DitP Fave Five: Animatronics

If there is one thing that separates the Disney Parks from all others, it could arguably be said that it is the use of Animatronics.  Walt Disney was some kind of pioneer, man.

Don't get us wrong.  Everything in The Parks is great, but how many non-Disney Parks do you know that use Animatronics?  If you do know one, do they have the same magic Disney offers?

This is why we are proud to bring you our Favorite Five Animatronics from The Park.

Number Five: Jack Skellington from Haunted Mansion Holiday: 


Being fans of Tim Burton and "The Nightmare Before Christmas", we can say without reservation how amazingly cool it is to see The Pumpkin King two feet away from us asking if "we've been good this year."  Let us tell you, the first time we saw this we nearly screamed like a bunch of teenage girls at a N'Sync concert.  We have been tempted to jump out of our sleighs (doom buggies) just to take a pic with him.

Number Four:  Indiana Jones from Indiana Jones Adventure: 

What can we say about Indy?  The fact that he's the reason we took a liking to history, a fashion for fedoras, and that we all tried using a whip on our younger siblings speaks for itself.  Though we only briefly see him on the attraction (but twice!) we could swear that it's really Han Solo himself.  As a matter of fact, maybe next we'll yell out " Hey Harrison!" and see if he answers.  That might help with our confusion.    

Number Three:  Captain Rx-24 ("Rex") from Star Tours:

Yes, we know that Star Tours is no longer around, but that doesn't change anything about the way we felt about Rex.  We don't know what it was about him that kept us returning for another tour through the galaxy.  Was it the funny quotes he would say or the fact he was voiced by Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman for those who might not have known)?  Whatever the case, he was always allowed to be our pilot for our trip to Endor.  Though we have been nearly killed by comets, or close calls with the Empire numerous times, this little droid guided us to safety every time, and that is why he is in our Fave Five.

Number Two:  The Abominable Snowman ("Harold") from The Matterhorn: 

So we're betting you didn't know that The Abominable Snowman actually had a name?  Well, he does and it's Harold.  To this day it gives us the willies to ride up front because of this guy.  In fact, we won't ride the attraction at all (it has nothing at all to do with the fact that this ride will shake your fillings out).  So for something to scare us that much, especially at Disneyland, it deserves to be on the list.  If you thought Harold was scary wait until you see who's next on our list.

Number One: Abraham Lincoln from Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln:

This has got to be the most realistic Animatronic we have ever seen.  The first time we saw it Chad wanted to sprint for the exit and Mark kept saying to himself over and over, "It's not real, it's not real."  If you haven't seen it you need to check it out for yourself.  In fact, it's your patriotic duty to.  Now, we're not bagging on one of the greatest presidents in United States history, but just pointing out that Disney did a wonderful job in bringing "Honest" Abe to life.  In fact, recently when we watched the show, the Cast Member pointed out to us that Mr. Lincoln was in fact the most advanced of all the Animatronics in The Park, and pointed out this particular model had 27 different facial expressions as opposed to 6 on the older.  We can't think of many real people with that many facial expressions.  Great job, Imagineers! 

Honorable Mention: All the Little Birdies in Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

When it comes down to it, none of the Animatronics would be around today if not for the Tiki Room.  Walt's first foray into the use or robotics and characters all began here, and without success, might well not exist anywhere else in The Parks.  Not only is it our favorite show at the Park, but it's genuinely one of the most memorable.  Be honest, how many of you have seen the Tiki Room and left singing the theme song?  From Chad and Amy "singing like the birdies sing" to Mark chanting like a warrior, we say that the Tiki Room will forever be in our hearts.

So there you have it.  Our Favorite Five.  What are your favorite Animatronics from The Parks?

*Just a quick note:  We fully realize that not all of our favorites include a picture (although we will be adding Indy and Harold very shortly).  Could we have included pictures?  Sure!  But, pansies it might make us, we tend to try and follow the rules when we're in The Park.  When we're asked not to do something (especially since we often have our kids with us), we don't.  Not only for our own enjoyment, but for the enjoyment of those around us.  Hence, the lack of pictures in shows where we've been asked not to take them.  We truly hope that you'll still enjoy the post regardless.