Imagineering – Page 2 – WDWNT Archive

Inside Look at Walt Disney Imagineering and Fantasyland Expansion

WDWNT on August 20, 2010

NASA held its first information technology summit this week. How does this apply to Walt Disney World? Speakers at the second day included Jack Blitch from Disney Imagineering, giving a lecture on how his company designs and implements it attractions, and some of its plans for the future. This video includes a look at 3-D models of “Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid” and the entire Beauty and the Beast themed realm. The remainder of the Fantasyland expansion is not mentioned, further fueling the flames for rumors of sweeping changes to the Magic Kingdom expansion plan. Regardless, it’s a fascinating look inside Walt Disney Imagineering that you should enjoy:

A Wonderful “World of Color” Coming to California

WDWNT on September 24, 2009

While it doesn’t really pertain to Walt Disney World, we thought you would enjoy another pair of videos from the D23 Expo recorded and edited by our own Matt Paul. The first video is “The Making of World of Color” presentation with Imagineer Steven Davison (walking us through the entire new nighttime spectacular for Disney’s California Adventure) and the accompanying video is of the World of Color press conference that directly followed. We hope you enjoy this inside look at Disney’s World of Color embedded via the WDWNTube:

Our Enormous D23 Expo Photo Report!

WDWNT on September 20, 2009

Since there were so many photos taken by WDWNT Network staff members of the inaugural D23 Expo from 9/10-9/13, we decided to combine all of them into one GIANT report featuring photos from Tom Corless, Luke Manning, Scott Smith, Matt Paul, and Myrna Litt:

This photo wasn’t taken at night, we arrived at the Anaheim Convention Center at around 5:30 AM each day

Imagineering Video Hints at the Future of the Disney Parks

WDWNT on August 27, 2009

With the huge D23 Expo just a few days away, could this video be peppered with tidbits teasing some announcements for the future of the Disney Parks, or are some of these things a little further off?:

Some interesting notes with the times in the video they appear:

-At 0:19, there are fountains set on fire. Is this something we will see in World of Color at Disney’s California Adventure or somewhere else?

-At 0:45, there is a portrait of Master Gracey that changes as the Imagineer waves his hand over it, could this technology be coming to The Haunted Mansion?

-At 1:14, there are two men animating a Jack Sparrow character through motion capture technology. Is this for the interactive experience coming to the Disney Cruise Line?

-At 1:52, there is a space alien (we think it’s an alien) behind an Imagineer. Could this be something new for Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom or for the next generation Star Tours attraction?

-From 2:17 to 2:21, you can see a man walking in a real environment and interacting with projected characters, a creature made of ice and Tinker Bell. For a while I have been hearing rumors of an experience where guests would be able to enter environments and interact with “real” characters via RFID technology. Could this be it?

-At 2:22, there is a really strange (but very cool) spinning simulator-type vehicle with mounted guns. What could this be?

This very interesting video has left me with a ton of questions that I hope will be answered at the D23 Expo. What do you think these things are? Be sure to let us know in the WDWNT Network Community Forums!

What’s Next for Walt Disney World?

WDWNT on July 17, 2009

There have been a plethora of rumors floating around the web regarding what may be on the horizon for the four theme parks of the Walt Disney World Resort. It seems every time we reach a point in WDW history that we have no official word as to what is next, an incredible batch of rumors seem to run rampant (Those of you around in the late 1990’s probably remember rumors of Fire Mountain, Bald Mountain, and a Villains themed land for the Magic Kingdom). There is no need to fear, as Walt Disney World is probably on the verge of it’s largest theme park expansion in years, perhaps Disney is just waiting for the right moment to spring the news on the entire world (remember, the D23 Expo is just a few weeks away). To clear up some confusion, I wanted to take the time to make a post that recaps everything I have heard thus far on future plans, but keep in mind (as with any rumors) that anything listed below must be taken as a rumor until an official announcement is made by the Walt Disney Company. Let’s begin:

The Magic Kingdom

Fantasyland Refurbishment & Expansion: Since WDW News Today launched in July 2007, we have reported on rumors that a Little Mermaid dark ride attraction was coming to Fantasyland to replace Pooh’s Playful Spot and Ariel’s Grotto. It is important to keep in mind that this rumor pre-dates any formal announcement that Disney’s California Adventure would be building this long-proposed Disneyland Paris attraction. It seems likely that construction will begin soon in the Magic Kingdom, and the announcement by Disney a few months ago that they were looking for a “one-Disney” experience only bolsters the idea of this voyage “under the sea” taking place on both coasts. If this major addition takes place, it will most likely do more than add a major E-Ticket to the park in late 2011/early 2012, but will also add a large Disney Princess store and meet-and-greet area at the attraction exit (thus allowing the Princesses to leave the perhaps doomed Mickey’s Toontown Fair). This large addition may also force “Dumbo: The Flying Elephant” attraction to move to a new location. If the Little Mermaid dark ride comes to be, we can expect the remainder of the Fantasyland expansion to take place over the 4-5 years following, including: a Mad Tea Party with a new covering reminiscent of Disneyland Paris, the replacement of Snow White’s Scary Adventure with a “Beauty and the Beast” dark ride, and the addition of a Seven Dwarves Mine Train roller-coaster on the land now occupied by the old Fantasyland Skyway building. Also amid the rumored changes for Fantasyland are new facades for most Fantasyland attractions, shedding the “medieval fair” setting, and new visual effects and upgrades being added to both The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan’s Flight.

A competing (perhaps more current) concept follows the floor plans below (found on the Disney Report’s Soft Opening Blog), also adding Princess and Fairy themed areas with minor attractions while removing the entire north side of Mickey’s Toontown Fair. This plan also has Snow White’s Scary Adventure saved by building the Beauty and the Beast dark ride next door to a proposed “Gaston’s” restaurant. This would terminate the castle forecourt theme with a wall leading into the “deep woods” and lands themed to Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Dumbo, and Winnie the Pooh. This plan also includes similar upgrades (mentioned in the first paragraph) to the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, with a new facade matching the look of the Hundred Acre Woods and a new Pooh character meet and greet area across the path. I had not seen this particular version of the plans before this week, but they are quite a bit larger than the plans I had spoken about above, making me skeptical as to how genuine this drawing actually is. We’ll just have to sit back for a little while and wait to see when and where construction walls eventually rise in Fantasyland.

Another New Tomorrowland: Rumors suggest that there are plans in the very early stages for an overall refurbishment and expansion of the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland area. We’re still hearing that a “Wall-E” inspired Buy ‘N’ Large (BNL) takeover is in the works, with the concept being that we are entering a prequel to the film, just before Earth was covered in mounds of trash. Whatever the actual plan may be, it appears time may soon be up for Stitch’s Great Escape, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and The Laugh Floor. Why would such young attractions be removed so quickly? Well, Stitch’s Great Escape has been received as one of the worst attractions in Disney history, The Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor was always meant to be a temporary addition, and Space Ranger Spin hasn’t been as cool as it once was before high tech versions of it were cloned around the world and Toy Story Mania! opened last year. Again, Disney is in the very early stages of planning these changes, and we probably won’t see anything happen until the Fantasyland expansion is complete.

TLC for Some Classics: Just because there may be a wave of new attractions coming to the Magic Kingdom, doesn’t mean they will forget about some of the classic offerings. Since 2006, we have seen extensive refurbishments of Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, the Jungle Cruise, the Hall of Presidents, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (re-opens in late August), and Space Mountain (re-opens in November). If rumors are correct, the next attractions in line for a fixin’ should be The Enchanted Tiki Room and Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. In addition to these attraction fix-ups, a classic Magic Kingdom parade should also be seeing some exciting changes. Very quietly, Spectromagic has had some technological upgrades over the last few months, with most character costumes and the “finale rope” now sporting LED lighting. (these changes were quite noticeable, take a look next time you watch the parade). In addition, Mr. Smee and the Wicked Queen from Snow White are sporting completely new costumes. I would expect BIGGER changes to the parade before October 1, 2011, rolls around…

Epcot

Journey Into Imagination: Since October 1, 1999, we have been waiting for something meaningful to come to the Imagination! pavilion, and it seems our wait is almost over. We now know for a fact that Walt Disney Imagineering will be taking control of the pavilion at some point over the next twelve months, what is going to happen after that takeover is still debatable. We will most likely see the Dreamfinder reunited with Figment and perhaps the usage of the same trackless ride system that will be going into the upcoming Mystic Manor attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland. There hasn’t been much leaking on this project, but I have a feeling we will know much more about this project very soon.

