5 Great Disney Animatronics Outside the Rides

Beaver Animatronic Disneyland Rivers of America

Animatronics have been a staple of the Disney Parks ever since the Enchanted Tiki Room. Now they can be found in nearly every Disney ride.

But not all Disney audio-animatronics are placed in the actual rides. Some can be found just in the regular park.

Here are some of the best Disney animatronics that can be found outside the rides.

Figaro



Fantasy Faire is the newest section of Disneyland's Fantasyland. As a result, it is the only area to reference some of the more modern Disney films like Tangled and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But that doesn't mean it can't also pay tribute to the original classics. Found just outside the princess character meet and greet you can see Figaro waiting patiently just outside a birdcage. Every now and then it will move around looking at the bird and the people below.

Killer Beaver

Added as part of the changes to the Rivers of America in anticipation of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, this beaver is shown attempting to destroy the bridge the Disneyland Railroad travels along. Simple, but wonderful.

Sonny Eclipse

One of the best parts of Cosmic Rays is Sonny Eclipse. This intergalactic musician has taken up residence in the Magic Kingdom since 1995 and performs a collection of space-inspired songs as you enjoy your meal. It is a shame that this never made its way to any other Tomorrowland.

Rosita

Rosita started off as a one-liner joke in Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. Jose wondered where his favorite member of the girls' chorus was and that mystery went unsolved for over 50 years. A reference was placed in Big Thunder Mountain, but it was an empty birdcage meaning we still didn't know where she was. Then the Tropical Hideaway opened up at Disneyland. We find Rosita having left the Tiki Room to go out on her own and travel the world, cracking jokes as you eat your Dole Whips.

Luxo Jr.


Pixar Pier opened without any new animatronics. The only audio-animatronic in the land was the Mr. Potato Head that had already been a part of Toy Story Midway Mania prior to the closure of Paradise Pier. Luckily, later on, one animatronic was added on. Luxo Jr. the Pixar lamp found a new home on top of the Pixar Pier sign. This was the second time he was featured as an animatronic in the parks. The first animatronic was as an easter egg during the opening year of Pixar Place in Disney's Hollywood Studios, but he was removed long before the closure of that land.

So what's your favorite animatronic not part of an actual ride? Did we miss any great ones? Let us know in the comments.

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