A new episode of We Call It Imagineering has been released. This comes after President and Chief Creative Officer Bruce Vaughn was seen on stage at SXSW as part of a panel on the future of world-building at Disney. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman hosted the panel. In this episode of We Call It Imagineering, guests see how rides go from the page to a physical attraction with the help of Bob Gurr.
During the episode, Walt Disney Imagineering shares a look at Stark Flight Lab ahead of its arrival at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure, the Cars-themed off-road racing attraction that will be coming to Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, and the Monster’s Inc. themed suspended coaster that will be found in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The episode also takes guests on a look at the history of how innovators within Imagineering helped create the ride vehicles and mechanisms that bring so many beloved stories to life. This includes Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, which is receiving an update when The Mandalorian and Grogu arrive in theaters.
Throughout the episode, 70 years of innovation are shared. Sometimes, this is done in ways that haven’t been seen before. It really is impressive what has been done. Equally impressive is how the process and technology for development have advanced through the years.
“There were no smart phones. Nothing was digital. We had no calculators. Everything was done completely by hand,” reflected Disney Legend Bob Gurr. Many of the ride systems were “prototypical” and had to meet rigorous safety, reliability, and duty cycles that not many other industries have to deal with.
This inventive spirit continues today. The Ride Studio continues to push the boundaries of innovation, designing, and testing of revolutionary ride systems. Traditionally, engineers are given technical requirements to design products. At Imagineering, story scripts are given along with concept art to start the design process for the ride with the final product needing to meet the creative intent of the attraction.
Below is the newest episode of We Call It Imagineering. It is about 20 minutes long and full of interesting information and behind-the-scenes looks at some favorite attractions and the development of others.
We Call It Imagineering | Let’s Ride Official Description
This episode takes you behind the scenes to see how rides come to life, including an inside look at Stark Flight Lab coming to Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, new details about one of the Cars-themed attractions coming to Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, and a sneak peek at the “Monsters, Inc.” rollercoaster heading to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Plus, hear what it was like to build attractions for the opening of Disneyland Park, which will be celebrating its 70th Anniversary this year as Disney Legend and former Imagineer Bob Gurr shares his insights and favorite memories.
Want to learn more about some of these rides and the announcements made at SXSW? Check out this overview of the announcements that Disney made, including more information about the new attractions that were referenced.
What do you think of this episode of We Call It Imagineering? What do you think of this series? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
