15. C-3PO
Debut: Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011)
Location: Disneyland, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris
Video: “I am not programmed to fly these things!”
In our in-depth Lost Legends: STAR TOURS feature, we call the original 1986 attraction “the ride that changed Disney Parks forever.” One of the first major collaborations between Disney and George Lucas, the ride managed to kick off the Age of the Simulator, begin the “Ride the Movies” era, and irrevocably brought non-Disney films into Disney Parks – all part of new-CEO Michael Eisner’s decree that Disney Parks needed to feature the stories and characters people cared about in modern times, even if they weren’t Disney stories and characters! And Star Tours was a hit, with guests on a domestic flight to Endor being dragged into a fight between the Empire and the Rebellion thanks to unforgettable first-time pilot RX-24 (or “Rex“).
In 2011, the ride became its own prequel. That meant that Rex hasn’t even been manufactured yet, and a new on-board “captain” was needed. In a fresh preshow, C-3PO steps aboard the StarSpeeder 1000 to conduct his pre-flight maintenance, only to be accidentally closed up in the captain’s cabin. Once we step aboard and are cleared for auto-take-off sequence, C-3PO appears on screen. “Why, we can’t take off,” he rebuts, “the Captain’s not on board!” It’s too late. As the cabin shield lowers, we see C-3PO himself, mere feet away from us. Sure, the Droid doesn’t have a mouth or eyes, but being this close the “real” C-3PO – seeing the gold glint off of his shell – leaves Star Wars fans gobsmacked.
What’s more, C-3PO is literally long for the ride, adjusting controls, turning to speak to us, and even holding on tight when the StarSpeeder jumps to lightspeed, subjecting riders – and the Audio-Animatronic – to some serious forces. It’s astounding that the C-3PO figure is with us throughout our entire adventure (and to consider that he’s in each StarSpeeder, meaning that – counting his appearances in the queue – that are 12 C-3PO figures between the U.S. parks alone…)
14. Clawhauser and Gazelle
Debut: Zootopia: Hot Pursuit
Location: Shanghai Disneyland (exclusive)
Video: Clawhauser animatronic testing
It’s funny – most Disney Parks fans will probably never actually visit Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland, but just about everyone has a very strong opinion on it. That’s because Disney semi-announced and then let marinate for a year that they were considering replacing Animal Kingdom’s Modern Marvel: Dinosaur with a version of the land themed to Disney’s 2016’s animated film. Fans rallied hard – some for, some against. (You can count Park Lore in the “against” camp, since Zootopia doesn’t fit in Animal Kingdom thematically, aesthetically, or narratively.)
At least for now, Disney has pivoted in their plans for Dinoland, leaving Zootopia exclusive to Shanghai Disneyland. (Zootopia performed well at the U.S. box office, but it did exceptionally well in China.) Whether that’s a good or a bad thing, we’ll let you decide. But the land’s starring E-Ticket – Zootopia: Hot Pursuit – does come with a number of impressive animatronics. The one Disney readily shared on social media was a figure of the film’s cheetah cop, Lieutenant Clawhauser, who orients guests in a pre-show. (If concept art is to be believed, the same animatronic will be duplicated for a Zootopia takeover of Animal Kingdom’s “It’s Tough to be a Bug,” axing Hopper from this list.)
The other figure of note is Gazelle – the thinly-veiled avatar of Colombian singer Shakira, who voices the Zootopian pop star and sings the films feel-good, rhythmic soundtrack anthem, “Try Everything.” Hot Pursuit is a trackless ride in which guests join the film’s leading duo – rabbit Judy Hopps and fox Nick Wilde – as they rescue the kidnapped singer. Guests’ victory leads to a Gazelle concert, where a quite-impressive figure of the antelope singer mimics Shakira’s iconic hip popping movements while serenading guests.
13. Albert
Debut: Mystic Manor (2013)
Location: Hong Kong Disneyland
Video: Welcome to Mystic Manor
Often considered among the pantheon of Disney’s best modern dark rides, Mystic Manor is part of the incredible and enigmatic storyline of S.E.A.: The Society of Explorers and Adventurers that connects multiple rides, shows, and even restaurants at Disney Parks around the world. The ride sends guests into the eclectic home of Lord Henry Mystic and his pet monkey Albert. The pair have spent their lives collecting wonders from around the world… Mystic’s prized possession, though, is an ancient music box said to grant life to the lifeless! Of course, that’s all silly superstition, so Mystic sends us ahead to the Acquisitions and Cataloguing Room to view the priceless music box.
