One way to get an idea of what’s happening in our favorite theme parks is to check out all of the patents that they file! This is how Universal and Disney can claim new technology and ideas that they could potentially use in future attractions.

©Carlye Wisel

Both companies file patents all the time, but we found a few recently that are totally making us wonder what the future of theme parks looks like. Technology seems to be getting better every single day, and the rides are getting more wild with every announcement. Here’s a look at a few patents that we think are totally going to change the world of theme parks!

One patent is titled “Animated Figure Walking Mechanism,” and describes how Universal plans to create an animatronic that looks like it can actually walk. There’s a key distinction here that’s important to note — this isn’t a plan for an ambulatory robot, meaning one that could move around on its own, such as the new Olaf animatronic we’ve seen at World of Frozen. No, this animatronic would appear to walk using a system that would use a carrier coupled to a limb and a motor, along with a second limb, and then a hinge and sliding motor system.

Universal Patent

From the patent, it looks like the animatronic would move a few steps along a track, appearing to walk along it, but it wouldn’t be moving around on its own. The abstract on the application says that the system also “includes a carrier configured to be disposed on a support, and the animated figure extends away from a side of the carrier in a direction. The carrier is coupled to a first limb through a first actuator system, which is configured to move the first limb away from the side of the carrier in the direction and configured to slide an end of the first limb transversely relative to the direction. The carrier is translated relative to the support through a second actuator system. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the first actuator system and the second actuator system and configured to coordinate actuation of the first actuator system and the second actuator system to provide an ambulatory effect.”

Frankenstein’s monster animatronic has gotten close to this effect

Disney filed a patent called the “New Ride System Featuring a Free-Range Vehicle Platform.” We think this patent will be used for Piston Peak, the Cars-themed land coming to Magic Kingdom in Disney World. The patent says the ride behciles “may be adapted to traverse the uneven terrain, such as along a respective chosen path of multiple paths based on respective user control. The user control may be configured to select the chosen path and adjust the speed and the direction of the ride vehicle along the chosen path.”

Disney’s US 2026/0072453 A1 Patent

It sounds like guests will be able to have a lot more control over the actual ride! Normally, you are stuck on a chosen path and don’t have any choice beyond that, but it sounds like it could be like Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run, where you are “controlling” the vehicle. Of course, we expect there to be limitations and not be completely up to the driver, but this could be a major step towards customization and different experiences within theme parks.

Coming Coming to Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, a new area themed to Pixar Animation Studios’ “Cars” will leave Radiator Springs and head to the wilderness with two new attractions including an off-road race.

READ MORE ABOUT THE PATENT HERE!

Another patent that Disney filed is for a ride system that can move along a track but is also attached to a movable arm. This means the vehicle could move up, down, sideways, backward, and more, while staying on the track. The arm is also extendable to move the vehicle to and away from the track as well as laterally.

©Disney

We’re not exactly sure where this technology could be used, but you could have a vehicle “jump” over gaps in the flow before hopping back on the track. The patent showed off a lot of different vehicles, including boats, cars, and flying vehicles.

©Disney

It reminds us a lot of the Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness ride in Epic Universe, which “jumps” the track. With this ride, the vehicle is attached to an arm on the side, and it does not hop back onto a track — it goes through the whole ride on the arm at its side, versus on the bottom. This patent could be the real deal, where it’s actually hopping off the track rather than just looking like it’s jumping the track.

The ride vehicles

CHECK OUT MORE ABOUT IT HERE!

Now, just because Universal and Disney file patents, it doesn’t mean we’ll see them in the parks. Sometimes they just want to claim the technology and aren’t ready to use it, or it could be for projects so far in the future that we don’t know where it will be used.

In the meantime, make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more!

NEW PATENT REVEALS DISNEY ANIMATRONICS MIGHT LOOK EVEN BETTER SOON!

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Where do you think these patents could be used? Tell us in the comments!