Research and Development transfers technology into all segments of the company's operations. This past year, the group successfully partnered with Parks and Resorts, as well as Consumer Products, Publishing, ABC and ESPN, to develop exciting new product offerings.

The R&D group has combined complex 3-D computer modeling with a fourth dimension - the integration of time coordinates - to produce "4-D" software technology. This new system enables designers, planners and construction managers to simulate the building of new attractions, facilities and theme parks within a three-dimensional environment. Several Imagineering projects have already benefited from this revolutionary tool.

R&D's partnership with ABC's Enhanced Television Group is continuing to push the boundaries of interactive television with a series of Web sites synchronized to real-time broadcasts. This season, Enhanced TV has enabled Monday and Sunday Night Football viewers to create their own fantasy football teams and track their progress as each play unfolds, competing against friends or against the rest of the country.