Day Two Report

We are up to $160 now. Thanks to all who have donated. Please help if you can. Many of these folks will probably be part of the unemployment insurance controversy working its way through Congress. They don't want a hand out. Just a job. Women at Work is giving them the tools to achieve that goal.

I have had a couple of requests from people asking what they can do other than donating money and Robin, the Executive Director at Women at Work, suggests if people want to donate items instead of money, we don't take food or clothes, but office supplies are always useful--everything from paper and pens and paper towels to gently used furniture, etc. Contact me at gennawey@yahoo.com and we can figure out what to do.

Let me add that the Disney online community are some of the coolest people on the entire planet. Let me prove it -

• First, there will still be a drawing for a first edition of the must have The Art of Disney: From Mickey to the Magic Kingdoms' by Christopher Finch from Bob over at Disney Dispatch. He will send the book via Priority Mail. I will pull the name out of the hat from the people who have donated on December 10. Thanks Bob.
• Listen to this incredible offer: During the month of December, J. Jeff Kober of DisneyatWork.com, and Mike Westby of Notescast.comare supporting Sam Gennaway of SamLand.com in his efforts to help Women at Work, a Los Angeles non profit job and career resource center committed to helping women reach their full employment and potential. When you purchase any of the DisneyatWork apps, either Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or Disneyland, we'll contribute 100% of the proceeds we earn entirely to the work of this organization! For more about the great work of this organization, please see WomenatWork1.org.
• The Disney Report plugged the fundraising effort. With his new more succinct format, this is a departure but he is still one of my daily reads. Thanks Aaron for making an exception.
• Progress City USA just plugged the fundraising effort. Thanks Michael.
• And watch out for a special announcement and offer next week from Ryan over at the Main Street Gazette. Thanks Ryan.

See what I mean? The greatest audience in the world stepping up to the plate and others in the virtual community helping out a charity that may be far from their own homes. You people are the best.

Tomorrow I am going to bring some fun content back to the site and will do another update on Friday.

Day One Report

I would like to thank all of those who have donated so far. The first day total came to $130. Remember all those who donate will be put into the drawing for the first edition book given to the cause from Disney Dispatch (see below). Not too late to give.

Thank you Disney Dispatch

Disney Dispatch has come to the table with an incredible offer in my fund raising effort (see below). They will give away a hard-cover copy of 'The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey to the Magic Kingdoms' [Christopher Finch, Walt Disney Productions, 1975, 1st edition] to a random person chosen from among all donees (Sam's choice). The book is new except for the loss of its dust jacket. They will send the book by Priority Mail. Unbelievable. Thanks Bob.

A Very Special Request

This is a story inspired by my Disneyland annual pass expiring this week.

Once upon a time, there was an urban planning firm that fell on hard times when the going got tough. As the founding partners were very concerned about their pending retirements (I can understand that) they decided to layoff wave after wave of some of the most talented people this senior planner has ever worked with. The people have served the firm for years and were let go without warning or severance checks. The hope was that things would get better. But things did not get better.

So one day, the wave finally washed over this senior planner that had a theme park fetish and a blog.

Disappointed and frightened about the future, the senior planner turned to an amazing resource in Pasadena called Women at Work. For more than 30 years this astonishing non-profit job and career resource center has aided thousands to get back on their feet, help them become productive, and give them back some of their dignity. In turn, these people would give back to the organization to help others in need. It reminded him of the spirit of Walt Disney where people of different talents would come together to create something bigger than themselves in the quest for something truly meaningful.

The senior planner was overwhelmed. He would take classes, look for job leads, and network with his peers at Women at Work (yes men can use the facility as well) only to discover that some of these people would be returning to their cars where they slept because they no longer could afford to live in a house. Although he was blessed with many advantages, he felt inadequate to address the incredible need that he saw. After all, we now live in a country where employers find those over 50 to be expendable and unnecessary. Or as Scrooge would say, “The surplus population.”

So he looked at his Disneyland annual pass, which had just expired, and knew that his priority was to his family and those around him who were in greater need. His loyalty was not to the promotion of The Walt Disney Company. As much as he liked to write about the parks and Walt Disney’s impact on the built environment, he could not justify the cost of admission at this time. What to do?

He decided he would turn to the most amazing virtual community and see if they could help. First came Chad with an offer that this senior planner could not resist. A chance to write about Walt and history. The results will available to all to see in a new book in January. That planted the seed for much more to come, hopefully.

Then he got a little revenue generating writing gig from the folks over at TouringPlans to help pay the rent. Thank you Len. One of the funniest, smartest guys that he knows and father to one of the brightest kids he has ever met.

