Disney's new theme park-connected "Show Your Disney Side" app for iPhone lets users shoot a selfie and merge it with a famous character from one of the company's movies or attractions, such as Frozen, Star Tours, Pirates of the Caribbean, or the Haunted Mansion.
Some examples include Darth Maul, pirates, and Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent. Notably, the Haunted Mansion characters in the app -- such as Madame Leota and the Hitchhiking Ghost -- can only be unlocked by actually visiting Disneyland or Walt Disney World, or alternately by sharing three creations on Facebook or Twitter.
Each character can be personalized with different costumes and frames. The results are then enhanced with special effects tailored to each Disney persona, and users can save and share photos and video clips.
The app is a free download from the App Store. Unlike most iPhone apps, it will not work at all on an iPad, and is in fact optimized for the iPhone 5, 6, and 6 Plus. iOS 7.0 or later is required.
Apple and Disney have a close corporate relationship. Disney CEO Bob Iger sits on the Apple Board of Directors, and former Apple CEO Steve Jobs once held a position on the Disney board as well as the status of the company's largest individual shareholder; those shares are now in the hands of his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs.
Disney products have long been featured on the iTunes Store and the App Store, and Disney-owned TV networks are widespread on the Apple TV. During press events, Apple will sometimes use Disney content to demonstrate product features. Walt Disney World was also one of the first businesses to support Apple Pay.