Imagining the Future of Theme Park Technology: A Sneak Peek into Disney's Innovation Campus

As I walked through the gates of Disney's Imagineering campus in Glendale, California, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and wonder. This top-secret facility is where the company's artists and engineers come together to explore the latest technologies that will surprise guests at Disney theme parks. I was given permission to record some footage, but I was also warned that not everything could be shared.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this campus is the way robotics are being used to bring animated cartoons to life inside rides. But now, we're seeing robots that are untethered and performing in real-time, adjusting their environment with incredible precision. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. The tech is so advanced that it allows dancers on a stage to use it for a cool performance, giving the illusion of telekinesis.

I got to try out one of the coolest technologies: the Disney Hollow Tile Floor. This modular system consists of spinning discs that adjust depending on how you walk on them. It's like an omnidirectional treadmill, allowing people to walk anywhere infinitely and move objects with just a thought. I even got to test it out with a group of Jedi Powers toys – it was like having my own personal lightsaber training session. But what's truly impressive is that this floor can be placed into any pattern you want and expand to be however large you need. The light, R sensors on the floor detect movement, and the round discs will kick into action, rotating, spinning, and tilting around to move something exactly where it should go.

One of the most surprising features I got to experience was the ability to run on the floor without worrying about tripping over anything. I even got to see how fast I could run while still being safe – and it turns out, I can pretty much keep up with anyone! The floor is adjustable, so multiple people can be on the floor at the same time, and they won't run into each other. It's like having a real-life Star Trek holodeck.

As I explored the campus further, I got to see some of the new figures from Tiana's Bayou Adventure, an upcoming ride based on the Princess and the Frog movie. While work is still being done on these characters, it was clear that they're worlds apart from Walt Disney's original talking Tiki Birds audio animatronics. Gone are the days of bolted-to-the-ground robots – now, we have emerging tools like AI technology that allows for creatures to adapt to any environment.

I also got to experience some of Disney's newest robotic friends up close. These robots are powered with Nvidia chips and use a steam deck as their controller. But what's truly impressive is the way they can adjust to unpredictable terrain and scenarios, using reinforcement learning and training from animators to create believable and lifelike behavior.

One of the most memorable moments was when I got to hold a giant lightsaber – it's been years since this technology has been announced, but to actually hold it in my hand was truly Next Level geek out. When I hit the button, the sound effects kicked in, and the lightsaber extended all the way out. It was like something from my childhood fantasy movies had come to life.

As I left the Imagineering campus, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement for what's to come. The Hol Tiles are going to revolutionize theme park experiences – where will they be first used? Will we see them in shopping districts, restaurants, or perhaps even entire new environments? One thing is certain: this technology has the potential to change the way we experience Disney theme parks forever.

