Disney and Philips bring together beloved storytelling and innovative technology to support kids undergoing MRI exams

“At Disney, we believe stories have the power to bring comfort and emotional connection to children and families,” said Lisa Haines, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, The Walt Disney Company. “We’re proud to collaborate with Philips to extend that impact into MRI rooms in a meaningful way – using our beloved stories and characters to help provide moments of escape, normalcy, and reassurance during what can be an intimidating experience for kids in hospitals.”

Evidence supporting improved pediatric MRI experience

MRI scans can be challenging for young children. Entering a large, unfamiliar machine that makes loud noises, combined with the need to lie perfectly still for up to 40 minutes, can be intimidating. In fact, 66% [1] of pediatric patients report feeling anxious during MRI scans. This anxiety or claustrophobia can lead to re-scans, longer procedures and, in some cases, the need for sedation, increasing demands on care teams. These disruptions can limit the number of patients who can be seen each day, leading to potential delays.

Child-friendly, immersive content in pediatric MRI settings can help reduce operational disruptions, such as re-scans, long pauses, or aborted procedures. A multi-center study conducted across six hospitals in Europe [2] highlights the impact of Ambient Experience with Disney themes. For children ages 6–10, post-scan pediatric patient stress levels were reduced by 43% compared to pre-exam. In addition, pauses during scans dropped by 63% compared to procedures without intervention.

“The data showed that a child-friendly audio-visual intervention reduced stress levels in young children and decreased scan disruptions, supporting a smoother MRI workflow,” said Emilio J. Inarejos Clemente, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Barcelona, Spain. “This can help clinicians maintain efficiency and focus on delivering high-quality diagnostic imaging, helping more patients to be seen without compromising care.”

Reimagining the pediatric MRI experience through collaboration

Philips innovates to make MRI exams faster, more comfortable and easier for patients. A key part of this effort is Philips Ambient Experience, which uses calming lighting, sound and visual elements to help patients relax before and during the exam. Within this approach, Disney-themed content is incorporated as part of the Ambient Experience environment to offer comfort with beloved Disney stories and characters to reduce anxiety and stress in children undergoing MRI exams. This builds on Philips’ focus on improving care experiences for patients, particularly children undergoing imaging.

Through longstanding collaborations with children’s hospitals worldwide, Disney has developed content and environments tailored for clinical settings, helping make healthcare experiences feel more familiar and less intimidating for young patients. This includes a recently fulfilled commitment of $100 million supporting more than 1,700 children’s hospitals and pediatric places of care in 45 countries. In addition, thousands of hospital staff have been trained through Disney Institute programs, and millions of items have been distributed to children in care settings. Disney supports kids and families in children’s hospitals by bringing comfort and joy when it’s needed most. As part of this ongoing charitable commitment, Disney has provided the art and imagery in Philips Ambient Experience at no cost. Children and families can choose characters from across Disney, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Marvel superheroes, favorites from Star Wars, Disney Princesses and many more.

Philips has a rich history of driving pediatric innovation through research, strategic partnerships, and industry-leading pediatric technology, including monitoring, echocardiology, and AI-driven, data-informed solutions. Key initiatives include specialized, child-friendly imaging solutions such as Pediatric Coaching, Scan Buddy and Kitten Scanners, helping to improve clinical workflows and enhance care experiences for children, supporting the broader goal of delivering better care for more people.

Today, Philips Ambient Experience for MRI is the exclusive MRI platform using these Disney themes. Early adopters of the themes include the pilot hospitals across Europe and industry-leading hospitals, Rady Children’s Health in Orange County and Calderdale Royal Hospital, which are already seeing positive staff and patient impact.