Never to sit still, he applied for a job at Universal Studios Hollywood to become a front line worker. They didn’t question his age, just tested abilities and enthusiasm. Plus, he gets to keep his beard. So now he has a minimum wage job at a theme park and couldn’t be more excited.

He also wanted to give a shoutout to the folks at PMC and RTKL who recognized what he had been doing professionally for the past dozen years and have tossed him a lifeline, which will hopefully blossom into much more. He has such profound respect for these people.

Finally, and this touched him in an incredible way, he heard from Dusty at MiceAge who offered him a chance to renew his pass if he would provide content for the greatest Disney fan site around. To say that this senior planner and wannabe writer was touched and flattered is an understatement.

He is still searching for that unicorn they call full-time work but he is thankful for what he has. That is his story. What does this mean?

So, for the month of December, Samland will be rerunning some of the videos that have been put together and maybe a few other surprises. I need to focus on finding full time work, and more importantly I want to raise money for Women at Work. There is a very real community of men and women that have come to rely on Women at Work to seek a better life for their families and to not be a burden on others. They are far more important than some touring tips or history and design lessons of a theme park. They need your help.

I know that times are very tough for everybody this year.

So I came with this plan to use this platform and to ask a favor from all of the wonderful readers who visit.

You will notice a DONATE button on the upper right hand corner. Everything you give will go to Women at Work. 100%. In January, I will start writing new content. But the need is now for this organization and I ask for your help.

I know you come here for light entertainment and not a dose of reality and I cannot express how difficult it is for me to resort to using this blog for such a selfish purpose but I cannot in good conscience write about a fantasy world brought to you by a major for-profit corporation when my heart is aching for those I encounter everyday at Women at Work. If you have any questions, please write me at Gennawey@yahoo.com.

Thank you,

Sam

Samland on the Disney Dispatch

I am proud to present my recent interview with the Disney Dispatch. This is a terrific website and I am proud that Bob selected me and my site. I guess I haven't really talked about why I do what I do around here so I leave to Bob's column to explain. Hope you enjoy.

You can find the interview here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Changes Coming to Samland

Stay tuned but major changes are coming to SamLand starting on Monday, November 29.

Book Review: Building A Dream: Roy O. Disney

Building A Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire

Bob Thomas

Hyperion

1998

$24.95

359 pages

Bob Thomas wrote Walt Disney: An American Original. It is an excellent book and one of the most referenced biographies for Walt Disney. This is a terrific companion and gives you another perspective on Walt, the Company, and especially Roy.

The book begins with a great story that provides insight into the brothers’ legendary relationship. Roy talks about a time when he, Walt, and their younger sister Ruth were walking along a path in Iowa. Walt was five and he found a pocketknife. Roy, who was thirteen at the time, took the knife away from Walt and told him, “You’ll cut yourself.” Around 1965, the two brothers got into an argument and Walt accused Roy of bullying him and “throwing his weight around.” Walt added, “You’ve been doin’ that since I was born” and reminded him about the knife. As Roy said, “That was sixty years later. Talk about an elephant!”

Walt’s three brothers were much older than he was. He had one younger sister. Roy was very close to Walt and they were more like companions than “a pesky little brother”. Roy always felt protective of Walt “Because there are always slickers to take you.” That would become a common theme throughout the book. They dealt with a lot of people that tried to take advantage of them.

Walt said, “I’ve been mad at people, but I could never carry a grudge for very long.” I am not sure would agree, however, in deed Walt did not express anger toward those that defected.

Some of those who did do the brothers wrong include Charles Mintz, who stole Oswald and Walt’s crew. Walt warned Mintz that, “These boys will do the same thing to you, Charlie. If they do it to me they’ll do it to you. Now watch out for them.” In the end, he lost the character to a takeover of the studio by his own artists just as Walt had predicted.

Another guy was Pat Powers who sold the Disney brothers the sound system for the Mickey cartoons. Closer to the brother’s heart was Ub Iwerks. He was there from the beginning and was the first to animate Mickey Mouse. He stayed behind when everybody else left to go work with Mintz. At one point he was making twice as much as Roy and Walt but he was lured away to start his own studio. That didn’t work out so he came back to Disney and became the mechanical genius that made movie magic for the studio.

And then there was CV Wood. He was the original construction manager for Disneyland and went on to build Freedomland in New York and Six Flags over Texas.

