Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI), the most diverse creative design and development company in the world, is responsible for the creation — from concept through installation — of all Disney resorts, theme parks and attractions, real estate development and new entertainment venues.

The Imagineering team includes show designers, artists, writers, project managers, engineers, architects, filmmakers, audio and visual specialists, animators, manufacturing groups, computer programmers, land planners, ride system designers, finance experts and researchers. Together they are responsible for all phases of project development — from concept initiation to field at direction and show installation. WDI maintains facilities in Glendale, Calif., Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort and Disneyland Resort Paris.

Walt Disney Imagineering has been granted more than 115 company-owned patents in areas including ride systems, special effects, interactive technology, live entertainment, fiber optics and advanced audio systems. Technological landmarks first introduced in Disney’s theme parks include:

• A 360-degree motion picture technology using multiple synchronized cameras (Circarama, U.S.A., Disneyland, 1955); later refined and updated for multiple attractions around the world including Le Visionarium (Disneyland Paris, 1992).

• The first daily operating monorail system in the United States (Disneyland, 1959).

• The first roller coaster to use cylindrical rails and urethane wheels (Matterhorn Bobsleds, Disneyland, 1959).

• The creation of Audio-Animatronics figures, which allow humans, animals and creatures of fantasy to be animated in three dimensions with an astonishing degree of realism (Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Disneyland, 1963).

• The first computer-controlled thrill ride (Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, 1975).

• An advanced 3-D motion picture photography system (Magic Journeys, Epcot, Walt Disney World Resort, 1982); later enhanced for multiple attractions around the world including "Mickey’s PhilharMagic" (Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, 2003).

• A thrilling free-fall attraction with random programming for an unpredictable ride experience (The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World Resort, 1994).

• State-of-the-art vehicles that move through three-dimensional environments with a capacity for random motion-simulator effects (Indiana Jones Adventure, Disneyland, 1995).

• Trackless ride vehicles that follow a random path by relying upon unseen transmitters in the floor (Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, Tokyo Disneyland, 2000).

• A virtual hang-gliding experience that provides a panoramic view of sweeping landscapes augmented by scents released during key scenes (Soarin’ Over California, Disney California Adventure, 2001).

• A custom ride system that combines centrifuge technology with sophisticated virtual imagery for an exhilarating astronaut adventure to Mars (Mission: SPACE, Epcot, 2003).

• A blend of digital projection and voice-activated, real-time animation that permit live, unscripted conversations between theme park guests and an animated character (Turtle Talk With Crush, Epcot, 2004).

As Walt Disney once said, "It’s kind of fun to do the impossible."

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Creating a first-of-its kind attraction that would combine unique aerospace technology with classic Disney storytelling presented a world of technical challenges to Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative development and design arm of the Disney theme parks. Specifically, how would Imagineers use technology to create a realistic experience of rocketing to Mars? The answers are found in technical know-how and innovation, research and consultation with space professionals, and a dramatic storyline inviting guests to explore a new world.

NASA Astronaut Training Provided the Starting Point

The goal of Imagineering was to make this landmark attraction as realistic as possible — complete with the emotional, mental and physical challenges astronauts face in space. To accomplish this, the Mission: SPACE team spent years consulting with present and former NASA advisors, astronauts and scientists from California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). They personally experienced astronaut and pilot training simulators at facilities throughout the United States. The in-depth research enabled development of a training process that combines elements of what astronauts undergo:

• Understanding and learning to use the spacecraft


• Familiarization with specific roles and expectations


• A team training experience


• Shuttle simulator of launch, approach and landing


• Visual simulations of space


• Computer-generated sound simulations of the craft and Mission Control

First-of-Its-Kind Ride System Required for Launch

Development of the ride system called for an entirely new approach. This first-of-its-kind custom-designed ride system is based on NASA’s astronaut training techniques and sophisticated computer software and hardware systems.

Mission: SPACE is built on existing principles of centrifuge technology to generate the true-to-life sensation of launching vertically. The integration of pitch and roll movement adds incredible realism to the experience.

The g-forces guests experience are of less force and less duration than an actual shuttle launch and are actually lower than many roller coasters, but special effects and visuals add to the sensation to create an incredibly realistic experience of space travel.

The 10-arm ride system can accommodate 160 guests simultaneously, making the capacity of Mission: SPACE comparable to all major Epcot attractions.

Creating the Planet Mars

The visual telling of the story involves its own technical marvels. The challenge of creating a believable “view out the window” resulted in Imagineers’ development of a unique virtual imaging system. The systems were built to the highest optical quality standards used in industrial or military applications, including a state-of-the-art video flat screen using components not yet available in the marketplace. A combination of LCD glass and electronic video cards were specially designed to enable ultra-crisp full motion video. All guests — no matter how tall or short — will see a spectacular space-scape: the system is designed to ensure stellar viewing is available to guests of all heights.

