Disney's BDX droids are making their way to Walt Disney World in 2025, and Imagineers introducing new upgrades to improve durability and expand their behavior.
Changes for Walt Disney World
To prepare for their arrival in Florida, Disney Imagineers have made several adjustments to ensure the BDX droids can operate effectively in the park's demanding weather conditions. According to a report from TechRadar, the original BDX droids featured 3D-printed parts, but these have been replaced with milled components to better withstand Florida's heat and humidity.
In collaboration with Disney Live Entertainment, new content has been added to expand the droids' behavior and interactions, giving them a wider range of responses and personality.
The droids have been refined to handle uneven terrain and outdoor conditions more effectively. Simulation training has helped the robots adapt to balance challenges, ensuring they can remain stable even with unpredictable guest interactions.
Disney's Associate Lab Director of Robotics, Moritz Bächer, told TechRadar, "We basically take animation as an input and make sure that our robots know how to best follow these inputs. They learn to not only walk but to follow the artistic-provided motion that differentiates us from the rest of the world."
How the BDX Droids Work
The BDX droids use advanced robotics technology combined with Disney's storytelling. Developed through reinforcement learning, the droids are trained in digital simulations that teach them to react and move naturally in theme park environments.
Bächer explained that the droids' movements are designed to feel organic and emotionally expressive. "The bots be-bopping with excitement over meeting you or getting a compliment, walking around like a duckling, or getting angry when they have to go away — it's the robot's performance at the current limit of the hardware," he said.
While some elements are autonomous — such as antenna movement and blinking — Disney Imagineers continue to rely on operators for precise interactions with guests. Bächer noted that the joystick-controlled system has been improved to allow smoother and more intuitive movements.
Preparing for Guest Interactions
The BDX droids' design allows operators to adjust interactions on the fly, creating personalized experiences for guests. "You don't build technology for the sake of technology," Bächer told TechRadar. "We build Disney technology to create next-generation characters… so that you don't see the mechanical systems any longer — you see just a believable robotic character."
To enhance that experience, the BDX droids have been trained to respond to environmental challenges. Bächer described how simulation testing helped prepare the droids for challenging conditions, such as maintaining balance on the Disney Wish cruise ship despite the vessel's natural rocking motion.
"We not only simulate flat terrain and uneven terrain, but we also push these robots in the simulation with random forces in all directions," Bächer said.
Future of Disney's Robotic Characters
The arrival of the BDX droids is part of Disney's broader strategy to enhance themed experiences with advanced robotics. As Bächer emphasized, "The BDX Droids are just the beginning."
Disney's collaboration with Google DeepMind and NVIDIA is helping to build more expressive, interactive robots that align with Disney's creative vision. "This collaboration will allow us to create a new generation of robotic characters that are more expressive and engaging than ever before — and connect with our guests in ways that only Disney can," said Kyle Laughlin, SVP of Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development.
With the upgraded BDX droids set to debut at Disney's Hollywood Studios later this year, guests can expect a deeper layer of immersion as these expressive droids explore Galaxy's Edge.
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