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I Toured Walt Disney Imagineering – New Technologies & Park Plans Revealed

From the exterior of 1401 Flower Street, it's difficult to comprehend the magic that's made inside. This building is one of many located in Glendale, California that house Disney's theme park wizards who lead the design of Disney's theme parks, cruise ships, and resorts around the world.

The people who work at Walt Disney Imagineering have training in over 140 disciplines that range from model making to writing to computer engineering to financial planning. This group was originally created by Walt Disney himself when he brought some of his favorite artists from the film studio into a special group to focus on creating his first theme park, Disneyland. Originally called WED for Walter Elias Disney, the group's name was shifted to Imagineering combining “Imagination” and “Engineering” – two skill sets required to develop any Disney project.

Recently I had the opportunity to join a rare media tour of Walt Disney Imagineering where they pulled back the curtain to reveal amazing aspects of the facilities I have only ever seen in my now dog-eared copies of the Walt Disney Imagineering coffee table books . I have visited this location before, but have never been permitted to visit anything beyond a blank-walled conference room when I interviewed ( now Disney Legend ) Joe Rohde. So, it was a longtime wish fulfillment to get to go inside and the day didn't disappoint.

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Surprise Guests Before Our Imagineering Tour

Before our media tour of Walt Disney Imagineering could begin, we sat down in a decked-out conference room featuring aerial photos of Disney Parks around the world and photos of the Imagineering process.

We settled in for the presentation and thankfully I ended up in a seat in the front row. Moments later one of the public relations people introduced the Disney executive leadership and CEO Bob Iger and Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro came out to present to the twenty or so media in attendance. You could tell that the entire room was shocked to see the two of them – Iger in particular who was joining us the day before the contested shareholder board vote – kicking off this day for us.

Via the Disney Shareholders Meeting webcast.

Iger expressed how the time he spends at Walt Disney Imagineering is some of the time he enjoys most in his work as CEO and how excited he is for the future of the parks. He expressed that if he could, he'd spend all of his time at Imagineering which he called one of his favorite places.

He talked about how much time he and Josh are spending at Imagineering as the company shifts their focus to the $60 billion turbocharge investment for the Disney theme parks . Iger shared that he is extremely optimistic about the parks and, with ease, explained some of the reasoning around why they are now ready to ramp up investment in the expansion of the theme parks.

Reflecting on something that former Disney Animation and Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter – a name I haven't heard mentioned by anyone at the company for a long time – shared with him, Iger talked about the magic of marrying technological advancement with artistry. He said that the artists create new ideas that push the technologists and the technologists create new ideas that then further art. Their intermingling leads to the magic of the Disney theme parks and films.

Then D'Amaro shared similar remarks we have heard from him previously about his excitement for the expansion of the parks. He emphasized that this day touring Imagineering was meant to reflect his previous efforts to pull back the curtain on what they are working on while on stage at D23.

After D'Amaro spoke, Iger jumped back in with additional context that we hadn't heard put as plainly before. In essence, he said that Disney Parks are a good business with a great return on investment for Disney and that there is strong demand among guests for more experiences. He also addressed the key concern around all of the expansion news. He said something along the lines of, “We know all the fans would like to know everything we are building, but if we flushed out the full decade then we wouldn't be able to nimbly react to a Frozen-sized hit a couple of years from now”. The positive takeaways from these comments are that Iger has a great sense of the sentiment in the community right now, believes in investments in the theme parks, and wants to bring in new franchises to the parks as they happen.

That unprompted comment from Iger alone signals that he understands that Disney fans are waiting with bated breath for a big set of announcements from Disney.

I have been fortunate to see both of these leaders speak several times at different functions and every time I am blown away by the way they hold the entire room's attention. Iger has a certain magnetic quality about him. He spoke off the cuff but with a complete grasp of every detail of the expansion plan for the parks. It felt almost as if there was a teleprompter in the room.

Then the two leaders turned it over to the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, Bruce Vaughn. He briefly shared his story of how he previously spent many years at Imagineering, eventually rising to president, and then left the company to focus on family. He came back to Imagineering a little over a year ago. He has a stellar background of leading teams at Imagineering during periods of growth and it was exciting to see his confidence in what they are developing right now.

After Vaughn spoke, the Imagineering leads for Walt Disney World shared new concept artwork for the Tropical Americas area coming to Animal Kingdom and that a new permit would be filed to begin work on the area “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain” in Magic Kingdom. They again teased that there would be many more announcements at the D23 Expo .

