I think it’s been a long time since I talked about the Disney Parks and I think it’s about time we go back into the Disney Parks. This will technically be the first Disney Top 10 List for my website and what better topic to talk about then my favorite thing about the Disney Parks. The Disney Parks would be nothing without their Imagineering team and since 1961 the Disney Imagineering team has created some of the greatest audio animatronics. Back in May I made a Top 10 list of my Top 10 Audio Animatronics and that list should be available now to read on the site but all the animatronics that were on the list are some of the most popular and beloved audio animatronics in the Disney Parks today. However Disney has so many audio animatronics that I think it is fair that we can talk about some of their underappreciated and underrated audio animatronics. Now for this lists the audio animatronic must be a part of an existing ride/attraction and or show and they also must be working so just like my top 10 animatronics list The Yeti from Expedition Everest doesn’t count for this list since the animatronic has been put on B-mode and hasn’t been in it’s true A-Mode swinging his arm to attack us since 2007. Comment below which audio animatronic you think is underappreciated and let’s finally head back to the Disney Parks and countdown the Top 10 Underrated Audio Animatronics in the Disney Parks.
Top 10 Underrated Audio Animatronics in the Disney Parks
10. Q’Araq (Roaring Rapids in Shanghai Disneyland) – Let’s get on our raincoats because we are going to get wet on this ride as it is the home of one of the biggest animatronics in Disney history. Shanghai Disneyland is home to Roaring Rapids and Q’Araq. Q’Araq is a huge crocodile monster who is known as the Guardian of the Water. The huge audio animatronic doesn’t have a lot of movement as the figure stands inside of the ride’s structure but its head moves and its mouth opens wide to try and attack the guests as they pass by. The animatronic looks lifelike as it feels like it when you first see the beast that you are looking at a real life monster getting ready to eat you for entering its lair. Now while the audio animatronic is pretty impressive, the animatronic itself is kind of not appreciated enough. The animatronic figure alone is one of the most must see animatronics of all of the Disney Parks and the fact that it can only be seen in one park and that there are no other versions of the figure in any other Disney Park makes this animatronic must see. I feel like the reason why the animatronic is underrated and not appreciated as much is because the ride itself is a not so loved ride as it is a water rapid ride that not many people enjoy but it also doesn’t help that the animatronic itself isn’t well known because it is in a Disney Park that is pretty new considering the park opened in 2016. Regardless this animatronic is really impressive and it definitely is a must see animatronic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij4_emdkiUY&t=252s
9. Figment (Journey into Imagination with Figment in Disney World’s Epcot) – One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation and this small figure is a great example of that quote. Figment has been a key character of Disney World’s Epcot and Journey into Imagination as the animatronic might be small but it is pretty popular in the park. However while the loveable Figment might be loved by Disney World guests, the ride itself shadows the animatronics’ popularity as many guests hate the ride itself because it isn’t the same ride it used to be. Back in 1983, Journey into Imagination with Figment used to be known as Journey into Imagination and the ride included Figment but also his beloved friend the Dreamfinder. Since that version of the ride was closed and two more version of the ride opened, one being a ride that didn’t include Figment at all, the ride has found itself on the bad side of Disney World guests. The only good thing about the ride is the fact that Figment is a bigger part of the ride, since Journey into Your Imagination only included him in a cameo. The figure itself has some decent movements and while over the years the figure itself has lost some movements, it still is a loved animatronic that many guests love to see in person. The reason why this popular animatronic is on this list is because the not so popular ride overshadows the animatronic and while the character is pretty much a mascot for Epcot, the animatronic deserves much more love than what it truly gets. Yes it is in a not so great but underrated ride, it deserves to gain more appreciation since the figure is featured a lot more than the first two versions of the ride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ7IcuG-Qlk
8. Buzz Lightyear (Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin in Disney World) – There are many versions of this ride and animatronic so why not include the oldest and most known version at the Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland. The ride opened in the Magic Kingdom back in October 1998 and since then it has been a must do ride when visiting Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The ride is an interactive shooting dark ride and while the ride has some interesting animatronics, it’s the Queue that holds our audio animatronic. The body of the figure is animatronic but the face of the figure is a screen projection of computer animation. The figure uses computer animation screen projection as a way to lip-sync better and show more expressive features on the face as this was a way to make the audio animatronic more realistic and represent the character better from the Toy Story films. The animatronic is pretty impressive and the fact that it has been in the eye of the guests for over 20 years has been pretty amazing but the animatronic and ride itself has lost some sort of popularity over the years. It also doesn’t help that Tomorrowland has been plagued with less and less love over the years with rides becoming obsolete and more people visiting the new attractions in the other parks. Plus it doesn’t help that the animatronic figure has been around for over 20 years and has lost its popularity. This animatronic was once one of the most impressive animatronics of its time and it still is a pretty impressive animatronic. Buzz Lightyear defiantly deserves more love and appreciation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r7KT8JDRvg
7. Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean in Shanghai Disneyland) – The Pirates of the Caribbean rides are infamous to the Disney Parks and Shanghai Disneyland probably has the most impressive version of the ride as it includes some great special effects, a different ride system, an original story and some very impressive audio animatronics. The ride has a very impressive audio animatronic of Captain Jack Sparrow and a pretty great animatronic of Sir Hammerhead but it also includes the Pirates of the Caribbean antagonist Davy Jones. The figure looks phenomenal and has very great movement. It is also pretty shocking that the animatronic isn’t a cast member in costume because it looks lifelike and its movements are beyond amazing. The animatronic doesn’t get enough love like the other animatronics from every other Pirates rides as this ride is pretty new in the Disney Community and it also is shadowed by the amazing Jack Sparrow animatronic. I actually think the Davy Jones animatronic is the better animatronic as while the figure doesn’t have as much movement as the Jack Sparrow figure, it looks more lifelike and real compared to the Jack Sparrow figure. Plus I feel like the success of this ride and the more praise the animatronic gets, the more of a chance the other parks could add a Davy Jones figure into the ride. It may not happen but can you just imagine instead of a screen projection of Davy Jones in Disney World we get an impressive audio animatronic. Until then we should continue to be amazed at this amazing audio animatronic and this amazing Shanghai Disney ride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EcujmrPBIM
6. John (Carousel of Progress in Disney World’s Tomorrowland) – Walt Disney’s favorite attraction is the Carousel of Progress and it has been entertaining guests since its debut in the 1964 New York’s World Fair to being included in Disneyland in 1967 and later Disney World in 1975. The last and only version of this attraction is in Tomorrowland at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and over the years the animatronics have become icons of Tomorrowland and that includes John, the narrator of the ride and the animatronic that is the center of the ride. While the attraction might be an iconic Disney attraction, it has become a thing of the past to some guests and it even has been slowly become a relic in the park. The attraction is in need of a big refurbishment as many of the figures, including John, has lost some of its movements and the attraction itself needs to have a new story or at least a new ending since the point of the attraction is to tell how technology has progressed over the years. John is a true underrated animatronic as many guests love him and his family but they also know that he has lost his love and appreciation over the years. I myself know that this attraction and its animatronics can use a bit of a refurbishment but most of all some more love. Even though the animatronic has lost a bit of popularity and movements itself over the years it is still an enjoyable animatronic to come see and I mean it’s one of the last few attractions that Walt himself worked on. It will hopefully be a great big beautiful tomorrow one day for John and his attraction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8RdrSrAAjw
5. Hopper (It’s Tough to Be A Bug in Animal Kingdom) – If you are afraid of bugs then this attraction isn’t for you and that’s probably why this amazing audio animatronic is underrated. Hopper, the antagonist of the Pixar film A Bugs Life, was created beautifully by the Disney Imagineering team and the figure looks very amazing as it has some great movements with its arms and it also looks lifelike. The attraction and audio animatronic has been in Disney’s Animal Kingdom for quite some time now, in fact it’s been in the park since the park first opened and seven months before A Bugs Life was released to theaters. Many people got to witness what A Bugs Life was kind of going to be about before they even got to see the feature film and what better way to do it then have a lifelike figure of Hopper try to scare the humans by putting bugs all over them. Like I said this attraction isn’t for everybody but the main question I have is why people don’t know about the audio animatronic. The Hopper animatronic and the attraction can be found inside the Tree of Life, which is the center of Animal Kingdom. Not many people know about this hence why not many people know about the attraction or animatronic. It also doesn’t help that it is the oldest attraction in the park that has never had a refurbishment and change to the stories show so it’s pretty crazy. The animatronic is very impressive and can run circles around many animatronics in Disney World but I feel like because the attraction has lost its popularity and because the attraction is a bit older, it then loses some appreciation. Plus Disco Yeti and the Na’vi Shaman had become some iconic animatronics at Animal Kingdom so that might be a big reason as well. Poor Hooper can’t catch a break if you ask me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RiWHQwZcvI
4. Harold the Abominable Snowman (Matterhorn Bobsleds in Disneyland) – Matterhorn Bobsleds has gone through renovations and refurbishments the most in Disneyland but by far the most impressive and best refurbishment to the ride was its audio animatronic Harold the Abominable Snowman. For Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary, the park closed the attraction for an extended refurbishment including an updated Harold the Abominable Snowman. The Original Harold can be now found in Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout but Harold 2.0 takes the attraction to new heights as the new animatronic figure has lifelike movement and is a very better looking figure. The original Harold animatronic was cool but after a while it started to look outdated and not so frightening. Thankfully this new Harold animatronic is much scarier and is pretty impressive. However while the animatronic might be impressive, much like the Matterhorn Bobsleds, the animatronic seems to get not as much love and appreciation that it truly deserves. The centerpiece of this attraction should be getting more love since it was refurbished and given a new look, new movements and most of all it looks more frightening. It’s one of those times where an animatronic might have gotten a makeover but you only care for 15 minutes and then something new comes along and grabs your attention. Next time you visit Disneyland take a moment of appreciation for this amazing animatronic and let everyone know how awesome and frightening it looks in person. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGK7XD4sGXc
