TPG goes behind the scenes as Disney unveils $60 billion towards way forward for theme parks

Walt Disney wasn’t shy about even his most bold plans. In October 1954, whereas Disneyland was nonetheless below development, the “Disneyland” tv collection debuted on ABC. Every episode gave viewers up-to-date progress studies on Walt’s groundbreaking theme park in Southern California. When Disneyland opened 9 months later, on July 17, 1955, Walt’s promotional tactic proved profitable. Throngs of excited guests descended upon the park on opening day (about twice as many because the park was ready for). The remaining, as they are saying, is historical past.

As we speak, The Walt Disney Firm is a multi-billion greenback leisure juggernaut – however the Disney of at present does not typically pull again the curtain in the best way Walt did all these years in the past. The corporate has historically held again particulars on new initiatives till they had been completely polished and totally fleshed out … till now.

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Disney lately invited a small group of reporters, together with myself, to Walt Disney Imagineering headquarters in Glendale, California, sharing new know-how, new initiatives and what they actually plan to do with that $60 billion that they’ve earmarked to “speed up and increase funding” in its theme parks, cruise line and different trip experiences over the following 10 years.

My peek backstage revealed that Disney’s future is shiny, and they’re poised to proceed Walt’s legacy of curiosity, innovation and making desires grow to be actuality.

This is what I found.

Rooted previously, trying towards the longer term

Storytelling has been on the forefront of every thing Disney does for the reason that starting. Whereas that storytelling as soon as occurred totally on the display, it now encompasses theme parks, cruise ships, resorts and screens huge and small.

Disney CEO Bob Iger and Chairman of Disney Experiences Josh D’Amaro addressed our group throughout our go to. Josh shared that every thing Disney does is designed to evoke feelings like happiness, togetherness and assurance, whether or not the enjoyment that comes from spinning spherical and spherical on the Mad Tea Social gathering tea cups or the sense of camaraderie we really feel towards household and associates after defeating the First Order on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Equally, in his remarks the next day, on April 3, in the course of the firm’s annual shareholders assembly, Disney CEO Bon Iger stated that Walt “understood the ability storytelling has to attach us all to at least one one other.”

Even with the advances in know-how and innovation, Disney has not overpassed this tenant. Rising applied sciences reveal what Disney is able to, however, extra importantly, they show Disney’s dedication to bringing fan-favorite tales to life in new and thrilling methods.

‘Past Huge Thunder’

Throughout Disney’s 2022 D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, D’Amaro, together with Chris Beatty, senior inventive govt at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Jennifer Lee, chief inventive officer of Disney Animation, shared a number of “blue sky” concepts for the Disney parks.

The trio confirmed idea artwork that exposed Disney was exploring what might lie “past Huge Thunder Mountain” at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park, discussing lands based mostly on “Coco,” “Encanto” and Disney villains.

Revealing these blue sky ideas was a brand new method for Disney; one which left followers each excited and confused. Blue sky concepts are those who come early within the inventive course of, however D’Amaro was clear that these concepts weren’t simply daydreams.

Throughout our time with D’Amaro at Walt Disney Imagineering, he reiterated that no matter does lie past Huge Thunder Mountain “is actual and it’s occurring,” although followers should wait till this 12 months’s D23 Expo to find out how intently it can resemble the idea artwork and concepts that Disney has already shared. Analysis journeys and conceptual designs are occurring now as Disney desires up methods to fill this area that’s in regards to the dimension of Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Throughout the identical D23 presentation in 2022, D’Amaro and the staff introduced further blue sky ideas for Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park, presenting idea artwork for ideas based mostly on “Moana” and “Zootopia” for the park’s DinoLand USA space.

Disney proved simply how a lot these ideas can change as a challenge progresses throughout 2023’s Vacation spot D23 occasion held at Walt Disney World. The iteration of Dinoland’s “reimagination” that Disney displayed in the course of the fan occasion had morphed into an all-new land impressed by the “tropical Americas,” (the northern a part of South America, stretching up into Central America, in line with Disney).

Extra particularly, Disney talked about that experiences based mostly on “Encanto” and “Indiana Jones” had been being thought-about. Throughout my go to to the Walt Disney Imagineering campus, D’Amaro reiterated that work is effectively underway for this challenge. He additional defined that Disney is conducting intensive analysis, together with analysis journeys to Mexico, to assemble the details and inspiration obligatory to really transport friends into the story.

D’Amaro additionally promised extra particulars on this challenge would come at this 12 months’s D23 Expo.

Tiana’s Bayou Journey

We additionally had the chance to see lots of the audio animatronic figures that may quickly take up residence on Tiana’s Bayou Journey attraction, opening this 12 months at Disney World and Disneyland.

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The quantity of testing and know-how that goes into making these audio animatronics really feel so actual is simply as a lot an artwork as a science. Ted Robledo, an govt inventive director with Walt Disney Imagineering, instructed our group that Tiana, Naveen, Mama Odie and all of the critters and creatures that friends will encounter on the attraction had been designed to “join with the rider.”

We noticed firsthand the technical facets essential to make friends part of the story, from the 18-hour-a-day testing to make sure the animatronic figures can stand up to the duty of entertaining 1000’s of friends every day to inserting a Tiana animatronic atop scaffolding so Imagineers can expertise the vantage level riders will see as they ascend the attraction’s five-story drop.

