Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the

research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...

arm of

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 Octobe ...

, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of

Disney theme 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 attractions worldwide. The company also manages The Walt Disney Company's properties, from Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to New Amsterdam Theatre and Times Square Studios Ltd. in New York City. Founded by

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

to oversee the production of

Disneyland Disneyland is a 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 initially envisio ...

, it was originally known as Walt Disney, Inc. then WED Enterprises, from the initials meaning "Walter Elias Disney", the company co-founder's full name. Headquartered in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...

, Imagineering is composed of "Imagineers", who are illustrators, architects, engineers, lighting designers, show writers and graphic designers. The term

Imagineering ''Imagineering'' (from "imagination" and "engineering") is the implementation of creative ideas in practical form. The word was registered as a trademark of Disney Enterprises, Inc. in 1990, and forms part of the title of Disney's research and dev ...

, a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsAlcoa Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primar ...

to describe its blending of imagination and engineering, and used by

Union Carbide Union Carbide Corporation is an American chemical corporation wholly owned subsidiary (since February 6, 2001) by Dow Chemical Company. Union Carbide produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more further conversions by customers befo ...

in an in-house magazine in 1957, with an article by Richard F. Sailer called "BRAINSTORMING IS IMAGination engINEERING". Disney filed for a trademark for the term in 1989, claiming first use of the term in 1962. Imagineering is a registered trademark of Disney Enterprises, Inc.

History

WED Enterprises

Walt Disney, Inc. (WDI) was formed by

on December 16, 1952 with an engineering division tasked with designing

. In light of objections from his brother Roy as well as those of potential stockholders, WDI was renamed ''WED Enterprises'' in 1953 based on Walt's initials. In 1961, WED moved into the Grand Central Business Park. WED Enterprises's theme park design and architectural group became so integral to the Disney studio's operations that Walt Disney Productions bought it on February 5, 1965, along with the WED Enterprises name.

Imagineering

The unit was renamed as of January 1986 to Walt Disney Imagineering. In 1996, Disney Development Company, the Disney conglomerate's real estate development subsidiary, merged into Imagineering. Imagineering created

Disney Fair The Disney Theatrical Group, legally Buena Vista Theatrical Group Ltd., is the live show, stageplay and musical production arm of The Walt Disney Company. The company is led by Thomas Schumacher, and forms a part of Walt Disney Studios, one o ...

, a U.S. traveling attraction, which premiered in September 1996. With poor attendance, the fair was pulled after a few stops. Disney Entertainment Projects (Asia Pacific), Inc., a new Disney Asian Pacific subsidiary, selected a renamed fair called DisneyFest as its first project taking it to Singapore to open there on October 30, 1997. By 1997, Imagineers were in several buildings in Grand Central Business Park when Disney purchased the park. In September 1999, Disney Imagineering announced the Grand Central Creative Campus redesign of the industrial park with a new office-studio complex anchored by Disney Imagineering. Some of the buildings were demolished to make way for new buildings. The additional space would be for sound stages, production facilities and offices. As part of

’s March 2018 strategic reorganization, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts merged with Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media segments into Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (DPEP), giving Disney Imagineering oversight of merchandise, games and publishing development. In July 2021, DPEP chairman Josh D'Amaro announced that approximately 2,000 DPEP positions would be transferred over the next couple of years to the

Lake Nona Lake Nona is a 17-square-mile master-planned community in Orlando, Florida recognized as a model for “How to build a great American City”. The community is known for focused initiatives on community, technology, mobility, and wellbeing. It is ...

area of

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

. In November 2021, it was reported that as many as 90% of the positions to be transferred are Walt Disney Imagineering positions, as DPEP relocates Imagineering's headquarters from Glendale to a new 60-acre corporate campus in Lake Nona. The only Imagineering positions reportedly exempt from relocation were those dedicated to Disneyland or certain international parks. The relocation was reportedly motivated in part by $570 million in tax breaks from the state of Florida, as well as Florida's business-friendly climate, lower cost of living, and lack of a state income tax.

