Another Disney patent has been granted, this one for a system that could help users select rides based on their likes and dislikes.

Attraction Preferences & Aversions Patent

Titled “Personalized Notification of Attractions Including User Preferences or Aversions,” patent US-20260245439-A1 was filed on February 14, 2025, and granted on August 20, 2026. Here’s the abstract:

A system includes a hardware processor and a memory storing software code and a user preferences database including at least one of an aversion of a first user or a preference of the first user. The hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to receive, from an attraction providing a user experience, data describing a characteristic of the user experience, compare, using the data and the user preferences database, the characteristic of the user experience with the aversion and/or the preference of the first user, and determine, based on comparing, that the characteristic of the user experience corresponds to the aversion and/or the preference of the first user. The hardware processor is further configured to execute the software code to alert the first user in response to determining that the characteristic corresponds to the aversion and/or the preference of the first user.

The system goes well beyond generic ride recommendations currently available in the Disneyland and Walt Disney World apps. Guests would be able to input a wide variety of preferences and aversions.

As Disney explains in the patent, different guests have different preferences and aversions, as well as individual physical or medical conditions. But there are limits to signs, audible warnings, and ride descriptions that might make it difficult for people to know if a ride is for them.

“For example,” the patent explains, “if every potential warning were to be listed or announced it might be impractical for the potential users to read through every effect or listen to a long audio broadcast to know whether their specific concern is present. Such an approach may also undesirably deter potential users from an attraction if they see a long list of possible concerns. In addition, as additional possible concerning or aversive stimuli are identified, existing signage and audio announcements must be updated, which can be undesirably costly and time consuming. Moreover, these conventional approaches are not dynamic to the individual and their surrounding environment. For example, these solutions do not account for the location of a user during an experience, fail to alert the user (in real-time during a user experience) of what concerning stimuli is present or how long it will last, and fail to provide an alternative experience in place of aversive stimuli.”

With this system, guests would be get a visual, audio, or haptic alert via a device like a phone or smart watch if a ride includes their preferences or aversions. Such alerts could even happen during a ride, letting a guest know that a trigger is upcoming.

The aversions could also be labeled with intensity ratings on a scale of one to ten. For example, the presence of a single motionless spider on an attraction may earn it a score of one or two, while a swarm of aggressively moving spiders gets an eight or higher. Some guests with arachnophobia may be willing to brave the lower scores, while others may not, and some may appreciate the reminder during the attraction so they can close their eyes.

The patent even includes the potential for real-time changes to an attraction to remove concerning elements or present wanted preferences.

“In some use cases,” it reads, “the present personalized notification solution may also provide substitute content for consumption by the user during that event. For example, on a moving ride or attraction, the present personalized notification solution may synchronize the changing location of the user as the user moves through the attraction with the timing of content being presented visually, audibly, with motion, or using other stimuli.”

This wouldn’t be available for all stimuli but could easily be implemented when it comes to on-screen visuals or sounds.

Keep in mind that just because this patent was granted, that doesn’t mean we’ll see it implemented at Disney parks immediately. It could be years, if ever, until we see such a system available to guests.

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The post Disney Patents System to Let Guests Set Ride Aversions and Receive Alerts During Attractions appeared first on WDW News Today.