animatronics in the bushes!

[Jekyll_Baker]

yea i definitly agree, they cant just be sitting within guest's reach, because there will be too many dumb ppl trying to touch it, i'm sure disney can figure out how to blend a barrier seamlessly tho, i mean they were able to do it with animal kingdom, and those are LIVE animals, so i'm sure they can figure out a way to put an animatronic into the landscape so that disrespectful guests cant touch them

The hidden barriers of Kilamanjaro Safari are meant to keep animals in a place, not keep stoopid people out of a place. I can see a guest trying to get a photo op with Bambi, fall into an unseen moat or scratched by wire brushes, and then sue Disney for the injuries. There could even be visible barbed wire fences around the AA and I guarantee there'd be at least a dozen people a day trying to climb over or through them to be able to take a picture with Bambi etc.

 

[CThaddeus]

This has been done already in places, so I know it would be possible to do on a larger scale...should Disney wish to spend the money on it. I can think of three examples at Disneyland: jumping fish in the pond across from Thunder Mountain, the "wise guy" ape behind the door in the Roger Rabbit queue, and a baby elephant that squirted water in the basecamp area of Tarzan's Treehouse (it was moved back over to the Jungle Cruise after the most recent rehab). None are/were easily accessible by guests, but they add nice extra touches to attractions and general guest areas.
I'd love to see more of these, especially in queues to provide entertainment. And yes, Bambi or other such woodland critters could fit quite nicely into areas with foliage or water. There are plenty of these type of places that the general public can't reach.

 

[the-reason14]

Well they already have something like that. I seem to remember seeing Bambi and his crew, close enough for the riverboat to see.

 

[DisneyEverest]

This is a great idea because there are some characters that can't dress up... I like this idea a lot though. I also agree on the vandalism... surprisingly I have never seen anything vandalized in Disney.. That's a good thing..

 

[CThaddeus]

This is a great idea because there are some characters that can't dress up... I like this idea a lot though.

Come to think of it, they could even create specific meet n' greet spots with animatronic characters. Then not only would a CM be there to watch over the unruly guests, but so would a Photopass photographer. They could even give it the ability to talk using the technology used in Crush's Turtle Talk. Breaks would not be necessary for the character, as someone else could take over the animation/voice inbetween guests, and the CMs could be bumped by other CMs for their breaks. It's the ultimate idea for a meet n' greet because no one would ever be disappointed due to your typical costumed character needing to take a break...and the characters can look more natural because no costume is needed to conform to a human's body. Chacters like Tinker Bell could even be almost the proper height. I like it.

 

[Phonedave]

It's an interesting idea, but there is a slight problem. When you see AA in an attraction, unless the attraction stops, you only see each AA for a short time. In an outdoor setting, you can stop and stare at it AA for as long as you want.

I assume you are looking for a "realistic" AA - not something like the pirate being chased with the broom for example. If you put an AA out in the open, people will begin to notice that it does the same thing over and over again. It works with the gulls because they only come to "life" ever few minutes and gulls are not particulary exiting in real life either.

Imagine watching thumper, hop out, nibble grass, scratch his nose, hop in, hop out, nibble grass, scratch his nose, hop in, hop out, nibble grass, scratch his nose, hop in, hop out, nibble grass, scratch his nose, hop in, hop out, nibble grass, scratch his nose, hop in, hop out, nibble grass, scratch his nose, hop in, hop out, nibble grass, scratch his nose, hop in ....... You get the idea. Now if they can throw some longer loops in, maybe randomize some actions, now you are on the right path. But now you are talking advanced AAs.

-dave

 

[chinitopoop]

honestly tho would it really matter if people knew they just keep doing the same things over and over again? i dont think so, people know its an animatronic, and they would excpect it to keep doing the same things over and over again BECAUSE they are an aa, i mean its basically just animated decorations, they wouldnt be meant to hold people's attention for a long time or engage people in a conversation with them or anything like that, theyre just that added special disney touch to make the park seem more enchanting and magical, and imo it would make the place even more special and beautiful than it already is

 

[hauntdmansion79]

I feel bad for Jungle Cruise

I feel a little bad for Jungle Cruise....I read this whole thread and nobody has brought up the fact that Jungle Cruise is riddled with outside animatronics. Think of all the elephants, dudes climbing the pole, voodoo guys, hippos, etc. If those can stand up to the weather, than others can as well, if they're designed correctly.

But as I said before, it's like everyone forgot about Jungle Cruise...sad.

 

[HRT+3]

What about interactive like the talking tree and trashcan we saw at Animal Kingdom, THAT would be cool.

 

[JWG]

In respect to Bambi and Thumper, I think they'd be cool ideas... but I'm just not sure if I'd like them just stationary there all-day-round. I would love to see it at specific times of the day, with some breaks... kind of like Ariel at the Grotto.

I agree, I like the idea of seeing them out and about - but not stationary in the same plate all of the time.

I don't think it would take long for someone to figure out that Bambi, after staying in one place all week of a vacation and turning its head in the same manner the whole time, was not real. I don't mean adults, but younger kids. It may ruin the illusion some.

What I think would be neat and far too unrealistic is a mobile robot type character that could roam the park and be controlled by a cast member. Then you could have the animals move around some and seem more real. With crowds and such, likely not feasible.