The planets Earth and Mars that guests view out the capsule window are more than realistic artists’ representations — they’re computer-generated from data provided by satellites and spacecraft orbiting the planets, including Mars Odyssey and Global Surveyor. Thus the Mars that guests see includes real landforms created from scientific height data and photographic imagery.

Spacecraft of the Future

When guests first enter the attraction through the “Sim Lab,” they see an oversized graphic of the X-2 spacecraft with detail explaining the deep-space shuttle’s functionality. The X-2 is the creation of Imagineers, but it is based on scientific fact and theory as provided by associates at NASA and other advisors. Imagineers worked with scientists specializing in the future of space travel to develop a concept of a next-generation spacecraft. Such a rocket would be made from “Buckeytubes,” a lightweight material discovered in the 1990s that is 100 times stronger than steel. The X-2 craft would be powered by an aerospike engine using hydrogen and oxygen.

Accommodating Guests, Gear and Technology

The typical entry into a NASA or pilot flight trainer is by ladder and requires extensive instruction and/or training. The Mission: SPACE four-person flight capsules were designed for easy entry and exit, with doors, restraints, seating, stowage and guest controls developed for easy operation. Coupled with the pre-show experience, this allows many people to experience the ride with minimal instruction.

The technological complexity of the ride system required an enormous amount of equipment, computers and technology to be carried on board. Through the use of engineering and manufacturing techniques from a wide spectrum, Imagineers combined ultra lightweight carbon fiber materials with airplane wing construction techniques and integration of components into the capsule itself. For example, the thunderous sounds of the launch come from a stereo woofer built right into the back of the capsules.

Design specifications included the requirement that all of the electronics had to be able to withstand multiple “launches” every day, and multiple endurance tests were conducted before the units were released for production. Multiple computers on board the ride ensure synchronization of the video, audio and motion of the capsule to create a realistic and powerful experience.

Groundbreaking Experience

The experience of Mission: SPACE embodies the hallmark of Walt Disney Imagineering: a seamless blend of storytelling, engineering, imagination and technology. Mission: SPACE may reach for the stars, but the design, engineering and construction of the attraction were firmly grounded. More than 650 Imagineers logged 350,000 hours in bringing the attraction from concept to reality. They worked with 25 space experts, including five astronauts, from NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The groundbreaking experience and technology of Mission: SPACE is the newest step forward in Disney Parks and Resorts’ tradition of delighting guests in ways that have never been done before. Only at Mission: SPACE can guests enjoy the thrill of an “astronaut-like” adventure from pulse-racing liftoff to the incredibly realistic sensation of traveling through space.

For more information, contact Walt Disney Imagineering:
Ralph Kline – 407/560-2523
Marilyn Waters – 818/544-2142

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Located in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, “Mickey’s PhilharMagic,” features the world’s largest seamless projection screen, representing the most immersive wrap-around image Disney has ever created. The screen measures 150 feet long and 24 feet high. The show begins with a concert hall proscenium measuring 40 feet by 16 feet, gradually expanding and revealing itself to a length of 150 feet, resulting in an experience that embraces the audience in a 165-degree musical extravaganza. As the theater magically “disappears,” guests become immersed in the imagery and performance, experiencing favorite Disney characters in an entirely new way.

The production of “Mickey’s PhilharMagic,” created totally on computer, represents the first time featured classic Disney characters were completely modeled and animated via computer. Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation collaborated to achieve the production, bringing some of the original animators back to the desktop, including Glen Keane, animator of Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” and Nik Ranieri, animator of Lumiére for Disney’s animated classic “Beauty and the Beast.” The digitally animated show was then transferred to film.

In-theater special effects, first introduced by Disney with the 1986 Disneyland 3-D film “Caption EO,” are embedded in “Mickey’s PhilharMagic” in a subtle form. “We integrated the effects naturally to create a seamless, exceptionally entertaining theatrical experience,” said Creative Producer Kevin Rafferty, Walt Disney Imagineering. Guests will smell the apple pie during “Be Our Guest,” and note a hint of jasmine in the air during “Aladdin” — scent effects that only Disney found ways to perfect. Guests feel the wind created during Donald’s antics and other technical effects throughout the show, in ways that are subtly integrated. A customized system delivers the same experience to each guest.

What would a musical be without fantastic audio capabilities? “Mickey’s PhilharMagic” features a state-of-the-art theater audio system, with nine full behind-the-screen audio clusters. The use of “traveling sound” supports the believability of the show, as in the scene where the sound of Goofy’s footsteps moves through the theater as he runs from back to front.

The interactive lighting system developed by Disney for the Tokyo DisneySea resort makes its U.S. debut in “Mickey’s PhilharMagic.” The system runs on its own system, with a series of cyber lights, while synchronized with the film through computerization. Smoke effects enable guests to see the lights, casting shadow elements that are integrated into the performance.

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