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A Semester at Disney
By: Alex Terry

A personal project by: Alex Terry

Foreward:
Ever since my first trip to Disney World when
I was 6, I have wanted to be an Imagineer.
Now that I am in my last semester, I feel it is
time to take Walt’s advice:

This project is inspired by the child in all of us.

Introduction:
This project consists of both analytical
thinking and creative problem solving.
I’ve divided this booklet into two sections.
The first is efficiency opportunities and the
second is imagination and ideation.

Observational Opportunities:
During my first few visits to the parks, I
strapped a helmet camera to my head and
began to collect data on how I could make
suggestions to improve the parks. This
section outlines a few opportunities that I
found for improvement.

First observational opportunity: Solution:
Welcomed guests generally begin to arrive 30 min. Bring out some supporting role characters before
to an hour before the park opens. However, the the show to interact with guests prior to the train
welcome show doesn’t start for a while and guests arriving in the station.
have to wait patiently for the train to arrive. This
can be a stressful beginning to the day for parents
with children who have short attention spans.

Square during normal traffic Explanation of troubled spots during normal traffic

Efficiency Opportunity: The red circles are Solution: During periods of construction, move the
Disney Characters and the red square on the characters to a different area than normal, thus creating
right is construction. As you can see by the better traffic flow.
purple highlights there is typical congestion that
surrounds the characters. However when there is
construction and characters present in the main
square area it shifts the flow of the crowd (blue
highlights) to the weak side creating a bottleneck
at the start of Main street and generally makes
the space feel small.

Stroller Parking Lots Prices of the Strollers

Rented $120.00 $10.00

$10.00

Efficiency Opportunity: After interviewing Solution: Make an optional beeper tag like the
parents that were using strollers, I found they department stores use on expensive clothing to
either brought their most high end strollers from indicate when a stroller is leaving the park, to
home only to end up being lost, stolen or broken, cut down the rate of stolen equipment. Create a
or they purchased an inexpensive stroller and left program to donate the strollers left behind by cus-
them at the park when they left to avoid paying tomers to local charities. Also, lowering the price
the high rental fees for park rentals. of rental strollers could aid the situation.

Haunted Mansion Merchandise Shop Pirates of the Caribbean Merchandise Shop

Why is all of the cool Tim Burton
stuff in the Priates ride?

Efficiency Opportunity: After riding the Solution: There is so much Intellectual Property
Haunted Mansion ride, I noticed that the inherent in the Haunted Mansion. We could spread
merchandise shop seemed to be lacking a bit. Tim Burton merchandise into both locations if
Yet, when I rode the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, licensing allows. Additional locations with same
I found a lot of merchandise there that would fit merchandise would mean more opportunities for
perfectly in the Haunted Mansion shop. sales and branding.

Imaginative Suggestions:
This section is comprised of rides, teaching
tools, and restaurant ideas. During my
research, I looked at what the parks seem
to be lacking in, and then targeted Disney
content that might appeal to a new audience.

Summary: Psychographic:
This is a ski-lift ride in Epcot. During my own This ride is built for the adventurer at heart.
personal experiences, I’ve noticed there is a lot “Sally” loves a bird’s eye perspective on life and
of walking in Epcot. If you have a child this place would love nothing more than to get around the
could be quite unruly. I believe this gives us an world in a jiffy. Her parents are constantly lagging
excellent opportunity to educate children and behind this passionate individual who is
save their parents a bit of added grief. Amelia’s always out in front walking faster than the rest of
World Adventure would fly guests from country her family.
to country in a ski-lift fashion with the transport
vehicles being airplanes and a quirky voice over
by Amelia herself. “Cool it flyboy.”

This is a “search and reward” ride that also Any family that looks to use team work and
simulates a mining experience for the whole cooperation to strengthen their family bond. This
family. Using team work a family or group of ride can put the spotlight on even the youngest
friends have to work together to collect a gem member of the family. If any member of the family
for each member of their party. The ride will be were to grab the special gem, it unlocks the
themed around the seven dwarfs and have two family for an instant Fastpass that lets them ride
segregated areas of the ride. The first is the the ride again immediately after the first ride.
mining flats and the second will be the ride.
Each gem color gives the riders a different ex- “James” is an 11 yr. old boy who is a huge fan of
perience. One gem unlocks a Fastpass for the gaming and mastered the memory games at age
whole party to ride the ride a second time. 9. He is very susceptible to conditioning games
and loves the Seven Dwarfs.

This is an interactive experience that occurs only This experience is ment to create a mesmorizing
at night time in Tomorrowland. Guests can enter effect on the audience. It supports home gardening
the garden and marvel at the lights as flowers and teaches youths how to water a plant. “Timmy”
sprout up all around them. Families can partici- is fascinated by color and energy, most of his friends
pate in helping the garden grow by lifting on the and family believe he has extreme ADD. However, it
handles of watering cans around the garden that is his curiousity and passion for life that makes him
trigger the LED sequencer that enables the plant interested in interactive experiences like this one.
to illuminate.

