Millions of people want to experience a special day at Disney parks, full of magic, fun, and unforgettable moments. However, there’s something very common in our lives that has also become very frequent at these parks: the constant use of mobile phones. More and more visitors walk while using their mobile phones, checking notifications, or searching for information. This has started to be a concern for the company because Disney believes this habit is breaking part of the experience its parks try to create. This is why Disney has come up with a completely different and futuristic solution. So, let’s see what they have done.
Disney against mobile phones
Disney has seen that, in every corner of its parks, there are people using their mobile phones. For the company, the issue is not using technology, but the fact that mobile phones make people stop looking at their surroundings.
Bruce Vaughn, president of Walt Disney Imagineering, has been warning about this for a long time by saying it breaks part of the magic. According to him, when a visitor looks at the screen of their mobile phones, even if it’s for a few seconds, the experience is not the same.
Disney creates its parks so that people could feel they are in a different world, far from the daily routine. But, if visitors keep prioritizing their mobile phones, that feeling won’t be possible. What’s more, sharing the experience with friends and family becomes more difficult when everybody is paying attention to their mobile phones.
The solution
To change this situation, Disney has decided to put its faith in a futuristic solution: smart glasses created together with Meta. The goal is not to replace the human experience for a technological device, it’s totally the opposite: the idea is to have technology present in the parks, but in a natural and discrete way.
These glasses would work as a virtual guide for visitors. They will recognize what people are looking at and they could show information without the need of using mobile phones. This way, if someone observes a ride, they could receive information about it automatically. Also, this device will allow people to ask for directions with voice commands while they walk.
Human interaction
Disney wants this new device to be useful, but without affecting human interaction. The company hopes people can keep talking with others, enjoy every detail of the park, and live the experience together with friends and family without looking at mobile phones every few minutes.
Balance in Disney parks worldwide
Disney parks welcome about 145 million visitors every year! So, with so many people, the company wants to find a balance between tradition and new technologies. Disney doesn’t want its parks to become places where everybody is looking down and missing all the fun around them.
The goal is to make the most of technological advances in a way in which the essence of the Disney experience is not lost, and these smart glasses are the most recent attempt to achieve this balance: a type of technology that contributes in a positive way, and it doesn’t interfere.
Basically…
In the end, Disney wants you to feel the magic of its parks without anything getting in the way. Every time you look down at your phone, the experience breaks for a moment—and those moments add up. Instead of being fully present, you’re pulled back into everyday life. That’s exactly what Disney hopes to change with the new smart glasses created with Meta. Do you think this is a good idea, or should people continue using their mobile phones?