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Disney previews major theme park expansions in Florida and California

2024-08-13T13:04:00-04:00

Disney’s magical footprint is about to expand through a new strategic initiative at its long-established Orlando and Anaheim theme parks.

The company’s largest-ever expansion of Walt Disney World in Florida is reportedly worth $17 billion and will unfold over a period of 15 years to cover 17,000 acres. The Orlando project will deliver Disney’s first-ever suspended roller coaster design and, among other attractions, a new section dedicated to villains.

Rendering courtesy of Walt Disney Co.

Back in California, Disneyland’s Avengers Campus will double in size, while the popular Avatar franchise will get its own dedicated destination nearby. It is unclear whether this is part of the $1.9 billion DisneylandForward expansion project announced in March.

Rendering courtesy of Walt Disney Co.

Disney Experiences Chairman D’Amato said, “Work is well underway on all of the new projects we announced, and fans will start to see them come to life in the near future.”

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Disneyland’s $1.9 billion campus expansion moves toward approval

2024-03-14T11:54:00-04:00

The LA Times and other local outlets are reporting on the progress made by Disney towards eventually realizing an expansion of the existing plot of Disneyland, a move billed as generating multiple community benefits for the city of Anaheim.

The $1.9 billion DisneylandForward project does not call specifically for any new construction and will be executed within the resort's existing 500-acre campus. According to an assessment of the plan from the Disney Tourist Blog, “DisneylandForward is the company’s pitch to the public and City of Anaheim for more flexibility in the master plans from the 1990s in order to give the company greater autonomy over what to build and where.”

In line with founder Walt Disney's vision for a constant expansion of the resort, the plan presents the potential for both an "immersive new theme park" and a "new kind" of entertainment district possibly containing a hotel and cluster of retail, dining, and entertainment plots to be created in the east and west co...

Former Walt Disney Imagineering head Bob Weis joins Gensler

2023-01-13T13:06:00-05:00

The former President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis is joining Gensler as a Global Immersive Experience Design Leader, according to a statement released by the firm. Before the move, Weis spent more than 30 years at Disney.

Having joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 1980, Weis became president of the studio in 2016. He led more than 200 major projects in his time at the studio, encompassing theme parks, attractions, resorts, and cruise ships in the U.S., Shanghai, Tokyo, and Paris. He has also consulted with Disney clients such as the Smithsonian, National Geographic, NASA, and the United States Navy.

“At Disney, we often collaborated with Gensler, and I was able to see firsthand its culture of design innovation that transforms the quality of life in our world,” said Bob Weis as the news was announced. “This is what visionary companies are seeking, a...

'A roller coaster with both thrill and heart': Tokyo Disneyland's Space Mountain to undergo major renovation

2022-04-29T13:45:00-04:00

Tokyo Disney Resort has revealed that one of its most iconic rides, Space Mountain, will be closing for a major renovation. The overhaul will commence in 2024, and by 2027, the rebuilt cosmic attraction is promised to offer enhanced performance and immersive special effects. The reported cost of the revamp is expected to be approximately $436 million.

“I’m thrilled to introduce this attraction to guests,” said Walt Disney Imagineering Producer Kathleen Davis. “It’s not only a whole new ride experience, but the story also has so much emotion. Through the queue and then on the ride, we see our connection to our planet and gain a new perspective for how special it is in all the universe. It’s a roller coaster with both thrill and heart.”

In addition to Space Mountain, the park’s Tomorrowland will get an updated plaza, which “will represent a future where humans are in harmony with nature.” According to the Disney Parks blog, the space will offer guests areas to rest and relax, along w...

Why does the metaverse look so ordinary, UCL researchers ask

2022-04-04T10:32:00-04:00

Last week, our editorial team had some fun with the metaverse. While light-hearted in nature, our April Fools article was nonetheless inspired by the serious interest shown by our community, the architecture world, and society at-large in the metaverse and how architecture and design intersect with virtual space.

Now, a new article by UCL researchers Luke Pearson and Sandra Youkhana puts forward the thesis that the metaverse doesn’t appear as disruptive or radical as the underlying technologies it is often associated with, be it blockchains, cryptocurrencies, or NFTs.

Instead, the team argue that the architecture and urbanism of the metaverse appears to follow real-world principles of design and construction, despite the freedom given by virtual space to transcend these principles.

“People have always imagined cyberspace to look like a version of real urban space,” say Pearson and Youkhana. Th...

Shanghai Disneyland commences construction for Zootopia-themed expansion

2019-12-09T11:41:00-05:00

Shanghai Disney Resort today announced that the main construction for the its highly anticipated Zootopia-themed expansion had begun. It will be the first-ever Disney park worldwide to construct a park inspired by the 2016 animated film of the same name. The new expansion will sit adjacent to Shanghai Disneyland's Fantasyland, complimenting the progressively developing theme park.

Disney's new Tomorrowland entrance pays homage to the past with "Space Age-inspired" architecture

2019-11-25T12:58:00-05:00

When planning, Imagineers wanted to open up the space and improve access into the land. However, it was important to maintain its overall complexion—with trees and beautiful planters. As shown in this rendering, guests will soon be entering Tomorrowland on a widened pathway lined with elliptical planters that are filled with swirls of colorful flowers.

The Imagineer team studied different Tomorrowland entrances throughout the years, extracting key architectural elements.

In a recent press release concerning the new work, Disney writes, "When 'new' Tomorrowland debuted in 1967, Walt Disney and his Imagineers envisioned this land as a “world on the move,” featuring a variety of futuristic vehicles zooming around and the Googie architecture that had become representative of the Space Age."