Pickles! Guests could hone their negotiating skills Guests would experience a new type of salesman.
as they haggle and barter with the store clerk just Your typical guests would be caught off guard but
like the old days of Fronteirland to purchase their would engage back in a manner that makes them
mid-afternoon snack. The clerk would simply blush or stand out to their friends. It would all be
have set price points he would not be allowed to in good fun of course!
bargain under but it could be a fun opportunity
to engage the shop owner in a way other restau- “Sally” is on her high school debate team and
rants don’t get to do. came to the parks with her friends. She has been
cracking jokes all day and is very quick-witted.
She is on a search for a formidable opponent.

This restaurant blends the fine dining experience This attraction could have a reach that would
with the entertainment of a show. By utilizing appeal to most anybody. General foodies or park
Gastronomy, the alteration of food’s chemical food enthusiasts would enjoy the participatory
make-up, we can trick the guests taste buds in games as well as never experienced tastes.
an entertaining way that keeps them coming
back time and time again. “Ashley” is a huge foodie that prides herself in
having the best taste buds in the world. Ashley’s
husband gets made fun of because of her pride
from time to time at group outings, but today he
plans to get the last laugh.

How to enter

How to leave

How to get your bill.

This is a drink shop located in Tomorrowland. It The typical guest would typically be a younger
is generally themed around computers from the boy who is more technologically savvy than his
past towards & future. Each guest station would parents. He would take pride in showing off his
be equipped with digitized menus and large ar- knowledge, skills, and abilities to his family. The
row keys to make their menu selections. shop could educate him further in the history of
computing, video games, and programming.

This is an educational experience located in Ep- The typical guest would lean more toward small
cot’s innovation labs. Its responsibility is to teach children but would be later reinforced by the
today’s youth about nature conservation and parents. This teaching tool would stimulate and
greenhouse gases. Utilizing simple science, we enable children to learn about the world around
can create fun experiments. Harnessing the gross them.
amount of foot traffic experienced in Epcot, we
can have stations set up so guests can talk to a “Johnny” won first place at his science fair this
real growing tree to see its effects throughout the semester and wants to become a scientist. He
day as an example. is usually the first to know a fact about science
amongst his friends and loves knowing about
everything he can.

I found Frontierland to be one of the most sunlit “Janet” sunburned and thirsty loves going through
areas in the parks. More water, drinks and ice Frontierland but has been avoiding it all day be-
cream, sorbet, sherbet products would be a hit in cause of the lack of shade. She finally heads over
these areas as well as many small walk-through to Tom Sawyer’s island and is happy to find “Down
mist spots here and there along the traffic flow by the Sorbet.”
to keep every one cool. This is a shop located
in Disney’s Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland. The
play-on-words would go deeper into the aesthetic
of the eatery.

A water conservation learning environment told A typical guest could be any age. However, this
through our friends under the sea. This could be would be more scientific than one would presume
a great opportunity to further expand the Nemo at first glance.
campaign. The location would be located in the
innovation labs in Epcot. It would educate the “Frank” just finished watching documentaries on
guests on the mechanics of the ocean like wave saving our environment. He is an avid fan of Nemo
crests and tidal movements. The highlight of the and wants to share this information with his new
experience would be focused on the trash col- girlfriend that accompanied him to the park.
lecting in the oceans with a strong call to action
for the guests to be better consumers to protect
Nemo and his friends.

Other Noteworthy Ideas:

Oh Hoppy Day:
Leap-frog ride based around “The Princess and Walt’s Peeps:
the Frog” It would be narrated by the Cajun light- This would be a ride through of the history of Walt
ing bug and would be based on a water ride. The and his people from the early days including the
plot would be 2 frogs trying to escape alligators “Nine Old Men of Animation.” It would basically
jumping from lily pad to lily pad splashing the rid- depict the “Golden Years of Animation” but it
ers occasionally. The cart would be a big frog and would be told through they eyes of baby chickens
riders would ride in the hollowed out backs of the recalling old stories their parents would tell them.
frogs.
Render Me Speechless:
Mingle & Move: A behind the scenes show or experience in Holly-
Speed dating and dancing bar in Downtown wood Studios demonstrating how Pixar Animations
Disney’s adult area, could be good for grad nights are made.
and happy hours.
Fantasia experience:
Comida As You Are: Using motion capture devices, guests could finally
Mexican restaurant in Epcot. conjure up water around them just like Mickey!

Not What You Expectrumed? Outta This Swirled:
A learning environment to learn about light and Currently in Tomorrowland there is an Ice Cream
colors. One of the opening lines could be “How do shop named Auntie Gravity, However in passing
you Hue?” I came up with another great idea. “Outta This
Swirled” the whole shop could be decorated as
Jill and Jack-alope / Jack-Elopes with Jill: chocolate vs. vanilla and could be integrated with
Girl and Guy narrators take you through the mixing slides that kids could race down.
savannah in Animal Kingdom as if it’s
their honeymoon.

All content created by Alex Terry

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