3. Wheezy (Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios) – Back in 2018 a new land arrived in Hollywood Studios that was worth waiting for. Toy Story Land opened up in the Summer of 2018 and many Disney guests were excited to ride the new rollercoaster Slinky Dog Dash. The ride is a launch roller coaster that has the max speed of 40mph and has probably one of the best themed queues in the entire park. The ride is an awesome ride but there is only one way to end your Toy Story ride experience and that is with a musical number of You’ve Got a Friend in Me sung by Wheezy the Penguin. The Toy Story 2 character makes his appearance at the end of the ride and is performing the Big Finale on the final brake run. The audio animatronic is pretty impressive and Disney really outdid themselves with this audio animatronic. Now while the audio animatronic looks very impressive, it kind of gets forgotten about sometimes and the way I see it that kind of already shows how underappreciated it is. It also doesn’t really help that next door to Toy Story Land is Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and most of the attention to this animatronic gets kind of forgotten about after people ride Rise of the Resistance, which has some amazing audio animatronics including the very impressive lifelike audio animatronic of Kylo Ren. Regardless of that I think Wheezy the Penguin is an amazing audio animatronic that is placed in a perfect spot on Slinky Dog Dash and is a great way to end your ride by watching and listening to him sing You’ve Got a Friend in Me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGHzW7N5kpg
2. Abraham Lincoln (Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln in Disneyland) – This audio animatronic has a rich history that goes back decades. The 1st version of this animatronic was created back in the 1960’s as Walt Disney created a show for the 1964 New York’s World Fair that featured an audio aniamtronic Abraham Lincoln. Walt Disney has said that Abraham Lincoln was his childhood hero growing up and what better way to honor your hero than by making him your star attraction for the New York World’s Fair. The animatronic was heavily loved and praised that it was duplicated and brought into Disneyland for the attraction Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. There have been multiple version of this animatronic as it used to run on hydraulics and now it is an electronic audio animatronic and even though it has been refurbished and changed up a bit, it is still pretty impressive that the animatronic has lasted as long as it has to this day. If we are really going to go there then I guess we can say it is a true OG audio animatronic in the park since it has been around since 1965. The audio animatronic is one of the first animatronics to be able to stand up and that alone is impressive itself. However it is the movements in the figures body and face that make this audio animatronic feel very impressive. I have never seen this animatronic in person but just through a screen I can tell how amazing it is. I could just imagine how it looks in person and how lifelike it might be. While I might be heavily praising the animatronic I should say that it is a pretty underappreciated animatronic at this point. The figure has been technically around for 65 years and the attraction the figure is a part of has been too, with the exception of a 2 year hiatus. But just like our last few entries on this list something new and way cooler comes up and takes the spotlight from the already amazing animatronic. You can also argue that not many people want to sit in a 15 minute long show just to see an audio animatronic figure of our 16th President of the United States and if that is the case then you are bugging out because this animatronic figure is worth the 15 minute show. Abraham Lincoln is one of the last few things in Disneyland that Walt Disney ever created and that honor alone is enough for me to appreciate this phenomenal audio animatronic more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeMRx0Tz8OQ
1. Lighting McQueen (Lighting McQueen Racing Academy in Hollywood Studios) – This attraction and audio animatronic is the most recent one on this list and it can be found in Hollywood Studios. Lighting McQueen’s Racing Academy is a 10 minute show where the guests take on a role of racing rookies and are being guided by Lighting McQueen. The show takes place after the events of the Pixar film Cars 3 and the show also includes on screen appearances of many of the Cars trilogy characters including Mater, Cruz Ramirez and Chick Hicks. However the most amazing thing of this live-show is the Lighting McQueen audio animatronic and let me tell you this animatronic is seriously one of the most impressive animatronics in Disney World. The animatronic looks perfect as the figures movement and features make it seem like the actual Pixar character is right in front of our eyes. Now this isn’t the first time we have seen an audio animatronic Lightning McQueen as there are two in Cars Land in Disneyland but this audio animatronic is a bit more better. Now while the animatronic is very impressive the attraction and the animatronic itself is pretty underappreciated and underrated. This show and animatronic made its debut 6 months before Galaxy’s Edge opened up to the public so once it finally did open up to the public Lighting McQueen’s Racing Academy kind of became a show to go see when you want to cool off from the Florida heat. I mean it should defiantly get some more love because it is so advanced and has lifelike movements, well for a animatronic car of course, but still it is an impressive animatronic that is a must see when visiting Disney World. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEFotg4XtcU
Honorable Mentions:
Sonny Eclipse (Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café in Magic Kingdom) – This audio animatronic is probably one of the coolest animatronics in Disney World as he is placed inside a café in Tomorrowland. The animatronic performs all day long in the café and he is a fun treat to watch. Hope you are down for a dinner and a show when going to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqs7LeG-8lk
Lumiere (Enchanted Tales with Belle in Magic Kingdom) – He is a pretty small audio animatronic but he has phenomenal movement complete with an amazing screen projected face. It’s like Disney brought the loveable candle to life right in front of our very eyes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1PPoE-K9Eo
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