“Next-level magical”: Disney unveils new Olaf animatronic, and people have strong feelings

Disneyland Paris introduced a new Olaf animatronic this week, and online reactions arrived almost instantly. The reveal featured Bruce Vaughn, President and Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, and Natacha Rafalski, Présidente of Disneyland Paris. 

They presented a next-generation robotic version of the talking Frozen snowman that aimed to bridge the gap between animation and physical reality. Fans expected an upgrade, but the level of detail still surprised many.

Creation of the new Olaf

The Imagineering team designed Olaf to move like his cinematic counterpart, and every motion referenced the animated original. According to Disney Parks Blog, "From the way he moves to the way he looks, every gesture and detail is crafted to reflect the Olaf audiences have seen in the film — alive, curious, and unmistakably himself. As for his snow-like shimmer that catches the light just like fresh snow, this was enhanced by iridescent fibers."

Olaf's unique way of moving around required motions that didn’t follow typical mechanical rules. To address this, the engineers turned to reinforcement learning. According to Disney Parks Blog's article, the technique allowed Olaf to "acquire these skills in a fraction of the time," producing smooth, character-driven movements. Moreover, Olaf will be able to talk and hold conversations, creating a style of interaction that Disney emphasized as "truly one-of-a-kind."

Olaf’s first scheduled appearances included the Arendelle Bay Show in World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris’ upcoming Disney Adventure World. He will also appear for a limited time at World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

The internet is excited to meet Olaf

Reactions on X ranged from delighted to critical. Many fans simply posted short responses like "wow," "exciting," "so cool." However, some users voiced more descriptive opinions.

One disappointed fan, @HeyyBigGuy, wrote, "You got rid of the queens to roll this slop out?" while attaching an image of two classic Disney villains. 

However, others expressed pure joy. @BeancaMusic said, "If Olaf hugs me, I might actually cry ????," and @AngelicRoni wrote, "Ooo, that's brilliant, his walk cycle looks like the real thing!" Another person, @ec0maniac, shared, "one of my favorite uses of robots thus far."

Still, optimism dominated. As @Sherrie2527 put it, "Wow, that’s incredible. Bringing Olaf to life with interaction and speech will make the World of Frozen even more magical." 

And @christyUloko added, "Olaf coming to life? Meeting and talking to guests sounds next-level magical! Disneyland Paris really out here making Frozen dreams real."

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