Fans Left Furious as One Disney Theme Park Commits To Using AI Over Human Designs

For nearly a century, Disney has balanced technology and artistry in a way that seemed almost effortless. From synchronized sound in Steamboat Willie to the lifelike animatronics of the 1960s, the company has always used technological innovations as creative tools to enhance the magic.

But that balance is being tested in a new era, as artificial intelligence begins to make its way into the Disney parks.

The Walt Disney Company has been candid about its ambitions. In September, a patent revealed its work on a system that uses AI and projection technology to create more seamless and expressive animatronics. Walt Disney Imagineering also confirmed it has been experimenting with Meta’s AI-powered glasses, which could eventually help visitors navigate parks by pointing them to dining locations or attractions in real time.

For Disney, these are glimpses of a next-generation guest experience. For many fans, however, they are a troubling departure from the creativity that built the brand’s legacy.

Backlash Over Generative AI at Disney Parks

Fans first began raising questions earlier this year when Disneyland opened Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond, a new Haunted Mansion-themed shop. Among the merchandise was a piece of artwork featuring a bride that guests quickly alleged had been generated by AI and purchased from Redbubble. The company later quietly removed the piece, but suspicions about its design practices lingered.

Fans have claimed that some merchandise designs and even new audio used in attractions such as King Arthur Carrousel bore signs of AI.

When promoting a YouTube video challenge to visit all of its parks in record time, the company also shared an AI-generated cover image featuring Mickey Mouse with unsettling human-like teeth. The image went viral for all the wrong reasons, raising questions about how carefully Disney was policing its own use of AI.

Disneyland Paris Faces Brunt of Anti-AI Sentiment

The conversation intensified overseas. At Disneyland Paris, parkgoers began noticing artwork on Main Street, U.S.A. that looked off.

“The hands…the disproportionate body…the anime-inspired style instead of the Victorian style of drawing…Either the creative director didn’t give an f or this is AI,” one fan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Others shared similar complaints, with the hands and the positioning of the man’s bowtie drawing the most accusations of hallmarks of generative AI.

The hands…the disproportionate body…the anime inspired style instead of the victorian style of drawing…Either the creative director didn’t give an f or this is AI🫤 https://t.co/VDCLL7FOuB pic.twitter.com/pNjCTvYUKQ

— Themountainking (@Themountainkin1) September 12, 2025

Soon after, a newly installed photo backdrop at Newport Bay Club, one of the resort’s more upscale hotels, came under fire for the same reason.

The seaside lighthouse scene was criticized as artificial, and although Disney replaced it, many guests said the new version still appeared AI-generated.

At Disney Newport Bay Club, the recently installed photo location backdrop (which really looked like it was made with AI) has been changed for a less AI-looking design! Before and after:

At Disney Newport Bay Club, the recently installed photo location backdrop (which really looked like it was made with AI) has been changed for a less AI-looking design! Before and after: pic.twitter.com/DIvWdESKBM

— DLP Report (@DLPReport) October 13, 2025

Additional examples have also surfaced in recent months, including an email campaign with a questionable guests-and-castle header image and digital ads outside the Rainforest Cafe in Disney Village.

As one fan wrote on X, “At this point, is Disneyland Paris the most AI Disney Park out of the bunch?”

These incidents have fueled a broader debate about Disney’s direction. For generations, the company’s parks embodied hand-drawn artistry, careful craftsmanship, and the work of Imagineers who spent years shaping every detail.

Fans now argue that generative AI undermines this heritage, replacing the human touch with shortcuts that lack authenticity. The criticism is compounded by Disney’s recent reliance on sequels, reboots (so many reboots), and cost-cutting decisions, which many already see as evidence of declining originality.

Disney’s embrace of AI in its theme parks may be inevitable as it seeks efficiency and technological progress. Yet the risk is clear: by leaning too heavily on algorithms, the company could erode the very foundation that made it synonymous with creativity. Whether Disney can integrate AI without sacrificing artistry may determine how its parks are remembered in the years ahead.

How do you feel about Disney using more AI in its theme parks?