{"id":880820,"date":"2025-12-26T23:11:45","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T05:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/26\/disney-didnt-animate-hercules-titans-for-its-show-on-disney-destiny-it-engineered-them\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T23:11:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T05:11:45","slug":"disney-didnt-animate-hercules-titans-for-its-show-on-disney-destiny-it-engineered-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/26\/disney-didnt-animate-hercules-titans-for-its-show-on-disney-destiny-it-engineered-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Disney didn\u2019t animate Hercules\u2019 Titans for its show on Disney Destiny \u2014 it engineered them"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Disney\n<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n(Image credit: Disney Cruise Line)<\/span>
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There\u2019s a good chance you\u2019re familiar with the story of Hercules <\/em>and have seen Disney’s retelling in a classic, 1997 animated film, but I bet you’ve never seen it on a boat. The story of how scenes are set, props are built, and characters come to life in a new staged production aboard a moving cruise ship is a hero’s journey worthy of the original.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve already unpacked, Hercules<\/em> aboard the Disney Cruise Line\u2019s Disney Destiny<\/em> ship<\/a> is using a boatload of technology in some unexpected ways \u2013 yes, there are projections on scrims, the stage, and the walls surrounding it in the Walt Disney Theater, but it\u2019s also being used on performers to take one of the classic songs to new heights.<\/p>\n

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‘It\u2019s hard to figure out how to bring those characters to life’<\/p>

Arin Dale<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Even more surprising, though, is that inside the two Titans that make themselves known during a battle scene with Hercules is an exoskeleton. The Ice and Rock Titans, as pictured above and below, mark the first time Disney Experiences<\/a> is using exoskeleton technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to figure out how to bring those characters to life in a larger-than-life kind of way,\u201d explained Arin Dale, a Disney Live Entertainment producer. \u201cOur Hercules is 6 feet tall, so you really have to make sure that those characters are epic and that they are effective and impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning exoskeleton tech into storytelling<\/h2>\n
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\"Disney\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>

(Image credit: Disney Cruise Line)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While exoskeleton technology is far from new \u2013 and we\u2019ll likely see a lot of it at CES 2026<\/a> \u2013 this application is firmly in line with Disney\u2019s approach to using technology in service of storytelling and immersion.<\/p>\n

Disney has been developing this exoskeleton system, dubbed Project EXO, since 2020, and here it functions as a puppet-style mechanical suit worn by the performer.<\/p>\n

At its core, the system transfers the majority of the Titan\u2019s weight down through the frame and into the ground, rather than placing that load on the performer\u2019s body. In that sense, it operates less like a powered robot and more like a wearable puppetry mechanism.<\/p>\n

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The exoframe is primarily human-driven, with the performer controlling movement through their own body, but it also incorporates pneumatic assistance at key joints to help augment strength when moving oversized limbs. That assistance doesn\u2019t drive motion on its own; instead, it reduces strain and makes repeated, expressive movement possible during a live performance. It’s a key way for Disney to bring these characters from screen to life, though.<\/p>\n

Essentially, Project EXO allows a single performer to operate a massive character by combining weight transfer, leverage, and mechanical assistance. The scale involved is significant: the Ice Titan stands roughly 13 feet tall, while the Rock Titan, though smaller at around 9 feet, is still imposing \u2013 underscoring why this hybrid of puppetry and mechanical support is necessary to bring towering beings to life on a stage.<\/p>\n

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‘We\u2019re moving around, you know, 110, 120 pounds of mass’<\/p>

Michael Serna<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Even with that size, the performers inside \u2013 each Titan is controlled by a single human \u2013 can move the arms, heads, legs, and other parts of the body. They engage in stage combat with Hercules and can move quickly across the stage.<\/p>\n

To make that sustainable over the course of a complete performance, the Titans include built-in support points \u2013 effectively canes integrated into the design \u2013 that allow the performer to take a brief respite. However, the exoskeleton does a lot of the heavy lifting.<\/p>\n

The base Project EXO frame weighs 40 pounds, and as Michael Serna, Executive Creative Director, explained, the Rock Titan adds roughly 60 pounds of additional structure, while the Ice Titan adds closer to 70 pounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we\u2019re moving around, you know, 110, 120 pounds of mass that Zion is responsible for \u2013 and he has to do fight choreography,\u201d Serna said.<\/p>\n

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\"Rock\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>

(Image credit: Jacob Krol\/Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What it takes to move a Titan<\/h2>\n

Zion performs as the Rock Titan, while Cam takes on the Ice Titan. Both are dancers with Disney Live Entertainment and didn\u2019t expect to find themselves operating and performing inside exoskeletons.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just excited to move in something like this, so it was a cool thing for me to get to do while being able to dance as much as I want to as well,\u201d Zion said.<\/p>\n

It clearly works in the show, and the fight sequence between Rock, Ice, and Hercules is one of its most compelling moments, complete with effects hitting the Titans themselves and CO\u2082 emitting from Ice as cold air.<\/p>\n

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\"Disney\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>

(Image credit: Disney Cruise Line)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Under the surface, Project EXO is formed from specific materials designed to balance strength with weight. \u201cThere\u2019s all kinds of stuff \u2013 3D-printed titanium, minicell padded work, parts for that,\u201d Serna said.<\/p>\n

That design approach comes with hard limits, particularly around weight and complexity.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdded animation and added functionality also comes at a cost \u2013 yeah, comes at a weight, and you\u2019re just complicating it unnecessarily,\u201d Serna said.<\/p>\n

