Guest Can Meet Olaf in Real Life at Disney Parks. Today, Walt Disney Imagineering released a brand new episode of “We Call it Imagineering” on the Disney Imagineering YouTube Channel. In the episode, it was announced that a life-like, walking, talking, interactive Olaf animatronic will debut in World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and then come to Arendelle Bay Show in World of Frozen, the new immersive world coming soon to Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris in early 2026.
Disneyland Paris just unveiled a huge leap in character technology today! Guests will soon be able to meet a next-generation robotic character of Olaf, the cheerful snowman from Disney’s Frozen. Check out the reels that are being posted by WDW Imagineering, and you will see Olaf has a nose that can be removed and an arm that is also removable. He will interact when those things take place.
This is a major achievement that blends cutting-edge technology with classic Disney storytelling to bring beloved animated characters into the real world like never before.
More Than Just a Robot: Bringing Animation to Reality – The new Olaf robot looks and moves exactly like the character fans know and love from the movie.
- Authentic Look: Every detail, from his movements to the shimmering, iridescent fibers that make him look like fresh snow, was carefully crafted.
- True to Character: Disney Imagineers worked closely with the original Frozen animators to make sure every gesture feels just right—alive, curious, and unmistakably Olaf.
AI and Tech Power the Magic – Creating a non-human, “snow” character like Olaf was a unique challenge. Unlike earlier blockier robots, Olaf’s body moves differently. The team used a powerful form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) called reinforcement learning to teach the robot to walk and move gracefully in a fraction of the time it takes humans.
Most importantly, this highly advanced Olaf can:
- Fully articulate his mouth, eyes, removable carrot nose, and arms.
- Speak and engage in conversations with guests, creating a truly personal experience.
The debut was marked by Bruce Vaughn, President of Walt Disney Imagineering, and Natacha Rafalski, Présidente of Disneyland Paris. They highlighted that this breakthrough is part of Disney’s continuous mission to improve the guest experience and bring joy to fans globally.
Want to see how Olaf and other innovations were created? You can learn more in the latest episode of “We Call It Imagineering.”
