At PRELOADED, we are proud to share our work on the Enchanted Gallery experience inside The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, developed in partnership with Disney’s DXT and PhotoPass teams.
Inspired by Disney’s short film Once Upon a Studio, the experience brings wall-mounted portraits to life through playful, controller-free interaction. Guests can tap a MagicBand to awaken portraits featuring Baymax, Maximus or the Kakamora from Moana, then take part in short cooperative games designed for multi-generational groups.
The experience opened for Cast previews in early September and to the public on 14 September 2026. For our team, it represents a major step in how responsive technology, real-time computer vision and automated photography can support shared guest participation inside a themed environment.
Invisible Technology Supporting Natural Interaction
Our aim was to create a system where the technology disappears into the experience. Guests do not need handheld controllers, instructions or complex onboarding. Instead, they play through natural body gestures such as arm-pumping, sweeping and swaying.
Behind that simple interaction is one of the most complex computer vision systems we have delivered. The stack runs in real time at 60 frames per second, allowing the portraits to respond instantly to movement within the space.
This level of responsiveness is important because the experience has to work for adults, young children and wheelchair users within the same frame. Families can play together without needing to take turns or adapt to a narrow interaction model. The system recognises a wide range of movement styles, allowing different guests to participate in a way that feels comfortable and intuitive.
For us, this is the purpose of invisible technology. The focus should stay on the characters, the room and the shared moment, not on the system powering it.
Reimagining The Park Photo Moment
The Enchanted Gallery also rethinks the traditional photo opportunity. Rather than asking guests to stand still for a single posed image, the experience turns active play into a complete set of digital keepsakes.
Automated cameras capture candid mid-motion moments during each game, as well as a final posed image where the animated character appears to enter the guests’ world. Every image is output in 4K and delivered directly to the guest’s Disney PhotoPass account.
This matters because family memory-making is often uneven. Parents and carers are frequently behind the camera rather than in the image. By connecting the game system directly with PhotoPass, the experience allows the whole group to be included in the memory without interrupting the play.
End-of-round scoreboards also add light competition and repeat value across the three game formats. Guests can return to try a different portrait, improve a score or compare moments with family members.
Partnership And Playful Attraction Design
This project was delivered over a 12-month collaboration with Disney’s DXT and PhotoPass teams. Their partnership was central to bringing together character interaction, technical performance and guest photography within a single attraction experience.
For PRELOADED, the project reflects our belief in Play Native design: experiences where play grows naturally from the setting, the story and the people taking part. In the Enchanted Gallery, the portraits are not passive displays. They invite guests to move, respond, laugh and create a shared result.
For the wider themed entertainment sector, the project shows how real-time computer vision can support accessible, multiplayer interaction at scale. It also demonstrates how guest photography can become part of the activity itself, rather than something added at the end.
We are grateful to our Disney partners for the opportunity to help create an experience where character, play and technology work together in a way that feels immediate, inclusive and memorable.
