An animatronic of Walt Disney will be added to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Disney announced at Saturday’s Destination D23 event.
The new figure will be part of an overhaul to the Carousel of Progress attraction in Tomorrowland. Disney’s presentation indicated that the animatronic will be an addition, rather a replacement, to the existing Carousel of Progress story. Here’s how it was explained on the official Disney Parks Blog:
Progress and innovation were two of Walt’s cornerstone passions, which is as evident in the show today as it was when it first debuted. Before you follow an American family (and Rover!) over four generations of progress as technology transforms their lives and paves the way for once-unimaginable innovations, you’ll be able to catch a brand-new introductory scene and hear from the legendary man who never stood in the way of progress — Walt Disney.
Carousel of Progress debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York and was later brought to Disneyland before finding its home at the Magic Kingdom in 1975. The animatronic show has not seen a significant update in more than 30 years, beyond a few minor tweaks to the clothes on animatronics in the show’s final scene.
Disney did not say when the new Walt animatronic would debut. It will be the second figure built of the company’s namesake and founder following the debut of the first at Disneyland earlier this year. That animatronic drew a mixed response, with people both praising the figure’s fluidity while opining that it didn’t look enough like the real Walt Disney.