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Credit: Michael Saechang, FlickrDisney has made no secret of its AI ambitions, but not all of its endeavors are met with a warm welcome within the theme park community.
Recently, we’ve seen theme park fans lash out over The Walt Disney Company’s decision to use AI for everything from artwork in its Haunted Mansion store, Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond, at Disneyland, to hotel decor within Disney Newport Bay Club, to a billboard at Disneyland Paris.
Last month, Disney Imagineers gave a behind-the-scenes look at how Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses – equipped with cameras, microphones, speakers, and AI – could be used both by guests and Imagineering teams inside the parks. An episode of the YouTube series We Call It Imagineering suggested that the glasses could eventually serve as an always-present, hands-free companion for guests at Disney parks.
Now, Disney has seemingly used AI for an announcement video regarding ongoing developments at Disneyland Paris.
New AI Controversy Hits Disney Theme Parks
A video shared by DLP Report from a press event on December 13 showcases some of the merchandise coming to the newly redeveloped Walt Disney Studios Park (soon to become Disney Adventure World). The video in question features what sounds like an AI-generated voiceover – one that struggles to articulate several IP-related terms.
The merchandise video voice over is clearly AI, a monotone voice struggling to say Rapunzel. Please stop.
The merchandise video voice over is clearly AI, a monotone voice struggling to say Rapunzel. Please stop. pic.twitter.com/D3dcd8bTto
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) December 13, 2025
“In one direction, light dances across the Kingdom of Corona with the Rapunzel collection,” the monotonous voiceover says while spotlighting several items inspired by Tangled (2010). However, both “Corona” and “Rapunzel” are mispronounced, which fans haven’t overlooked on social media.
“Oh damn the timing the pronunciation … they should’ve known better,” said one X, formerly known as Twitter, user.
Another fan criticized the cadence of the seemingly AI voiceover. “Apparently, full stops no longer mean anything,” they wrote. “Every time they do this they never really learn.”
“Fans always find excuses for these dumb choices,” one fan lamented, citing several other instances in which Disneyland Paris appeared to utilize AI. “They won’t stop.”
Of course, the latter is most likely true. Disney has pushed ahead with several new AI initiatives as of late, including a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI earlier this week. As part of the agreement, Sora – OpenAI’s text-to-video model – will be able to generate social videos featuring over 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters. Some of these videos will be available to view on Disney+.
The partnership will also see Disney use OpenAI services to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+, and deploy ChatGPT for its employees. “Disney and OpenAI affirm a shared commitment to responsible use of AI that protects the safety of users and the rights of creators,” Disney reassured fans in a joint press statement.
What do you think of Disney using AI at its theme parks?