Our Imagineering Tour

We weren't even allowed to take a picture of this sign. I had to go find it in the Imagineering Story trailer .

Then, it was time for our tour of Imagineering. We were hosted by Jonathan Friday, who is a Senior Creative Director who most recently led Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland . Friday led us through different sections of Imagineering giving us a general look at some of the creative process and how new technology pushes the envelope for the parks.

Our first stop on the tour was a walk through a very cool monorail hallway that flashes graphics from Disney destinations around the world through the windows of a monorail.

Then we walked down a “graffiti” hallway that's now dedicated to John Hench, one of Disney's most famed artists. There were funny caricatures and artwork here that poked fun at the concept of corporate theme park ownership and general corporate life at Imagineering. Definitely no photos allowed here!

Next was our stop at the model shop. We learned how models at Imagineering are a tool and not something meant to last forever. They are used to allow executives and cross-functional teams to understand what scenes and structures will look like before they are built. Models start very small and then increase in size to serve different purposes. For instance, some of the bigger models actually end up in the field to assist rockwork carvers as a guide to how the rockwork should look.

We were able to photograph some of the models on display, many of which were previously exhibited in the Imagineering pavilion at the D23 Expo in 2022. Models included looks at Mickey's Toontown, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, an unbuilt version of a Frozen land that eventually became Fantasy Springs , a model of the Pirates of the Caribbean changing skull to pirate figure that was added at Disneyland, a car from Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , and more.

You can spot the room that I reference below in the background of this shot of Disney Legend Bob Gurr from this video .

From here we went into an amazing room that houses maquettes and miniature sculptures used for the design of Audio-Animatronics and other characters at the parks. This room was lined with glass cabinets that were stuffed with all sort of designs including the heads of presidents for the Hall of Presidents, figures modeling how the costumed characters at the parks work, and creatures that have made appearances throughout the parks. It also had the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs figures which were gifted to Walt Disney. Replicas of these are positioned at the wishing well in Disneyland.

We learned about the sculpting process from the Imagineer who sculpted the Walt Disney statue that was added to Hong Kong Disneyland. He shared with me that when you are sculpting something you are considering the final form of the sculpture. For instance when he was sculpting what would become a metal statue of Walt Disney he tried to bring in as much fluidity and motion to the statue as he could.

Then we journeyed on to the part of the tour that was the most newsworthy and earned a separate blog article where we looked at Disney's Impressive Audio-Animatronics For It's Newest Ride . We got to see many of the new figures coming to Tiana's Bayou Adventure which was just incredible.

Before seeing those figures we also wandered through the main Audio-Animatronics workshop where Imagineers work on figures headed to parks around the world. Here we spotted some fun classic figures decorating the halls like the baby elephant from the end of Jungle Cruise and a bird from the Tiki Room Under New Management. On one desk we also spotted a model of The Candle Man from the Museum of the Weird concept. Perhaps this is destined for the new Haunted Mansion Bar on the Disney Cruise Line ?

I would urge you to take a look at the Audio-Animatronics coming to Tiana's Bayou Adventure . Be sure to check out that separate article that shows off those figures and some thoughts from Imagineers that worked on them.

From here we headed to the Research and Development building. This was super cool. Earlier this year we shared the story of Lanny Smoot, the second Disney employee ever besides Walt Disney himself, to be welcomed into the National Inventor's Hall of Fame .

Lanny joined the tour to introduce us to his HoloTile technology. This is a modular treadmill floor that keeps one or multiple people walking on the floor regardless of the direction they are walking. Using LIDAR technology the floor reacts to movements to create a kind of stay-in-place treadmill.

The invention could eventually be used for VR and gaming or some applications in the theme parks. Smoot emphasized that it could be coming to a stage sometime soon to be used by actors, performers, or even props. Seeing the floor in person was impressive though it is very loud.

They continued to impress when multiple Imagineers went on the HoloTile floor and walked on it without intercepting. It was amazing to see all the monitors tracking the complex motions that then allowed for the treadmill-style experience.

Before we moved on from that room we also got to see how one of the coolest props Disney has built in recent years. They pulled out their “working” lightsaber which comes fully out of the hilt the way a saber does in the movies. While I wasn't one of the three people who got to try the saber, they shared that it felt emotional to have that childhood Luke Skywalker dream realized. The prop appeared pretty fragile which is why we probably haven't seen anything like this put on sale anywhere.

