Animatronics & Third Parties

[alexbbNYC]

I have a discussion question for anyone who may know, regarding the design, construction, fabrication, installation of Disney ride animatronics.
I know that Disney often hires outside companies to create animatronic characters for some of their rides...but I thought Disney created the Audio-Animatronic technology, so why do they not take care of all animatronics themselves?
Also, when do they make the decision to purchase through an outside company versus making it themselves? (Do they make any themselves?)
Any other pertinent information would be appreciated...who has final say on animatronic designs, who installs the figures, does Disney design the rest of the ride themselves?

Thanks!

 

[rteetz]

I have a discussion question for anyone who may know, regarding the design, construction, fabrication, installation of Disney ride animatronics.
I know that Disney often hires outside companies to create animatronic characters for some of their rides...but I thought Disney created the Audio-Animatronic technology, so why do they not take care of all animatronics themselves?
Also, when do they make the decision to purchase through an outside company versus making it themselves? (Do they make any themselves?)
Any other pertinent information would be appreciated...who has final say on animatronic designs, who installs the figures, does Disney design the rest of the ride themselves?

Thanks!

Walt Disney Imagineering is a complex organization. When it first started as WED there weren't any companies that worked to build theme park attractions because that simply wasn't a thing. Walt pulled animators, and film people to create his theme park.

Today, there are several organizations that create things for theme parks.

Disney's biggest animatronic supplier outside of Imagineering is Garner Holt. Disney will approach them and often times its due to costs when they go outside Imagineering. It can be much cheaper to contract it out.

The big story comes from the Haunted Mansion overlay in Disneyland. Imagineering came up with a concept and cost for it that was astronomical but they thought they could get that money. Disneyland execs said we are going elsewhere and looked to Garner Holt. Holt was able to do basically the same thing Imagineering would have done for less money.