Principles

According to former Disney employee Doug Lipp, Imagineering is governed by 15 principles, techniques and practices in the construction of attractions and theme parks. These 15 principles have since been published for individuals wanting to achieve their creative goals. New concepts and improvements are often created to fulfill specific needs. For instance, the Soarin' Over California ride system was designed to help guests experience the sensation of flight. During development, Imagineer Mark Sumner found an erector set in his attic, which quickly inspired the solution to create this experience. The ride effectively simulates hang gliding. One of Imagineering's techniques, "blue sky speculation", is a process in which ideas are generated without limitations. Imagineers may develop a bold idea in extreme detail, initially disregarding budgetary or physical constraints. It can take up to five years for an idea to turn into a finished attraction. The company consider this the beginning of a design process, believing, "if it can be dreamt, it can be built." Imagineering constantly strive to perfect their work, in which

coined as "plussing". He believed that there is always room for innovation and improvement, stating "Disneyland will never be completed as long as there's imagination left in the world". Imagineering has also returned to previously abandoned ideas. For example, the Museum of the Weird was a proposed walk-through wax museum that eventually became

The Haunted Mansion The Haunted Mansion is a dark ride attraction located at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. The haunted house attraction features a ride-through tour in Omnimover vehicles called "Doom Buggies", and a walk-through show is displa ...

. WDI partnered with the

Khan Academy Khan Academy is an American non-profit educational organization created in 2008 by Sal Khan. Its goal is creating a set of online tools that help educate students. The organization produces short lessons in the form of videos. Its website also i ...

to create a series of online video classes calle
Imagineering in a Box
to allow students to "explore different aspects of theme park design, from characters to ride development..." The classes are organized into three main areas; Creating worlds, Designing attractions, and Bringing Characters to life, and are presented by WDI employees using multimedia lessons and exercises.

The Art of the Show

Disney theme parks are storytelling and visual experiences, also known as “The Art of the Show.” The use of theming, atmosphere, and attention to detail are essential in the Disney experience. Creative director

John Hench John Hench (June 29, 1908 – February 5, 2004) was an American artist, designer and director at The Walt Disney Company. For 65 years, he helped design and develop various Disney attractions and theme parks. Early life Hench was born on June 2 ...

noted the similarities between theme park design and film making, such as the use of techniques including forced perspective. One notable example of forced perspective is Cinderella Castle in

Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The ...

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

. The scale of architectural elements is much smaller in the upper reaches of the castle compared to the foundation, making it seem significantly taller than its actual height of 189 feet. The attraction,

Pirates of the Caribbean ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' is a Disney media franchise encompassing numerous theme park rides, a series of films, and spin-off novels, as well as a number of related video games and other media publications. The franchise originated with the ...

, evokes a “rollicking buccaneer adventure,” according to Hench. In contrast, the Disney Cruise Line ships create an elegant seafaring atmosphere. Minor details in theme park shops and restaurants are crucial; these include the menus, names of the dishes and the

Cast Members In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, scr ...

’ costumes. When guests walk down the area of Main Street, U.S.A., they are likely to notice a bakery fragrance, reminiscent of suburban America in the 1900s. In addition to theme parks, Imagineering has devised retail stores, galleries, and hotels which have "stories" and create a specific mood. For instance, the

Disney's Contemporary Resort Disney's Contemporary Resort, originally to be named Tempo Bay Hotel and previously the Contemporary Resort Hotel, is a resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. Opened on October 1, 1971, the hotel is one of two ori ...

features an A-frame structure, modern décor and futuristic features including a quiet

monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and " rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurat ...

in the lobby. These details reinforce the hotel's contemporary nature. In 2010, Disney Educational Products produced a series of videos called ''The Science of Disney Imagineering''. Each video was presented by Imagineer Asa Kalama and focused on a different science subject. Each video featured at least one Disney attraction, to show how science was used in them. These science subjects include

Gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...