We first saw these lightsabers used in front of guests at the now closed Star Wars Starcruiser Hotel .

Next, we got to spend time with the BD-X droids that are headed to Disneyland for a limited time . These droids are super cute and really impressive. Read here more about the droids coming to the parks soon .

Finally, we viewed the Duke Weaselton figure that was shown off during the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Disney Zootopia area . This figure is super impressive as it isn't attached to any base and moves freely. The figure first appears to be “pushing” a rolling base that is fitted to look like a roaming vendor stand and then it holds on to a rope to get pulled up from the ground level to stand on the top of the moving stand. The figure detaches and reattaches. The Imagineers shared that the stand and the figure actually two separate moving devices and the combination of the two creates the illusion that the figure is pushing the stand. The figuring jumping up uses strong magnets that “catch” the figure when it gets pulled up.

Here's a video featuring some of the Imagineers and the figure so that you can get a better sense of how it works.

This same team also designed the stuntronic figure that allows Spider-Man to fly in Avengers Campus and a dynamic Judy Hopps figure that moved around on roller skates and could be picked up and put on someone's shoulders.

Of course we ended the day with some more fun photos and I spotted an easter egg that I just had to share.

They have an old Heimlich train car, a spinner from Bug's Land, and an old skyway bucket.

How cool are those! I am still not completely over the fact that Heimlich didn't stick around in some form when Bug's Land was switched over to Avengers Campus.

My visit to Walt Disney Imagineering brought me the same sense of joy that I found as a kid opening up my Imagineerig coffee table books and thinking that maybe someday I could become one of these magic makers. Today I'll settle for this look behind the curtains.

Seeing the campus bustling with life and creative energy gives me the same great optimism about the future of Walt Disney Imagineering that radiated off of Bob Iger. After a frustrating attempt to force a relocation of Imagineers to Florida that led to a mass exodus, it feels like Imagineering is finding its footing again.

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About Gavin Doyle

Gavin Doyle is a best-selling author and founder of Mickey Visit. He is an expert on helping families save money and experience more at Disney, Universal, and beyond. He has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, ABC7, Travel+Leisure, the OC Register, Orange County Register, LA Times, Yahoo! News, and more.

Education: University of Southern California Favorite Ride: Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! at Disney California Adventure

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Peek into the Mouse Hole at Disney Imagineering

Arthur Levine.

It was a surreal moment in a day filled with surreal moments. Rounding a corner in the room containing Walt Disney Imagineering's art history archives, there it was: the famous 1950s concept drawing of Disneyland that designer Herb Ryman completed in one weekend with Walt Disney standing over his shoulder.

This wasn't a reproduction; it was the actual legendary piece. Casually propped up on a pallet (it was either arriving from or en route to an exhibit), Ryman's drawing sat among some of the other 80,000 pieces of artwork that Disney Imagineers, as the band of creative gurus charged with designing the company's theme parks have come to be known, subsequently created through the years. “It was all started by a mouse,” Walt Disney once famously said. With deference to Mickey, Disneyland and the very idea of a “theme park” really all began with that drawing.

So how was it that I came to be ogling Ryman's historical drawing and roaming the hallowed halls of Imagineering in Glendale, California? Among the industry professionals who read my articles was Jon Georges, director of Blue Sky Development at Walt Disney Imagineering. In 2007, he invited me to speak to a group of Imagineers as part of the organization's Insight Out speaker series.

(When my wife learned that I was going to be making a presentation to the Imagineers, she said, incredulously, "So let me get this straight. You are going to talk to them about the theme park industry?" Admittedly, the notion seemed a bit nuts, but the Imagineers were a wonderful audience, and we had a lively exchange about parks and themed entertainment.) After my presentation, I was treated to an extensive tour of the sprawling campus.

While I did get to peer behind the scenes, I wasn't granted unfettered access. There were plenty of hush-hush projects and Imagineers secreted away in their workshop lairs. This article isn't meant to be a comprehensive overview of Imagineering; rather, it's a casual review of some of my observations that day—a geek's ramblings, if you will.

Imagineers Get Goofy

It was surprising to discover that the folks who design iconic castles and grandiose geodesic domes conduct their work in distinctly bland and nondescript buildings. There wasn't even a sign, modest or otherwise, to indicate Imagineering's headquarters. Driving down Flower Street in Glendale, it would have been impossible to locate the campus without knowing its street address. Inside, however, there were characteristic traces of Imagineering whimsy everywhere.

