Wing Tao Chao (born May 1944) is a Chinese-born American architect, master planner, construction developer, hospitality professional, and a former

Disney Imagineer Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney Parks, Experiences an ...

. As an Imagineer, Chao helped in Disney's expansion in markets such as China and Hong Kong, handling businesses worth more than US$12 billion. He was with Disney for over 37 years from 1972 to 2009, and led over 100 projects including

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...

resorts, luxury hotels, and cruises. In 2009, he retired from Disney and joined

Las Vegas Sands Corp. Las Vegas Sands Corporation is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Its corporate mission is to create "Integrated Resorts" which feature a combination of gambling, accommodation, ...

In August 2019, he was named a

Disney Legend The Disney Legends Awards is a Hall of Fame program that recognizes individuals who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. Established in 1987, the honor was traditionally awarded annually during a speci ...

. Chao is regarded as a pioneer in the fields of hospitality and construction planning and development. A Committee of 100 member and an AIA fellow, he has received numerous honors throughout his career including the Pioneer Award from the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) and Outstanding Achievement Award from the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

. ''Avenue'' magazine has included Chao among the 500 most influential Asians in the United States.

Personal life

Chao was born in

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

, China in May 1944. He moved to the United States in his teens to pursue education. He lives in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Education

Chao attended the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

where he received his Bachelor and master's degrees in Architecture. He has a second master's degree in Architecture, majoring in Urban Design, from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, where he studied under Kenzo Tange, the legendary Japanese architect who predicted the

Information Age The Information Age (also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, Silicon Age, or New Media Age) is a historical period that began in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during ...

. He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration in Hospitality Management by

Johnson and Wales University Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private university with its main campus in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU enrolled 7,357 students across its campuses in the fa ...

. He also completed post-graduate work in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development at MIT. Chao had originally wanted to study medicine and be a doctor.

Career

Chao began his architectural career with

William Liskam Architect William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

after completing his education. Soon after which he joined Disney as an associate.

Walt Disney Imagineering

Chao joined Disney in 1972. Before that, he had unsuccessfully tried to get a summer job at one of its amusement parks during his Berkeley days. His roles at Disney included: Vice Chairman of Development for

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments and a subsidiary. It was founded on Apri ...

in the Asia Pacific (1984 to 1997) and Executive Vice President in charge of Master Planning, Architecture and Design at Walt Disney Imagineering (1997 to 2009). He also oversaw the development of Disney's land holdings in California, Florida, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong. During his time at Disney, Chao led development teams consisting of

Disney Imagineers The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

and leading architects and designers on over a hundred projects including Disney theme parks and resort hotel rooms. Chao has also led the design and development of four Disney cruise ships, namely

Disney Magic ''Disney Magic'' is the first cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. She has 11 public decks, can accommodate 2,700 passengers in 875 staterooms, and has a crew of approximately 950. The int ...

, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wonder. Chao has handled businesses worth more than USD $12 billion over his term at Disney. Chao is credited with the successful negotiations with French and Hong Kong governments that led to the development of Euro Disneyland and

Hong Kong Disneyland Hong Kong Disneyland () (local nickname ''HKDL''; also known as HK Disneyland) is a theme park located on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. It is located inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and it is owned and managed by Hong Ko ...

respectively. He retired from Walt Disney Imagineering on 30 June 2009.

Notable works at Disney

Resorts: * Disneyland Paris *

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a resort built and owned by Hong Kong International Theme Parks Limited, a joint venture of the Government of Hong Kong and The Walt Disney Company in Hong Kong on reclaimed land beside Penny's Bay, at the n ...

Tokyo Disneyland (local nickname ''TDL'') is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be ...

Cruise ships: *''

'' *'' Disney Wonder'' *'' Disney Dream'' *'' Disney Fantasy''

Las Vegas Sands

Chao served as a Director for

from July 2010 to November 2010. He continues to be a part of the advisory board.

Television

Chao has appeared in two television shows produced by

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

. * ''

The Imagineering Story ''The Imagineering Story'' is a 2019 documentary streaming television miniseries created, directed and executive produced by Leslie Iwerks. The series is focused on Walt Disney Imagineering and takes an in-depth look at the history and creation ...

'' as himself (2019) * '' The Mandalorian'' as Governor Wing (2020)

Awards and recognition

Chao has received numerous accolades for his work in the hospitality sector. His works have earned him recognition awards in the architecture and design community. He is a

Fellow of the American Institute of Architects Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-member ...

which also honored him with the Outstanding Achievement Award. He has also won the Legend Award by ''Contract'' magazine. In 1992, Chao received the Asian American Architects and Engineers Association's Outstanding Achievement Award. ''Hospitality Design'' has named Chao one of the top 20 Hospitality Industry Leaders and Innovators and has also inducted him as a Platinum Circle member. In 2007, Chao was elected into the ' Committee of 100', an organization founded by

I. M. Pei Ieoh Ming Pei
– website of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners ( ; ; April 26, 1917 – May 16, 2019) was ...

to honor American citizens of Chinese descent who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their respective professions. He has also been named one of the 500 most influential Asians in the United States. On January 24, 2018, Chao received the Pioneer Award from the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) for his services to entertainment design and

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, chevalier de J ...

. Chao was named a

at the 2019 D23 Expo for his outstanding contributions to the

Disney Parks Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments and a subsidiary. It was founded on Apri ...

and

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chao, Wing T. UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design alumni Harvard Graduate School of Design alumni Members of Committee of 100 1944 births Living people Businesspeople from Chongqing Chinese architects American architects of Chinese descent Chinese emigrants to the United States Walt Disney Parks and Resorts people Disney imagineers