You are most likely familiar with the history of Hercules and I’ve seen the Disney version in a classic 1997 animated movie, but I bet you’ve never seen it on a boat. The story of how scenes are set, props are constructed, and characters come to life in a new production aboard a moving cruise ship is a hero’s journey worthy of the original.
As I already unpacked, Hercules aboard the Disney Cruise Line disney destiny The ship is using a lot of technology in unexpected ways: Yes, there are projections on the scrims, the stage and the walls surrounding it at the Walt Disney Theatre, but it’s also being used on performers to take one of the classic songs to new heights.
“It’s hard to figure out how to bring those characters to life”
Arin Dale
Even more surprising, however, is that inside the two Titans who are revealed during a battle scene with Hercules is an exoskeleton. The Ice and Rock Titans, as shown above and below, mark the first time Disney Experiences has used exoskeleton technology.
“It’s hard to figure out how to bring those characters to life in a grander way,” explained Disney Live Entertainment producer Arin Dale. “Our Hercules is 6 feet tall, so you really have to make sure those characters are epic and effective and impactful.”
Turning exoskeleton technology into storytelling
While exoskeleton technology is far from new (and we’ll likely see a lot of it at CES 2026), this app is firmly in line with Disney’s focus on using technology in the service of storytelling and immersion.
Disney has been developing this exoskeleton system, called Project EXO, since 2020, and here it functions as a puppet-style mechanical suit worn by the performer.
In essence, the system transfers most of the Titan’s weight down through the frame and onto the ground, rather than placing that load on the performer’s body. In that sense, it functions less like a motorized robot and more like a portable puppet mechanism.
The exoframe is primarily human-powered, with the performer controlling the movement through their own body, but also incorporating pneumatic assistance at key joints to help increase strength when moving large limbs. That assistance does not propel the movement on its own; Instead, it reduces tension and enables repeated, expressive movements during a live performance. However, it is a key way for Disney to bring these on-screen characters to life.
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 approximately 13 feet tall, while the Rock Titan, although smaller at around 9 feet, is still imposing, underscoring why this hybrid of puppetry and mechanical support is necessary to bring imposing beings to life on a stage.
‘We’re moving, you know, 110, 120 pounds of mass’
miguel serna
Even at that size, the performers inside (each Titan is controlled by a single human) can move their arms, head, legs, and other body parts. They participate in stage combat with Hercules and can move quickly around the stage.
To make this sustainable over the course of an entire performance, the Titans include built-in footholds (canes effectively integrated into the design) that allow the performer to take a brief respite. However, the exoskeleton does much of the heavy lifting.
The base Project EXO frame weighs 40 pounds, and as executive creative director Michael Serna explained, the Rock Titan adds about 60 pounds of additional structure, while the Ice Titan adds closer to 70 pounds.
“So we’re moving, you know, 110, 120 pounds of mass that Zion is responsible for, and he has to do fight choreography,” Serna said.
What does it take to move a titan?
Zion acts as the Rock Titan, while Cam faces the Ice Titan. Both are dancers for Disney Live Entertainment and did not expect to find themselves operating and performing inside exoskeletons.
“I was excited to move into something like this, so it was cool for me to be able to do it and at the same time be able to dance as much as I wanted,” Zion said.
It clearly works on the show, and the fight sequence between Rock, Ice, and Hercules is one of its most compelling moments, complete with effects that hit the Titans themselves and CO₂ that Ice emits as cold air.
Beneath the surface, Project EXO is made up of specific materials designed to balance strength with weight. “There are all kinds of things: 3D printed titanium, pieces padded with mini cells, pieces for that,” Serna said.
That design approach has strict limits, particularly around weight and complexity.
“Adding animation and functionality also has a cost; yes, it has a weight, and you are making it unnecessarily complicated,” Serna said.
For the team, the goal was never to draw attention to the mechanics themselves, but rather to let performance take control.
“I don’t want people to think about these things at all,” Serna said. “I want them to be captivated and at the end say, ‘Wait, how did that happen? How did that happen?'”
A stress test at sea
In that sense, Hercules on board the disney destiny It’s not just a showcase for Project EXO, it’s a stress test.
This is the first formal deployment of exoskeleton technology in a live Disney performance, and occurs inside a theater with a 40-foot-wide stage, reduced wing space, flying stage, and the added complexity of a ship that is constantly moving.
‘Video and effects don’t always work’
Arin Dale
However, the technology remains and, more importantly, serves the story. The Titans don’t feel like technical demonstrations or effects-based shows: they feel like characters who belong in the space, whether seen from the balcony, the orchestra, or a few feet away as they cross the stage.
That physical presence is intentional. As Disney Live Entertainment producer Arin Dale explained, the goal wasn’t to rely solely on screens or projected illusions.
“Video and effects don’t always work,” Dale said. Instead, the challenge was figuring out how to bring something larger than life into the room in a way that was tangible and believable to the audience.
That philosophy helps explain why it has taken Project EXO years to get to this point, and why its first major appearance comes not in a park encounter or a brief demonstration, but within a full Broadway-style production. Exoskeletons are not intended to be perceived as technology; they are meant to disappear into the performance, allowing the Titans to move, fight, and express emotion in ways that sell the illusion.
‘We have learned a lot from this alone’
Jeff Conover
And while this is the first time Disney Experiences has formally used exoskeleton technology in a live show, it’s clearly not being positioned as something unique. The lessons learned here – from weight distribution and materials to performer stamina and choreography – suggest a foundation on which to build.
As creative director Jeff Conover noted during the conversation, “If we want to make another character that employs this type of technology, we’ve learned a lot from this alone.”
A foundation for what comes next
For now, that future potential is firmly anchored in the present. On a moving ship, within a strictly limited theater, Project EXO demonstrates that physical performance (not screens) remains one of Disney’s most powerful storytelling tools when combined with the right technology.
Altogether, the technology within the Walt Disney Theater aboard the disney destiny It reflects a very deliberate philosophy. The goal is not to overwhelm the audience with visible systems or flashy tricks, but to make the physical world on stage look as convincing as the animated one the audience already knows.
As Michael explained, relying solely on digital tools will never be enough.
The exoskeleton is actually the last piece of lightbulb technology housed inside the Walt Disney Theater aboard the disney destiny – is a technological powerhouse. As Stage Manager Mina Shayesteh described it, the production infrastructure behind the show is unlike anything Disney Cruise Line has attempted before.
“We have 500 lights, 13 projectors, 10 snow machines, 12 confetti cannons,” Shayesteh said. “We have 100 automation axes, 115 automation signals in Hercules. “So anything that moves on stage during that show, we have 115 different moments where I say the word ‘go’ to make these things move, which is more than any show in the entire fleet that we have at Disney Cruise Line.”
‘Technology merges with theatricality’
miguel serna
However, even with that scale, the intention is never for technology to become the center of attention. Instead, it’s meant to take a backseat, allowing the artists, characters, and story beats to take center stage.
“Technology is fused with theatrics so that it doesn’t get in your way, so it just allows you to have a really cool experience, but you’re not thinking about the technical aspects,” Serna said, describing the balance the team is looking for.
That balance is especially evident with Project EXO. Despite years of development, complex materials, and significant weight within the suits, the system’s success is measured by how little the audience notices it and, ultimately, what it allows the performer to achieve.
Of course, if you want to see these larger-than-life Titans, you’ll have to book a trip aboard the Disney Destiny, which sets sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but if you’d rather see the Titans in their original form, you can stream. Hercules on Disney+.
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