6
5where they will be
able to eat in a starry
landscape created
by advanced imaging
technology.Realistic Robots
Disney’s Avatar-
themed area in
Orlando features
an ultra-expressive
animatronic ver-
sion of the blue
Na’vi, the humanlike
creatures in the film.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s
Edge, meanwhile, has
autonomous roving
droids and aliens
that interact with
visitors. One of them,
called Dok-Ondar,
is programmed with
a randomized set of
motions that change
based on his “mood”
and other events
throughout the day.
Disney’s Imagineering
R&D lab has devel-
oped “Stuntronics”
robots (9) able to
make real-time deci-
sions—such as judg-
ing distance using
laser rangefinders—
while flying more
than 60 feet in the
air to perform tricks,
including a somer-
sault. The Imagineers
plan to incorporate
them into theme-
park rides and shows.Playful
Applications
The Play Disney
Parks mobile app,
introduced last sum-
mer, uses Bluetooth
technology and loca-
tion services to keep
guests entertained
with AR games while
they’re waiting in
line. At Peter Pan’s
Flight at Disneyland,
for example, play-
ers can use their
phones to make
Tinkerbell “appear”
inside a lantern. Dis-
ney’s new Star Wars
areas are fully inte-
grated with the app:
Visitors can use their
phones to translate
a galactic language,
learn what’s inside
containers stashed
throughout the
park, and activate
special effects.mersive screens and a
realistic cannon battle.
For the new Mickey
and Minnie’s Runaway
Railway ride, set to
open at Disney World,
the company’s engi-
neers are employing
sophisticated projec-
tion mapping to play
videos on the sur-
rounding walls, which
will create the illusion
of a 3-D experience—
no glasses required.Epic
Collaborations
One of the center-
pieces of the new
Star Wars areas is
the Millennium Fal-
con: Smugglers Run
ride (4), which lets
guests pilot the star-
ship through a video
rendering that will
respond in real time
to their actions. Dis-
ney collaborated with
chipmaker Nvidia and
Fortnite parent Epic
Games to develop
the ride’s power-
ful gaming engine.
Disney also worked
with entertainment
company the Void
to create VR experi-
ences (5) featuring
Star Wars and Wreck-
It Ralph, currently
at Disney World
and Disneyland.Out-of-This-
World Hospitality
A new Star Wars–
themed hotel (6),
opening at Disney
World later this year,
will let guests live
out their cosplay
fantasies. Visitors
will board a starship
filled with characters
from the movies. The
windows of the hotel
will include an optics
system that shows
guests views of the
surrounding “galax-
ies.” At the park itself,
diners will be able to
visit the Star Wars–
inspired Oga’s Can-
tina bar (7). A space-
themed restaurant
(8) is also set to open
at Epcot later this
year. Guests will reach
it via an elevator that
simulates the journey
to a space station,4ILLUSTRATION BY BJÖRN ÖBERG78