Imagineering’s Innovative New Transforming Audio Animatronics Debuts in Pirates of the Caribbean

Walt Disney Imagineering has invented a brand-new Audio-Animatronics figure that transforms right in front of guests! The AA debuts today in Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland when the ride reopens from a lengthy refurbishment. Here’s the latest, including photos & video, plus my firsthand experience seeing this tech in-person during a recent tour of Imagineering’s offices in Glendale, California.

When the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in New Orleans Square at Disneyland reopens to guests today after a lengthy closure that began back in early May, it should look and feel fresh. The extent of the changes made to the iconic attraction during its downtime are unclear, but Disneyland filed multiple construction permits for Pirates of the Caribbean, which cover a wide range of possibilities.

Among other behind the scenes work encompassed by the aforementioned permits, it’s our understanding that Disneyland maintenance teams and Walt Disney Imagineering worked on general upkeep, repairing rockwork, and enhancing show lighting, along with animation of the Audio-Animatronics figures. We now know that one such “animation” updates is some new magic introduced to one of the attraction’s classic scenes: the treasure-filled grotto.

For the first time, guests floating past this iconic scene in Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland will witness a pirate sitting atop a pile of cursed gold transform from a flesh-and-blood buccaneer to a skeleton right before their eyes.

Developed by Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, this transformation is made possible by the installation of innovative next generation Audio-Animatronics technology, combining real-time front projection with a mechanical head to create a highly detailed and expressive figure.

Here’s the human version of the transforming pirate:

…and the skeleton:

According to Disneyland, this next-generation Audio-Animatronics technology allows Imagineers to expand their storytelling repertoire and enable a whole new level of immersion for guests visiting.

The story of the pirate is that he picks up a cursed gold coin, freezing in time. He then drops the coin, releasing him from the curse. But the temptation is too powerful; he cannot resist the cursed coin, causing him to pick it up again and again, making the same mistake for eternity and locking himself in an endless loop. As with the other pirates in this cautionary tale, his insatiable greed is his doom.

Here’s the Audio Animatronics in action, with an explanation of the technology by Walt Disney Imagineering:

A new piece in TechRadar shares more about the mechanics (or lack thereof) of the new transforming pirate Audio Animatronics figure. Unlike traditional Audio-Animatronics that rely on complex mechanical systems for facial movement, this AA begins with a 3D-printed shell and no visible mechanical articulation in the face.

The pirate’s expression is driven almost entirely by a high-fidelity front-projected image mapped directly onto the character, which dramatically expands what Imagineers can create with physical characters. Think of a person crying, laughing, grinning with emotion, and ultimately being more human.

During calibration, a blue and white mesh grid is projected across the entire figure, mapping the projection system to every contour of the physical surface, from the brim of the hat down to the beads around the neck. Once that mapping is locked, the projected character snaps into place with precision.

With the installation of this new technology at Pirates of the Caribbean, this next-gen Audio-Animatronic platform has various sensors that complete calibration daily, as well as the necessary compute and projection tech, and redundancies for all of these. There are also cooling and filtration systems for the various components to keep running day in and day out.

Leslie Evans, Executive R&D Imagineer at Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development told TechRadar that WDI chose Pirates of the Caribbean to showcase this new tech because the team was “looking for a figure where creatively we could do a great transformation,” and decided “this pirate transformation would be a great, great first place to do it.”

Evans explained that the new technology enables transformations that previously were “really challenging or in some cases impossible,” and will enable characters to blush, cry, or demonstrate other human emotions. Imagineering built and evaluated versions of the tech with individual facial features, including the nose, projecting onto them and asking whether the complexity added anything from a creative standpoint. If not, it was cut.

Evans explained that the real-time rendering is powered by Unreal Engine-based systems, animation tools, and incredible CG assets. However, she also added that Imagineering does not build technology for technology’s sake. The goal here is suspension of disbelief, and making people believe it’s real. “Everything is about telling a great story to our guests,” she said.

