After Play Disney Parks App Ends, Experimental Disney Imagineering Labs App Launches

Walt Disney Imagineering wants your opinion before an attraction is finished. Disney has launched Disney Imagineering Labs, a new free iPhone app that lets Disneyland guests test park experiences while they’re still in development. Disneyland Magic Key holders can use it now, and all guests get access in early 2027.

The first experiment is Secrets of the Spire, an augmented reality story in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge where you help Princess Leia track down hidden Imperial signals. Next up is Disneyland Enchanted Guide, an AI-powered park assistant.

The Disney Imagineering Labs app arrives about two months after Disney shut down the Play Disney Parks app. Here’s what it is, how to join, and what each experiment does.

Quick Summary

• Disney Imagineering Labs is a free iPhone app for testing park experiences that are still in development
• Disneyland Magic Key holders can use it now, and all guests get access in early 2027
• You need an iPhone with iOS 18 or later and a MyDisney account, and there’s no Android version yet
• The first experiment, Secrets of the Spire, is an augmented reality story in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• Disneyland Enchanted Guide, an AI park assistant, is coming soon
• It’s a Disneyland Resort app for now, with no Walt Disney World version announced
• The app arrives two months after Disney shut down the Play Disney Parks app on September 16

What Is Disney Imagineering Labs?

Imagineers usually show off new experiences once they’re polished and ready for opening day. Imagineering Labs flips that order. It hands guests early versions and asks for feedback while there’s still time to make changes.

Walt Disney Imagineering built the app with Disney Experiences Technology, the team behind Disney’s park apps. It’s a separate download from the Disneyland app, and it’s free.

Disney calls the app an early-access experience. Projects may change over time, and taking part is voluntary.

How to Join

Here’s what you need to get in:

• An iPhone running iOS 18 or later (there’s no Android version yet)
• A MyDisney account, which you can create inside the app
• A Disneyland Resort Magic Key, at least until the experiments open to everyone in early 2027

How the Experiments Work

Once you’re signed in, each experiment shows a status label:

• Early development
• Taking shape
• Nearly complete

That label sets expectations. Early development experiments can have unfinished artwork, temporary voice-over, and the occasional bug or crash.

Each experiment ends with a short survey about technical problems and whether the experience worked for you. Disney says your participation “will help us decide what experiments to launch.”

From there, an experiment might:

• Get another round of changes
• Move into the Disneyland app or an app of its own
• Retire

Some experiments could collect what they need in a month, while others could stay available for a year or more. An experiment leaving the app doesn’t necessarily mean it failed.

Secrets of the Spire: A Mission for Princess Leia

The first experiment is Secrets of the Spire, set in Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.

Princess Leia tells you that encrypted Imperial signals are hidden around the outpost. Those signals hold the coordinates to an Imperial starpath unit that the Empire buried in pieces, and the Empire is hunting for them too. Your iPhone becomes a pair of quadnoculars, the Star Wars version of binoculars.

Here’s how it plays:

• Track the signal. A tracker vibrates harder as you get closer.
• Scan the area. Raise your phone and scan until the signal appears on screen.
• Slice the signal. Move your phone to catch white data packets while dodging red ones. That earns one piece of the coordinates.
• Watch the land react. Finishing a level sets off sounds or lights in Galaxy’s Edge itself.

How far you stand from the object you’re scanning changes how hard the slice is. The game also saves your progress, even if you come back on a different day.

At the end, an Imperial officer offers you payment to send the coordinates to the Empire. You can also deliver them to the Millennium Falcon and help the Rebellion. Disney is treating this release as a first chapter, and a full mission depends on how guests respond.

Fans who remember the Star Wars Datapad will recognize the idea of scanning to uncover hidden layers of Batuu. Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters isn’t part of Imagineering Labs and remains playable with a MagicBand+.

Disneyland Enchanted Guide: An AI Park Assistant

The second experiment, Disneyland Enchanted Guide, is an AI-powered park assistant marked as coming soon, with no launch date yet.

Here’s what it can do, based on previews:

• Answer questions out loud or by text. Press a button and ask, or type your question.
• Give directions from your current location.
• Send alerts when an attraction reopens after downtime.
• Watch wait times. Ask it to let you know when a ride’s wait drops below a time you pick.
• Remember your conversation. Mention a child in your group, and it can shape the rides it suggests later.
• Identify things with your camera. Snap a photo of a sign or prop and ask about it.

Disney is also testing hands-free use with Meta smart glasses and Bluetooth earbuds.

What Happened to Play Disney Parks?

Disney Imagineering Labs arrives about two months after Disney shut down the Play Disney Parks app on September 16. That app hosted queue games, trivia, and the Galaxy’s Edge Datapad at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. None of those games are part of Imagineering Labs.

The new app has a different purpose. Instead of entertaining guests in line, it gives Imagineers a place to test new ideas in front of real guests and keep the ones that work.

