Executives on Disney’s team of Imagineers feel Meta AI glasses will be an exciting part of the future of guest experiences – and how those moments are crafted.
In a YouTube video shared November 24, the Walt Disney Imagineering team detailed tidbits of its ongoing research and development “to unlock a world of innovation and storytelling for Disney guests and Imagineers.” Per the team, one of those collaborations is a partnership with powerhouse tech company Meta to provide glasses with artificial intelligence (AI) to Disney’s guests and Imagineer employees. Those to be offered are Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses, which are “smart glasses” that record, take photos, give recommendations, play music, translate text, and provide wearers with a multitude of functions and apps.
Sharing insight on how it will change the guest experience, Executive of Creative and Interactive Experiences at Walt Disney Imagineering, Asa Kalama, weighed in. He said, “What’s great about these glasses is they’ve got cameras in them, microphones, [and] speakers. For our guests, it allows us to put a virtual theme park guide in their ears.”
“The glasses can enhance the ways we tell stories for our guests, unlocking a world of information about the land that they’re in,” he added.
The exec additionally explained that the smart glasses would be able to do things like tell its wearer architectural details about the Disney buildings around them, or provide merchandise information when shopping for loved ones.
Moreover, Bruce Vaughn, president of the Walt Disney Imagineering squad, said, “A big differentiator for us is that you’re there together with friends and family and people that you care about. And every time you have to look down at a device or a phone, it breaks that spell.”
“If you can use extended reality – [you] never stop looking at the environment [you’re] in or at the people [you’re] with,” added Vaughn. “It’s gonna be less disruptive.”
How Else Will Meta AI Glasses Impact Experiences At Disney?
Regarding how the smart glasses would benefit Disney’s Imagineers, Vaughn noted that wearing the AI tool could help employees better field and visualize new spaces and experiences. It would allow for better previsualization during the development process.
The Walt Disney Imagineering team is dedicated to conceptualizing, designing, and executing the magic associated with Disney. The workers are responsible for bringing to life experiences across the brand’s theme parks, cruises, resorts, live shows, and everything else marked Disney. Brand partnerships, such as its one with Meta, are a major part of the business.
Disney representatives reportedly told the New York Post that the entertainment titan is always “exploring, learning, and prototyping” technology that it could possibly roll out to its consumer base.
Currently on Meta’s website, prices for Ray-Ban AI glasses range from $224.25 to $799.
