Disney is paving the way for lifelike AI-generated characters to become commonplace inside theme parks.Credit: Jess Colopy, Inside the MagicRelated: Winners and Losers of Disney’s Annual Passholder ChangesWalt Disney Imagineering is known for pushing the boundaries of immersive theme park experiences, with Disney’s last few expansions being some of the company’s most impressive yet. In 2017, Disney’s Animal Kingdom welcomed Pandora—The World of Avatar. This highly-edited land is based on the fictional world seen in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise and features some of Disney’s most complex and fully-realized attractions and experiences yet.The highlight of the land is Avatar Flight of Passage, an incredibly realistic and visceral flight simulation ride.Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge also marked a huge step forward for Disney. Opened in 2019, Galaxy’s Edge invites guests to live out their own Star Wars adventures as they explore some of the best rides and attractions ever designed by Disney.The top attraction here is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, a trackless dark ride.Still, what lies ahead for Disney is even more exciting. As technology advances, so will Disney’s ambition. Fans have watched the parks go from simple cardboard cutout characters to ultra-realistic animatronics.Credit: Brittany DiCologero, Inside the MagicRelated: Fans Demand Major Haunted Mansion Change at Magic KingdomDisney has filed a new patent that focuses on improving how animatronics are realized inside its theme parks. The new filing details technology combines AI and projection systems to create a more seamless and lifelike figure.Patent application US18/592,863 shows off a model that projects content onto a “mechanically animated surface,” such as an animatronic figure’s face, and then updates that projection in real time as the figure moves.Disney has been using projection mapping technology for characters throughout its attractions for years, such as Buzz Lightyear on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin in Magic Kingdom and Anna and Elsa on Frozen Ever After at EPCOT.However, this tech is quite limited, as it is only keyed in for specific movements. With this new patent, Disney is essentially seeking ways to generate faces as the figure moves, giving them a far wider range of movement and general capabilities.The new system would determine how an animatronic’s moving surface is oriented relative to the projectors. A rendering engine would then compute the next frame of the character’s face based on the data provided.The patent application was filed on March 1, 2024, and published September 4, 2025.Disney has made it clear that realism and immersion are a primary focus inside its theme parks. Recent developments like the BDX droids in Galaxy’s Edge, as well as the new Rummy animatronic inside Magic Kingdom’s Pirates of the Caribbean-themed bar, The Beak and Barrel, make it clear Disney wants to bring more kinetic energy into its parks.This new patent will seemingly give Disney much more freedom when designing and implementing lifelike animatronics.What is your favorite Disney animatronic?The post NEW: AI-Generated Characters Coming Soon to Your Favorite Disney Theme Park appeared first on Inside the Magic.