There were also people who came around at the right time. For example, director Frank Capra was the guy who hooked Walt and Roy up with the folks at Columbia Pictures and helped to cut the ties to Pat Powers. Also on the Disney’s side was A.P. Giannini who owned the Bank of America. He became an early believer and worked side by side with Roy for thirty years. Herman (Kay) Kamen was the marketing and merchandising wizard that ran the Disney licensing program. Even Charlie Chaplin who was also a supporter and advocate for Disney when they moved over to United Artists from Columbia. Another ally was Harrison “Buzz” Price who conducted more than 100 feasibility studies for Walt and Roy and was the guy who found the locations for Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

When the brothers moved from the Kingswell Avenue studio to the new facility on Hyperion, the brothers changed the name of the firm from The Disney Brothers Studio to Walt Disney Studio. As Roy told Disney archivist Dave Smith, “ It was my idea. Walt was the creative member of the team. His name deserved to be on the pictures.”

I love little details such as the way Roy tracked everything in small notebooks. One fact that stood out was the escalating costs of the early Mickey shorts.

Plane Crazy $3,528.50

The Gallopin’ Gaucho $4,249.73

Steamboat Willie $4,986.69

The Barn Dance $5,121.65

The Opry House $6,017.24

The Skeleton Dance $5,386.65

Walt commented that Roy “always lived with figures” and people like that were always looking back. Walt always wanted to look forward. Roy recognized that they would never make as much money as some of the “hard-boiled type” of movie people but they took pride in the product and the “satisfaction of running our business in a way that is fair to everyone connected with it.” He felt you didn’t need to take every dime from your customer.

Here is an obscure fact. The mechanical clock at Disneyland is based on one that Walt and Roy saw in Strasbourg. Apparently he tried to climb the tower but was denied. This was in 1935. Another little connection took place on the same trip. While in Rome, Walt, Roy and the family were treated like royalty. They dined at Alfredo’s. The restaurant is home of the Alfredo fettuccine, and one of the original restaurants in Epcot Center.

In 1936, when Disney left United Artists and went with RKO, it was over the issue of the television rights. This was something the Disneys did not want to give up.

As a way to diversify after World War II, the studio looked at educational films. Walt got fed up with the educators and declared, “Oh, to hell with it! From now on let’s make the word “educational” a dirty word around here. Let’s just make stick to entertainment.” He added, “We’ll give ‘em sugar-coated educational stuff.”

The idea for WED Enterprise was Roy’s. He wanted to make sure Walt’s family was taken care of in case something happened to Walt. Most of their wealth was tied into the studio’s stock. This arrangement would become a real problem between the brothers in a few years. WED Enterprise’s first project was going to be Zorro but that was put on hold to start Disneyland.

Because Thomas wrote one of the definitive books about Walt Disney, he was able to relay additional stories. One example was when Walt told Herb Ryman the reasons why he wanted to do things differently with his park. He reminded Herb that he liked to drink and “If people want one, they can get it elsewhere, not in my park.” He charged admission, which was unheard of because, “If we don’t we’ll get all kinds of drunks and molesters; they’ll be grabbing girls in the dark.” Another benefit for charging admission was “you’ll get a better class of people.” Finally, he wanted it clean. At most amusements parks, there “was all the crap that was everywhere.” He added, “You’re stepping on chewing gum and ice cream cones.”

The character of Honest John, the fox from Pinocchio is based on Ray Disney, Walt and Roy’s older brother.

The author also outlines the development process that was used by Walt and Roy. Walt would come up with an idea and flesh it out with just enough detail for Buzz Price to conduct a feasibility study. They would always ask the question “Yes, if”. If things looked good, it would move up with more planning, which could take some time. Before it got too far, Buzz might do another study before they went to Roy for the mutual green light. This was also one reason why Walt didn’t like attorneys. They tend to dwell in the land of “No”. Walt preferred to work in the positive.

Of course, it is common knowledge that Roy changed the Florida resort’s name to Walt Disney World to honor his brother. His rationale was everyone knew Ford cars but a lot of people don’t know about Henry Ford.

I thought this was funny. Even when engineers said that having the monorail run through the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World would be impossible, the Roy insisted because, as one person said it would look like “a place where the Goodyear blimps comes to mate.”

I found this to be an excellent book and very informative. Combined with the biography of Walt, you would get a well-rounded picture of the two brothers and how they were able to create an entertainment behemoth.

Disneyland Monorail: Front and Back

The Disneyland Monorail (aka The Bus on the Beam) is truly one of my favorite attractions. Revloutionary at the time of its introduction in 1959, the Monorail is still considered the "transportation system of the future" more than 50 years later. I am reminded of a comment made by Bob Gurr (the man who made it work) when he said it took 9 months from start to finish to invent and install the first system and four years to remodel it a couple of years ago. Many people know that you can ride in the front of the Monorail (at least in California. That is no longer possible in Florida) but how many of you know you can also ride in the back?

