Level up with Universal's new patent applications

May 25, 2026, 2:57 PM · Universal has filed new patent applications for more life-like animated theme park characters, vending machines that sell customized products, and a new way of loading people onto theme park rides.

Let's start with that last one. Theme parks traditionally load their rides on a first-come, first-served basis. Yes, many parks now are selling line-skipping passes that allow shorter waits for visitors who buy them. But at some point, the regular queue and the "line-skip" queue merge, creating one stream of people for ride operators at the loading platform.

Universal's proposed system does away with the queue and automated the loading process. In this system, guests would have an assigned time to experience an attraction. When they arrive, they would enter a reception area. An automated ride vehicle would then come to them and take them into the ride.

It feels to me like the theme park version of the LAXit rideshare pick-up location at the LA airport. You go wait somewhere and your ride comes and gets you. I can't see how this would be most efficient to a traditional queue system, unless the ride experience were somehow customized, so you would need a way to make sure that the correct people get into the proper cars.

The patent application is Autonomous Transportation Techniques.

Another patent application describes Universal's plans for creating more dynamic animated character faces for theme park attractions. Both Disney and Universal over the years have used various systems to project character faces onto animatronic figures. If done right, projections can help provide a range of motion and expression that current mechanisms have trouble replicating. When not done right, of course, the result is a trip straight into the terrors of the uncanny valley.

Universal's system is not a blank slate for a projection, but a combination system that projects imagery onto moving parts of the figure. That helps sells the illusion of a living character. The system also could accept input in real time, allowing the character to react in a lifelike way to guests.

The application is Systems and Methods for Optical Performance Captured Animated Figure With Real-Time Reactive Projected Media.

Finally, Universal is proposing a personalized merchandise vending machine. Think of this as Universal's real world way of selling you items that you have earned the right to buy in a video game. The system also could customize a product for a specific guest.

This one is called, rather simply, Personalized Vending Machine.

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