Disney Missed the Mark: Fans Horrified Over New Walt Disney Animatronic’s Likeness

Disney fans were treated to a first look at the upcoming Walt Disney animatronic, set to debut at Disneyland Park on July 17, 2025, as part of a new show celebrating the legacy of the iconic Disney founder. The animatronic’s mechanics have been praised for their lifelike movement, but the biggest conversation among fans has quickly shifted to the character’s facial appearance.

Whose Face is This?

While some fans have expressed excitement about the animatronic’s debut, many took to social media to voice their disappointment with its likeness to the real Walt Disney. “It looks nothing like him,” one fan commented, voicing concerns about the face’s proportions and features.

It looks nothing like him pic.twitter.com/jwRD3O1Q6k

— Cynical Disney (@cynical_disney) July 14, 2025

A key part of the backlash centered around the animatronic’s facial design, with one user drawing parallels to another recent controversy involving a Disney animatronic, saying, “Yall booed me when I said the Tiana animatronic didn’t look like Tiana…well this is the exact same issue here😬.”

Many fans pointed out that the animatronic’s face seemed “too chubby” and the muscle mechanics under the costume “weird.” One fan even mentioned that the animatronic’s eyes and cheeks seemed off, with another posting, “the cheeks are way too high😭.”

Yall booed me when I said the Tiana animatronic didn’t look like Tiana…well this is the exact same issue here😬

The AA’s mechanics make the face look way too chubby, the muscles under the costume look weird, the eyes are off and the cheeks are way too high😭 https://t.co/HwigI5VYnk pic.twitter.com/7xI45z0ERU

— Themountainking (@Themountainkin1) July 14, 2025

Online Backlash Ensues

Disney has yet to respond to the online backlash, and it remains to be seen whether any adjustments will be made before the animatronic’s debut on July 17, 2025. For now, the controversy has sparked a heated debate among Disney fans about the accuracy and quality of the character design, with many questioning whether it does justice to the figure who started it all.

As the debut of the Walt Disney animatronic approaches, it will be interesting to see how the final product fares with the wider public and whether the criticisms will continue to shape the conversation surrounding the show. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is clear: Disney fans are paying close attention to every detail.