#audio animatronics

Stitch animatronics!

Stitch’s Great Escape (2004-2018)

Hatbox Ghost: Haunted Mansion(2015/2023-current) - Disneyland and Magic Kingdom Disney world

Propaganda:

"His head disappearing affect is really well done. His also so dapper!"

Murphy/Fantasmic dragon: Fantasmic - Disneyland version

Propaganda:

"Listen. I know this dragon is famous for exploding. But also the sight of that head emerging from fog and a giant dragon looming over the stage I had walked on earlier that day did formative things to little me."

(go to 20:58 for good view of animatronic ) 

Ballroom dancers: Haunted Mansion - Magic Kingdom Disney World, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris/Phantom Manor

Propaganda:

"Iconic. Legendary. Show stopping. The entire ballroom scene if I could, but the dancers are it baby!!!"

An Imagineer works on an Audio-Animatronic of a Pteranodon for the Universe of Energy

Bonnie Appetite is the beautiful host of the now defunct epcot show, Kitchen Kabaret. Isn't she wonderful? <3 she's pictured here in her first outfit for the show, which she wears during mealtime blues. 

Here's my quick fact file on her!

Debut: October 1, 1982 (she's as old as epcot!)

Withdrawal: January 3, 1994 (her show was replaced by food rocks, sponsored by nestle :/ )

Attraction: Kitchen Kabaret

Locations: epcot

Area: Future World

Pavilion: The Land Pavilion

Voice: Jeanine Brown

Her in Action:

 Kitchen Kabaret (pt1)

Kitchen Kabaret (pt 2)

Versions: Five forms of Bonnie appear throughout the show, her mealtime blues initial outfit, a more showgirl like suit (there are two animatronics of this one), a fancily dressed version of her seated upon a crescent moon and finally a pretty apron and shirt.

I feel like Bonnie doesn’t get enough love. Although kitchen Kabaret is an incredible work of art seen as an iconic part of epcot history, there is only a comparatively small historical record of Bonnie. It’s difficult to find quality photos of her, and even harder to find detailed information. I personally think that she looks very lively for her time, with a surprising degree of movement and a wonderfully expressive face, bringing the entire show to life. In the show, bonnie starts of by singing the introduction, “mealtime blues”. A blues-like song, (as implied by the name) that tells a tale of her woes towards the challenge of cooking a meal. She is clothed in her housewife like outfit, sitting atop a pile of recipe books. This musical number is immediately followed by a much more upbeat tune, the first act of the show “Chase those mealtime blues away”. It is sung by Bonnie, who is accompanied by the Kitchen Krackpots. She is now standing, wearing a showgirl-like blue outfit. This act praises the importance of good nutrition and it’s place within meals. She then goes on to introduce the next act, and for the next three acts that is her only purpose, introducing each new ensemble. She reappears the act before the finale, seated atop a  crescent moon. Partway through the act she is lowed down into the top of the stage, dressed in an incredibly showy outfit. She sings “veggie veggie fruit” along with the Colander Combo and the Fiesta Fruit. She is raised back up into the ceiling as she sings the Segway in to the finale. She reappears at the left of the stage for the finale, a medley made up of all the previous acts. She is now dressed in her final outfit, a white blouse and blue apron, with a white spotted blue skirt. At the conclusion of the song, she farewells the audience, before the curtain draws. 

And finally, her fate. Unfortunately the Kitchen Kabaret was replaced in 1994 by food rocks. A lot of animatronics were reused, but Bonnie was not one of them. It is unknown where four of the five Bonnies are (probably the archive or a scrap heap), but the fifth is rumored to be somewhere backstage in the central shops and is apparently stripped down to just her wires and the clear shell. She is supposedly used to train new imagineers, however my only source is that someone heard it from somewhere, so take it with a grain of salt. It is unknown which version of her it is. 

Bonnie is a beautiful lady who I love and support very much, and hope you do to. Here are a few links to other sites if you would like more information on Kitchen Kabaret (not necessarily specific to bonnie), and below those I will place a small photo gallery. Thanks for reading!

 (very nice photos of some of the Kitchen Kabaret members)

 (the script and some reasonable photos)

 (another photo archive, this one has some photos of the lobby) 

 (for a more detailed explanation on the replacement attraction, also has some nice pics and good descriptions) 

 (a detailed description of all the acts)