Trajectory A trajectory or flight path is the path that an object with mass in motion follows through space as a function of time. In classical mechanics, a trajectory is defined by Hamiltonian mechanics via canonical coordinates; hence, a complete tr ...

, Levers & Pulleys, Fluids,

Energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of ...

Design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design' ...

Models A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

Magnetism Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that are mediated by a magnetic field, which refers to the capacity to induce attractive and repulsive phenomena in other entities. Electric currents and the magnetic moments of elementary particles ...

Motion In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position with respect to time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and frame of reference to an observer and m ...

, Animal Adaptations: Communication,

Friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction: *Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative lateral motion of ...

, and

Electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describe ...

Mickey's Ten Commandments

In 1991, Marty Sklar (then-president of Imagineering) presented ten commandments attributed to Mickey Steinberg (the vice president of Imagineering). They are: # Know your audience # Wear your guest's shoes (don't forget the human factors; try to experience the parks from the guests' point of view) # Organize the flow of people and ideas (ensure experiences tell a story that is organized and logically laid out) # Create a "Wienie" (Walt Disney's term for a "visual magnet") # Communicate with visual literacy (use a dominant color or shape or building to reinforce a theme) # Avoid overload—create turn-ons (do not offer too much detailed information) # Tell one story at a time (put one 'big idea' in each show so guests leave with a clear understanding of the theme) # Avoid contradictions—maintain identity (avoid irrelevant or contradicting elements; make sure the audience has a clear idea of what is being said) # For every ounce of treatment, provide a ton of treat (take advantage of the distinction of the theme park, which is that it encourages active participation, compared to passive entertainment) # Keep it up (do not become complacent or allow things to run down)

Innovation

Imagineering has been granted over 300 patents in areas such as advanced audio systems,

fiber optics An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means t ...

, interactive technology, live entertainment, ride systems and special effects. Imagineering pioneered technological advances such as the Circle-Vision 360° film technique and the FastPass virtual queuing system.

Audio-Animatronics

Imagineering is known for its development of Audio-Animatronics, a form of robotics, used in shows and theme park attractions that animate objects in three dimension (3D). The idea originated from Walt Disney's fascination with a mechanical bird that he purchased in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, which later led to the development of the attraction,

The Enchanted Tiki Room Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is an attraction located in Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort and in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and previously in Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort. First opened on June 23, 1963 at the Disneyl ...

. The attraction, which featured singing Audio-Animatronic birds, was the first to use this technology. In the 1964 World's Fair, a 3D figure of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

was represented. The animated Lincoln delivered part of the Gettysburg Address for the " Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" exhibit, the first human Audio-Animatronic figure. Today, Audio-Animatronics are featured in many attractions, including

The Hall of Presidents The Hall of Presidents is an attraction located in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The attraction is a multi-media presentation featuring Audio-Animatronic figures of all 45 individuals who have served as President ...

, Country Bear Jamboree,

Star Tours—The Adventures Continue A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth mak ...

, and Muppet*Vision 3D. Guests have also had the opportunity to interact with Audio-Animatronic characters, such as

Lucky the Dinosaur Lucky the Dinosaur is an approximately green ''Segnosaurus'' free roaming audio animatronics figure which pulls a flower-covered cart and is led by "Chandler the Dinosaur Handler". Lucky premiered at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles o ...

, WALL-E, and Remy from ''

Ratatouille Ratatouille ( , ), oc, ratatolha , is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables which originated in Nice, and is sometimes referred to as ''ratatouille niçoise'' (). Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include ...

''. The next wave of Audio-Animatronic development focuses on completely independent figures, also known as "

Autonomatronics Audio-Animatronics (also known as simply Animatronics, and sometimes shortened to AAs) is the registered trademark for a form of robotics animation created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequent ...

