Alfredo Ayala

Alfredo Ayala is a true “left brain/right brain” creator. Throughout his 29-year career at the Walt Disney Company, Ayala’s impact has ranged across multiple fields, including creative design; computer-based media and animatronic animation; special effects; new projection techniques; and most recently, bringing Artificial Intelligence (Al) characters to life.

Alfredo’s achievements are too numerous to list in full; here are a few samples. Joining Disney in June of 1993 as a technologist/engineer/chemist intern in the lmagineering R&D organization, Alfredo found his work falling into two broad categories: 1) Animation, and 2) Everything Else. He first developed new, longerlasting, more realistic synthetic skin materials for Disney’s Audio-Animatronics characters. He introduced breakthrough methods to program animatronic characters without the use of complicated sliders and buttons, allowing more intuitive, natural movement. He developed figures that used computer intelligence to read audience expressions and respond appropriately. Alfredo designed the animation pipeline for “Cars Land” at Disney California Adventure and programmed the “car dance” pattern of “Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters.” He delivered the animation for the most complex animatronic face ever built; the Shaman animatronic in “Na’vi River Journey”, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Most recently, Alfredo helped create the Al animation of characters at the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience at Walt Disney World, and he is also a co-inventor of the interactive “Lightsaber Training Experience” there.

In the “Everything Else” category, Alfredo pioneered new imaging and special effects technologies around the parks. He created the optical imaging system for “Mission: SPACE” at EPCOT, which provides guests colorful space vistas with tremendous depth. Alfredo helped pioneer Interactive-Floor surfaces, allowing guests to literally “step into” attractions. He pioneered the use of advanced projection effects to create the “launch” environments for Space Mountain, and to bring the Ghost Bride at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion to life. He was the technical lead on the THEA award winning “Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure” at EPCOT and was the lead optical designer for the digital refresh of “Soarin’ over California” at Disney California Adventure.

​Alfredo holds 17 patents and is widely honored inside and outside of Disney. He was honored with the Prestigious “Norman Lear IMAGEN Creative Achievement Award,” as well as the “CNET en Español. List of the 20 most Influential Latinos in Technology” Award. Most recently, Alfredo has been featured on the Disney+ streaming series, “One Day at Disney”. He is especially interested in reaching diverse next-generation creatives and technologists from communities that have not had as much exposure in the past. Alfredo Ayala is a true Master of his Craft.