In the courtyard outside the commissary, for example, gondolas from Disneyland's defunct Skyway served as makeshift picnic tables. The Environmental Design and Engineering building, which houses architects, engineers, and interior designers, was once a bowling center that was open to the public. Remnants of its kitsch past remained, including a conference room with a maple table fashioned out of the lanes' floorboards and a podium that looked like a score table.

One hallway in the main building is known as the John Hench Graffiti Gallery. An influential and beloved artist and designer, Hench worked at the Disney company for over 60 years and was senior vice president for Imagineering. The hallway was lined with lively portraits, sketches, montages, and other displays contributed by Imagineers in homage to Hench, who died in 2004. (For more on John Hench and Imagineering, consider reading his wonderful book, " Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show ." )

Perhaps the oddest (and geekiest?) experience I had at Imagineering came about midway through my tour. My guide escorted me into the sculpture studio and left me by myself for a few moments to wander the musty room and gaze at plaster busts of highly expressive pirates from Pirates of the Caribbean, Hollywood celebrities from The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and lots of other Disney statuary. In one corner of the room, the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs figures that once delighted guests at Disneyland laid in state. It was both eerie to be alone with all of the silent figures and a tad overwhelming to see so much theme park history.

Cataloguing Yesterland

History is important at Imagineering. The art history archives are part of a wing devoted to preserving the parks' past. There is also a slide library with over 2 million actual and digitized images of attractions as well as the research that went into developing them. For example, Diane Scoglio, who oversees the slide library, said that there were many photos of Africa chronicling the trips that Joe Rohde and other Imagineers took as they were designing Disney's Animal Kingdom.

A separate show documentation library included a dossier of information for each Disney attraction with things like color samples, design references, and unusual items such as Tiki Bird feathers and fur patterns from the Yeti who resides inside the  Expedition Everest  coaster. There were even undergarments worn by the animatronic characters (who knew?) stored here.

Georges pointed out some color swatches of bright paints and said that they were for one of the dark rides that incorporated black light effects. "We include samples of what the paint looks like in natural light and how it appears under black lights," he noted. "Black light painting is becoming a lost art."

Georges said that the libraries, particularly the show documentation library, help Imagineering and the Disney parks maintain the attractions. It's known as "show quality standards," or SQS in Disney-speak. I guess when it's time to trade out Richard Nixon's undergarments in the Hall of Presidents, it helps to have a record of what size and brand he wears.

From Blue Sky to Gray Patio

Of course, the libraries aren't used to exclusively focus on the past. Imagineers frequent them to explore new concepts and do research for attractions under development as well. Georges used another hallway display to take me through Imagineering's development process. The walls were filled with photos, illustrations, and text depicting the stages, including: blue sky (the department that Georges oversees), which provides the seeds that evolve into attractions; concept development and feasibility, where ideas take shape in the form of two- and three-dimensional renderings as well as computer-generated models; design and production, during which capital is approved, play-testing is conducted, and systems are developed; construction and installation, where all of the Imagineering disciplines work collaboratively to build the actual attraction; test and adjust, to tweak the attraction; grand opening; and patio party, when the team members celebrate the completion of the project (and doubtless hang out in the old Skyway vehicles).

I didn't get a lot of information about parks or attractions that may be in the Disney pipeline, but I did get the feeling that great things are brewing. There is a palpable sense of optimism and creativity emanating from the nondescript Glendale buildings. "Disneyland will never be completed...as long as there is imagination left in the world," is another famous Walt-ism. Thankfully, there appears to be plenty of imagination to go around among today's Imagineers.

Returning to the Hallowed Halls

Since my original visit, I've had the opportunity to return to Walt Disney Imagineering a few times. (It's one of the wonderful perks of being a theme park journalist.) One time, I got to experience play-testing by participating in a mockup of the Toy Story Mania attraction while it was still under development. For the record, I trounced the other participants in the 3-D game.

In 2019, I visited Imagineering as part of a preview of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge , the over-the-top lands at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios. During the visit, I attended a series of panels presented by Imagineers, Walt Disney Parks executives, and folks from Lucasfilm. I also was part of a tour that included a sneak peek of animatronic characters in the design shop that were headed to Galaxy's Edge and a look at the how Imagineers programmed the trackless vehicle used in the attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

By the way, you can now visit Walt Disney Imagineering.  Adventures by Disney , a guided tour company, includes a stop on its Disneyland Resort and Southern California Escape itinerary.

