Magic Shot Leveraging Generative AI Returns for Limited-Time Test at Haunted Mansion

Disney PhotoPass is testing a new Magic Shot at Haunted Mansion today, and like the stone bust shot from September, it uses generative AI for elements of the finished photo. That earlier test drew pushback and praise from guests on social media. The new Magic Shot is completely optional, and we have new details on photo handling and which parts of the shot come from AI versus its creative team. Here’s the latest.

Today’s shot follows the September test that turned guests into carved stone busts, modeled on the Dread Family busts in the attraction’s queue. Some guests loved that result, while others were uneasy about generative AI showing up in their vacation photos. The new shot has a different look, but it still relies on generative AI for elements of the final image. Here’s what we saw and what we learned.

This round is another test, and a brief one. We don’t expect the test to last more than a handful of days, though timing is always subject to change. Guests who want to try the shot should plan to stop by Haunted Mansion sooner rather than later.

During the test, Disney is staffing two PhotoPass photographers side by side in front of the Mansion. One simply takes a standard photo of guests in front of the Mansion, with no AI involved. A completely separate photographer in the same area handles the new Magic Shot. Guests who want a Haunted Mansion photo without AI can head to the first photographer, while guests who want the AI shot can opt into the photo with the second.

Today’s photo, which we don’t have an example of to share yet, turns guests into glowing ghosts standing in front of the mansion. The Magic Shot that turns guests into stone busts could return at a later time.

During our visit today, there was a PhotoPass manager sharing information with guests. The information shared included an example of the Magic Shot and that it was an optional test. Information about the use of generative AI for a portion of the final product was not proactively shared, but it was not withheld if a guest asked.

For guests wondering what happens to their photo, Disney says the Magic Shot follows the same exact safety standards and procedures as current Magic Shots. Disney processes these photos in-house, under the same standards it uses for photos that don’t involve generative AI at all. Similar to how Disney is creating guardrails for the use of AI on its website and search, Disney has strict guardrails in place here as well.

On the creative side, Cast Members came up with the idea, designed the backdrop, and took the photo of each guest in front of the Mansion. Generative AI then merges that live photo with the team’s backdrop to create the final image. Cast Members stay involved at every step, and the finished shot blends their work with the AI’s.

Currently, photos are processed by a team of Cast Members and checked to ensure it meets the quality standards you’d expect from Disney.

That approach lines up with how Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro has described the company’s plans for the technology. On Disney’s earnings call in August, D’Amaro framed AI as a tool for creative teams. “AI amplifies what our storytellers can do,” he said. “It doesn’t replace them.”

Haunted Mansion has long been a favorite setting for spooky Magic Shots, and this test gives guests one more way to bring a piece of it home. Anyone who would rather skip the AI can stick with the standard photo or the Magic Shots they already know.