Obamatron Debuts at Disney
Robotic Obama a new feature at the Hall of Presidents exhibit
By MARK MORALES
Updated 2:30 PM CST, Fri, Jul 3, 2009
The Obamatron won't be fighting any decepticons this weekend, but he will be at Disney World.
A robotic version of President Barack Obama will make is debut tomorrow at the famed Hall of Presidents attraction at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Disney World.
The 25-minute historical retrospective will feature their newest addition, an audio animatronic version of Obama, complete with facial expressions and gestures, according to Disney. To create the robotic Obama, designers used footage from the campaign trail and his inauguration to make sure they had his mannerisms and expressions down cold.
Obama even recorded a speech for the attraction in the White House Map Room, which includes the presidential oath of office and his thoughts on "the American Dream."
"There you go, they made me better looking," said Obama in a White House video of the recording session.
Obama's staff worked closely with Disney to make sure they accurately recreated the president's clothing and accessories, down to his lapel flag pin and watch.
The rebooted show, "The Hall of Presidents: A Celebration of Liberty's Leaders," will stay true to Walt Disney's original vision of a "mighty cavalcade of history," referring to the shows depiction of important moments in the nation's history but the story will be told throught the perspective of the presidents.
Kathy Rogers, senior show producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, says the show pays particular tribute to the strength of the bond between the people and the presidents “that led us through the most troubling times in our nation’s history."
While Disney paid much attention to the details, not everyone seems to find the resemblence so striking. Engadget.com calls the robot "incredibly scary."
You can judge for yourself starting tomorrow. The revised exhibit, complete with new images, updated digital soundtrack, state of the art speakers and LED lighting, comes back from its eight-month hiatus to open on July 4 at 9:00 AM.
First Published: Jul 3, 2009 11:28 AM CST
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