Bringing Back Walt Disney: A Family Scandal or Celebrating His Legacy?

Published: June 13, 2025

By Mallory Mattingly

Disney created an animatronic version of Walt Disney to keep the entertainment genius’ legacy alive, but his some of family doesn’t approve.

The animatronic version of the founder, which was first announced last year, appears in the new Disneyland show “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.”

“Creating our first Walt figure is an idea that’s been whispered in the hallowed halls of Imagineering for years – decades, even,” said Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro. “We just had to wait for innovation to catch up with our dreams. And we’re finally ready.”

Disney himself first pioneered the Audio-Animatronic technology 60 years ago.

Tom Fitzgerald — Senior Creative Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering — explained that they wanted to “create a lifelike impression of Walt Disney, with the nuances that made him unique in person.”

From “The twinkle in the eye, his expressive face — those eyebrows — and the way he used his hands to punctuate his thoughts and ideas,” the creative team behind the project worked to bring him to life as faithfully as possible.

However, Joanna Miller, Disney’s granddaughter, doesn’t approve.

“I would appreciate support to convince the COMPANY to abandon the Robot of Grampa. Please if you feel the same perhaps write letters,” Miller wrote in a post on Facebook. “MOST IMPORTANTLY I learned that GRAMPA TOLD SAM MCKIM THAT HE NEVER WANTED TO BE AN ANIMATRONIC. (Thank you Matt McKim for first hand proof).

“The idea of a Robotic Grampa to give the public a feeling of who the living man was just makes no sense. It would be an impostor,” she continued. “They are dehumanizing him. People are not replaceable. You could never get the casualness of his talking, interacting with the camera, his excitement to show and tell people about what is new at the park.

Miller expressed her sadness over the park’s plan.

“You can not add life to one. Empty of a soul or essence of the man. Knowing that he did not want this. Having your predecessors tell you that this was out of bounds….So, so sad and disappointed,” Miller concluded.

Despite her resistance, some of Disney’s grandkids are on board.

Chris Miller, his grandson, said that the Walt Disney Company was “very eager to be as accurate as possible in creating this. We came away confident that this is the right group to take on this important project,” per Fortune.

His great-granddaughter, Tamara Miller, added that Disney “would have been enthusiastic about the project and fascinated by the advancements of the Audio-Animatronics technology that was first developed during his days at WED (now Imagineering).”

As of right now, Millers qualms about the project seem to have gone unanswered. “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” is slated to begin its run in the Main Street Opera House on July 17 to celebrate Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.

Questions or comments? Please write to us here.