The Rest of Epcot: Innoventions is going to continue it’s rapid evolution through the next few years, including the already announced addition of “The Sum of All Thrills” this Fall. The Universe of Energy is rumored to be next in line for a revamp after the Imagination! pavilion, followed by the now shuttered Wonders of Life pavilion. Test Track may see changes sooner rather than later, but that will be decided by the day to day performance of General Motors and how much longer they continue to operate. Illuminations: Reflections of Earth may be nearing the end of it’s run, but don’t be sad, not many nighttime spectaculars get the opportunity to run for more than ten years.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Monsters Inc.: One of the worst kept secrets in Disney Park history has to be the proposed Monsters Inc. family-style coaster that will be placed next door to the wildly popular Toy Story Midway Mania! attraction on Pixar Place. As has already been discussed on other credible sites, guests would enter the offices of Monsters Inc. following the events of the first film and somehow get involved in a wild door chase after Randall through the Laugh Floor and door warehouse. The coaster and the vehicles are supposedly going to be built by Vekoma and may look a little something like the trains seen at this link. While the Disney vehicles will probably sport a Monsters Inc. style transport door on the back of each seat, the attraction’s track layout might be one of the two featured on that very same webpage page. Just try to imagine the coaster below enclosed in a building.

SFC02

The coaster would also fly through dark-ride style scenes, leading to us eventually saving Boo and defeating Randall by putting him through a trash compactor (yes, the smae ending from the “Ride and Go Seek” attraction in Tokyo).

Whew! That should do it for now. I know it’s a lot to swallow, but there is a ton of these rumors flying around at the moment and I wanted to make sure everyone was well informed. While some (or most) of these rumored changes won’t actually occur, it’s always fun to speculate. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW NEws Today as we get more information on all of these exciting rumored projects.

Imagineer and Legend Marty Sklar Is Retiring

WDWNT on April 26, 2009

Marty Sklar, former head of Walt Disney Imagineering, a man who worked very closely with Walt Disney, and the only Walt Disney Company employee to attend the openings of all 11 Disney theme parks worldwide, has announced that he will finally be retiring from the company. The good people over at Orlando Attractions Magazine have obtained the letter Sklar emailed to various people in the company:

I’ve always thought that the two most important dates in Disney’s parks and resorts occurred in July and October. It was on July 17, 1955 that Walt realized his “dream come true” with the dedication of Disneyland. October 1, 1971 and October 1, 1982 marked the official opening days for the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom and for Epcot (then “Epcot Center”).

There’s an extra relevance for me: I was a working Disney cast member for all three of these openings…and for the eight that have followed. From Tokyo to Paris, Orlando to Anaheim, and finally (so far!) Hong Kong, I’ve sweated the final details of construction, installation and sho w “buy-offs” leading to the openings of all eleven Disney parks around the world. It is with considerable pride that I can say, “I’m the only Disney cast member who has participated in all eleven of those openings.”

I’m anxious to join my fellow Imagineers at the next grand opening, too. But for me, the thrill of watching those gates open and the first guests eagerly racing to the attractions that are already their favorites, will be different next time. Because I’ll be cheering you all on from the sidelines, as a retired Imagineer.

I have decided to turn in my name tag on one of those prime dates: July 17. In 2009, that date will mark Disneyland’s 54th birthday, and my 53rd year as a Disney cast member. (I returned to UCLA after Disneyland’s first summer to finish my senior year, then returned to Disneyland’s public relations department in September 1956.)

Naturally, I’ve been thinking back over those 53 years, and what memories they are, starting with that summer day in 1955. I can still see Walt reading the dedication plaque at Disneyland’s opening. Little did I dream that day, as a 21=2 0year old, that I would spend parts of ten years writing personal material for that amazing man, one of the best known and loved in the entire world.

Of course, July 17, 1955 was just the first of those beautiful blank pages we would fill. It was my luck to be “the kid” among the pros…first in public relations at Disneyland, then at WED Enterprises, Walt’s own company – the home of the original Imagineers.

It was here at Imagineering, beginning in 1961, that my real education truly began. I owe much to UCLA (today I’m even a member of the Alumni Board of Directors), but my greatest “teachers” were right here in Glendale: John Hench, Dick Irvine, Herb Ryman, Claude Coats, Marc Davis, Blaine Gibson, Fred Joerger, Harriet Burns, Bill Martin, Rollie Crump, Roger Broggie, Bill Evans, Harper Goff, Bill Cottrell, Bob Jolley, Wathel Rogers, Yale Gracey. They were – they are – the true Legends, and though I was truly “the kid” among them, they accepted me and made me part of their team.