As you might image, the glowing gems and painted primates on the music box prove too much for Albert to resist, as he opens the chest and sets our unthinkable adventure into motion. The mischievous monkey is so wonderfully lifelike and adorable, he’s become a de facto icon for Hong Kong Disneyland. As for Mystic Manor itself? With some of the most spectacular special effects and astounding animatronics Disney’s ever created, the ride earned its own in-depth entry in our newest series, Modern Marvels: Mystic Manor that’s an absolute must-read for Disney Parks fans. A 3D ride packed with screens wouldn’t have the same effect.
12. Cars
Debut: Radiator Springs Racers (2012)
Location: Disney California Adventure and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Video: “Get out there and do us proud!“
It’s race day in Radiator Springs! And you know what that means… time to put the pedal to the metal. The incredible Modern Marvel: Radiator Springs Racers – opened as part of the incomparable Cars Land at the reborn Disney California Adventure in 2012 – returned Disney to a scale we hadn’t really seen since the ’60s. It’s an incredible E-ticket that’s chocked full of impossible settings, breathless wonder, and a cast of Audio Animatronics that defy logic in their lifelike expression and movement.
In some sense, it might actually be easier for Disney Imagineers to craft the likenesses of Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally, Doc Hudson, et al since modeling full-sized, physical cars off of animated rigs is likely a lot easier than translating, say, 2-D animated human characters. But the wonder of these cars isn’t just in their size, but in their expression and liveliness. Projected windshield “eyes” do the trick, but figures like Sheriff and Mater have fully expressive mouths, “puppeted” impressively by internal actuators, all as the cars themselves sway, lift, roll, and express themselves as living cars would!
With more than a dozen of the Cars characters populating the attraction, it’s nearly impossible to choose a favorite. That said, there’s something very striking about seeing Doc Hudson hoisted up on an auto repair lift. As he turns to the car, he offers some of his usual sage wisdom: “It takes more than new tires to win a race. Now get out there and do us proud.” The ride has been compared (rightfully) to Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland next door as the Resort’s top attraction. While the big race finale may be the selling point, it’s the no-expense-spared animatronics that have really fueled up Disney fans and reminded them just how innovative Imagineering can be.
It’s also worth parking another car animatronic here – the one found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the Lightning McQueen Racing Academy attraction. Finally a sizable, semi-permanent inhabitant of the “Sunset Showcase” flex space (which Disney built in 2015 and used for intermittent, awkward “dance parties” for years), the ten minute long show basically stars a single Lightning McQueen animatronic accentuated by a wraparound projection screen. But the animatronic car is not only as good or better than the ones in Cars Land; it has to stand up to the scrutiny of being watched closely for ten minutes!
11. Davy Jones
Debut: Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Sunken Treasure (2016)
Location: Shanghai Disneyland (exclusive)
Video: An Undersea Encounter
Among the many significant reinventions of the “Castle Park” formula to appear in Shanghai Disneyland, the mainland China park doesn’t have a Pirates of the Caribbean. Or at least, it doesn’t have the version you’d recognize from Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo, or Paris. Sure, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Sunken Treasure contains allusions to the original Disneyland ride and the many iterations thereafter. But Battle for Sunken Treasure is the first and only Pirates ride to be explicitly based on the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise launched in 2003.
Shanghai’s Pirates ride isn’t just a reimagining; it’s a restart that totally threw out the rulebook and tried something new. The ride uses a new multi-directional boat ride system and combines massive, larger-than-life sets with cavernous, seamless projection. A gripping re-invention of the classic, this indescribable dark ride is easily on par with the Modern Marvels: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man or Indiana Jones Adventure as one of the world’s best modern dark rides.
The whole ride is packed with unfathomable wow-moments, but one key encounter is with Davy Jones himself. The shocking figure is so realistic, it would easily be mistaken for a live actor in costume as he challenges guests to just try to steal his treasure. It’s an awesome and arresting moment and, trust us, the same figure created digitally on a screen would not carry the imposing strength and intimidation of this animatronic.