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“I wish I could be here every day,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger to kick off an Imagineering presentation I attended. He was joined at the front of the small conference room by Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro, who shared that he actually had been spending a lot more time in WDI’s Glendale offices lately and that it’s one of his favorite places in the world.

Both spoke of the ‘turbocharged’ plans for growth at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and $60 billion investment earmarked for Parks & Resorts. They discussed the genesis of this next Disney Decade, with what to expect in the near-term and longer-term as new additions enter various phases of development and construction at every destination around the globe.

Following up both was the head of Walt Disney Imagineering, Bruce Vaughn. He discussed his time away from Imagineering, how Iger and D’Amaro convinced him to return to the helm, and his optimism for the future. Vaughn had led Imagineering during a massive development phase previously–through the opening of Shanghai Disneyland–but was convinced the parks were on the precipice of something even bigger.

Then came presentations by portfolio executives from Florida who provided new details about the plans for Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom and Beyond Big Thunder at Magic Kingdom . This was the meatiest portion of the presentation, with new substantive details about the Dino-Rama replacement featuring Indiana Jones, Encanto, and Coco plus brand-new concept art for the area.

No specifics were shared about what’s made the cut for Beyond Big Thunder ( hopefully villains! ), but the big news there was the sharing of an upcoming water management permit that will be filed in the next week or two. This is the first step in developing that area, and is somewhat similar to what was filed for Tropical Americas last month. Although there are no official timelines for the construction (much less opening years or dates), these are the next two major projects in the pipeline for Walt Disney World.

Much of what Vaughn and D’Amaro said was an unscripted version of their presentation at Destination D23 last fall ( photo below is from then, not now ). They were candid about the nuts and bolts of how expansion investments have been crystalizing, but it was a familiar story. As before, there was a sense of guarded excitement as they discussed plans for the future, while being hesitant to share specifics beyond what’s (mostly) already public knowledge.

It was Bob Iger who had the most interesting things to say. That’s in large part because we haven’t heard from Iger in a specifically Parks & Resorts context since his return. Iger wasn’t at Destination D23 (no Disney CEO has ever appeared at that event) and the last D23 Expo was at the end of the Chapek reign.

Sure, Iger has done CNBC interviews and earnings calls where the topic comes up, but those are usually 95% putting out fires and assuaging fears about streaming/studios/linear/etc., with 5% at the end being (more or less) that Parks & Resorts continues to do great. Not to mix metaphors, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease and the golden goose gets ignored.

In any case, Iger spoke at Imagineering exclusively about Parks and Resorts. I don’t recall hearing the words “streaming” “linear” or “ESPN” once. Mercifully . The first half of his remarks focused on the creative side, with one foot in the past and one in the future. For me, it wasn’t so much what he said, but how he said it. Imbued with a sense of optimism and excitement, along with understanding of what Imagineering does and why it’s so important to the legacy of the company that bears Walt Disney’s name.

Some of the sentiment Iger expressed you’ve probably heard before. Way back in Chapek Did Not “Get” Disney , we distinguished between the two CEOs on the basis of their involvement in the creative process and respect for the people who make Disney, Disney . That should be abundantly clear from what’s come out since about the relationship breakdown between the two.

It’s also obvious with Imagineers like Vaughn and Rohde returning to Disney, while other ex-WDI employees ( hopefully not “ex” for much longer as WDI starts to staff back up! ) have expressed more optimism for the direction of the company. In interviews before streaming/linear/ESPN sucked up all the oxygen, Iger often highlighted Disney’s creative legacy and talked up Imagineering. So not exactly breaking news, but still nice to hear Iger reiterate his respect for WDI.

What I found more interesting was that, after D’Amaro spoke, Iger wanted to say a bit more. Here’s where he put a finer point on things, explaining things in terms that would normally be reserved for earnings calls. That they have reviewed performance of various divisions of the company, and it just made sense for the sake of shareholders , to invest more in Parks & Resorts. That they had the space, stories to tell, and there was guest appetite for expansion. The only thing they didn’t have, until this year, was the free cash flow.

Implicit in this seemed to be an acknowledgement that fans have taken an “I’ll believe it when I see it” viewpoint. Iger was indirectly ‘responding’ to that by pointing out the company has every reason to move full steam ahead on Parks & Resorts because that’s its best business. That the stars have aligned, so to speak, and the fans are about to get what they’ve been wanting.

