Walt Disney’s granddaughter, Joanna Miller, is speaking out forcefully against the company’s decision to create a Walt Disney animatronic version of the entertainment pioneer for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. The tribute, titled Walt Disney: A Magical Life, is set to debut at the Main Street Opera House, but not without backlash from within the Disney family.
Miller, who was ten when her grandfather passed away, says the robotic replica does not capture the man she remembers. “I think I started crying,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “It didn’t look like him, to me.” The animatronic, which portrays Disney in his sixties, was designed by Disney’s Imagineering team using archived audio and visual material.
The company insists the tribute will allow fans to experience what it was like to be in Walt’s presence. However, Miller has been vocal in her opposition from the start, describing the creation as a “robotic grandpa” and accusing the company of dehumanizing her grandfather. She voiced her concerns directly to Disney CEO Bob Iger, who she said listened respectfully but ultimately moved forward with the project.
Miller contrasts Iger’s business mindset with what she describes as her grandfather’s artistic vision, stating, “He’s a businessman, grandpa was an artist.” She also laments the Disney family’s 1981 decision to sell the rights to Walt Disney’s name and likeness to the company—a move she now calls a mistake, as it stripped the family of control.
Not all family members oppose the animatronic. Roy P. Disney, Walt’s grand-nephew, was present during the unveiling and supports the figure. Still, Miller remains firm in her disapproval, arguing that people are not replaceable.
Disney has not commented further on Miller’s objections. The animatronic is set to join other historical figures like Abraham Lincoln as part of Disneyland’s immersive exhibits.
