One of the coolest things that you can see in Walt Disney World and Disneyland is a freestanding R2-D2, roaming the park and beeping at children. He appears to be self-sufficient, without any Cast Member explicitly controlling his movements. But there is a remote control operator there. He’s just hiding in plain sight.
There are a lot of Disney Cast Members who are dressed as tourists, and they are either working security (don’t ever assume you’re not being watched) or they’re doing secret tasks, like controlling Star Wars droids. The two times that I’ve seen the R2-D2 controller, it was a man in sunglasses, walking at a slight distance from the droid.
The first time (in 2012) the man had a coat over his hands, and he was walking with them behind his back. The second time (in 2022), the man had a remote control that was disguised as a soda souvenir cup. He followed the robot as he got close to the backstage area, tipped his hat as a signal to someone backstage, and then eventually wandered backstage himself.
Important note: Do not be that guy. Do not harass these people while they’re busy, or take pictures of them, or otherwise spoil the experience for the people around you. But if you’re observant, it’s a nice detail to keep to yourself.
