Creepy Animatronic Figures

[rapunzels]

I can remember when I was younger, perhaps 8-10 years old, and going on my first trip to Disneyland. I remember telling my parents on PoC that I thought the figures were looking at me, and feeling a little unnerved about that. I knew they were not real, they looked plastic-like after all, but as a young girl, boy did some of their eyes look like they were looking at me! Even as an adult, there have been a few times where I would lean over to my husband, and say that figure looks like he is looking at me! I've fleetingly thought their eyes looked realistic on Spaceship Earth and Carousel of Progress, too.

I'm ashamed to admit it, I've seen the movie House of Wax (2005). Sometimes I think of that movie when I'm on some of those rides, those creepy wax people set up all over town, made to look like they are living people. Yuck.

My DH just laughs and tells me I'm nuts.. I think on my next trip, I will watch what I eat before I gleefully ride those rides. Maybe the few times I've thought that, I ate something that disagreed with me!

Anyone else ever think those animatronic figures are creepy?? Not all of them, just some of them..

Fun reading about Disney animatronics...
http://allears.net/tp/mk/aa_lou.htm

 

[JLVermillion]

You are not alone ! I do not like dolls ( the ones the glass eyes and closing eye lashed eyes especially) I only ride POC , SW ect for the kids. I am terrified that the ride will stall and will be stuck...not enough meds for that .

 

[shyjade]

I can't stand the way the Ariels look in the new Voyage of the Little Mermaid ride. They are HUGE and so creepy, IMO. So much that it's all I focused on during the ride. I thought it was a bit pathetic and have no desire to ever ride it again.

 

[dixiegirl]

The animatronic figures don't bother me half as much as the dolls on IASW (see the tag under my username) LOL!

 

[minnie mum]

If animatronics freak you out, for heaven's sake, don't ever read the Kingdom Keepers series. You'll never set foot it a Disney Park again.

 

[rapunzels]

If animatronics freak you out, for heaven's sake, don't ever read the Kingdom Keepers series. You'll never set foot it a Disney Park again.

Not all animatronics, just the life size ones, on occasion might make me pause and take a second glance! Certainly not bad enough for me to avoid a specific ride or the park! We have a few of those Kingdom Keeper books laying around the house, I'll remember to prepare myself if I ever decide to read one of them!!

 

[ellie05]

If animatronics freak you out, for heaven's sake, don't ever read the Kingdom Keepers series. You'll never set foot it a Disney Park again.

This is exactly what I was thinking when I read this thread

 

[foodrocksluver]

I've never been afraid of the animatronics, no.

The water in all WDW boat rides? 100% yes. The thought of having to get out in an emergency and walk through it freaks me out big time.

 

[dawnmichele]

I agree, especially in Pirates. That ride creeps me out every time I ride it (I still ride it every trip though). It's a mixture of the dark, the water, and all those animatronics. It's so crowded and dark and busy in there, anything could be going on and you'd never know. I know it's not supposed to be a scary ride, but imho, it's the scariest in all of the Magic Kingdom.

I bought the first Kingdom Keepers book to read on the plane during my next trip. Maybe I'll choose something else...

 

[Peter Panic Attack]

I've got to say that the Sigourney Weaver animatronic in The Great Movie Ride has always struck me as scary beyond all reason. Kind of makes me want to curl up in the fetal position just thinking about it.

Also, I'm not a big fan of the Ellen animatronic in the Universe of Energy. I don't really see the resemblance.

It might have been better if the Imagineers had used Ellen as their model instead of Owen Wilson.

 

[willowsnn3]

I love the animatronics but they do creep me out at times too. Especially Spaceship Earth. I'm always looking back to see if they turn their heads to watch me after we go past......
As far as getting stuck on one of the boat rides, you don't have to walk thru the water to get out. We were stuck nearly an hour on POC once, (right where the wife auction is) and the cast member was the one who had to put on waders and get in the water to pull the boat close to a spot where we were helped off right by an exit door.

 

[Arenita]

The only one that creeps me out is the barefoot pirate on the bridge in POC. I SWEAR he watches me. His foot is so gross!

 

[foodrocksluver]

I love the animatronics but they do creep me out at times too. Especially Spaceship Earth. I'm always looking back to see if they turn their heads to watch me after we go past......
As far as getting stuck on one of the boat rides, you don't have to walk thru the water to get out. We were stuck nearly an hour on POC once, (right where the wife auction is) and the cast member was the one who had to put on waders and get in the water to pull the boat close to a spot where we were helped off right by an exit door.

This has made me feel slightly better

 

[RogueKnits]

I've got to say that the Sigourney Weaver animatronic in The Great Movie Ride has always struck me as scary beyond all reason. Kind of makes me want to curl up in the fetal position just thinking about it.

Is it the way the head moves? In general I don't find animatronics creepy, but that one is definitely a little "off" somehow.

 

[hogwartsdropout]

Is it the way the head moves? In general I don't find animatronics creepy, but that one is definitely a little "off" somehow.

Yes! This one is freaky! It's probably the only one that really scares me.

 

[bumbershoot]

This has made me feel slightly better

Good. There are pathways everywhere along the water-containing rides. Dry pathways.

 

[ajwolfe]

Is it the way the head moves? In general I don't find animatronics creepy, but that one is definitely a little "off" somehow.

I figured I was the only one that thinks she is creepy and something seems wrong with how she moves!!

 

[Son of Gadsden]

Oh I've got like a crazy phobia of broken/abandoned/turned off/large animatronics. I can't think of many things scarier than going through Dinosaur while it's turned off. The Yeti freaks me the heck out because of that. I'm not having a panic attack or anything going through EE, but it's unsettling. I do love that ride.

I remember King Kong and Jaws at Universal used to absolutely terrify me as a child.

As far as PoTC, though, nah. Then again, my parents were Disney freaks before I was born, so my mom repeatedly telling me how stupid looking all of the animontronics were for the entire ride so i wouldn't freak out and not ride it again is burned into my head. So I just always thought they just looked silly.

 

[CookieGVB]

Did you see that SNL episode with JT as the guest host? Two riders got stuck in a lover's lane kind of ride and the life-sized animatronics got all creepy. Too funny.

 

[grimley1968]

Don't read the Neal Gabler biography of Walt Disney! It goes into detail about the time when Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was being shown to potential sponsors for it for the New York World's Fair in 1964. The hydraulic fluid, which was red at the time, leaked all over his body and the floor. Now THAT'S creepy.