Walt Disney Imagineering

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

Martin A. Sklar Vice Chairman and Principal Creative Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering

Imagineers have adopted those words by Walt Disney as their motto, so it's no surprise that the creative, technical and development masterminds are busy doing the impossible: creating four entirely new theme parks, inventing technology for other Disney businesses and developing some of Imagineering's most amazing work in its 48-year history. Tokyo DisneySea Imagineers in Japan and California are racing toward a fall 2001 grand opening of Tokyo DisneySea. Construction on the 176-acre site began in 1998, and today the park's seven distinct "ports of call" are coming to life. Guests will savor the old-world charm of Mediterranean Harbor with the 502-room luxury Hotel MiraCosta and will be awed by the massive volcano of Mysterious Island. Guests also will venture to the ragged edge of civilization in Lost River Delta and discover the burgeoning neighborhoods of old New York in American Waterfront.

Disney Studios Paris

Imagineers also are constructing a second theme park at the Disneyland Paris Resort that will allow guests to go behind the scenes at a working film, television and animation production studio. Disney Studios Paris will feature all-new attractions and shows, such as an Armageddon special effects show, a journey through 100 years of movie magic, and a one-of-a-kind animated theater show, as well as favorites such as the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and the Studio Tram Tour. The park is scheduled to open in 2002.

Hong Kong Disneyland

Preliminary site work is progressing on Disney's 11th theme park, Hong Kong Disneyland. Overlooking the waters of Penny's Bay, Hong Kong Disneyland will feature some of the best-loved attractions from Disneyland, as well as other Disney parks. The site also will feature several Disney hotel accommodations and retail, dining and entertainment facilities when it debuts in 2005.

Walt Disney World Imagineers are close to completing the 1,300-room Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, designed by architect Peter Dominick and scheduled to open in April 2001. Inspired by the exotic beauty of an African wildlife reserve, the Lodge features hand-carved furnishings and a grand six-story lobby. In addition, more than 95 percent of the guestrooms enjoy sweeping views of the Lodge's own 33-acre savanna filled with free-ranging animals. At Walt Disney World, the 235-acre POP Century Resort will be built in two phases, with the opening of the first phase in winter 2001. The hotel will feature approximately 5,800 guestrooms in 20 buildings. Each pair of buildings in this value resort will be themed to a different decade of the 20th century. As guests enter one of the resort's two main POP Centennial Pavilions, they will find themselves transported back in time, surrounded by 50 years of pop culture, including oversized icons such as a giant jukebox from the 1950s and a huge yo-yo representing the 1960s. Disney Vacation Club announced plans to expand its Walt Disney World properties with two new resorts: The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Beach Club Villas.

The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, scheduled to open in early 2001, is an intimate Old West-inspired resort, featuring 136 studio, one- and two-bedroom villas located next to Disney's Wilderness Lodge. The new resort will include a pool and outdoor spa, health club and full access to all of the Lodge's amenities and public areas.

Scheduled to open in late 2002, Disney's Beach Club Villas will be designed by noted architect Robert A.M. Stern, best known for his East Coast seaside houses. The new 205-unit ownership resort will be inspired by the casual elegance of Cape May oceanfront homes built in the early 20th century.

Research and Development

The summer release of Dinosaur marked Disney's fourth motion picture to make use of state-of-the-art digital projection technology developed by Imagineering's research and development group. The new digital projectors produce images that are brighter and sharper than traditional projection technologies. They also provide better color reproduction and eliminate film degradation and damage, thus creating a much better theater experience for the audience. The research and development group also created the Enhanced TV Web site that allows fans of ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to play along with Regis in real time and enjoy other interactive opportunities on home computers. Another development in Web technology is the GO.com Player, which enables users to program their own personal radio station, drawing from more than 200,000 songs and 20 different genres to customize a playlist that can be shared with friends over the Internet.

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