This was especially significant, as was Iger’s presence at Imagineering in the first place, given that it was on the eve of the annual shareholders meeting. It’s safe to assume that Disney’s CEO is normally pretty busy, but especially so ahead of that–and in a year with a bitterly contested proxy battle. Against that backdrop, Iger’s being at Walt Disney Imagineering felt even more symbolically significant; it reflected where the CEO’s priorities are at that important moment in time.

A couple of days later, and Iger has won his battle for the boardroom. He has made clear that Disney’s strategic transformation is over, and it’s time to build and grow. Streaming isn’t hemorrhaging money; there’s a plan for ESPN and Hulu; cash flow has improved. The proxy fight is over. The feud with Florida is finished. DisneylandForward is going to be rubber stamped later this month. There are no more obstacles or excuses.

We’ve been fairly forgiving of Disney’s non-announcement announcements for its theme parks over the course of the past two years. This started at the last D23 Expo, while Chapek was still at the helm. It continued with more Blue Sky sessions at last year’s Destination D23. We’ve been cautiously optimistic in spite of this because we knew there was a real desire–internally and externally–to bet big on theme parks. It was just a matter of timing with the fires that needed to be put out elsewhere in the company. In the coming weeks and months, it’s time for Disney to share really-for-real announcements and specifics. Finally. 

There are no longer any reasons, at least good ones, for Disney declining to go all-in on Parks & Resorts with substantive news rather than vague teases of things that could, maybe, happen in the future ( perhaps ). Thankfully, plans are starting to coalesce and it truly does appear that Parks & Resorts is entering a new ‘Disney Decade’ of ambitious investment and growth. It’ll be fun to watch this unfold, and we hope our optimism in the future of Parks & Resorts is well-founded. It should be patently obvious one way or the other by Saturday, August 10, 2024 at around 10 p.m. Pacific… give or take .

The rest of this particular day was a showcase or open house, of sorts, with tours of various buildings and departments at Imagineering and what they’re working on. If I had to ascribe a “theme” to the day, it would be part “here’s a look at technology coming to the Walt Disney World and Disneyland that had previously only been in the international parks” and part “here’s a look at innovations that are actually going to make their way to the parks for more than just playtests.”

There was a final part that was just simply, “here’s a look at really cool stuff we’re working on that has possible future uses, but no designated destination.” The last part was undeniably awesome to see up close and in person–the kind of stuff fans only normally see in videos–but it’s the first two categories that have me most excited, since it’s stuff we’ll all be able to see in-person starting this month. I have separate posts covering the main highlights:

• First Look at Imagineering’s Innovative Audio Animatronics in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
• BDX Droids Coming to Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
• First Look at Imagineering’s Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom Progress
• ‘Beyond Big Thunder’ Magic Kingdom Expansion Project Starts Soon

Finally, here are a couple of the cool innovations from the Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development Lab…

The first innovation I saw is the HoloTile floor, which you might recall from the profile of prolific Inventor Imagineer, Lanny Smoot . HoloTile is the world’s first and only multi-person, omni-directional, modular, expandable, treadmill floor, where any number of people can have a shared virtual reality experience, walk an unlimited distance in any direction, but never collide or walk off its surface.

According to Smoot, the HoloTile floor has potential applications in VR and gaming, theme parks, and music or theater stages. It allows performers to move and dance in new ways, or stage props and structures could move around or appear to set themselves up.

This was cool in the video Disney previously released , but seeing it up close and in-action was awesome. Watching the modular floor adjust in real-time while also seeing the displays was mindblowing. I’m not sure what I expected given that I could not (and still cannot) even conceive of how this works, but the monitors in tandem with the floor in tandem with Lanny Smoot’s actions were like a technological symphony, for lack of a better term. The end result seems simple, but achieving that simple result is unbelievably complex.

Another highlight was also in the research and development lab, where Imagineers demonstrated the latest iteration of their robotic technology. There have been various evolutions of this over the last couple of years, with WDI R&D entering its Zootopia era (my words, not theirs) last year at the South By Southwest conference. Disney Imagineers unveiled an untethered, dynamic Judy Hopps bunny robot on skates that could climb out of a box, tumble, steady itself, and perform a somersault.

For this presentation, Imagineers showcased the follow-up to that, a Duke Weaselton character created for the opening of Shanghai Disneyland ( video ). They indicated that the parks team there had no use for a rabbit that could climb out of a box, but an interrupting weasel was just the ticket.

