The Audio-Animatronics Come To Life In The Seven Dwarfs Mine

Walt Disney first used the term “Audio-Animatronic” in 1961.  He and his team of “Imagineers” created these robots that came to life to talk and interact with others.  People were in shock how life like these machine were and still are today.  Here we are, over 50 years later and Walt Disney Imagineering, through progression of technology has taken audio-animatronics to the next level.  Below, Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager for Disney, put out a article in regards to how the Imagineers brought the Seven Dwarfs and other creatures to life in the new attraction “Seven Dwarfs Mine Train” that is set to open very soon.

How do you recreate Disney characters for a new attraction? According to Walt Disney Imagineering, it all starts with a hand-drawn sketch …

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In this new video, our Imagineers take you behind the scenes to see how they’re bringing to life some of the most advanced Audio-Animatronics ever created. According to them, the process involved working with Walt Disney Animation Studios and going back to the original film to study each Dwarf’s individual motions and even facial expressions in order to get them just right. The end goal: To make them look as if they just jumped off of the screen.

A few weeks ago, Disney released the first images of the Dwarfs in the Mine and how they looked and moved and I was shocked.  I was so anxious to see more on the Dwarfs and how they move and function.  This technology is over the top.  To me, it looks like the characters have jumped right off the screen and into the mine.  We are actually bringing cartoons to life in the human world with this technology and it’s amazing.  I can’t wait to see the Dwarfs for real, inside the ride.

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