Olaf, from the world-famous franchise, “Frozen,” is debuting in an all-new way at Disney Parks in 2026. Walt Disney Imagineering has spent years refining technology to bring this lovable character to our world. Guests can look for Olaf at Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris and World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort next year.
“From the way he moves to the way he looks, every gesture and detail is crafted to reflect the Olaf audiences have seen in the film — alive, curious, and unmistakably himself,” states Kyle Laughlin SVP R&D Technology & Engineering, Walt Disney Imagineering.
Disney confirms that Olaf can not only walk around and roam, but he can speak in true conversation. Animatronic and robotics technology is not new to The Walt Disney Company. With the advancements in AI chips, electric motors and sensors, Disney is continuing to push their own levels of storytelling. Olaf is the next stage of this story driven pursuit of technology by Walt Disney Imagineering.
Olaf robot developed by Walt Disney Imagineering
“Olaf’s ‘snow’ also moves differently than the hard shells of other robotic characters, and he can fully articulate his mouth, eyes, and removable carrot nose and arms,” said Laughlin, “Like everything at Disney, we always start with the story, and our number one priority is to build storytelling technology that empowers our Disney Imagineers to breathe life into our characters.”
This technology and more is shared on the newest episode of “We Call It Imagineering,” a YouTube series hosted by Walt Disney Imagineering. These episodes offer a rare look behind the closed doors at one of the world’s most famous technology groups. Imagineering began when Walt Disney wanted a highly specialized group to enhance the theme parks. Now this group’s work is utilized worldwide, from major attractions to one lovable, little Olaf.
