The online release of the Walt Disney figurine inspired by the upcoming “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” show at Disneyland has been delayed.
Walt Disney Talking Figure Release
DisneyStore.com originally indicated the figure would be released with the Walt Disney Nostalgia Collection on June 11. They have now removed the Walt Disney Nostalgia Collection from the list of upcoming releases on the Disneyland 70th Anniversary page. Instead, the “Disneyland 70th Anniversary Walt Disney Talking Figure” is listed as coming out on July 17, the day “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” will open.
This is the first time we’ve learned that the figure will talk. Judging by the photo, its mouth probably won’t move, but dialogue from the new show will likely play.
We don’t know if the Walt Disney Nostalgia Collection will still be released via the Disney Store, but it is available at Disneyland Resort, sans talking Walt. The figure will likely be released at Disneyland the same day the show opens.
“Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” featuring the first-ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic, was originally scheduled to open with the start of the Disneyland 70th celebration on May 16, which may be why the figure was teased early. The show’s opening was delayed to the actual 70th anniversary date of July 17, 2025.
The show will begin with the 15-minute documentary “Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream,” returning to Disneyland Resort after a 20-year absence. After the documentary, the Walt animatronic will appear on a set inspired by his studio office. The show uses archival voice recordings to have Walt tell the story of his own life.
Tom Fitzgerald, Senior Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, said the animatronic is the product of several “moonshots” built upon recent technological advancements. Imagineer Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz said it’s the “most lifelike audio-animatronic that we’ve created at Walt Disney Imagineering.”
Walt Disney’s granddaughter Joanna Miller has publicly denounced the animatronic. Other living relatives approve of the animatronic. Joanna’s sister Tamara Miller said, “We believe that our grandfather would have been enthusiastic about the project and fascinated by the advancements of the audio-animatronics technology that was first developed during his days at WED (now Imagineering) — a technology that he was always passionate about.”
Joanna insists that Walt said he never wanted to be turned into an animatronic, a rumor that has spread for years, but Imagineering says they have found no record of such an assertion from Walt.
“Walt Disney – A Magical Life” will temporarily replace “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” in the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland Park. After its debut run, the show will rotate with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
Also debuting at the Main Street Opera House on July 17 is a new gallery titled “Evolution of a Dream,” featuring never-before-seen art and original furniture from Walt’s Disneyland apartment.
Read more about “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.”
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