". Otto, the first Autonomatronic figure, debuted at the 2009 D23 Expo and can see, hear, sense a person's presence and emotions, and have a conversation.

WEDway

WEDway is a people mover system using linear induction motor (LIM) technology to propel vehicles along a pair of steel rails. This system was developed in the company's early years. The system is in operation at

Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. From 1967 to 1995,

utilized a version of this system which had rubber wheels placed every 9 feet along the guide-way.

Theme park projects

Since 1952, Imagineering has created twelve theme parks, a town, five cruise ships, dozens of resort hotels, water parks, shopping centers, sports complexes and various entertainment venues.

Current Imagineering projects

Other projects

Former creative director

designed the "Tower of Nations" for the opening and closing ceremony of the

1960 Winter Olympics The 1960 Winter Olympics (officially the VIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Squaw Valley 1960) were a winter multi-sport event held from February 18 to 28, 1960, at the Squaw Valley Resort (now known as Palisades Tahoe) in Squaw Vall ...

, whilst Walt Disney served as Pageantry Committee chairman. Imagineering has collaborated with Disney Consumer Products on a number of projects for

Disney Store The Disney Store is a chain of specialty stores selling only Disney related items, many of them exclusive, under its own name and Disney Outlet. It was a business unit of Disney Consumer Products with the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products s ...

s. The first store, in

Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia *Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre * Glendale, Queensland, ...

, was designed and constructed by a group of architectural Imagineers. Imagineering developed the now-defunct Walt Disney Gallery at the Main Place Mall in

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the 13th-m ...

, and a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

themed Disney Store at

The Forum Shops at Caesars The Forum Shops at Caesars, also known as The Forum Shops, is an upscale shopping mall on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is connected to the Caesars Palace resort, and both feature a Roman theme. The mall project was announced in 198 ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

. After the purchase of the Disney Stores by

The Children's Place The Children's Place Inc. is a specialty retailer of children’s apparel and accessories headquartered in New Jersey. It also markets apparel under the Children's Place, Place, Baby Place, and Gymboree brand names. As of October 31, 2015, it ...

in 2004, Imagineering helped design an exclusive chain of flagship stores, called World of Disney. These are located in resorts,

Lake Buena Vista, Florida Lake Buena Vista () is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being the mailing address for Walt Disney World—although almost all of the resort facilities, including all four theme parks, are physically located ...

and

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, as well as New York City. Another flagship store arrived at Disneyland Paris in 2012. An overhaul of

s was planned in 2009 with the help of

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

CEO

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; ...

. Disney hoped to transition from a traditional

retail Retail is the sale of goods and Service (economics), services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturing, manufacturers, dire ...

model to an

interactive Across the many fields concerned with interactivity, including information science, computer science, human-computer interaction, communication, and industrial design, there is little agreement over the meaning of the term "interactivity", but mo ...

entertainment hub. In the 1990s, Imagineering designed the

Club Disney Club Disney was a regional children's play center concept operated by Disney Regional Entertainment. The indoor centers were designed for families with children 9 and under with gift shops, various play areas and snack bars. The clubs were expec ...

interactive family fun center in

Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tr ...

. Although now closed, it was the first of several location-based entertainment (LBE) venues. In 1998, DisneyQuest, an high-tech, virtual reality arcade was launched at

Disney Springs Disney Springs (previously known as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village in 1975, Walt Disney World Village in 1977, Disney Village Marketplace in 1989, and Downtown Disney in 1997) is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at th ...

. Another DisneyQuest in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

was launched a year later. In 2007, Imagineering oversaw design and construction of ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. They also helped design exhibitions for the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in

Los Angeles 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 ...

and developed the Encounter Restaurant, which is located at the top of

Theme Building The Theme Building is a structure at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), considered an architectural example of the Space Age design style. Influenced by "Populuxe" architecture, it is an example of the Mid-century modern design movement ...

Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the ...