The entrance is due to be complete in 2020.

The shabby-futurist architecture of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland's newest addition

2019-05-30T13:48:00-04:00

Significant expansions to Disneyland, the fabled theme park in Anaheim, California, are not taken lightly among its designers and imagineers. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the newest 'land' at the park, has been hotly anticipated since it was first announced over five years ago. The 14-acre addition opens tomorrow, and a select number of photos and pieces of information have been released ahead of time.

Black Spire Outpost. Photo by Chris Pizzello

Because Galaxy's Edge lies on the North-West corner of the park, its designers have gone to great length to make it appear isolated and derelict. The buildings are paneled, boarded up and covered in dust; the walkways are littered with luggage beyond human scale; a circuitous bazaar, known as the Black Spire Outpost, is strewn in ramshackle awnings and arrhythmic lighting patterns.

View this post on Instagram Only 10 more days until #StarWars #GalaxysEdge at #Disneyland opens! As you can see, the Cast is ready to wel...

How Walt Disney World plans to run on clean energy

2019-02-08T18:06:00-05:00

...Climate change is bad for business. But as I’ve seen firsthand, companies that invest in clean energy, engage customers in sustainability efforts and leverage their influence to drive smart policies can turn a downside risk into tangible cost-savings, customer retention and global leadership.

Many of Walt Disney's original plans for Disney World, in Orlando, Florida, were scrapped shortly after his death in 1966. Disney envisioned EPCOT (short for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), for instance, as a hotbed for scientific research and a model for energy and material conservation. While EPCOT in its current form produces its own food and some of its own energy, it is a far cry from Disney's original vision.

Walt Disney announcing his plan for the Florida Project, which includes EPCOT. 1965.

But more than fifty years later, a series of changes are making serious headway at the worldwide destination. Angie Renner, an Environmental Integration Director at Walt Disney World Resort, spoke with Jake Hiller of the Environmental Defense Fund about the theme park's initiatives. "Today," Renner stated, "we are striving towards three main environmental goals: divert 60 percent of our waste from landfills by 2020, reduce net emissions 50 percent (from 2012 levels) by 2020,...

The first Disneyland map sold for $700K

2017-06-28T12:08:00-04:00

An original map of the first Disneyland park has fetched £555,838 ($708,000) at an auction in California. The 1953 drawing was used by Walt Disney to secure funding, after his own studio refused to fund the site. The artist's impression was given to an employee, and remained out of public view for more than 60 years.

Keeping the Disneyland magic alive, by limiting neighbors' building heights

2015-12-14T17:47:00-05:00

The policy, limiting building heights of 75 to 240 feet within a half-mile radius of the Disneyland Resort, isn’t meant to keep outsiders from getting a peek at the rides and attractions. Rather, the Disney Cone is aimed at limiting views of the outside world for the 25 million-plus annual visitors who walk into the parks for a sense of escape and fantasy – just as Walt Disney had first envisioned on Disneyland’s opening day, more than 60 years ago.

Banksy about to open "Dismaland" pop-up exhibition in British seaside resort

2015-08-19T15:31:00-04:00

Rumors have been circulating around the internet for a few days, but later this week Banksy is now set to open a new pop-up exhibition entitled "Dismaland" at in Weston-Super-Mare, UK. The venue is called "Tropicana", a 10,200-square-foot site to be transformed into "Dismaland", a probable attack on American entertainment giant Disney. [...] As usual with Banksy, the details are very scarce, but earlier this morning Iain Brimecome and Jon Goff were able to fly their drone above the site [...].

Another aerial view of "Dismaland," expected to open later this week. Photo: Iain Brimecome & Jon Goff, image via streetartnews.net.

Photo via @francisclarke on Twitter.

Banksy in the Archinect news:

Relatively soon, in a galaxy (not so) far far away: announcing Star Wars Lands

2015-08-19T14:24:00-04:00

Disney raised more questions than it answered at the D23 Expo with the announcement of plans to unveil Star Wars Lands at Disneyland in Anaheim and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Fla. Here’s what we know so far: The new 14-acre lands will each feature two attractions set in a remote frontier town on the outer rim of the “Star Wars” galaxy. No opening dates have been set for either the California or Florida projects.

Star Wars fans may be salivating at the mouth right now, with a new trilogy on the horizon and now Disney's announcement of two themed parks at the D23 EXPO. Construction will begin at the Anaheim version in 2017 in the Big Thunder Ranch area, which is currently a bit of a no-man's land for themed dinner shows. Starting in 2015, there'll be a Star Wars-themed annual event in Tomorrowland.

As the LA Times states, there's been very little information released so far. But here's what we do know:

The rides and areas will be oriented around the upcoming trilogy, rather than the older two.
One new ride will feature a battle sequence between the "First Order" and the Resistance. First Order sounding a bit unfamiliar? That's because it's an organization from the new series, formed after the collapse of the Empire, but also employing stormtroopers, TIE fighters, etc.
Another new ride will let you fly the Millennium Falcon.
The new land will be set on a planet never seen in the older films. A remo...

All the Lights of the Kingdom

2012-03-21T18:34:00-04:00

I think Magic Kingdom is an exemplary model of superb light fixture choice in themed design; there is very little overlap and redundancy but very few fixtures call attention to themselves. Still, it would be offensive and out of place to offer modern LED freeway light poles in Liberty Square, so the lamps and light fixtures deserve our respect and appreciation as well: another hallmark of the WED tradition of perfection down to the tiniest detail.