Mickey Mouse Finds His Voice
This is so cool! Seems as if Disney Imagineering is testing out technology that will allow The Mickey Mouse character you see in the parks to actually speak and interact guests. In the past, all costumed characters have been silent with the exception of shows and parades. However just recently, a few lucky guests were invited to be part of an experiment conducted in Mickey’s Toon Town studio where the character soke to them and even blinked his eyes.
Rather than try to describe it to you in words, better to see it in action which you can in the video below.
According to Disney Parks blog, this was part of a process we call “playtesting” as it gives Imagineers a chance to develop new concepts with guests long before they end up in the Parks. “We’re always looking for innovative ways to let guests interact with our beloved characters,” says Disney Imagineer and head of Advanced Development Scott Trowbridge. “And we have many more surprises up our sleeves.”
No word on when we will finally see a talking Mickey and possibly even other characters on a regular basis in the parks but it is certainly an awesome feature, especially if you have a child who is familiar with the Disney characters.
About the Author: Every since my first trip to Disneyland in 1977, I have been a Disney fanatic. Disney-O-Rama allows me to share news and current happenings as well as many of the secrets and history behind the magic. Follow 
Michael | May 27, 2010 | Reply
This is a really cool idea, and I look forward to hearing developments. Obviously they probably won’t be roaming through the park, but rather staying in a designed spot because of need to have a puppeteer/voice actor hidden nearby.
Disney World Fan | Jul 5, 2010 | Reply
Very cool. I am looking forward to seeing this in person when it does show up. It will be interesting to see how my kids react.