Q: I, like many people, have always presumed that the animals on Jungle Cruise and other such rides were Audio-Animatronics®. I’ve heard a couple different people now say they are not because they act on a mechanical loop and are not technically Audio-Animatronics®. What is the official Disney definition of Audio-Animatronics®, and which types of attraction characters qualify?
Russell, Antelope, California
A: The definition of Audio-Animatronics® in a 1960s WED Enterprises press release states it is “a unique concept in entertainment which electronically combines and synchronizes voices, music, and sound effects with the movement of animated objects.” Disney first used the name for animals in advertisements for Nature’s Wonderland (1960), though the mechanical characters there did not really fit the definition. The first authentic Audio-Animatronics® show was the Enchanted Tiki Room in 1963.
Dave Smith