If you're as fascinated by this tech as I am, be sure to check out some of our other behind-the-scenes videos, including a look at how the Spider-Man robot was made and how it uses stuntronics to flip in mid-air. We'll have more updates on the latest innovations from Disney's Imagineering campus soon – stay tuned!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enDisney invented a way you can walk forever and stay in the same place and I got to see it for myself I'm about to go inside Disney's imagineering labs to see some of the tech behind the magic I won't be able to record everything I'm not even sure what to expect but let's find out together the imagineering campus in Glendale California is where the company's artists and Engineers work together to explore how Cutting Edge Tech can be used to surprise guests at the Disney theme parks and so much at the this campus's top secret that Disney asked for us not to record any video wait what do you mean we can't film inside I'll show you some of Disney's footage to help describe it all I saw a number of ways that robotics were bringing animated cartoons to life inside of rides but now we are seeing robots untethered they are performing while also adjusting to their environment in real time the coolest Tech I got to see up close is the Disney hollow tile floor it is a modular system system of spinning discs that adjust depending on how you walk it's like an omnidirectional treadmill allowing people to walk anywhere infinitely and it can also move objects giving the illusion that you have the power of telekinesis you can take a stroll in VR without worrying about tripping over anything or dancers on a stage could use it for a cool performance and I had fun pretending that I had Jedi Powers so there was one sample tile that had a group of those circles spinning treadmills I got to touch it I felt them spinning but also you could put anything on it and control it so we had a little Luke Skywalker toy and I had a game controller and wherever I moved I could just move it around but we had to leave and we didn't have a lot of time there I wish I had more time to play Hollow tiles can be placed into any pattern you want and expand to be however large you need the floor light R sensors on the floor detect movement and the round discs will kick into action each rotating spinning and tilting around so it's gliding the foot or object to where it should go all of these spinning treadmills are working together to move something it was adjusting to exactly how he was walking his speed his stride multiple people can be on the floor at the same time and they won't run into each other this is the first step to having a real life Star Trek holid deck here's a fun fact you can run on it how fast can you run well as long as you're not faster than usin bolts uh you should be okay because they said it can handle him I got to see up close the new figures from Tiana's buyou Adventure this is an upcoming ride based on the Princess and the Frog movie work is still being done on these characters a few of them still had their Machinery guts exposed we certainly are worlds apart from Walt Disney's original talking Tiki Birds audio animatronics right audio animatronics for so long they've been bolted to the ground with these new technologies and these emerging tools we're able to take them off the floor and flip them through the air have them run jump hop do impossible things you couldn't imagine and that's what we're really excited about is the potential of audio animatronics to continue to be even more surprising and dynamic characters in our story worlds most of Disney's robots perform in controlled environments but how do you get a robot to interact with an unpredictable guest AI technology is making it possible for the creatures to adapt to any environment I got up close with these bdx Droids they're powered with Nvidia chips a puppeteer controls it with a steam deck but for the Droid to Bob its head around in these cute ways while also not falling over an obstacle it needs to quickly adjust to the ground conditions now it's been programmed to understand almost every possible scenario of animation and walking we can't hand animate every possible walk cycle for every possible movement so that's where we pair the reinforcement learning with the training from an animator to create something that is cute and lifelike and believable that can also navigate the unpredictable terrain of a theme park the droids are being released in limited tests now in Disneyland I got to hold this giant lightsaber I've been reporting and talking about it for a long time but to be able to hold it in my hand was just Next Level geek out I hit the button it makes the sound it extends all the way out I love seeing how something from your childhood fantasy the movies it could be really real with with today's Tech I am so curious how the Hol tiles are going to come into the real world I want to hear from you what do you think holot tiles will be first used for where do you want to see it used and if you're really into this stuff we have other videos you can check out too of the behind the scenes of how they made the Spider-Man robot the stuntronics robot that kind of flips in the air so be sure to check out that video too and I'll see you next timeDisney invented a way you can walk forever and stay in the same place and I got to see it for myself I'm about to go inside Disney's imagineering labs to see some of the tech behind the magic I won't be able to record everything I'm not even sure what to expect but let's find out together the imagineering campus in Glendale California is where the company's artists and Engineers work together to explore how Cutting Edge Tech can be used to surprise guests at the Disney theme parks and so much at the this campus's top secret that Disney asked for us not to record any video wait what do you mean we can't film inside I'll show you some of Disney's footage to help describe it all I saw a number of ways that robotics were bringing animated cartoons to life inside of rides but now we are seeing robots untethered they are performing while also adjusting to their environment in real time the coolest Tech I got to see up close is the Disney hollow tile floor it is a modular system system of spinning discs that adjust depending on how you walk it's like an omnidirectional treadmill allowing people to walk anywhere infinitely and it can also move objects giving the illusion that you have the power of telekinesis you can take a stroll in VR without worrying about tripping over anything or dancers on a stage could use it for a cool performance and I had fun pretending that I had Jedi Powers so there was one sample tile that had a group of those circles spinning treadmills I got to touch it I felt them spinning but also you could put anything on it and control it so we had a little Luke Skywalker toy and I had a game controller and wherever I moved I could just move it around but we had to leave and we didn't have a lot of time there I wish I had more time to play Hollow tiles can be placed into any pattern you want and expand to be however large you need the floor light R sensors on the floor detect movement and the round discs will kick into action each rotating spinning and tilting around so it's gliding the foot or object to where it should go all of these spinning treadmills are working together to move something it was adjusting to exactly how he was walking his speed his stride multiple people can be on the floor at the same time and they won't run into each other this is the first step to having a real life Star Trek holid deck here's a fun fact you can run on it how fast can you run well as long as you're not faster than usin bolts uh you should be okay because they said it can handle him I got to see up close the new figures from Tiana's buyou Adventure this is an upcoming ride based on the Princess and the Frog movie work is still being done on these characters a few of them still had their Machinery guts exposed we certainly are worlds apart from Walt Disney's original talking Tiki Birds audio animatronics right audio animatronics for so long they've been bolted to the ground with these new technologies and these emerging tools we're able to take them off the floor and flip them through the air have them run jump hop do impossible things you couldn't imagine and that's what we're really excited about is the potential of audio animatronics to continue to be even more surprising and dynamic characters in our story worlds most of Disney's robots perform in controlled environments but how do you get a robot to interact with an unpredictable guest AI technology is making it possible for the creatures to adapt to any environment I got up close with these bdx Droids they're powered with Nvidia chips a puppeteer controls it with a steam deck but for the Droid to Bob its head around in these cute ways while also not falling over an obstacle it needs to quickly adjust to the ground conditions now it's been programmed to understand almost every possible scenario of animation and walking we can't hand animate every possible walk cycle for every possible movement so that's where we pair the reinforcement learning with the training from an animator to create something that is cute and lifelike and believable that can also navigate the unpredictable terrain of a theme park the droids are being released in limited tests now in Disneyland I got to hold this giant lightsaber I've been reporting and talking about it for a long time but to be able to hold it in my hand was just Next Level geek out I hit the button it makes the sound it extends all the way out I love seeing how something from your childhood fantasy the movies it could be really real with with today's Tech I am so curious how the Hol tiles are going to come into the real world I want to hear from you what do you think holot tiles will be first used for where do you want to see it used and if you're really into this stuff we have other videos you can check out too of the behind the scenes of how they made the Spider-Man robot the stuntronics robot that kind of flips in the air so be sure to check out that video too and I'll see you next time\n"