But according to Walton, recording a cartoon voice is "not really as easy as it sounds. They can show you what your character is doing, but unless you have someone else there with you, it's a little unnerving."

Walton is a 1995 graduate of Utah State University and recently returned to the Beehive State with the "Bolt Across America" Tour.

That tour also featured a life-size, inflatable hamster ball, though Walton didn't try it out. Instead, he preferred to "be myself and not a hamster again."

He also discussed his experiences working with legendary animator Glen Keane ("Beauty and the Beast," "The Little Mermaid") on Disney's 1999 animated version of "Tarzan."

"Glen is a genius, pure and simple. When you get to work with someone like that, it's a career highlight."

Walton and other animation veterans briefly joined the unemployment line when Disney closed its Florida studios in 2004 — when the studio began cutting its supposed "2-D" animation productions.

"Things got a little scary for those of us who were working there," he recalled. Walton and a lot of the others were spared by Pixar chief John Lasseter, who joined Disney in an executive role and revived some traditional animated projects.

Lasseter also found roles for some of the axed animators and became heavily involved with the in-production "Bolt."

"John is one of those people who expects your hardest efforts all the time and really pushes you to do your best," Walton said. "Everything he touches becomes gold."

E-mail: jeff@desnews.com