Our Commentary

As noted in the opening, I previewed this technology in person at Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale as part of a wider-ranging tour of what’s being developed. When I saw it, this technology wasn’t tied to any specific character or attraction; it was more like a proof of concept for the platform itself.

Let me just start by saying that a visit to Imagineering to see what they’re working on is a mind-blowing, humbling, and ultimately, reassuring experience. This is especially true at R&D, where these folks are like wizards, pushing the envelope on some truly remarkable stuff that I really hope ends up in the parks someday, and not just on stage at SXSW or wherever.

Anyone who has ever questioned “does Imagineering still have it?” after some of the uneven output of the post-COVID era would be disabused of that notion within the first 5 minutes of being in the building. You don’t even have to visit–a lot of this has been showcased in “We Call It Imagineering.”

Suffice to say, they very much still do “have it” and there’s every reason to be optimistic about the upcoming slate of new additions. That’s doubly true (at least for me) after seeing this summer’s slate at Walt Disney World. Although those were largely ‘singles and doubles’ additions and enhancements, they offer all the confirmation to me that Disney is back on track.

As for this technology, it was incredibly impressive as a demo. It’s very clear that there’s a lot of potential for this as a blank slate technology that could be leveraged for more life-like humans. One thing that was stressed to me during that tour was the aforementioned redundancies and responsiveness of the platform, all of which ensure that it’s reliable for in-park use. (A fair concern given what we’ve seen lately from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and previous not-quite-ready for primetime implementations.)

My expectation was that it would be utilized to accurately convey Robert Downey Jr’s likeness in the upcoming Stark Flight Lab in Avengers Campus. Just to be clear, Disney and Imagineering were totally silent as to the intended in-park implementation(s), but that remains my assumption.

When it comes to that specific use case, there is tremendous potential for this technology. Even for all of the advancements in Audio Animatronics technology, Imagineering still hasn’t been able to get faces of real people quite right, a reality that became abundantly clear last year with the debut of Walt Disney – A Magical Life, which garnered, ahem, mixed reviews from fans.

Although the Walt Disney Audio Animatronics figure is impressive, it misses the mark just enough for fans to foil complete suspension of disbelief. Walt is well-known, and we’re all extremely familiar with his face. It’s a similar story with Tony Stark and other people from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Another possible use case is Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones Adventure, but I’d expect the rich history of off-model depictions of that character to continue.)

As with so many pieces of hot technology, the use of this will all come down to where and how it’s implemented. Imagineering can hire all of the world’s top wizards, but if they’re putting their wizardry in the wrong places, fans rightfully won’t be happy with the results!

Avengers Campus, featuring RDJ and other actors whose likenesses are well-known, is pretty much the optimal setting from my perspective. I still feel like that’s the actual intended end game for this technology, and Pirates of the Caribbean is an opportunity for a bit of real world testing before that expansion.

My assumption is that Stark Flight Lab will otherwise be a pretty straightforward ride, so adding a wow-inducing Audio Animatronics of RDJ would elevate the overall attraction. Sort of like how the best only good part of Avengers Assemble: Flight Force is the Iron Man AA.

NEW: Disney shared a first look at Walt Disney Imagineering’s next-generation Audio-Animatronics technology debuting today on Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. The pirate figure transforms from a human into a skeleton. pic.twitter.com/uW1WfxmL8k

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) June 26, 2026

Honestly, I’m a lot less jazzed on this type of technology for other use cases. I’m very pleased that Imagineering has otherwise moved away from projected faces, as the modern generation of AAs for Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, and other animated characters looks better with articulated faces.

Pirates of the Caribbean features humans, sure, but they’re depicted as Marc Davis-style caricatures. Cartoonified versions of buccaneers, which is precisely why the attraction works so well in the first place even as it showcases all sorts of nefarious behavior.

