Disneyland has delayed the debut of a new show that will feature an animatronic of Walt Disney.
“Walt Disney – A Magic Life” was originally scheduled to open at the Main Street Opera House on May 16 as part of the kick off of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration. However, in a blog post Wednesday Disney announced the show will debut on July 17, Disneyland’s actually anniversary.
The new show will an animatronic version of Walt Disney talking about his life in a recreation of his office suite on The Walt Disney Studios lot. The show will run several times a day. Disney says after its initial run, the show will run in rotation with the Opera House’s usual presentation, “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
In addition to Walt Disney—A Magical Life, the Opera House will also debut two exhibits. A gallery highlighting Walt Disney’s development of Disneyland will be set up in the lobby and feature memorabilia from Walt Disney Imagineering and the Walt Disney Archives. A second exhibit explore the history of Disney’s audio-animatronic technology. Disney worked with The Walt Disney Family Museum, which is lending more than 30 items for the new exhibits.
Disneyland is also adding a new tribute to the Sherman Brothers—Robert and Richard—at the Main Street Cinema on July 17. “The Last Verse,” a new short film that documents Richard M Sherman writing a new final verse for “It’s a Small World,” will run in the theater. The new verse of the song will be added to the It’s a Small World ride on July 17.
Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration is set to run through summer 2026.
