#Disneyland60 ..... Today in Disneyland History................August 28, 2003

Lucky the Dinosaur Roams the Park

August 28, 2003

On August 28, 2003, Lucky the Dinosaur, the first Audio-Animatronic figure to walk freely and interact with park guests, debuted as a test in Disney's California Adventure Park after first premiering at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles.  Approximately 8 feet tall, Lucky was a green biped dinosaur who pulled a flower-covered cart and was led by Chandler the Dinosaur Handler.  Lucky was the first free-roving creation dreamed up by Disney Imagineering team.  The flower cart Lucky pulled actually concealed Lucky’s computer and power source. Lucky was capable of moving, “talking” in dinosaur language, and responding to guests! Imagineers even went as far as to add thumping sounds that were in sync with Lucky's feet to simulate what a heavy dinosaur might have sounded like when moving.  

In the summer of 2005 Lucky back his cart and traveled to the east coast where he made appearances at Disney's Animal Kingdom in DinoLand USA.  After interacting for a time with guests there, it was time to back his bags once again when he traveled to the other side of the world to Hong Kong Disneyland for the park's grand opening.
Lucky wouldn't be spotted again until the D23 Expo in 2009 - but his technology enabled another free-roving attraction - Muppet Mobile Lab to wow park guests at various Disney theme parks around the world.
With more and more advances in computers, software, miniaturization, and electronics, there’s no telling what the future holds for the Disney Imagineers where the only limits are imagination. Time will tell what new friends we will meet roaming the Parks, but on August 28, it was all about a dinosaur named Lucky.  And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history.