Disney PhotoPass Service teaming up with Snapchat for augmented reality character experiences

THEMEPARKPIONEEROct 20, 2021

I was actually mad they didn’t do it again for the 50th. The only thing that bothered me about that anniversary was Remember the Magic being used in Fantasy in the Sky. People out there complaining about Disney Enchantment don’t know the struggles.

MrPromeyOct 20, 2021

You know, for something that will supposedly be better than Fastpass+ because fewer people will be using it, it's interesting that they're tacking stuff like this, which has nothing to do with wait times, onto Genie+ to try making it more enticing for people to pay up.

disneygeek90Oct 19, 2021

This really should have been a free addition with the app update and 50th celebration. Everything doesn’t need to be tied into micro transactions 🙄

MrPromeyOct 19, 2021

Sounds like dumb gimmicky crap (that I'm sure in the moment will be fun) that will look sad and dated in just a few years. The examples in this article to me are cringe-worthy. I wonder if the Purple Wall™ and other painted wall "experiences" or "activations" or whatever they want to call what was added in its wake will work with this. The thing about Snapchat is, by default, it doesn't even save messages. The whole thing is intended to be more in-the-moment than something to treasure for a lifetime which is why it's okay that those AR effects are tacky and not superbly render and the effects have always been a (fun) gimmick. It makes me think of this clip from Silicon Valley. This also reminds me of all the little camera apps that came out in the early days of the iPhone. I just recently upgraded and was doing a fresh install of my apps and scrolled through a bunch of my past purchases including Hipstimatic and a lot of other similar apps where what it did was essentially apply "creative" destruction to images - everyone was doing it. Today, I look at pictures I took that way and I regret it because If I wanted to screw them up like that today in Photoshop, I could with a backup copy but the actual real moment will never exist again and the original image without the then-trendy effects is lost forever. As a fun throwaway, whatever. Feels like they're five years too late but that's Disney with everything trendy, right? I think people will look back and regret having stuff like this instead of the real images one day although I suppose nothing is stopping them from taking and saving both. All that said, that they've actually got the audacity to put this behind an up-charge is just crazy, though. Like the Alexa thing, management seems to think their IP is untouchably golden and that nothing else matters, anymore.

OG RunnerOct 19, 2021

That is just wrong. That filter should not exist and any evidence of that castle burned. 😂 😂 😂

HotamberOct 19, 2021

I guess they saw the T Rex at Universal city walk and thought why not. Sad thing is even UO has moved on from fake looking snapchat filters

THEMEPARKPIONEEROct 19, 2021

I’m totally using that 25th anniversary filter.

SpectroMagicianOct 19, 2021

"We removed photopass downloads from annual passes, but don't worry guys we added a completely useless and stupid lense thing on your phone!"

jinx8402Oct 18, 2021

This is a pretty cool feature

Dan DeesneeOct 18, 2021

Like it or not, augmented reality will probably become a big part of the theme Park going experience in the future. And probably not too far off. Imagine all sorts of animated CG special effects on the Disney Castle that you can't see without your augmented reality glasses. Pirates fighting and shooting cannons in adventure land, ghosts flying around the haunted mansion. Stuff like that.

Jambo DadOct 18, 2021

I want a filter with Walt!

HauntedPirateOct 18, 2021

Why build actual things when you can just create “augmented reality” filters and spend about .1% of the cost? It’s what all the cool kids are doing these days.

AEfxOct 18, 2021

Ugh, I hear ya. They have made me so cynical, as soon as I saw the headline with "augmented reality" I had exactly the same thought. The little "hold your hands together" and inserting in Tink that Photopass did was cute. This just makes me go..."Remember when Disney used to actually build things and have real interactions you wanted to take pictures of?"

wdwmagicOct 18, 2021

A look at Walt Disney World's new Augmented Reality Lenses launching as part of Disney Genie https://www.wdwmagic.com/other/photopass/news/18oct2021-a-look-at-walt-disney-worlds-new-augmented-reality-lenses-launching-as-part-of-disney-genie.htm