Will It Come to Walt Disney World?

For now, Imagineering Labs is a Disneyland Resort app, and Disney hasn’t announced plans for Walt Disney World. Disney’s store listing says “not every experiment will be available to every Guest or in every location.” That leaves the door open for future experiments elsewhere, but nothing is confirmed.

More Disney Tech News

Disney has been busy with new park technology this year. Catch up on our look at a Disney AI character voice patent that could change meet-and-greets and the Disney Accelerator 2026 class, which includes park robots, AI tools, and trip planning startups. Imagineering is also using AI behind the scenes, as part of the new Disney and Adobe multi-year alliance.

The Bottom Line

The Disney Imagineering Labs app lets Disneyland guests test experiences while they’re still being built. Magic Key holders can join now on iPhone, and everyone else gets access in early 2027. Secrets of the Spire sends you on an augmented reality mission for Princess Leia in Galaxy’s Edge, and the AI-powered Disneyland Enchanted Guide is coming soon.

If you’re a Magic Key holder visiting Disneyland, download the app, try the experiments, and fill out the surveys. Your feedback could help shape what Imagineers launch next.

20% Off site-wide, plus Free Shipping on all orders of $65+

Over 75+ Designs! Your next park shirt is just a click away

Looking To Book Your Dream Disney Vacation?

Save time & money on your vacation

Your Disney vacation should create unforgettable memories that last a lifetime.

Whether you’re a first-time Disney vacationer or looking to plan your next magical adventure, it isn’t enough just to go on a Disney vacation. We want you to talk about your vacation for years to come and create memories you’ll cherish forever. Vacation is calling! Are you ready to answer?

REQUEST QUOTE

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Jonathan Cotton 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I’m no stranger to Disney planning, as a Disneyland magic key holder and DVC member. I’m the person people ask for trip planning advice. But I had never been on a Disney cruise, and had heard great about Nate and decided to reach out. I’m so glad I did because we could not have been happier with our experience. His tips and insights were incredibly helpful, and he was incredibly responsive any time we had a question. Who do the Disney experts turn to when they need help? Nate, that’s who.

We’ll definitely be using him again.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Andria Skornik 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Our experience working with Nate as our Disney vacation planner was exceptional. He was responsive and thorough. He gave us insights that made the trip go much more smoothly. We were able to really relax and focus on quality time as a family and have so much fun doing it! I will definitely reach out for any future trips.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 rpwoodjr 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Could not have wanted or expected more from Nate, our Distrips and More agent as we planned our 2025 Disney World trip. Nate was VERY responsive to emails and texts and more than willing to do whatever he could to guide us and answer our questions.  On several occasions I emailed him over the weekend not expecting a response until Monday but each time he responded before the weekend was over.  He even participated in a Zoom session with our group of five seniors as we planned our trip. He also helped us at the 11th hour when we added a family member to our travel group less than a month before our trip.  Without a doubt, I will reach out to Nate when I'm ready to plan my next trip to Disney World!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Homero Rendon 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
We are so thankful we used Nate to plan not only our first Disney trip, but also our second. He made the process so easy for us, especially for us since it was our first time going. There was a lot to consider and many decisions to make, such as where to stay, when to go, and what to experience. Nate really helped us narrow down what we wanted to do overall, but he didn’t stop there. He provided detailed guides to help us navigate the airport and find our transportation to the resort, as well as a guide to explore the resorts and make sure we saw the best Christmas decorations. One of the many amazing things he also did was set up our dinner reservations for us. This saved us so much stress and allowed us to get some of our top choices. From the moment we landed in Orlando to the moment we headed back home, he made sure everything went smoothly. You truly can’t go wrong with going to him for your next trip.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Lee Mathes 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Nate was absolutely the best planner I have ever had.  Will most definitely be using him again.   He took care of everything and kept me on track.  Was so very helpful in making all the dining reservations and everything.   Can't thank him enough.   He made our trip completely stress free!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Amanda Moran 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Nathan has been an amazing trip planner for me! So helpful and responsive. I am a very type A person -- so someone who is even more on top of their game than me -- is so so appreciated! Nathan has booked 3 trips for me (1 completed 2 pending) and it was perfection. Thanks again!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Hyperion Adventures Podcast 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Nate has helped us with our vacation planning for the last couple of years and we couldn't be happier with his service and expertise. We've used other travel agents in the past and none of them have done as phenomenal a job to make sure every detail is taken care of as he has. Switching to Nate was one of the best decisions we've ever made. He's always quick to answer questions and works tirelessly to make sure we get everything we want from our trips. Plus, he's just a genuinely great person who is wonderful to work with. Whether you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, a Disney Cruise, or any other vacation, Nate is the guy you want putting it all together! Five stars across the board!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 7 reviews 
 
   
 
 

Meet the Author: Nate Bishop

I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!