Theme Park Scope

Disney PhotoPass ran a test last week at the Haunted Mansion that turns guests into stone busts…

…and the effect appears to use generative AI, something Disney hasn’t confirmed the technical details of.

I’m someone who loves a good Magic Shot, so I went into this story curious rather than cranky. Here’s exactly what happened and why it’s got guests talking.

The test ran at Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion late last week and may have continued through the weekend, however, it’s not totally clear whether it’s still running. In the Magic Shot, guests pose in front of the Mansion’s iron fence, and the finished photo transforms them into carved stone busts perched on ivy-covered pedestals, with a blue-lit nighttime Haunted Mansion in the background. The design clearly draws on the Dread Family busts guests pass through in the attraction’s queue, so thematically, it’s a natural fit. The finished images carry a vertical strip reading “Limited Edition 2026” along one edge, and at least one version adds a “2026” plaque directly to the pedestal.

What sets this one apart from a typical Magic Shot is the technique itself. Most PhotoPass Magic Shots add a character or a visual effect around the guest, like a floating object or a Disney character appearing to stand nearby. This one instead recreates the guest’s own likeness as a sculpture, which is a different kind of image manipulation than guests are used to seeing from PhotoPass, and it’s part of why the apparent use of generative AI stood out to people who spotted it.

The reaction has been genuinely mixed. Guests shared photos from the test on Facebook and X, and while some are unhappy about the apparent use of generative AI in their vacation photos, others in the same threads have been asking how they can get one for themselves. It’s a pattern that’s shown up before when AI and Disney intersect: guests have generally been comfortable with photo effects that composite a character or object into their picture, but a technique that appears to reconstruct their own face using AI seems to be a different line for some people.

This isn’t happening in a vacuum, either. Disney has faced AI-related pushback at other points recently, including criticism over apparently AI-generated artwork and photo backdrops at Disneyland Paris, and broader industry debate followed CEO Bob Iger’s comments about bringing AI tools to Disney+. Whether this specific PhotoPass test becomes a permanent addition or fades away after its trial run remains to be seen, and Disney hasn’t put out an official statement confirming or explaining the technology behind it.

For guests who tried it and loved it, or guests who’d rather skip it, the test underscores something worth knowing either way: check what you’re posing for before you commit, especially with newer Magic Shots that might work differently than the ones you’re used to.

We’ll keep tracking this story as Disney clarifies what technology is actually behind the test, so check back with Theme Park Scope for updates, and follow us on social so you don’t miss it.

Would YOU want a Haunted Mansion bust Magic Shot, or does the AI angle change how you feel about it?