From theme‑park-scale storytelling realms developed with Haddy to playful miniature universes crafted with LEGO, Disney showcases innovation at every scale.
For a century, The Walt Disney Company has built a business model around one idea: turning imagined worlds into real experiences across every part of the company. From early Mickey Mouse merchandise to the debut of Disneyland in 1955, the company has continuously pushed storytelling beyond the screen.
At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Disney reaffirmed its leadership in immersive innovation, showcasing how storied brands like LEGO and emerging collaborators like Haddy help fuel its creative ecosystem, highlighting how Disney creates worlds at every scale, from the epic to the delightfully small.
LEGO® Smart Play™: Star Wars Comes Alive
Fans discover Disney in countless ways, and for many, that journey begins with toys, books, apparel — products that offer a first doorway into Disney’s worlds.
The LEGO Group, Lucasfilm and Disney Consumer Products have a decades-long relationship that’s delivered the adventure of the Star Wars galaxy to fans over 25 years. So, when the LEGO Group unveiled its most significant innovation since the minifigure at CES last week — LEGO SMART PLAY — it only made sense for Star Wars to be the inaugural partner launching this incredible innovation in play.
“Our teams work hand-in-hand with best-in-class licensees to bring technology and innovation to products that continue our storytelling in new and unexpected ways,” said Paul Gitter, Executive Vice President of Global Brand Commercialization at Disney Consumer Products. “This milestone in our long-time collaboration with the LEGO Group adds a new dimension to this legacy, continuing to help fans express their creativity and imagination by extending the Star Wars story through play.”
Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at the LEGO Group, echoed that sentiment, saying, “With LEGO Smart Play, legendary stories and characters of the Star Wars galaxy will come to life like never before.”
The LEGO Group’s new SMART system boasts more than 20 patented world-firsts in its technology. The system includes SMART bricks, SMART tags and SMART minifigures allowing fans to build Star Wars creations that interact and respond to their actions in real-time. The product line also features sensors, wireless charging, and audio integration, representing a distinctive breakthrough in blending physical and digital play. On March 1, LEGO Star Wars SMART PLAY will debut with three all-in-one sets inspired by the original trilogy of films.
With the combination of the LEGO Group’s new innovative system and Lucasfilm’s rich storytelling, fans will have the tools they need to unlock endless creativity and tell their own Star Wars stories at home like never before.
Accelerating Innovation with Haddy
Also at CES, Disney spotlighted its growing relationship with Haddy, an AI-driven 3D printing pioneer and member of the Disney Accelerator class of 2025. Haddy’s MicroFactory enables theme-park-scale fabrication, helping Imagineers iterate faster and bring ideas to life more efficiently.
“In the last three years, Haddy has been on a steady march to create the platform, the MicroFactory, which can print the world,” John B. Rogers, Haddy Founder & CEO, explained. “We have now arrived.”
Case in point: Walt Disney Imagineering recently worked with Haddy to 3D print a new outrigger canoe for the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland park, marking the first time a prop was permanently 3D printed for a Disney park attraction. Using a photo of the original 1960s boat, the team ensured authenticity while leveraging advanced fabrication techniques.
Bonnie Rosen, General Manager of Disney Accelerator, emphasized the impact, noting how, “Haddy’s innovative fabrication approach gives Disney creators a faster, more flexible method for building imaginative new worlds from the ground up.”
Haddy’s Microfactory is harboring the power of technology to enhance and empower human creativity to create new worlds, with the outrigger canoe being the first test case for potential future uses throughout Disney’s live experiences.
“Haddy’s 3D printing factory pairs advanced manufacturing methods with bespoke human-powered design, helping us build, reconfigure, and reuse materials so that ideas can be refined and brought to life again and again,” Rosen added.
This collaboration illustrates how Disney leverages robotics, advanced materials, and additive manufacturing to redefine immersive experiences.
The Disney Story Engine In Motion
From LEGO Smart Play to Haddy’s fabrication breakthroughs, Disney is uniting storytelling and technology to deliver world‑building experiences at every scale — from miniature interactive play to full‑size immersive environments.
Across the company, this creative momentum moves seamlessly from one team to the next.
Disney Consumer Products invites fans to build their own worlds at home, the Disney Accelerator supports emerging innovators, Walt Disney Imagineering brings imaginative and technical expertise to new frontiers, and iconic franchises like Star Wars help anchor it all.
Together, these collaborations show how Disney meets fans wherever they are — in parks, in products, and in the stories they create themselves — ensuring that the magic of world‑building keeps growing, evolving, and inspiring the next generation.