I haven’t seen this Pirates of the Caribbean Audio Animatronics in person yet, so I hesitate to comment beyond that about the specific implementation here. One thing I’ll note is that this type of technology often looks worse in photos and videos than it does on an actual ride. Hopefully this presents better in person with actual show lighting and the dynamic range of the human eye.

At minimum, I question how this transforming pirate fits within the narrative structure of Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, which depicts the aftermath of their actions and frames what’s to come as a cautionary tale. In this sense, it reminds me of the Hatbox Ghost at Magic Kingdom, which was added as something fun without regard for the flow of the attraction.

Beyond that, I’m of two minds about Imagineering tinkering with Pirates of the Caribbean (and Haunted Mansion, the other ride that gets this type of treatment). On the one hand, they’ve developed a lot of really cool technology that’s been implemented on the various versions of this attraction.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland is among the most revolutionary attractions ever developed. It’s one of the best and most innovative attractions ever created; a mind-blowing experience with several wow-moments.

Ten years later, most of the tech from that still has not “trickled down” to the legacy versions of the attraction. (Although if we’re lucky, the ride system will finally be brought stateside to the Avatar boat ride in Disney California Adventure.)

There have been other enhancements to Pirates of the Caribbean that I’ve liked. The best example of this is the transforming Barbossa at Disneyland Paris (above and below), which is really cool and comparatively low tech, but nevertheless very impressive.

If the movie additions are going to remain in the iconic attraction, that’s the type of thing I wouldn’t mind seeing added at Walt Disney World and Disneyland (assuming there’s space, and I’m not sure that’s the case).

Imagineering has also done a lot of little things over the years with Pirates of the Caribbean that have resulted in less fanfare.

During one of the last big refurbishments at Disneyland, they added a somewhat similar (albeit lower tech) dead to life effect with a caged pirate and an octopus nearby (pictured below), restored dialogue and other effects, while removing some of the IP integrations. Those changes were unanimous hits with Disneyland fans.

Years ago at Walt Disney World, there was a brief test of mermaids in the attraction around the time one of the films was released. That one was more controversial, but I actually liked it.

On the other hand, we’ve been skeptical of Imagineering sometimes being obsessed with emerging technology and letting the tail unnecessarily wag the dog in some circumstances. There have been scenarios where it felt like fancy tech was leveraged gratuitously, and drew attention to itself as opposed to furthering the story and fading away.

That’s been the case more broadly, but it also feels like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion receive disproportionate attention from Imagineering. And arguably when they don’t really need it, as both are flawless, 10/10 attractions. Meanwhile, there are a dozen-plus attractions in Disneyland that actually could use some TLC and modernizations, such as the recently-reopened Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters. Even if this AA looks better in person, I still question whether that budget could’ve been better spent elsewhere.

I feel like Disney often takes a “don’t fix what isn’t broken” perspective with things that ‘perform’ well, like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Oogie Boogie Bash, even when fans are begging for those events to be refreshed. At the same time, Imagineering doesn’t follow that mantra with perfect legacy attractions.

I get it. Imagineers are some of the most diehard Disney fans, and it’s probably dream come true and tremendous honor to iterate on the classic attractions that they grew up on. Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion are why many of them became Imagineers in the first place! It’s only natural to want to work on those iconic rides, adding something that fellow fans will appreciate.

At the same time, with great power comes great responsibility. Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion are classics that stand the test of time, and are themselves timeless…for a reason. It is exceedingly difficult to integrate modern technology with these decades-old attractions and have it all come together seamlessly. There have been as many, if not more, misses than hits with changes to these classics over the years.

To their credit, they captured lightning in a bottle with Hatbox Ghost at Disneyland (not Magic Kingdom). That’s one instance of the above that really works, and despite being more modern than the rest of the ride, the technology largely fades away. This transforming pirate looks like it’s trying to pull from the same playbook. I really hope it works better in person and is an actual enhancement, as opposed to looking like another instance of the technology tail wagging the dog and being incongruous to the attraction.

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Your Thoughts

What do you think of the new transforming Audio-Animatronics figure in Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!