Three generations of Walt Disney’s family got to experience the full “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” show at Disneyland before it opens to the public this week.
Disney Family Reacts to ‘Walt Disney – A Magical Life’
During a panel for media, Imagineers revealed that on Sunday, three generations of Walt and Lillian’s family saw “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” at the Main Street Opera House, saying “they were so moved and so touched by it.” Imagineer Kirsten said the family especially appreciated the inclusion of the film “Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream,” now narrated by Bob Iger, because it “tells the story of Walt the man, that he’s more than the brand, anchored here in the park that he created. So they were very grateful for it.”
“Walt Disney – A Magical Life” features the first-ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic. Kirsten said, “The youngest generation, the little ones, we couldn’t convince them that it wasn’t a real person.”
The show will be presented in the Main Street Opera House beginning on July 17, alongside new exhibits about the history of Disneyland, animatronics, and Walt. Kirsten noted, “The family also thought that Walt would really have liked this, that intersection between art and technology, he would have been very honored.”
We already knew that some of Walt’s family had seen and approved of the Audio-Animatronic figure during its construction. Walt Disney’s grandnephew, Roy P. Disney, appeared during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2024 for the announcement of the show after visiting Imagineering to see the figure.
In 2023, Walt Disney Imagineering invited the board of directors for The Walt Disney Family Museum, including five of Walt’s grandchildren and three of his great-grandchildren, to see the animatronic in progress.
Chris Miller, the eldest child of Walt’s daughter Diane who founded the museum, said the figure was “stellar” and Imagineer was “very eager to be as accurate as possible in creating this.”
Granddaughter 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.”
However, Diane’s daughter Joanna has been outspoken against the figure. She insists the animatronic is against Walt’s wishes, citing a rumor that Walt told Imagineer Sam McKim he never wanted to be an animatronic. She said retired Imagineers are also against the project.
Imagineering stated they have found no record of Walt Disney saying he never wanted an Audio-Animatronic of himself created.
“Walt Disney – A Magical Life” opens to the public on July 17, 2025, the 70th anniversary of Disneyland Park.
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