. Moreover, they provided exhibits for the Port Discovery children's museum at the Inner Harbor in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

, as well as the "Below Deck" sound show depicting Blackbeard's final battle as part of the Pirate and Treasure Museum in

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabi ...

. From 1995 to 1997, Imagineering oversaw the renovation of the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City. Imagineering also remodeled the Times Square Studios in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1996, following the acquisition of ABC. In 1997, Disney purchased the

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ...

and renamed the team to Anaheim Angels. Shortly, Imagineering renovated the Anaheim Stadium. Recently, Imagineering worked with charity, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), to create the teaser video and the story, as well as the theming of the 2016

FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a six-week period to build robots capable of competing in that year's game that weig ...

FIRST Stronghold ''FIRST'' Stronghold was the 2016 FIRST Robotics Competition game. The game was played by two alliances of up to three teams each, and involves breaching the opponents’ defenses, known as outer work as well as capturing their tower by first fir ...

Corporate locations

Since the 1960s, Imagineering's headquarters have been located in nondescript office buildings on the site of the former

Grand Central Airport Grand Central Airport is a small privately owned airfield which is open to public air traffic. It is located in Midrand, halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa. Prior permission to land at Grand Central is not required for l ...

, about east of Disney's corporate headquarters in Burbank. Many of these employees are to be relocated to a new facility in Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida. There are field offices at

Epcot Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unre ...

and Disney's Hollywood Studios at the

. There are also offices located at: * Walt Disney Imagineering Disneyland Field Office,

Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort, commonly known as Disneyland, is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division and is home to two theme parks ...

* Tokyo Disney Resort Administration Building,

Tokyo Disney Resort The (local nickname ''TDR'') is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. The resort is fully owned and operated by The Oriental Land Company under a licence from The Walt Disney Company, who co ...

* The former WDFA field office, Disneyland Paris * Walt Disney Imagineering Hong Kong Site Office,

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 ...

* Walt Disney Imagineering Germany GmbH, Meyer Werft Papenburg, Germany

Bibliography

* Hench, John, with Peggy Van Pelt. ''Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show''. Disney Editions, 2003, . * The Imagineers. ''Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look At Making the Magic Real''. Disney Editions, 1996, (hardcover); 1998, (paperback). * The Imagineers. ''Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making More Magic Real''. Disney Editions, 2010, (hardcover). * The Imagineers. ''The Imagineering Way: Ideas to Ignite Your Creativity''. Disney Editions, 2003, . * The Imagineers (as "The Disney Imagineers"). ''The Imagineering Workout: Exercises to Shape Your Creative Muscles''. Disney Editions, 2005, . * The Imagineers. ''The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland''. Disney Editions, 2008, , . * The Imagineers. ''The Imagineering Field Guide to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World''. Disney Editions, 2007, , . * The Imagineers. ''The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World''. Disney Editions, 2006, . * The Imagineers. ''The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World''. Disney Editions, 2005, . * Kurtti, Jeff. ''Walt Disney's Legends of Imagineering and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park.'' Disney Editions, 2006, . * Alcorn, Steve and David Green. ''Building a Better Mouse: The Story of the Electronic Imagineers Who Designed Epcot.'' Themeperks Press, 2007, . * Surrell, Jason. ''The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak''. Disney Editions, 2007, * Ghez, Didier; Littaye, Alain; Translated into English by Cohn, Danielle. ''Disneyland Paris From Sketch To Reality''. Nouveau Millénaire Editions, 2002, * Surrell, Jason. ''Pirates of the Caribbean: From The Magic Kingdom To The Movies''. Disney Editions, 2007, , . * Surrell, Jason. ''The Haunted Mansion: From The Magic Kingdom To The Movies''. Disney Editions, 2003,

Notes

External links

* {{Authority control 1952 establishments in California Manufacturing companies established in 1952 Amusement ride manufacturers Animatronics companies Audio-Animatronics Companies based in Glendale, California Disney technology American companies established in 1952 The Walt Disney Company subsidiaries Research and development organizations