After first revealing what many speculated to be robotic stunt doubles several years ago, today the official Disney Parks Blog confirmed that Disney Research’s swinging, posing, self-contained animatronic trapeze artists will be used to create a real-life version of Spider-Man swinging over the upcoming Avengers Campus attraction in Disneyland.
The exact reason the new animatronics were being developed was kept secret when a video was first released of them being tested over a giant airbag back in 2018, but the Disney+ multi-part documentary series The Imagineering Story includes additional video of the animatronic where it clearly strikes several Spider-Man poses in mid-air. Since the D23 Expo last year it’s been known that Disney was planning to build an Avengers-themed attraction at its Disney California Adventure park, and putting two and two together had many excited that robo-Spider-Man would somehow play a unique part in that experience.
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There’s no need to speculate any further, however, as a video was shared on the Disneyland Resort YouTube channel showing the new animatronic, dressed as Spider-Man, soaring and swinging through the air while striking iconic Spidey poses.
Will guests be able to interact with the new animatronic? There is very little chance that will happen given how purpose-built it is. It’s not designed for chatting or selfies, and it’s safe to assume that animatronic Spider-Man represents a healthy chunk of the cash that Disney spends on research and development for its parks. According to the official Disney Parks Blog, “…guests visiting Disney California Adventure park in the near future may be able to catch a glimpse of the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man himself swinging above the rooftops of Avengers Campus.”
Even if guests won’t be able to get up close and personal with animatronic Spider-Man, this already sounds like it could be one of the coolest photo/video-ops across all of Disney’s theme park empire.