Episode 1: Audio Animatronics
In the first episode, we begin our adventure with Audio Animatronics. These lovely machines are puppets/figures that are animated by means of electromechanical devices. Here, we not only learn about their history, but we also get a cool glimpse at Disney's newest animatronics for
Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
The first thing I want to highlight about this episode is the intro- the editing involved in it is really great, and it's one of those intros where you won't plan on skipping forward. However, right after this, we get Josh d'Amaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences, who happens to be... not a popular character in the company. As he introduces what goes on in the series, we see a glimpse of a few rare, defunct animatronics that are seriously some of the greatest teases ever. Most prominent is
Zazu from the Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management show, which was so hated that Magic Kingdom has since replaced it after a fire. Zazu is just there, and its really interesting to see the animatronics of old just hanging out in the office. We also see a triplet of
BDX droids that march around, passing Amaro quickly. Finally, the intro shows
Harold the Yeti at his finest.
The episode continues with a short introduction of what inspired Walt Disney to create audio-animatronics in the first place. And while most long-term Armchair Imagineers know this special piece of Disney lore, it's still great to see that Disney confirms the twittering bird in a cage from New Orleans that inspired it all, which was able to move and twitter due to simple mechanisms.
Another important idea that is highlighted in the video is the almost romantic "dance" between the costuming and the machinery of the audio-animatronic. When designing an animatronic in projects, it's important to consider the idea that without the right costume, an audio-animatronic cannot work. For example, if the fabric or type of costume is too thick, it could limit the functions of weaker areas like in the elbows or wrists.
Finally, the coolest apart of this behind-the-scenes look is the steps in the creation of the animatronics for the upcoming
Tiana's Bayou Adventure, with the exclusive look at animatronics like
Tiana and
Lewis (the alligator). Disney's increasing attention to detail can be seen in tiny nitpicks like the bouncing belly of Lewis, which is what puts it ahead of other companies, even Universal. At the same time, some users on the forum have noticed have emotionally scarring and creepy the beaver in Lewis' band is. And it's entirely justified.
In the end, Disney's first episode of the series is truly a great start, and people are optimistic about the edutainment opportunities in future episodes. It's also great that the series isn't limited to Disney+, so everyone can watch it on YouTube (link above.)
What are your thoughts on Disney's first episode of Audio-Animatronics? Do you think the quality and detail of the new animatronics will live up to the building-up hype? What other interesting fact did you notice in the episode?
