'Four months' worth of work' — Disney Imagineering built a walking Olaf robot and imagines 'an entire world populated with characters you know and love'

The next-gen robot arrives at Disneyland Paris this month

16 Mar 2026, 20:29 · TechRadar

News By Jacob Krol published 16 March 2026

(Image credit: Disney Experiences)

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It’s been less than five months since Walt Disney Imagineering showed off what might be its most impressive robotic feat yet — a walking, talking Olaf that looks as if he popped right off the screen.

“From start to real true finish for Olaf was really truly about four months' worth of work,” said Kyle Laughlin, SVP of R&D, Technology and Engineering at Walt Disney Imagineering, as we began to dive into what might be Imagineering’s most impressive robotic character to date.

Now, we’re just days away from the self-walking — and very much talking — Olaf making his debut at Disneyland Paris’ new Adventure World. It’s been roughly five months since Walt Disney Imagineering first shared the robot with the world, and anticipation for the character’s first appearance in front of guests is only growing.

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This latest next-gen robot from Disney arrives shortly after the adorable BDX droids — which will soon become an even bigger part of the Star Wars canon with their big-screen debut in The Mandalorian and Grogu, arriving May 22, 2026.

But Olaf wasn’t just born inside Imagineering.

We’ve known Olaf since his debut in Frozen back in 2013, and there’s a clear expectation of what audiences expect from him — the slightly awkward waddle, the fast-paced personality, and an unmistakable sense of curiosity.

Those are exactly the traits Imagineering needed to recreate in physical form.

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