Disney Unveils Next-Generation Audio-Animatronics to Enhance Theme Park Experiences

Image: Benjamin Clawhauser of ‘Zootopia: Better Zoogether’ (Source: Disney World)
Image: Benjamin Clawhauser of ‘Zootopia: Better Zoogether’ (Source: Disney World)
Claudette Covey
by Claudette Covey
Last updated: 11:30 AM ET, Wed October 8, 2025

Walt Disney Imagineers have created new and enhanced Audio-Animatronics figures – cartoon-like characters that mimic human expressions – which will debut at various Disney World attractions this year and next.

On Nov. 7, “Zootopia: Better Zoogether” will open at the Animal Kingdom theme Park’s Tree of Life Theater.

“This new 4-D experience will feature an all-new Audio-Animatronics figure of Benjamin Clawhauser, complete with his signature energy and sparkle,” Disney said.

Appropriately set at EPCOT’s Norway pavilion, visitors will soon be privy to enriched Audio-Animatronic figures starring in “Frozen Ever After,” including Sven, Kristoff, Olaf, Marshmallow, Anna, Elsa and more.

In summer 2026,  Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets at Hollywood Studios will unveil the first Audio-Animatronics figures of Scooter and the penguins. “Side by side with a dedicated team of penguin audio engineers, Scooter, in his capacity as band manager, will be trying hard to convince the Electric Mayhem to stop laying down tracks so they won’t be late to their own concert,” Disney said.

Disney’s Audio-Animatronics – which were first called A-1 – took root at Disneyland attractions such as Jungle Cruise, Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in the 1960s.

“From classic attractions to brand-new adventures, these incredible creations are part of the fabric of iconic Disney storytelling that keeps guests coming back year after year,” Disney said.


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