Who designed Tokyo DisneySea?

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Would anybody like to share with us who is generally credited with the lead design of the Tokyo DisneySea park and Hotel Miracosta?

I have often read about certain imagineers being responsible for "POTC", "Big Thunder", "DCA", and so forth.

So who gets the lion's share of the credit for this concept and it's execution?

[JoeInJpn]

In 2002, the Park won the Best Theme Park award from the Themed Entertainment Association. They had a list of people responsible for the various aspects of the Park. You can see the list in the archived link to my old site below:

http://web.archive.org/web/200212090.../news_tea.html

JoeInJpn
http://www.jtcent.com

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Cool, thanks. So does this mean Tom Fitzgerald is the main creative force responsible for TDS?

[FI183]

How I dream to be listed in the CAD design section with Thomas Conti, Victor Chan, Mike Guevara!!

[Malin]

Interesting wonder how many of those Imagineers still work for Disney.And how many were cut!

[FI183]

^^ considering al the lay offs that happened recently, my guess is at least 5% of the list still work for disney. Oh wait, that just leaves the executives, so no more imagineers.

[tcsnwhite]

^Well, I wouldn't say quite that. But yes, many were laid off, and some were probably brought on on a project by project basis.

I believe it was the Kirks that were quite responsibe for the conception of Tokyo DisneySea.

There is the "talk" that goes around that most of the team from TDS got laid off while the majority of the folks responsible for DCA are still at WDI- makes you think uh? Anyway, that's just the gossip, take it as such- I don't know the truth behind it all.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Anyways maybe Disney will have a makeover for DCA or a third gate to hire them back for?

[tcsnwhite]

They run their own design firm now, so they are probably getting other projects for other companies...that could also mean that they could be hired on a project basis by WDI for a particular project, but not sure if they have used them yet.

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Cool, thanks. So does this mean Tom Fitzgerald is the main creative force responsible for TDS?

I believe it was the Kirks that were quite responsibe for the conception of Tokyo DisneySea.

There is the "talk" that goes around that most of the team from TDS got laid off while the majority of the folks responsible for DCA are still at WDI- makes you think uh? Anyway, that's just the gossip, take it as such- I don't know the truth behind it all.

I do. It's not simply "talk."

Set the Wayback Machine™ to 2001, the year both DCA and TDS opened. Tom Fitzgerald was promoted to Executive Vice President of Creative Development in July, Barry Braverman was put in charge of the DL Design Studio (WDI's Anaheim division) after it was taken out of Tony Baxter's control in May, and Steve Kirk and most of his TDS team were laid off from WDI shortly after the park opened in September. (Steve had 25 years with Imagineering, and well-deserved kudos for leading the team which created TDS. Which was oh so wrong on so many levels.)

While several prominent members of the DCA team are now gone (Timur Galen, Barry Braverman), many still remain, like Tom Fitzgerald. To say that this involved protection from above pretty much goes without saying.

[Cousin Orville]

Bob Weis was pushing TDS long before the Kirks. He quit Disney before that and Steve Kirk became creative lead.

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Bob Weis was pushing TDS long before the Kirks. He quit Disney before that and Steve Kirk became creative lead.

Much like David Mumford taking the reins for Mermaid Lagoon after Eddie Sotto's departure. Lots of deck chair shuffling on the S.S. TDS.

[tcsnwhite]

I do. It's not simply "talk."

Set the Wayback Machine™ to 2001, the year both DCA and TDS opened. Tom Fitzgerald was promoted to Executive Vice President of Creative Development in July, Barry Braverman was put in charge of the DL Design Studio (WDI's Anaheim division) after it was taken out of Tony Baxter's control in May, and Steve Kirk and most of his TDS team were laid off from WDI shortly after the park opened in September. (Steve had 25 years with Imagineering, and well-deserved kudos for leading the team which created TDS. Which was oh so wrong on so many levels.)

While several prominent members of the DCA team are now gone (Timur Galen, Barry Braverman), many still remain, like Tom Fitzgerald. To say that this involved protection from above pretty much goes without saying.

Ahhh, thanks for clearing that up. =) I just said "talk" because it was what I had heard and read from a few folks, but I wasn't positive on it, so I didn't want to spread false information.

Why so much "deck shuffling" on creating TDS? is that normal for a project?

[Cousin Orville]

TDS...Total Despair, the Sequel.

[tcsnwhite]

TDS...Total Despair, the Sequel.