There's a good chance you're familiar with the story. Hercules and have seen Disney's retelling in the 1997 animated classic, but I bet you've never seen it on a boat. The story of how scenes unfold, props are built 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 have already unpacked, Hercules on board Disney Cruise Line Disney's Destiny ship uses a ton of technology in unexpected ways—yes, the Walt Disney Theater has projections on the canvases, stage, and walls surrounding it, but they're also used by the performers to take one of the classic songs to new heights.
“It’s hard to figure out how to bring these characters to life.”
Arin Dale
What's even more surprising is that the two Titans that make their presence known during the Hercules fight scene have an exoskeleton inside them. The Ice and Rock Titans, as pictured above and below, are celebrating for the first time. Disney Experiences uses exoskeleton technology.
“It's hard to figure out how to bring these characters to life on a larger scale,” explained Arin Dale, producer at Disney Live Entertainment. “Our Hercules is 6 feet tall, so you really need to make sure these characters are epic, effective and impressive.”
Turning exoskeleton technology into storytelling
Although exoskeleton technology is far from new – and we'll likely see a lot of it on CES 2026 – This app is fully in line with Disney's approach to using technology for 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.
By design, the system transfers most of the Titan's weight through the frame to the ground, rather than placing that load on the performer's body. In this sense, it works less like a powered robot and more like a wearable puppet mechanism.
The exoframe is primarily human controlled, with the performer controlling their body movements, but it also includes pneumatic assistance at key joints to help increase strength when moving overly large limbs. This assistance does not in itself lead to movement; instead, it reduces stress and makes it possible to repeat expressive movements during live performance. However, this is a key way for Disney to bring these screen characters to life.
Essentially, Project EXO allows a single performer to control a massive character through a combination of weight transfer, leverage, and mechanical assistance. The scale here is significant: the Ice Titan stands approximately 13 feet tall, while the Rock Titan, although smaller at around 9 feet, is still impressive – highlighting why this hybrid of puppetry and mechanical support is essential to bringing the tall creatures to life on stage.
“We're moving, you know, 110, 120 pounds.”
Michael Serna
Even at this size, the performers inside – each Titan is controlled by one person – can move their arms, heads, legs and other body parts. They engage in stage combat with Hercules and can move quickly around the stage.
To make this sustainable throughout the performance, the Titans are equipped with built-in support points—canes integrated into the structure—that allow the performer to take a short break. However, the exoskeleton does most of the heavy lifting.
The base Project EXO frame weighs 40 pounds, and as Michael Serna, executive creative director, explained, the Rock Titan adds about 60 pounds of extra structure, while the Ice Titan adds about 70 pounds.
“So we're moving around, you know, 110, 120 pounds, which Zion is in charge of – and he has to do the fight choreography,” Serna said.
What does it take to move a Titan?
Zion acts as the Rock Titan, while Cam fights the Ice Titan. Both are Disney Live Entertainment dancers and did not expect to have to work and perform inside exoskeletons.
“I was just excited to be a part of something like this, so it was great for me to be able to dance as much as I wanted,” Zion said.
It clearly works in the series, and the fight scene between Rock, Ice and Hercules is one of the most exciting moments, complete with effects hitting the Titans themselves and CO₂ escaping from the ice as cold air.
Beneath the surface, Project EXO is composed of special materials designed to balance strength and weight. “There's all sorts of stuff in there—3D-printed titanium, stuffed with minicells, parts for all that stuff,” Serna said.
This design approach has severe limitations, especially in terms of weight and complexity.
“Additional animations and additional functionality also come at a cost—yes, they have weight, and you're just complicating it unnecessarily,” Serna said.
The team's goal was not to draw attention to the mechanics themselves, but to let performance take over.
“I don’t want people to think about that at all,” Serna said. “I want them to be stunned and at the end say, 'Wait, how did this… how did this happen?'
Stress test at sea
In this sense, Hercules on board Disney's Destiny This isn't just a presentation for Project EXO – it's a stress test.
This is the first official use of exoskeleton technology in a live-action Disney production, and it takes place inside a theater with a 40-foot-wide stage, limited space for wings, flying sets, and the added complexity of a ship that is constantly in motion.
“Video and effects don’t always work”
Arin Dale
However, the technology is relevant and, more importantly, it serves the story. “Titans” doesn't feel like a tech demo or effects show – it feels like characters who belong in the space, whether they're watching from a balcony, from the orchestra, or standing a few feet from the stage, crossing the stage.
This physical presence is intentional. As Disney Live Entertainment producer Arin Dale explained, relying solely on screens or projected illusions was not the goal.
“Video and effects don’t always work,” Dale said. Instead, the challenge was to figure out how to bring something larger than life into the room in a way that felt tangible and believable to the audience.
This philosophy helps explain why EXO's project has taken years to reach this point—and why its first major appearance comes not during a park meet-and-greet or a brief showcase, but as part of a full-blown Broadway-style production. Exoskeletons are not intended to be perceived as technology; they are meant to disappear into the spectacle, allowing the Titans to move, fight, and express emotions in ways that sell the illusion.
“We learned a lot from this alone.”
Jeff Conover
And while this is the first time Disney Experiences has officially used exoskeleton technology in a live-action show, it's clearly not being marketed as a one-off. From weight distribution and materials to performer stamina and choreography, the lessons learned here offer a foundation on which to build.
As creative director Jeff Conover noted during the call, “If we really want to create another character that uses technology like this, we've learned a lot from doing just that.”
The basis for what comes after
At the moment, this potential, facing the future, is firmly anchored in the present. From a moving ship to a cramped theater, Project EXO proves that physical performance, not screens, remains one of Disney's most powerful storytelling tools when paired with the right technology.
Technology combined at the Walt Disney Theater on board the ship Disney's Destiny reflects a very thoughtful philosophy. The goal is not to overwhelm the audience with visible systems or flashy stunts, but to make the physical world on stage seem as compelling as the animated one the audience is already familiar with.
As Michael explained, relying solely on digital tools will never be enough.
The exoskeleton is actually the latest light bulb technology housed at the Walt Disney Theater aboard the spacecraft. Disney's Destiny is a technological power. As production director Mina Shayesteh described, the show's production infrastructure is unlike anything Disney Cruise Line has created before.
“We have 500 lights, 13 floodlights, 10 snow blowers, 12 confetti cannons,” Shaieste said. “We have 100 automation axes, 115 automation signals in Hercules. So everything that moves across the stage throughout the show, we have 115 times where I say the word 'go' to get those things moving – which is more than any show in the entire fleet that we have on the Disney Cruise Line.”
“Technology meets theatricality”
Michael Serna
However, even at this scale, we never strive for technology to become the center of attention. Instead, it should fade into the background, allowing the performers, characters, and storylines to take center stage.
“The technology meets the theatricality so it doesn't get in the way of you, so it just allows you to have a really great experience, but you're not thinking about the technical aspects,” Serna said, describing the balance the team strives for.
This balance is especially evident in Project EXO. Despite years of development, complex materials and the considerable weight of the costumes, 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 massive Titans, you'll need to book a trip aboard Disney Destiny, which sails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but if you'd rather see the Titans in their original form, you can stream them. Hercules on Disney+.
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