Highlights
- Disney Imagineering takes us behind the scenes of the creative think tank in a new YouTube series, We Call It Imagineering.
- The first episode features the latest in animatronics, including First Looks at the characters that bring their new ride “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” to life.
- The episode features interviews with Imagineers and also offers glimpses of droids for Galaxy’s Edge.
Behind The Scenes
Disney Imagineering, the often secretive dream factory behind the art, design, story and engineering of Disney’s theme park and cruise ship attractions has dropped a new behind-the-scenes YouTube series entitled We Call It Imagineering. The premiere episode gives us detailed looks at the animatronics that bring Disney’s attractions to life. Including the animatronics for one of Disney’s most anticipated new attractions.
RELATED: Documentary Review: Pencils vs. Pixels
A First Glimpse of Tiana and Louis
The nearly 14-minute first episode of We Call It Imagineering takes us into the workspace of engineers and show programmers who create high-end animatronics for the parks. Most exciting is the detailed look at the cutting-edge work they are doing for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the rethemed attraction that will replace the log flume ride Splash Mountain in Summer 2024.
According to The Los Angeles Times, the ride will feature an original story that takes place after the events of Disney’s 2009 animated film The Princess and The Frog and which features the company’s first black princess. In the video, there’s plenty of footage of Tiana in action and it is eerie how well the robotics can bring the animated character to life. There’s also an interesting section about the interplay of the engineers and costumers who must make creative compromises to get the best, most realistic movement from the animatronics.
RELATED: 9 Black Characters in Fantasy and Sci-Fi That Prove Representation Matters
Even more complex is all the engineering going into bringing Louis, the jazz-loving alligator from The Princess and The Frog. Engineers reveal that Louis is the largest and one of the most complex animatronics that Imagineering has ever produced and will feature a wide variety of articulation and movement, including his prodigious belly.
More BDX Please
But it wasn’t just Tiana and Louis blowing our minds in the episode, because it also featured some video of the adorable BDX droids that went viral with Disney fans after Imagineering did a playtest of the bipedal droids last year at Disney’s Star Wars-themed Galaxy’s Edge. The little droids, which wobble like unsteady toddlers are stand-alone robots that can interact with guests on the street. The concept features a story called “Droids In Training” and is adorable.
RELATED: 10 Star Wars Characters Who Need a Novel of Their Own
If you want to see these cute little guys (and you happen to be in Southern California) then you’re in luck because The Los Angeles Times reports the baby droids will be returning to Disneyland in Anaheim starting Friday as a part of Disney’s spring promotion called “Season of The Force”. The promotion runs until June 2nd!
If you’re a Disney fan (or just like robots) check out the episode and let us know what you think in the comments.
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/queer-young-adult-retellings-cinderella-books-stories/
- The FlexiSpot E7L Pro L-Shaped Standing Desk: An Honest Review - May 20, 2025
- RINGS OF POWER: Season 1 Recap – What To Remember - August 29, 2024
- RINGS OF POWER: What We Know About Ciarán Hinds’ Mysterious Dark Wizard - August 23, 2024
