The Disney theme parks have been making strides in technological innovations from its earliest years, and 2026 will be no exception. In the latest episode of “We Call It Imagineering,” the YouTube video series hosted by Walt Disney Imagineering, we are brought behind the scenes at Disney Research. There, we get a behind the scenes look at some of the latest in-park technology as well as a sneak peek at some new magic coming to the parks very soon.
Your 2026 Disney vacation will look different from previous years for many reasons, not the least of which due to some incredible technology being front and center. From Walt Disney World to Disneyland Paris and beyond, here are some of the major changes involving technology taking place next year you’ll want to know if you’re planning a trip to the parks.
Free-roaming Olaf Audio-Animatronic coming to World of Frozen
The next generation of Audio-Animatronics with free-roaming capabilities, an innovation that stretches as far back as Lucky the Dinosaur from the earliest years of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney California Adventure, is on its way to the Disney theme parks in 2026.
In the latest episode of “We Call It Imagineering” we learned that Olaf, everyone’s favorite snowman who loves warm hugs, is the newest free-roaming Audio Animatronic figure to make its debut in front of guests.
Olaf will begin making appearances in World of Frozen early next year at both Hong Kong Disneyland (in special limited-time appearances) as well as Disneyland Paris. It was recently announced that World of Frozen will open in Paris on March 29, 2026. An exact date for Olaf’s debut in Hong Kong has not been announced.
Olaf is the culmination of walk-around Audio-Animatronics that came before that guests have seen in the parks, including the BD-X Droids seen in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as well as H.E.R.B.I.E. from Fantastic Four who appeared in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Resort earlier this year. These Audio-Animatronics use a concept called reinforcement learning to take more information from the world around them and become more adept at skills like balance, reactions, and more.
Walt Disney Imagineering is continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible with Audio-Animatronics thanks to its partnership with companies and institutions such as NVIDIA and ETH Zurich.
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New storyline debuting on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Olaf isn’t the only piece of new technology that will deepen the guest experience in the theme parks starting in 2026. A new storyline inspired by the upcoming film The Mandalorian and Grogu is coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in May 2026, and it’s all thanks to the tech behind the ride.
Each cockpit on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is driven by graphics cards, with the media seen by guests being rendered in real time. This gives Imagineering flexibility with future upgrades, such as the ability to introduce new stories and locations. It also gave Imagineering the chance to revisit the roles guests assume while on the ride — Pilot, Gunner, and Engineer — and introduce different responsibilities in the new story.
The new storyline on Smugglers Run will also use existing assets from the film world, bringing the location imagery and videos used for filming The Mandalorian and Grogu to the ride. These advancements, powered by Unreal Engine 5, is all possible thanks to Disney’s partnerships with Epic Games and NVIDIA.
READ MORE: START PLANNING YOUR 2026 VACATION TO DISNEY WORLD
New vehicles, blasters, and more on the way at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Technology is leading the way in ride updates across Walt Disney World in 2026. At the top of this list is Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, which closed this past summer for an extensive refurb complete with new ride vehicles, blasters, and more. A new scoring system will also be introduced that will give riders the ability to compete for a seemingly unlimited high score!
Other ride updates coming in 2026 include a refreshed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with a new storyline and show scene featuring phosphorescent pools and iridescent stalagmites and stalactites.
Also coming in the summer of 2026 a new version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster featuring Electric Mayhem. That’s right, the Muppets are taking over this classic roller coaster, complete with a new preshow starring the first-ever Audio-Animatronic of Scooter. I think we can spot some Audio-Animatronic penguins in this concept art as well!
These attraction upgrades are bringing technology to the forefront in new and exciting ways, and I cannot wait to experience these changes myself when they debut in 2026.
READ MORE: MAGIC KINGDOM IS UNDERGOING SOME MAJOR CHANGES IN THE YEARS TO COME!
Disney theme park technology beyond 2026
In addition to the changes coming in 2026, Disney Imagineering gave a rare look at some of the technology still in development that could be implemented in the theme parks in future years. One of those innovations is front projection, which allows for micro-expressions and close-up details like skin texture to be refined using calibration. Disney uses their own in-house software (the same that is used on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run) to make front projection possible.
When could we see front projection used on characters and in the parks? Disney said that the technology behind front projections could help bring characters like Mike Wasowski, Lightning McQueen, and Hades to life. It’s interested that those three specific characters are called out, as they all have lands in the works at Walt Disney World: Monstropolis in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Piston Peak National Park and the unnamed villain-themed lands coming to Magic Kingdom. So, to answer the question, it might not be too long at all before we see front projection used on characters!
Another piece of technology in the works is a concept known as “extended reality.” Using Ray-Ban Meta glasses, Imagineers are exploring the possibility of wearable technology being able to provide more in-depth experiences in the parks. The example used was asking Meta glasses to provide more information about a shopping location, such as a shop in the bazaar in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
By developing extended reality, Imagineers are working to create a theme park experience where the guest relies on their phone less and can remain in the moment with their friends and family.
Whether it’s front projection, extended reality, or the latest generation of Audio-Animatronics, it’s no secret that Disney Imagineering is leading the way in emerging technology to further enhance the guest experiences in the theme parks. As Bruce Vaughn, President and Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, describes, Walt Disney Imagineering’s Research and Development wing is “the wizard’s shop inside the wizard’s shop.”
After getting a glimpse at the technology behind the magic, it’s clear that there is so much to look forward to as we plan our trips to Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, or any of the international theme parks (and let’s not forget Disney Cruise Line!). These innovations could be ramping up as Imagineering employs J.A.R.V.I.S, the in-house software embedded with decades of Imagineering research, learnings, documentation, and collective knowledge. As Disney states, this “will enable us to bring experiences to life faster than ever.”
Be sure to follow along as these technologies come to fruition in the years to come!
READ MORE: MAJOR CHANGES ARE ON THE WAY TO MAGIC KINGDOM AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
At Disney Parks, Technology Will Be Front and Center in 2026 was originally published on The World of Spark.
