Adobe and Disney Imagineering bring custom Firefly AI models into theme park design

Adobe is working with Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development to bring Adobe Firefly Foundry into the design and pre-production visualisation process for Disney Parks and Experiences.

The collaboration will give Disney Imagineers access to custom generative AI models built around existing Imagineering assets. Adobe said the models can be built on top of commercially responsible Firefly models and tuned to Disney’s visual language, helping design teams move from early concepts to more detailed creative and planning work.

Firefly Foundry is Adobe’s service for companies that want tailored generative AI models developed around their own brand assets. In Disney’s case, the work is aimed at theme park and experience design, where characters, colour, settings and story worlds have to remain consistent across creative, technical and physical production.

Custom AI models for Disney’s creative process

Adobe framed the collaboration around control as much as speed. General-purpose AI models can produce quick visual ideas, but they may struggle with intellectual property, brand consistency and the source of the material used to generate an output.

For Disney Imagineering, those constraints are central to the work. A concept image, attraction asset or early 3D model has to fit within an established franchise, follow Disney’s creative standards and remain useful to teams that move a project from art direction into engineering and construction planning.

Adobe said Firefly Foundry will allow Imagineers to generate high-fidelity outputs across different media within the Adobe tools and workflows they already use. The company said the custom models are being developed on licensed and proprietary assets, with the aim of producing creative work that reflects the visual language of Disney franchises.

“Storytelling is in Disney’s DNA. Empowering creators with the latest AI innovations is in ours,” said Hannah Elsakr, vice president, GenAI New Business Ventures at Adobe. “As the teams at Imagineering build new experiences for fans around the world, our tools and workflows will provide a creative foundation to explore bolder ideas and make the best ones a reality.”

The first workflows cover sketches, assets and 3D models

Adobe outlined three initial workflows for Disney Imagineering.

The first is a sketch-to-image model that turns rough hand-drawn concepts into rendered 2D concept art. This is intended to let designers test more creative directions earlier in the process before selecting which ideas should move further into development.

The second is a custom image model developed on Imagineering assets. Adobe said it will generate on-brand creative assets across franchises such as Mickey & Friends, Frozen, Moana, Lilo & Stitch and Cars. The aim is to support future attraction design by making it faster to create franchise-accurate visual material during the concept phase.

The third workflow is a 3D modelling capability that turns 2D renderings and design concepts into detailed 3D prototypes. Adobe said this will help designers plan builds, estimate materials and coordinate with engineering teams before construction begins.

“At Imagineering, we’ve always believed technology and human creativity can work together responsibly,” said Kyle Laughlin, SVP of RGD, Technology and Engineering at Walt Disney Imagineering. “Our work with Adobe lets us bring Disney stories and characters to life in our Parks faster, and with the emotional quality our guests expect.”

Firefly Foundry moves into theme park production planning

The collaboration gives Adobe a high-profile example of Firefly Foundry being used in a creative production environment where AI output has to follow strict brand and character rules.

For Disney Imagineering, the value of the system will depend on whether it can shorten the path from idea generation to usable production material. Adobe said Firefly Foundry could support the process from hand-drawn sketches and polished concept art to detailed 3D renderings and construction-quality CAD models.

The company said the tools will support Disney as it grows its footprint across parks, hotels, cruises and other experiences.