For the team, the goal was never to call attention to the mechanics themselves, but to let the performance take over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want people to think about this stuff at all,\u201d Serna said. \u201cI want them to be wowed and at the end go, \u2018Wait, how did that \u2013 how did that happen?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

A stress test at sea<\/h2>\n
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\"Up-close\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>

(Image credit: Jacob Krol\/Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In that sense, Hercules<\/em> aboard the Disney Destiny<\/em> isn\u2019t just a showcase for Project EXO \u2013 it\u2019s a stress test.<\/p>\n

This is the first formal deployment of exoskeleton technology in a Disney live performance, and it\u2019s happening inside a theater with a 40-foot wide stage, tight wing space, flying scenery, and the added complexity of a ship that\u2019s constantly in motion.<\/p>\n

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‘Video and doing effects doesn\u2019t always work’<\/p>

Arin Dale<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Yet the technology holds, and more importantly, it serves the story. The Titans don\u2019t feel like technical demonstrations or effects-driven spectacles \u2013 they feel like characters that belong in the space, whether viewed from the balcony, the orchestra, or standing just feet away as they cross the stage.<\/p>\n

That physical presence is intentional. As Disney Live Entertainment producer Arin Dale explained, relying solely on screens or projected illusions wasn\u2019t the goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cVideo and doing effects doesn\u2019t always work,\u201d said Dale. Instead, the challenge was figuring out how to bring something larger than life into the room in a way that felt tangible and believable for the audience.<\/p>\n

That philosophy helps explain why Project EXO has taken years to reach this point \u2013 and why its first major appearance arrives not in a park meet-and-greet or a brief demo, but inside a full Broadway-style production. The exoskeletons aren\u2019t meant to be noticed as technology; they\u2019re meant to disappear into the performance, allowing the Titans to move, fight, and emote in ways that sell the illusion.<\/p>\n

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‘We\u2019ve learned a lot just from this’<\/p>

Jeff Conover<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

And while this marks the first time Disney Experiences has formally used exoskeleton technology in a live show, it\u2019s clearly not positioned as a one-off. The lessons learned here \u2013 from weight distribution and materials to performer endurance and choreography \u2013 suggest a foundation that can be built upon.<\/p>\n

As Jeff Conover, Creative Director, noted during the conversation, \u201cIf we do want to do another character that employs this type of tech, we\u2019ve learned a lot just from this.\u201d<\/p>\n

A foundation for what comes after<\/h2>\n
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\"Disney<\/p>\n<\/div>

(Image credit: Disney Cruise Line)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For now, that future-facing potential is anchored firmly in the present. On a moving ship, inside a tightly constrained theater, Project EXO proves that physical performance \u2013 not screens \u2013 remains one of Disney\u2019s most powerful storytelling tools when paired with the right technology.<\/p>\n

Taken together, the technology inside the Walt Disney Theater aboard the Disney Destiny<\/em> reflects a very deliberate philosophy. The goal isn\u2019t to overwhelm audiences with visible systems or flashy tricks, but to make the physical world onstage feel as convincing as the animated one audiences already know.<\/p>\n

As Michael explained, relying purely on digital tools was never going to be enough.<\/p>\n

The exoskeleton is really the latest lightbulb piece of technology housed inside the Walt Disney Theater aboard the Disney Destiny<\/em> \u2013 it\u2019s a tech powerhouse. As Mina Shayesteh, stage manager, described, the production infrastructure behind the show is unlike anything Disney Cruise Line has attempted before.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have 500 lights, 13 projectors, 10 snow machines, 12 confetti cannons,\u201d Shayesteh said. \u201cWe have 100 automation axes, 115 automation cues in Hercules<\/em>. So anything that moves on stage overall throughout that show, we have 115 different times where I say the word \u2018go\u2019 to make these things move \u2013 which is greater than any show in the entire fleet that we have across Disney Cruise Line.\u201d<\/p>\n

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‘Technology fusing with theatricality’<\/p>

Michael Serna<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Yet even with that scale, the intention is never for the technology to become the focus. Instead, it\u2019s meant to fade into the background, allowing performers, characters, and story beats to take center stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe technology fusing with theatricality so it doesn\u2019t get in your way, so it’s just letting you have a really great experience, but you’re not thinking about the technical aspects,\u201d Serna said, describing the balance the team aims for.<\/p>\n

That balance is especially evident with Project EXO. Despite years of development, complex materials, and significant weight within the suits, the system\u2019s success is measured by how little the audience notices it \u2013 and ultimately what it lets the performer accomplish.<\/p>\n

Of course, if you want to see these larger-than-life Titans, you’ll need to book a trip aboard the Disney Destiny, which is sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but if you’d rather see the Titans in their original form, you can stream Hercules<\/em> on Disney+<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Jacob Krol is the US Managing Editor, News for TechRadar. He\u2019s been writing about technology since he was 14 when he started his own tech blog. Since then Jacob has worked for a plethora of publications including CNN Underscored, TheStreet, Parade, Men\u2019s Journal, Mashable, CNET, and CNBC among others. <\/p>\n

He specializes in covering companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google and going hands-on with mobile devices, smart home gadgets, TVs, and wearables. In his spare time, you can find Jacob listening to Bruce Springsteen, building a Lego set, or binge-watching the latest from Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\n Lyndia Fetzer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Image credit: Disney Cruise Line) There\u2019s a good chance you\u2019re familiar with the story of Hercules and have seen Disney’s retelling in a classic, 1997 animated film, but I bet you’ve never seen it on a boat. The story of how scenes are set, props are built, and characters come to life in a new<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":880821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23888,333,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-880820","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-didnt","8":"category-disney","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=880820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880820\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/880821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=880820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=880820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=880820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}