Pictures of ‘flooded Disney World’ are likely AI-generated

Images which appear to show a flooded Disney World in Florida after Hurricane Milton have likely been created by artificial intelligence (AI). 

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on 9 October and caused flooding across the state, killing at least 24 people. 

Pictures shared on X, Facebook and Threads appear to show the path up to the Cinderella Castle and other streets in Walt Disney World flooded.

But we can find no evidence there was any flooding of the kind depicted in these images. Disney World closed on 9 and 10 October due to the hurricane but said its staff had assessed the hurricane’s impact and the park would reopen and resume normal operations from 11 October. 

Full Fact has contacted Disney World for comment, and will update this article if we receive a response. 

AI expert Professor Hany Farid told AFP and Reuters that the flooding images were likely AI-generated, pointing out “tell-tale and obvious structural defects in all images including inconsistent reflections in the water”. 

Real images of the Cinderella Castle show that it has a different number and arrangement of spires compared to the image being shared online. 

Full Fact has written about suspected AI images before, including a picture of a distressed child in a boat holding a puppy amid severe flooding in the US, and another purporting to show the aftermath of the OceanGate submersible implosion.

Our guide to spotting AI-generated images can help you distinguish between faked photos and the real thing online.