Major Character CHANGE Could Hit the Parks Thanks to Disney’s Unique Technology

Innovations in technology can truly CHANGE the way we see things in the parks, how we interact with characters, and much more.

In recent months, we’ve seen a GIANT Hulk meet-and-greet hit Disney California Adventure Park, new technology patented that shows how a “never before seen” ride could make its way to the Disney parks, and even a patent hinting at a Moana boat ride. But now Disney has revealed another spectacular piece of technology that could seriously change how we interact with some of the smaller Disney characters.

Sure, you can spot Tinker Bell in the Festival of Fantasy parade and see her fly over Cinderella Castle, but what if you could meet Tink (and other characters) in a way that’s more appropriate to her size in the movies? Well, you just might be able to…thanks to some special Disney tech!

During the South by Southwest conference, Josh D’Amaro (chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products) shared a peek at some exciting Disney technology. We’ve already seen Disney testing robotic tech that could bring smaller characters to life in a more realistic size but this tech is different!

A huge thanks to our friends at Disney Food Blog for sharing this video of the creation. During the conference, D’Amaro showed off a unique Tinker Bell character appearance, where she’s VERY small but still amazingly detailed and talkative.

TINK ON STAGE!! pic.twitter.com/mxOH8dKGXB

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) March 10, 2023

Here’s another peek at Tink!

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A post shared by Disney Parks (@disneyparks)

Though Disney hasn’t really shared a lot of details about the technology, it did appear to be a sort of projection-type of display, but it wasn’t a pre-recorded conversation. Instead, similar to something like Turtle Talk with Crush, Tink was able to actively converse with an individual on stage. We even got the chance to chat with Tink ourselves!

We got a chance to chat with Tinker Bell herself at #SXSW2023! If you could ask Tink anything, what would you want to know? ✨🧚 pic.twitter.com/Vvy5i44Lpv

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) March 11, 2023

It appears technology similar to this was tested for a Tinker Bell experience a few years ago.

According to Disney, this is a “blue-sky concept from Disney Imagineers that lets fans have a live conversation with pixie-sized Tinker Bell.” Disney notes that it is the “latest in innovations from Disney Imagineers to bring Disney characters, both big and small, to life in new ways.”

Definitely Different Than This Larger Tink!

According to D’Amaro, delivering more happiness is at the center of Disney’s goal for the next 100 years. D’Amaro shared, “We want to invent the future once again – together – drawing on a range of voices and perspectives that will help us continue to create even more happiness around the world.”

For now, it looks like this is just a “blue-sky concept,” meaning it is still in the early stages of development and not yet confirmed to make any appearances in the parks. But we’ll certainly keep an eye out for more updates.

It could be great to see “tiny” Disney characters brought to life in this unique way, keeping their size accurate to the films, yet making them incredibly interactive. For more news about amazing theme park technology, check out our posts below. And stay tuned for the latest news!