Disney interns peek behind Imagineering magic

[ALIASd]

Sorcerers' apprentices concoct new adventures

Disney interns peek behind the magic and help brainstorm

By Dawn C. Chmielewski
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 26, 2008

Every childhood visit to Disneyland provoked the same argument between Patricia L. Caplette and her brother over which ride to hit first.

He wanted to head straight for the Haunted Mansion; she insisted on Pirates of the Caribbean. So they bargained: If she could start the day with her favorite scurvy crew, he could end it getting spooked.

"It still brings me back to that moment each time I go on this ride, because I'm basically going back to being a little kid, starting out my Disney day, going on Pirates," said the 27-year-old illustrator from Diamond Bar. "Even going on it as an adult, 20 years later, or just walking past it, it still brings up those memories."

These days, Caplette is not just another nostalgic "park guest," as Disney likes to call its ticket holders. The master of fine arts student at Cal State Fullerton was among five interns who spent the summer with Walt Disney Imagineering's Blue Sky program, brainstorming attractions for the parks.

The notoriously secretive Imagineering, which is responsible for developing new ideas and rides for the theme parks and resorts, took the unprecedented step of granting access to its creative trove -- a database with more than 1,000 technologies and ride systems known as the "blue sky project" -- in hopes of sparking ideas for future attractions.

This approach of bringing together "people who know too much and people who know too little" is a time-honored way to foster creativity, said Stanford University engineering professor Robert I. Sutton, who has studied innovation and has no affiliation with Walt Disney Co.

full article at:
Sorcerers' apprentices concoct new adventures - Los Angeles Times

[Coheteboy]

Soooo lucky!

I so wanna be doing blue sky stuff.

[Peglegin98]

I hope that someday I could do something like that. Someday!

[Flickering Bulb]

Very awesome!! I'm so happy for Janet, Billy, Liz and Patricia. They were all great designers in the competition. Cheers!

[themur]

Great article. Sounds like a rewarding experience for the interns as well as the Imagaineers.

[dl_appurtenant]

That would be such an awesome opportunity.


Perhaps that's an understatement....