far more lifelike. His Gettysburg Address is one of the most influential and remembered speeches in history, and its delivery from the animatronic is immaculate.
While Lincoln is a big star of the show, even “background” presidents are allowed to shine with lifelike antics, such as Clinton and Obama whispering to each other during Trump’s speech in years past. Sometimes it’s the smallest actions that are the biggest display of a person’s, or an animatronic’s, character!
5. Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is a classic gem and staple of Adventureland in both Disney World and Disneyland in California. The show features a bevy of animatronic birds, flowers, and tikis which sing and move while performing the show. It’s lovely to see Walt’s legacy has remained tied to the attraction even through its tumultuous history – including a relatively short re-theme featuring famous Disney move birds like Zazu from The Lion King and Iago from Aladdin.
Though the animatronics themselves are of a simpler variety with limited movement (and some clacking as a result of the compressed air), they have a magnificent ammount of charm. Maybe it’s because they all have names. Maybe it’s because the songs are so catchy. Maybe it’s because the room itself is so perfectly tropical (and dark and relaxing on a hot day!). Regardless, the show is an awesome experience, and it’s in large part because of the amazing animatronic cast.
6. Donald Duck’s Behind
As you may have noticed, many of Disney World’s best animatronics are housed in the Magic Kingdom, and #6 is no different. Donald’s butt, the star of the ending of Mickey’s Philharmagic in Fantasyland, is both clever and unique.
At the end of the show, Donald is blasted out of a tuba and flies past the screen and over the audience. Guests can then look behind them in the mezzanine section of the theater to see Donald stuck in the wall, teetering over the edge. As he makes noise and smoke pours out around him, most guests will slowly figure out what’s happening just in time to see the animatronic fall out of view with a crash.
This is among the best animatronics in Disney because it’s completely unnecessary but adds so much extra fun to the show. It brings the musical chaos from the screen to the real world, breaking the fourth wall in a magical – and hilarious! – way. The animatronic itself has some pretty fluid movements, making it a solid choice among the ranks of best Disney Audio-Animatronics.
7. Olaf
Although it’s tough to see Maelstrom replaced in EPCOT’s Norway, the animatronics in the first scene of the Frozen Ever After Ride are pretty amazing. As your boat passes by, Olaf follows alongside you, moving in multiple directions and waggling his little feet. The outstanding tech is on full display here, and Olaf’s cartoon-like appearance makes the effects even more believable.
8. Dok Ondar (and most everything else in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)
Though all of animatronics in Galaxy’s Edge are most impressive, Dok Ondar is a top pick, if for no other reason than because he’s super underrated. This little-known animatronic is one of Disney’s newest and greatest additions. His lifelike movements are so convincing! Given the fact that he’s a different species, there are no discrepancies in movement or look to ruin the illusion that he is a living creature.
Hidden away in a gift shop, Dok Ondar moves around in quite a few ways and goes from facing guests to turning the other direction as he organizes his wares. Overall, the animatronic is fantastically believable and worth detouring to the gift shop to meet.
9. John
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is home to many charming animatronics, but our main character, John, is a cut above the rest. His movements, though not quite as realistic, make him a likeable character and endearing dad. We particularly enjoy the summer scene where, with Niagara Falls fan in hand, John declares it’s the “hottest Fourth of July we’ve had in years!” (That’s such a mood for Florida weather!)
10. Teddy Roosevelt & Co.
EPCOT’s American Adventure show combines movie narration with live animatronics in an amazing way. Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Chief Joseph, and Mark Twain are all wonderful, and Teddy’s scene with John Muir takes the cake to round out our top ten.
Honorable Mentions:
- The unknown Egyptian in Spaceship Earth of EPCOT: With so many amazing animatronics on the ride, it was hard to pick just one. However, the current script for the unknown Egyptian (busily pounding reeds into papyrus) includes a snarky bit about what could be recorded on that papyrus: “unfortunately taxes.” This makes him the clear choice. We love a bit of sass!
- Statler and Waldorf in MuppetVision 3D: These professional critics are a classic part of any Muppet film and, similar to Donald at #6, do a great job of bringing MuppetVision from the screen to real life.
- Maleficent in Festival of Fantasy: All right, so the Maleficent dragon float in Magic Kingdom’s parade isn’t exactly an animatronic, but it does contain impressive mechanics! And honestly, how could we NOT include a fire-breathing dragon??
These are our top ten favorite audio-animatronics, but there are so many amazing ones to choose from! Who’s your favorite Disney World robot? Is it R2-D2 or a character from it’s a small world? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured photo: Unsplash
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