A new patent application from Disney aims to create safer and more ambitious laser light show displays. The new patent, filed December 28th, is titled “Outdoor laser show control system using aircraft tracking data” and the patent outlines the need for safer laser light show operations.

A major concern of laser light show operators is interfering with airplane operations. In 2023, FAA data shows that there were nearly 12,000 laser incidents with pilots. Of course, most of those incidents are laser pointers, and theme park operators are largely responsible laser users. That said, Disney sees an opportunity for improvement.

In the patent, Disney describes a system that processes live aircraft data to determine the precise location of relevant aircraft in the vicinity of outdoor laser shows. The aircraft positioning information can then be processed and used to determine if lasers would need to be terminated to be safe for pilots.

Disney says that such a system would not only provide a safer environment for pilots, but would also allow a less conservative approach to laser light shows. Currently, operators need to manually determine whether or not an aircraft is in a position unsafe for the use of lasers. This means that shows like Happily Ever After (pictured below) need to implement a conservative use of lasers. Lasers are only used when they can be safely terminated against a building with no threat to aircraft.

If Disney is able to implement a safe tracking system, it would then be able to introduce more dynamic displays while ensuring aircraft safety. Instead of being forced to terminate lasers on buildings, Disney would be able to create a more dynamic display without fear of impacting pilots.

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