Review: Walt Disney - A Magical Life Strikes an Emotional Chord Even if the Audio-Animatronic Isn't Perfect

Today, we were invited to a special preview of the new Walt Disney - A Magical Life attraction — or, as more casual fans have surely called it, the Walt Audio-Animatronic show. It’s been a long road to the debut of A Magical Life since it was first announced at D23 in 2024, including a delay in opening date (pushing from May for the kick off of the Disneyland 70th anniversary to the birthdate itself). In that time, we’ve also heard from several voices about their thoughts on the project. So, now that it’s here, what are my initial thoughts on Walt Disney - A Magical Life?

First of all, the new show is a very touching tribute to Walt. The video portion, which is a modified version of One Man's Dream, may seem like a rehash for longtime Disney fans. However, that film is so beautiful it is hard to imagine a way to improve it. That said, the film does feature some new moments, including new home video footage of Walt and his family.

As for the Audio-Animatronic, it is a technological marvel. Most of the time, the mannerisms feel like you're watching Walt, and the eye glimmer that you can see is truly there. They also have those expressive eyebrows down pat. However, at times, the appearance reveals that the AA doesn't look completely like Walt. Of course, it is certainly a challenge to nail someone like Walt Disney, as we are all much more aware of how he moved and acted than any most other public figures,

Meanwhile, the pre-show exhibits are fantastic, and really cram a lot of neat things into the space, including bringing back the original Walt apartment furniture on loan from the Family Museum. There’s also great iterative art of the park itself and, the most spectacular part, a tribute to Audio Animatronics — including an original 1964 Walt's Fair doll that actually moves (rather than sitting idle like with some past retro Animatronics displays).

All in all, Walt Disney - A Magical Life, while not without its flaws, the show is truly an emotional experience as a Disney fan. Although this figure does not look as accurate as many fans would have hoped (I also wish his speech was longer), I will say that it does seem to look more convincing in person than in videos. Regardless of how it looks, the impact of seeing Walt and hearing him, in his own words, talk about his legacy in some audio that may not be as familiar to Disney fans, is truly moving.

Therefore, all in all, the attraction is a great addition to the park and hopefully for people who are not Disney fans, and can become Disney fans in the future.

Walt Disney - A Magical Life officially debuts on July 17th and will initially operate via virtual queue.