It’s at this intersection of artwork and know-how that Disney is in a position to attract friends into the setting, primarily making them a personality within the story. Regardless of how superior animatronics grow to be, storytelling continues to be Disney’s guiding mild.

Avatar at Disneyland

Disney’s enlargement plans aren’t solely targeted on Disney World. At Disneyland, Disney is investing within the success of 2022’s “Avatar: The Method of Water” – the fourth-highest-grossing movie in historical past, incomes greater than $2.3 billion worldwide – with plans for an Avatar-themed land.

This plan was first introduced throughout Disney’s Feb. 8, 2023, first-quarter earnings name, with Iger saying, “I am thrilled to announce that we’ll be bringing an thrilling Avatar expertise to Disneyland,” after commenting on the success of the movie franchise and Pandora – The World of Avatar land at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park.

A 12 months later, throughout remarks made following Disney’s annual shareholders assembly, Iger elaborated on the corporate’s plans to convey an Avatar expertise to Disneyland.

“We’re thrilled about many potential new tales that our friends might expertise at Walt’s authentic theme park, together with the chance to embark on all-new Avatar adventures with a go to to the world of Pandora,” Iger stated. “Our Imagineers have been onerous at work dreaming up what friends would possibly anticipate.”

Disney additionally launched “inspirational paintings” (pictured above) and a weblog publish, additional detailing what friends might quickly see on the park.

Analysis and Improvement at Walt Disney Imagineering

Throughout our tour, Disney pulled the curtain all the best way again, displaying off concepts nonetheless within the analysis and growth stage. Some initiatives begin with a narrative based mostly on Disney movies or characters, however it’s this early-stage R&D that drives how they’ll convey these tales to life.

R&D permits Disney to prototype new concepts, transferring them from the brainstorming stage to the constructing stage to allow them to decide the way it can work within the parks, each from an engineering and a visitor expertise standpoint.

The primary challenge we noticed demonstrated was the HoloTile flooring, an invention of Imagineer and inventor Lanny Smoot. Thus far, Smoot has amassed over 100 patents, 74 of which had been created throughout his time with Disney. He’s additionally the primary Disney Imagineer inducted into the Nationwide Inventors Corridor of Fame.

Smoot’s HoloTile flooring is the world’s first multi-person, omnidirectional, modular, expandable treadmill flooring. That is a whole lot of adjectives for a flooring, however the HoloTile flooring isn’t any abnormal flooring. Smoot and his staff not solely walked on the ground with out ever operating into one another or strolling off the floor, however additionally they confirmed us how the ground may very well be used to make “Disney magic.”

Smoot sat on a chair on the HoloTile flooring whereas one other Imagineer moved the chair with the ability of his thoughts. Seems, it was really sensors choosing up the movement of his palms, nevertheless it was no much less spectacular.

The ground has myriad purposes for theme park friends and Imagineers. Imagineers can use it to nearly “stroll” by the parks whereas growing new lands and points of interest. However, friends might see it utilized in stage reveals, rides, interactive experiences and extra.

We additionally met a trio of lovely BDX Droids who first appeared in Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland final 12 months for “playtesting.” The droids are managed by puppeteers utilizing distant controls, however they’re nothing like several distant management toy you will have at residence.

These droids had been educated utilizing computer-based reinforcement studying to create practical motions that make them sturdy sufficient to roam the parks whereas interacting with friends. In reality, Imagineers ran 4,000 simulations on a single laptop to coach the droids on varied actions.

The droids had been so well-received throughout final 12 months’s take a look at interval that they are going to return to Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in the course of the Season of the Power celebration from April 5 – June 2, 2024. The BDX Droids will make day by day appearances at varied areas all through the land.

Improvements like these enable Disney to attach with friends in totally new methods, bringing friends deeper into their favourite tales and nearer to beloved characters.

‘To infinity and past…’

Throughout our go to, each Iger and D’Amaro harassed what a shiny and thrilling time that is for Walt Disney Imagineering and the Disney firm as an entire. D’Amaro stated Disney has the “property and the properties” to convey tales new and outdated to life in up to date and thrilling methods.

In reality, Disney has greater than 1,000 acres of land – in regards to the dimension of seven Disneyland parks – for potential future growth to increase capability throughout its present international theme parks. And, of the $60 billion Disney has earmarked for its parks and experiences over the following 10 years, 70% – or round $42 billion – has been earmarked for “incremental capacity-expanding investments across the globe,” in line with Disney’s Chief Monetary Officer Hugh Johnston.

“With such a deep effectively of untapped IP and buildable land, there are such a lot of experiences which have but to be delivered to our parks all over the world, Iger stated in his latest comment to shareholders, “and we plan to turbocharge progress on this sector with a sturdy quantity of strategic funding,” he stated.

Whereas it is clear that a few of Disney’s plans for that funding and acreage are already effectively underway, Iger additionally harassed that they’ve but to allocate the entire cash as a result of there isn’t any telling what the following ten years will convey. If Disney has one other mega-hit like “Frozen,” Iger desires to “depart room within the finances” to convey the following huge story to life at its theme parks.

Whether or not your favourite tales are already being instructed in Disney’s theme parks or you’re holding tight for what’s to come back, relaxation assured Disney is difficult at work making the unattainable potential.

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