Unsurprisingly, this was also very technically impressive. The robots’ (plural as both Duke and the kiosk are robots) have the ability to perform dynamic maneuvers and make adjustments, and to see them work in tandem to create a seamless ‘show’ was incredible. It doesn’t seem like this technology is that far off from being used in a stage show in the parks or even a dark ride–in addition to trackless ride vehicles, we could have dynamic show scenes.

As cool as Duke Weaselton was, I actually liked the Star Wars BDX Droids more. They didn’t wow in the same way, objectively, but the movements and mannerisms were more relatable. Those adorable ‘duckling’ droids just do a bit better of a job at generating emotional connections than the sarcastic weasel. But obviously, the goals with each robotic character are different–and both are varying degrees of mind-blowingly awesome.

Ultimately, it was really cool to tour Walt Disney Imagineering and see a showcase of old and new technologies in those hallowed halls. You can see the reverence for the creative legacy on full display as Imagineers preserve and proudly display pieces from the past. Walking around felt like a veritable Easter Egg hunt, as every corner is packed with nods to past, present, and work-in-progress projects.

As I’ve said before, these presentations–whether they’ve been via video or now in-person–are the kind of thing that makes me proud to be a Disney fan. The creativity of Imagineering is endlessly inspiring, and this type of innovation is proof positive that they’re good stewards of Walt Disney’s legacy. Seeing the Imagineers flex their creative muscles is awesome.

That WDI is on the bleeding edge of these developments is, in and of itself, pretty cool. While I loved the stuff mentioned here that’s simply innovation for innovation’s sake (an important part of the R&D process), what I really appreciated was that this visit was a mix of that and technology that will soon be at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. As I keep saying, I’m optimistic about the next generation of additions–stuff like this is a big reason why!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our  Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews  page. For where to eat, read our  Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews . To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our  Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets  post. Our  What to Pack for Disney Trips  post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our  Walt Disney World Ride Guides  will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our  Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide  for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think of this look inside Imagineering? Pleased that Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro are seemingly focused on what Imagineers are working on? Any of the innovations mentioned here really wow you? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

Written by Tom Bricker

You deserved to go to that event. You have a nice way about you and present a fair assessment of what you see, do, and experience at Walt Disney parks, resorts, restaurants, and their other offerings. I get the feeling that while you have met and got to know many insiders, you still call it the way you see it and I respect that. Thanks for the news, updates, and your witty humor.

Congratulations, Tom! You deserve this and we are happy for you!

Tom, I am so glad you got the invite! You deserved to be there. There are times that I believe you connect more with Disney stakeholders than Disney does. I’m not sure what is behind the disconnect. I hold a trifecta status with Disney (AP, DVC, and D23). I don’t live in Florida, but I’m at WDW 4 to 5 times a year, Disneyland once a year with family and work associates. I’m tired I’ve delayed and strung out projects, big plans and little results, slow to bring back pre-Covid attractions, uninspiring movies and TV releases, crown management tech (Genie+) that doesn’t do anything for guests, on and on. It’s really disappointing. Universal in Florida is nailing it by keeping things simple — large projects delivered on time that are amazing, a tiered ticketing system that is simple and easy to navigate. I’m a Disney fan and I’m glad that the vote went in the favor of Bob Iger and the current board, but I sincerely hope they take this as a wake-up call to focus on the things that matter for Disney fans.

“I’m not sure what is behind the disconnect.”

A combination of the following: too many cooks in the kitchen, one hand not knowing what the other is doing, internal “competition”, the forcing of bad decisions to compensate for losses elsewhere, or the people who care being ignored. Probably more to it than that, but those are the big ones that immediately come to mind.

There are a ton of people who “get” Disney who work for the company, both at the corporate level and on the ground in Florida. They’re just often ignored, forced to make decisions they know are bad, and everything else above. I know this because I know a lot of them–and they’re fighting the good fight…just not always winning it.

I echo other readers’ sentiments – great article, but my primary feeling is one of being psyched that you got to do this because it really seems like a dream opportunity for you! One of the strengths of this site is that it’s a quirky mix of consistent, relevant coverage of new developments and strategy, combined with commentary that comes from real people, who are passionate about the subject. I appreciate your “teach a man to fish…” approach to helping people learn about strategies for successfully navigating the ever-more-complicated Disney park vacation. But what also make the site special is the fact that you’ve let us readers into your lives (or at least the parts that aren’t too personal, and relate to Disney!) and it’s as if we all (readers, commenters, you and Sarah) are on a journey together, trying to find the best in something we all connected to, now or in the past! I know I’m not articulating this as I’d like to, but since I’m on mobile I’m not going to take the time to edit – TL;DR keep doing what you guys do and I’m glad this aspect of your working life brought you this opportunity! #Figment1.0forever!

