Welcome, World Travelers! Check Out Olaf and Other Next-Generation Robotic Characters Being Created by Disney
by James Coulter
Chances are, you’re familiar with Olaf from Disney’s Frozen. Perhaps you’ve seen him in the hit Disney animated movie. Or maybe you’ve even met him in person as a meet-and-greet character at Disney Parks. Soon, you might be able to meet the loveable snowman as a walking animatronic.
Recently, the beloved snowman from Disney’s Frozen was introduced as a next-generation robotic character at Disneyland Park, accompanied by Bruce Vaughn, President and Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, and Natacha Rafalski, Présidente of Disneyland Paris.
Created using state-of-the-art technology developed by Disney Imagineering, the robot character has been described as “one of the most expressive and true-to-life characters built.” Not only does he walk and talk like an animated character brought to life, but his iridescent fibers make him look as if her were made from actual snow.
“This debut marks a new chapter in Disney character innovation, one where technology, storytelling, and collaboration come together to bring screen to reality,” Kyle Laughlin, SVP R&D Technology & Engineering, Walt Disney Imagineering. “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.”
To make his movements appear life-like, Disney Imagineers worked closely with Disney animators “to ensure every gesture felt true to the character.” The robotic character was programmed using cutting-edge artificial intelligence called “reinforcement learning”, which allows it to learn how to walk and move.
“Deep reinforcement learning helps him acquire these skills in a fraction of the time,” wrote Laughlin. “He [Olaf] can fully articulate his mouth, eyes, and removable carrot nose and arms. Most importantly, Olaf can speak and engage in conversations, creating a truly one-of-a-kind experience.”
Olaf was not the only Disney character to demonstrate this new technology. Several other robotic characters were showcased during a recent episode of “We Call It Imagineering” on the Walt Disney Imagineering YouTube channel.
The episode featured two other “free-roaming animatronic” figures: one being a female-coded mouse-eared character dancing a pirouette, and another being a raccoon-designed character jumping on a table. These characters, while only exhibited with their skeletal frameworks, were speculated by Attractions Magazine as potentially being Minnie Mouse and Guardians of the Galaxy’s Rocket Raccoon, respectively.
The Olaf character is expected to make his debut at the Frozen-themed area at Disney Adventure World (formerly Disney Parks Studios) at Disneyland Paris, scheduled to open on March 29, 2026.