I had the privilege (as my own career grew from Staff Writer to Vice President of Concepts and Planning, and then to President and Vice-Chai rman and Principal Creative Executive of Imagineering) of working with so many amazing talents, past and present. The Legends defined Imagineer and Imagineering, and you have carried on in the tradition they established: the standard of excellence. Walt created Imagineering, but Imagineers made it sing and dance. What Imagineers design and build has few precedents, but many followers.

Today your ability to marry new stories and characters with the wonders of new technologies is exciting to watch. I have long marveled at the capacity Imagineers have for letting new genies out of their bottles, granting wishes large and small for millions of guests around the world every year.

When I became the creative leader of Imagineering in 1974, one of the first calls I received was from the CEO of Disney, E. Cardon Walker. Walt Disney World had just celebrated its third birthday. “Now,” Card said, “what are we going to do about Walt’s idea for Epcot?”

The next 30 years or so filled so many blank pages they are almost like one of those “flip books”, where everything’s a blur. We created nine more Disney parks, including the five in international locations. Imagineering lived up to its roots and truly became the premiere design, engineering and construction organization in the world. The traditions of passion for our product, great storytelling and inspirational risk-taking – the traditions begun by Walt and those original Imagineers – not only continued, they grew and spread across the oceans.

For the last three years, as your Imagineering Ambassador. I’ve had a great time speechmaking and writing about creativity and leadership. I think I exceeded Jay’s expectations when he asked me to take on this role. We have created “Imagineering Week at the Studio”, represented all of you at special events and talked to thousands on college campuses, at IAAPA and TEA, at conventions across the country and Disney programs and events around the world. And I’ve had fun (that’s our business!) writing for many Disney outlets, especially my philosophy and history communications through Sklargazing on the WDI website.

Now it’s time to turn the page. So many of you have asked that I have finally actually begun writing that book about the people, the places and the passions I have experienced as an Imagineer.

As I said three years ago when my “ambassadorship” began, I know you will keep on dreaming big dreams, and creating the newest and best in the world. I’ll still be looking over your shoulders, cheerleading, and filling new blank pages. It’s the most important Imagineering tradition.

Marty Sklar

Marty will certainly be missed from the company, but everyone here at the WDWNT Network wishes him a happy and healthy retirement!

Outsource Animatronics???

WDWNT on June 16, 2008

By Sonya Smith of the OCRegister:

The Walt Disney Co. will begin out-sourcing the manufacturing of Audio Animatronics because of too much demand on staff time, according to an Imagineering memo sent to the Orange County Register and Disney Imagingeering Spokeswoman Marilyn Waters.

Audio-Animatronics figures are basically moving and talking (or singing) robotic figures that were started by Walt Disney’s company. Today, Audio-Animatronics can be seen in several Disneyland attractions, which include: “it’s a small world,” Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones Adventure, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! and the upcoming Toy Story Mania!.

The memo is dated June 12, 2008, and was sent to all Walt Disney Imagineering employees from Bruce Vaughn, chief creative executive, Craig Russell, chief development and delivery executive, and Kevin Eld, vice president of Disney Creative Production. The memo was sent to and received by the Orange County Register today. Imagineers is Disney’s a word for designers and engineers.

The memo states that after review manufacturing all Audio-Animatronics figures in-house is not feasible in terms of cost and staffing. Instead, Imagineering’s Manufacturing and Prototype Operations group based in North Hollywood will “build some select, highly complex” figures in-house.

Waters confirmed that the manufacturing of some Audio-Animatronics will be given to outside vendors. She said that over the past years Walt Disney Imagineering has begun to work with outside vendors on the talking and moving figures.

In one example, Waters said Disney employees worked with Chinese vendors to make some of the figures for the “It’s a Small World” attraction at the Hong Kong Disneyland.

“Our industry has generated quite a few heavily-skilled and proficient vendors who can supplement our teams with simple figures with significant oversight by our production team,” Waters said. “This will allow us to focus on creating more sophisticated and advanced figures.”

While Waters said Imagineering’s next step is to focus on the next-generation of Audio-Animatronics, an anniversary is coming for the oldest figures. June 22 is the 45th anniversary of the Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland’s Adventureland.

The Tiki Room includes 225 performers, including birds, flowers and tiki poles that spring to life. The attraction opened in 1963 and was the first attraction to function completely via the wonders of Audio-Animatronics technology.

Tag: Imagineering