WDI's ImagiNations Design Competition Reflects Diversity and Innovation.
Location-aware technology that helps guests navigate through Disney parks … Audio-Animatronics figures that recognize and interact with audiences like never before … mobile handheld devices that draw guests into immersive adventures with favorite Disney heroes. These experiences represent the future of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as envisioned by the magic makers at Walt Disney Imagineering. And helping WDI discover the dreamers and doers of tomorrow is the ImagiNations Design Competition.
Instituted in 1991, ImagiNations provides opportunities for young people who have a passion for integrating creative, innovative and globally diverse ideas. Representing creative arts and technical schools throughout the country and abroad, participants use their scientific, artistic or business skills to propose a Disney attraction, hotel, restaurant or entirely new experience.
"ImagiNations was started to attract young people from a wide variety of backgrounds to become the next generation at Imagineering," said Marty Sklar, Imagineering executive vice president and key player in the development of the program. "When guests visit our parks, they feel most welcome when they recognize something of themselves there. So it makes sense that the people creating our attractions and experiences should reflect the diversity we see in our audiences."
The 2009 ImagiNations program began in Fall, 2008 when Allie Braswell, manager of Global Strategies for Diversity and Inclusion for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, joined with colleagues from WDI in touring colleges and universities across the country to discuss the program.
"We talk directly to students about this opportunity and it really gets them fired up and inspired," Allie said. "In fact, we ended up receiving applications from every single campus we visited."
A total of 120 projects were accepted into this year's program, the ImagiNations team was thrilled with the response they received.
"In addition to some fascinating project ideas, there was tremendous diversity in disciplines within the teams," Allie said. "In the past there would be groups of all engineering or architecture majors, but this year we saw writers, set designers and scientists in the mix too. This is exciting, because it matches the model of how we work at WDI."
After an intense, nine-day experience touring Disney facilities and theme parks, meeting Disney legends and working with Imagineers to put the finishing touches on their project proposals, the three finalist teams in the 2009 ImagiNations Design Competition learned how they placed.
At the ImagiNations awards luncheon held June 11 at the Walt Disney Imagineering campus in Glendale, an audience that consisted of the finalists, ImagiNations advisors and judges, and other invited guests all gathered to celebrate and recognize the winners of this year’s competition.
Mr. Sklar, who created ImagiNations in 1991 and continues as an active participant, was honored with the ImagiNations Founder Award as a tribute to his support of the program over the years.
"I'm so proud of what we are achieving with ImagiNations," Marty said. "These talented people will help lead us into the future as we carry on our heritage of entertaining diverse audiences around the world."
California State University at Fullerton took third place in the competition for their Operation SNAP attraction that would take guests on an interactive quest to find an ancient Chinese dragon.
"Being Southern California natives we spent a lot of time at Disneyland growing up," team member Calixto Ortiz said. "But being here at Imagineering we have had an epiphany about how many lives you touch through the immersive worlds you create."
Second place went to the North Carolina State University team for their idea, a 3D, motion-simulator thrill attraction called Mickey's Quest to Magma Mountain.
"This experience is something none of us will ever forget," team member Steven Varela said. "It has been an honor and a privilege to be part of ImagiNations."
The recipient of the Best in Show award was the Rowan University team from New Jersey. Their proposed Disney's Spaceport would be an entire theme park set in the 28th century.
"Every second of this experience was life changing," team member David Lester said. "Being here at Disney is the height of our aspirations and a dream come true for us."
Also awarded was the Marty Sklar Award for the individual who best displayed leadership, creativity and innovation throughout the competition. Vincent Logozio of the Rowan University team was presented with this prestigious honor.
"This has been the most incredible journey I could have ever hoped to go on, it's been phenomenal," Vincent said.
ImagiNations invites college students to use their technical, artistic or writing skills to design an attraction, hotel... even a land within an existing Disney theme park or resort! Pre-qualified teams of no more than four members submit their materials in storyboard, model or video format to WDI, and a team of Imagineers selects finalists to travel to Glendale and complete their projects with hands-on input from WDI staff.
Dream, Design, Diversify!Click Here to Enter the 2010 ImagiNations Design Competition.
2009 Finalists California State University, Fullerton
