Disney+ Subscribers Can Now Explore Iceland's Thingvellir National Park with Apple Vision Pro
Beginning today, Disney+ subscribers will be able to access a new immersive environment from National Geographic with the Disney+ app on Apple Vision Pro, which will transport users to the breathtaking natural beauty of Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park. The new Disney+ environment marks National Geographic’s first-ever immersive project for Apple Vision Pro.
The new National Geographic environment will transport Disney+ subscribers on Apple Vision Pro to the unique rocky terrain of Thingvellir National Park on a snowy winter day, allowing them to explore their surroundings via interactive elements and sounds that make the space come to life. This UNESCO world heritage site, captured by a team of National Geographic photographers, serves as the backdrop for viewers watching Disney+ content beneath a spectacular nighttime aurora.
“Since its inception, National Geographic has been at the forefront of photography and has led the way in using groundbreaking technology to tell stories that inspire a deeper connection to the natural world,” said David Miller, EVP, National Geographic. “Creating this immersive environment was a natural next step for us to take to build on that legacy and to continue enabling audiences to experience the beauty of our natural world and see places they may never go to otherwise.”
National Geographic worked with Disney Studio Technology to lead the creative development and production of the immersive environment from high-resolution 3D models captured on-site using photogrammetry and gigapixel panoramas. The teams worked in collaboration with Disney Entertainment and ESPN Technology to bring this new experience to Disney+.
The foremost leader in visual storytelling, National Geographic has a rich legacy of being at the forefront of innovation, from being the first to capture a color photograph underwater to being an early adopter of Instagram and the most-followed brand on the platform with 282 million followers. For decades, National Geographic has led the way for audiences worldwide, taking them to the farthest corners of the world.
Additionally, Disney+ is making four additional 3D films from Marvel Studios available to subscribers today: “Avengers,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Ant-Man” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”