We can all agree that the Olaf animatronic walking itself around Disneyland Paris is adorable, all on its own. Now it's even cuter, with his own magical sleigh to help transport him around the Kingdom of Arendelle as he makes his way to a stage where the Arendelle Carolers perform for the holidays.
One of the biggest drawbacks that came with introducing a “living” animatronic Olaf to guests in Disney’s European theme park is the fact that it can’t walk very far very quickly. I mean, he is a snowman after all. So now, and just in time for the holiday celebration, the adorable snowman who just wants to live his best summer is taking on winter in style with his own magical sleigh. Check out the short clip of a cast member steering Olaf around as he waves to the adoring masses gathered around:
The holidays are in full swing in the Disney theme parks around the world, and no one embodies the winter season better than Olaf the snowman from Frozen, one of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ most popular franchises of all time. As a result, I’m happy to see that the beloved character has his own mode of transportation, especially after a few incidents of Olaf failing, freezing, and falling over. It’s a frightening sight when it happens, though Josh Gad has kept a sense of humor about it all, as the actor who is responsible for the snowman's lovable personality.
Getting to meet beloved Disney characters is a longtime tradition, where animated characters become live-action characters in the parks. While we knew that Disney Parks had been working on robots for a few years, it wasn’t until we actually got to see Olaf in action that I realized just how remarkable the achievement was. I’m also thankful that they’re continuing to build on that by creating this sleigh, which seems to have a purpose bigger than just transporting the character around the World of Frozen in Disneyland Paris.
In the video clip, you can see that Olaf’s sleigh, while too freaking cute just on its own, has the dual purpose of also working as a bridge to get him onto the stage at the foot of North Mountain so that he can join the Arendelle carolers for a 15-minute musical performance where he leads the choir. The sleigh transforms into a short platform that Olaf can shuffle across to the back of the stage where he can do his part in the show, avoiding the need for someone to have to physically lift him up and get him on the stage some other way.
While more Frozen films are in the works, we won’t see Frozen 3 until November 24, 2027. Until then, I’m hoping we’ll get more Olaf fun in and around the Disney theme parks, as he’s a character that would be a welcome addition to the U.S. locations as well.
