Imagine standing in Galaxy’s Edge, sipping on your Black Caf Cold Brew, when all of a sudden, a shadow falls over the sky. Something creeps into your peripheral vision. Before you know it, you’re standing underneath the Dreadnought. Things are about to get hairy.
It’s not happening today — and it’s not happening on any definite date or in any guaranteed, specific way — but there definitely could be a time when AI and augmented reality deeply enhance the theme park experience. At Disney Demo Day, forward-thinking tech companies demonstrated the technologies of the future that they’re developing with an eye toward implementing them in Disney parks and experiences.
What is Disney Demo Day?
The event, at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on November 10, brought together tech executives, Disney employees and media to get a glimpse of the work being done by this year’s class of businesses participating in the Disney Accelerator program.
Even if only one or two of the technologies I previewed become reality, it’s going to be a major enhancement to the way we experience the parks.
“For nearly one hundred years, Disney has embraced cutting-edge technology to remain at the forefront of creative storytelling and deliver the most innovative entertainment experiences for audiences and guests around the world,” Bonnie Rosen, General Manager of the Disney Accelerator program, said in a statement shared with MiceChat. “This commitment to advancement is also an integral part of the Disney Accelerator, which allows us to collaborate with outstanding growth-stage companies like those in this year’s class that share our desire to redefine the media landscape. We hope that Demo Day is just the beginning of our relationship with these companies, and we can’t wait to see the amazing things we could build together for Disney fans.”
The six companies of the 2022 Disney Accelerator cohort all focus on enhanced reality in some way, whether through augmented reality (AR), non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or artificial intelligence (AI).
“Walt himself believed that technology really was the key to making his stories come alive, to create truly lasting meaningful connections with his audience, and turning storytelling into an experience,” Disney CEO Chapek said. “And since that day when Mickey first whistled on the big screen, the Walt Disney Company has used technology to invent and reinvent nearly every aspect of entertainment, all in an effort to bring our audiences closer to the story.”
The Disney Accelerator Companies
I’m not going to lie to you — a lot of it is way more complicated than I can fully explain. But in essence, here’s what the six companies have been working on with Disney.
Flickplay, a social media app that’s a little bit like Pokemon Go, has been developing limited-edition digital versions of Disney characters that you can own, and interact with.
Inworld has been working on artificial intelligence-powered Star Wars characters — so if you’ve ever wanted to have a conversation with Princess Leia, they’re the ones who can make it happen.
Lockerverse is working with ESPN to create and launch an NFT — a piece of digital art that you can own that’s your individual, unique version — of the Celebration Bowl Trophy to be released for the Celebration Bowl on December 17.
Obsess creates virtual shopping experiences that simulate being in a physical store. There’s a possibility that one day, rather than scrolling Instagram while you’re in line for Peter Pan’s Flight, you could be shopping “in” the Main Street Emporium on your phone instead.
Polygon has been developing a system to reward Cast Members for their years of service with NFTs, so that they’re gifted unique collectibles for work anniversaries and they can participate in the same kind of user experience guests can.
Red 6 is an augmented reality company that developed in-air fighter pilot training technology and is using that same idea to build augmented reality immersions in the parks. (They won’t say what they’re working on, but the video shows an AR overlay in Galaxy’s Edge like I described above.)
Trying the Technologies for Ourselves
After the presentation, we all went outside to try out some of the technologies. I hovered around the Inworld setup long enough to hear an AI version of a First Order-owned protocol droid make some absolutely sick burns at Darth Vader’s expense (while not directly insulting him, of course; First Order droids aren’t permitted to speak ill of their masters). People would ask questions to the droid, and it would generate its own responses in real time, evoking the feeling that you really were having a conversation with a Star Wars character.
But what I was really after was at the Flickplay setup. I downloaded their app, and for the hour that they were available during the demo, I walked around Walt Disney Studios finding unique Disney NFTs and capturing them with the app. I know it’s confusing, but bear with me. In one location, just like you’d find a pokemon in Pokemon Go, a virtual Mickey popped up on my camera screen. Using the app, I was able to download a version of him to my phone that no one who didn’t participate in Demo Day owns. Not only do I have him now, I was able to make a video of me interacting with him — which, because it’s a unique piece of digital art no one else owns, is also an NFT.
Not only did the demo force me, at long last, to understand what an NFT is, it also opened up my eyes to what the future of interactive park entertainment could be. I don’t really want another reason to be on my phone at the parks; realistically, I’m going to be on it waiting in line anyway. It’s exciting to think about what kind of storytelling Disney is dreaming up for the future.
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Let’s Hear From You
Because all of these technologies are still in a fairly early stage, it’s fun to imagine where they might go, or how Disney might implement them in the future. Let’s hear your thoughts and ideas on how some of these technologies could make their way into the parks.
