Before the opening of Disneyland Park, Walt Disney himself took audiences behind the scenes of its development, showing off what was to come and exactly how it was designed and built.
Now, decades later, as we embark on ambitious efforts to turbocharge Disney Experiences, we’re drawing inspiration from Walt Disney’s playbook. It’s time to pull back the curtain as Disney Imagineers work to ideate, design and create new lands, attractions and entertainment that will amaze new generations to come.
Drawing inspiration from the televised specials Walt used to launch the idea for Disneyland, today Walt Disney Imagineering is launching a new YouTube series, “We Call It Imagineering.” This series showcases the work Imagineers are doing to shape our next great big, beautiful tomorrow. These are the folks who make the impossible possible, and the sky’s the limit as Imagineers take you through how they are designing, innovating and creating these new experiences. It’s right there in the name — Imagineering is a combination of imagination and engineering, and we can’t wait to show you what they’ve been working on lately in the design and creative phase where projects go beyond blue sky.
“It’s an exciting time right now at Walt Disney Imagineering, and it’s an exciting time for The Walt Disney Company. I’m incredibly proud of the ambition of our Imagineers and the future is bright,” said Josh while visiting the Imagineering offices in Glendale this week.
Josh was joined by Bob Iger, who spoke about the way Imagineers bring magic to Disney experiences around the world. “It’s this unbelievable balanced relationship between art and technology. And when I think about Imagineering, that’s exactly what happens here.”
“There’s really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
– Walt Disney
There’s no better illustration of art intersecting with technology than the Audio-Animatronic figures that set Disney attractions apart. The inaugural episode of the all-new YouTube series spotlights the constant innovation in Audio-Animatronics figures, advancing one of Imagineering’s most prolific technologies.
“As Imagineers, we know our end product isn’t gears or circuits or revolutionary robotic figures that engage with guests in brand new ways, it’s actually emotion in its truest form…that’s why we do what we do, and we’re excited to be sharing this with you,” explained Bruce Vaughn, Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney Imagineering.
Now is your chance to dive into this over-70-year-old process like the journey Walt took his guests! This group of storytellers and magic-makers at Walt Disney Imagineering, made up of over 100 disciplines, can’t wait to bring you along as they design and create these new experiences for the next decade and beyond.
“We’re always exploring and experimenting. We call it Imagineering – the blending of creative imagination with technical know-how.”
– Walt Disney
And as you might already suspect, you won’t want to miss what we have to share in August during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event like this story about Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Want to hear more about what’s being dreamed up, designed, and created? Follow the Imagineers every step of the way on YouTube, Instagram and stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes stories on the Disney Parks Blog. You never know where the next exciting bright idea might pop up!