Animatronics: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

[WondersOfLife]

Two words... Classic attraction! In its time it was mesmerizing. We have since been spoiled.

I know what you're saying, but you realize this attraction opened in 1971 right?



I don't know if this is true or not, but I remember reading that the reason that it doesn't look anything like her is because it's a recycled animatronic from a previous attraction. Can't remember which one though.

Bull. Country Bear Jamboree opened in 1971. Pretty sure those animatronics were MUCH more lifelike. AND Mickey Mouse Revue as well, a few of those were much more lifelike as well.

Sooo.... Yea. No. Classic or not. It sucked from the beginning except for the actual ride mechanics.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Bull. Country Bear Jamboree opened in 1971. Pretty sure those animatronics were MUCH more lifelike. AND Mickey Mouse Revue as well, a few of those were much more lifelike as well.

Sooo.... Yea. No. Classic or not. It sucked from the beginning except for the actual ride mechanics.

Sometimes that is all that it takes, plus a connection with specific nostalgic memories.

 

[EagleScout610]

A Full Version of My List:
Good:
Yeti
Hopping Br'er Rabbit
Mr. Potato Head
Br'er Fox, WDW
S.I.R (Never saw him, he looks cool)
Bad:
Disneyland's Br'ers
Small World Dolls
Peter Pan's Flight
Ugly:
Any 'realistic' AA

 

[wdwgreek]

WALKING OLAF! How has than not been put on anyone's list? I was floored by it!

 

[Goofyernmost]

WALKING OLAF! How has than not been put on anyone's list? I was floored by it!

Because it is considered to be in the wrong place according to many, so it must be crap. The level of entertainment depends entirely on location, I guess. I thought it was pretty cool and ranked up there with the stair climbing Ben Franklin.

 

[memethyst]

i always say that "best" and "favorite" don't mean the same thing so here are my picks in no particular order and only including wdw.

best: the navi shaman, elsa minus the projected face, the auctioneer pre refurb, redhead post refurb, the witch from gmr, the yeti pre disco, lumiere, hopper, ursula,
favorites: sonny eclipse, everyone in the COP, the sexy scientist from SSE, bonnie appetite though i never saw her in person, ariel, the ballroom dancers in the mansion, the really basic cat animatronics in pirates and the mansion i know they're not good but i've always thought they were cute and i'm a cat person, figment and dreamfinder.
worst: the ones from peter pan's flight, winnie the pooh, and the old snow white ride are so basic they're pretty much just mannequins with slightly moving heads
ugliest: not sure if this counts but tracy tree at rainforest cafe is absolutely terrifying, but i don't think she was actually made by disney.

 

[JustAFan]

Good:
Ursula and Hopper, maybe because of their sheer size?
C3PO on Star Tours
Olaf in Frozen Ever After - impressive movement!
The wicked witch in GMR was possibly the best part of that ride.
Mr Potato Head
Hall of Presidents - especially Abraham Lincoln. So many movements, including sitting and standing.
The 7 dwarfs. I believe their faces are projected, but it's done much better than the Buzz animitronic.

Bad:
Peter Pan's Flight. I like the ride, but Disney just needs to update them. I'd say the same about Splash Mountain. When they were introduced, I'm sure they were great, but now we've seen so much better.
Ariel is ok, but please hide the huge support bar coming out of her back!

Ugly:
It's A Small World. It's a classic. We always ride it, often multiple times, but some of those dolls are just hideous.
The Alien in GMR, but I guess it's supposed to be.

Funny:
The sleeping monk in Spaceship Earth.
So they're technically not animitronics, but the knights inside Be Our Guest are a riot. We always take our time walking through that hall.

If you're ever in Anaheim, Radiator Springs Racers has a pretty good Mater.