Tonight at D23 Expo, news broke that a Walt Disney themed show is coming to the Disneyland Opera House. The show will feature a state of the art Walt animatronic. In this post, we’ll share the news and add our commentary in the coming days! Let’s get to the news:

As Walt Disney once said, “When we consider a new project, we really study it—not just the surface idea, but everything about it. And when we go into that new project, we believe in it all the way. We have confidence in our ability to do it right. And we work hard to do the best possible job.”

On stage during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro gave a small glimpse of a fitting tribute coming to Disneyland. For the first time ever, when it debuts in 2025, guests will actually be able to see Walt Disney through the magic of Audio-Animatronics technology in “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.”

Walt Disney Imagineering’s first Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney is being created for this very special experience. “I speak for our entire team when I say there is so much pride and excitement for everyone involved in this endeavor,” Josh told the crowd.

The past, present and future are coming together, giving visitors the chance to imagine what it would be like to stop by Walt’s office. Who knows what he might be dreaming up inside? Only time will tell with Walt.

“Walt Disney – A Magical Life” will debut inside the Main Street Opera House, and after its initial run, the attraction will play in rotation with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” A fitting acknowledgement of Walt’s significant advances with Audio-Animatronics about 60 years ago when he first introduced the groundbreaking technology.

“Creating our first Walt figure is a huge responsibility, and we’ve brought members of the Disney family along with us for every step of the journey,” Josh continued on stage. “His great-nephew, Roy P. Disney, visited the Imagineering campus recently to see our progress. And he’s here tonight. Thank you, Roy, for helping us fulfill this dream.”

Commentary

This news came as a surprise at Disneyland but it was carefully done. Replacing Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is tricky but the announcement was careful to say that the show would come back. Whether that theater has the infrastructure to do that was something I questioned but have no reason not to believe them!

As a whole, this announcement is really exciting. Having a show that features what Disneyland is all about and showcasing Walt in the park will be a fantastic addition. That it’s steps away from the entrance is even better! To be honest, there’s not much more to say other than that this is great news.

Having this be one of the first bits of information coming out about the 70th anniversary is an exciting start. I’m not sure how much more will be announced in the coming months, outside of the logo released at D23 Expo. But this is an exciting start and the type of addition that Disneyland needs. While not the biggest news drop of the exciting parks panel, this one comes soon, pays reverence to what’s already there and should bolster the park’s tradition.

Are you excited for this new Walt Disney animatronic show? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our Planning Guide here. Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!