Thanks for the kind words! You’re articulating it just as well as one of my commentaries trying to assess and analyze decisions or changes.

Interpret that how you will. 😉 (Joking aside, I get what you’re saying–it’s completely clear.)

Wohoo! Thrilled that you got the invite. This proves Disney really is a smart company!

So cool. Glad you are recognized and got the invite. Your coverage of all things Disney is superb. Much deserved!

So very cool. I’m sure you’ve watched “Behind the Attraction” on Disney+. I love seeing moments (perhaps apocryphal moments that make for better storytelling) that show how one part of Imagineering had a ride/system/story problem and they found the solution within a different wing of Imagineering itself. I love that there are people whose jobs are to come up with cool techie stuff, and they have absolutely no idea how it will be implemented. There’s something so Disney, so hopeful about that!

Great article! The Disney web needs more journalistic pieces like this that focus on being truly informative, and (largely) neutral while offering a taste of “behind-the-scenes” to entice a reader to beg for just one more bite!

Thanks for the kind words. I’m not sure whether this (or anything I do, for that matter) actually qualifies as journalism, though. I try as hard as possible to be fair, but at the end of the day, I am a Disney fan. I am biased. I want them to succeed and am cheering them on–even when I’m being critical. I have absolutely zero desire to see Disney fail.

Fascinating! Thank you for sharing! Was this an event for media? Your ability to convey event experiences while critically analyzing them is what makes your blog so good. How exciting for you to do this.

Yeah, it was a group of about 20 media members–about half of whom were mainstream reporters and the other half were Disney-centric outlets.

Tom, this quote is awesome: “Yeah, it was a group of about 20 media members–about half of whom were mainstream reporters and the other half were Disney-centric outlets.” I am now amusing myself with wondering exactly who makes up the elite cabal of “Disney-centric outlets.” I feel like we’ll start seeing people wearing those “insider knowledge” t-shirts that say “Tom & Sarah…AJ…Lou…Deb…& Len…” lol! You’ve definitely made your mark in this space, and deserved to be there!!

Tom, of those Disney-centric outlets, you are by far the best one! No disrespect to the others (whoever they were), but there is no other Disney site that equals yours. Intelligent, insightful, thoughtful commentary, combined with flat out enthusiasm and fandom for Disney. In the words of Carly (Simon) “Nobody does it better…” So pleased for you that you were included in this event; definitely shows Disney recognizes quality when they see it! Well deserved!

It feels like Disney is starting little drips of information to get us hyped about the D23 announcements, do you agree?? Also I am really looking forward to your parks panel predictions post and of course the panel itself.

I think it’s equal parts wanting to promote the new YouTube WDI series, knowing they have something special with the TBA AAs, and wanting to tie up loose ends from the last D23 events so fans have less of a “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitude towards future announcements or anytime Iger or D’Amaro says the word “turbocharged.”

I would anticipate more along these lines between now and August. Not actual new-new announcements (those will largely be reserved for D23), but things that make it crystal-clear they’re actually doing things now.

What an amazing experience! Not gonna lie, I’m jealous — but I’m so glad you were able to go and therefore share it with us.

So glad you were chosen to be part of this! I can’t think of another Disney fan that is more deserving and can share the information with nuance, honesty, and your own views! Thank you, Tom, and thank you, Disney, for inviting him!

THIS! Tom is the most underrated Disney blogger out there so I’m happy to see him get the recognition from the company for his thoughtful and nuanced take on things.

Also, I had a chance to visit WDI as a young parks cast member 20 years ago – and it’s still a life highlight for me!

Thanks for the kind words–hope the write-up was a worthwhile read!

I’d be super jealous, but I cannot imagine another person better to suited to giving a clear-eyed report on such an experience! That holotile floor absolutely amazes me, and I love it even more for being Lanny Smoot’s brain child. (This is a safe environment for admitting that I have personal favorite Disney Imagineers, right? Still waiting for the trading cards to debut…)

how exciting!

Honestly, you’re far more knowledgeable than, even, the most dedicated Disney fan, as I think of myself. I’m excited that you’re excited! Thank you for the update.

We love Imagineering updates! If you’d been to a Prince concert in his later years (so sad) you’d like rising & motion platforms

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