Let's go for a ride, eh? It is a bit shaky as you are hanging over the rear wheels.

However, if you want to see how the Monorail pilot operates the machine, you have to ride up front. The controls of the latest version is state-of-the-art with video screens to complement the switches and controls.

For many of us theme park geeks, the Monorail pilot must seem like the dream job. Just imagine, back in 1964 or so, the Alweg company made an offer to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to build a prototype system of 40 miles. The Board turned them down stating they would rather invest in more freeways.

Book Review: The Vault of Walt

THE VAULT OF WALT

Unofficial, Unauthorized, Uncensored Disney Stories Never Told

By Jim Korkis

459 pages

$19.95

AyefourPublishing.com

For many of us who are Disney trivia geeks, Jim could be considered the Dean of the Disney History School. If you ever have a chance to hear him on Lou Mongello’s show or other podcasts, you will see how infectious his energy is and his passion for the park’s little details is second to none. So it was with great anticipation I awaited his first book.

I think the best way to approach this book is to think of it this way. Let’s say you are reading a conventional book about some aspect of Disney. Jim’s book is the side companion that fills in the gaps between the paragraphs and adds texture to what you are reading. He has tried very hard to find the stuff that nobody else had found. His access to information is legendary.

So who is this Jim Korkis character anyway? For the past 30 years, he has written many articles on the subject of Disney. He grew up in Glendale and became friends with many of the original Imagineers and executives. As a teenager he would write down the names of the people in the movie credits, look up their number in the phone book, and then give them a call. It worked. He worked in Orlando for a while and even worked for the Disney Institute and other jobs around the resort.

But Jim may be best known as Wade Sampson who wrote a weekly column for Mouseplanet. Once the book came out he was able to discard the disguise.

Jim claims that, “None of the stories in this section appear in any of those other sources, except, on very rare occasion, in a brief sentence or two.” As a person who has read many books on the subject, he is right. There are lots of new things to discover within these pages.

Now my typical book review would highlight some of the key points or new observations. But there is just no way to carve out what those are in this book as everything is a highlight. There are just too many stories. We do learn that he is not a fan of The Aristocats but has learned to enjoy the movie because of the way it was developed and because of a woman who claimed it was her favorite movie. His attitude is that somebody out there likes something and you should not prejudge.

Jim is also on a mission. As a frequent guest on the Lou Mongello podcast, he feels that as time passes many of the stories about Disney are getting lost and the next generation of Cast Members will be missing out. He wants to make sure that somebody has documented this stuff.

For the uber-Disney geek, I could not recommend this book more highly. It is a quick read with dozens of short essays. I think a real positive is the exposure to some of the more obscure things that came out of Disney, which will make you want to hunt these movies down or to visit that particular part of the parks. A great holiday gift for somebody on your list who just loves Disney background stories.

I received this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Themed Entertainment Association Awards Annoucement

I thought that you might find it fun to see who is getting this year's Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) awards. The objective for the awards is to "seek, gauge, and celebrate excellence in storytelling that supports the creation of compelling places and guest experiences. From the Press Release:

Orlando, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010 -- “The annual Thea Awards, presented by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), recognize and honor excellence in the creation of extraordinary visitor experiences, attractions, exhibits and places,” says incoming TEA president Rick Rothschild of FAR Out! Creative Direction. “Storytelling and teamwork are the heart of the Experience Design Industry and its projects. TEA’s Thea Awards celebrate storytelling across the globe - educational and entertaining stories of heritage, history, fiction, fantasy, magic and even hard science – delivered with artistry and the appropriate use of technology at museums, theme parks, world expos, special events and other settings. The Thea Awards also honor teamwork at its very best – the creative handshake between the visionary project owner and the multidisciplinary collective of designers, artisans and technicians who realize the vision. Also, this year we commemorate the late Harrison “Buzz” Price, who at the very first Thea Awards in 1994 was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In his honor, we’ve renamed it the ‘Buzz Price Award, recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements.’

The Thea Awards Nominating Committee (listed below) recommended the current slate of 15 Thea recipients, with final approval by the TEA International Board of Directors. The Awards will be formally presented March 12, 2011 at the 17th Annual Thea Awards Gala, to be held at the Globe Theatre, Universal Studios Hollywood. The Awards Gala, sponsored by Economics at AECOM, is an elegant, black-tie dinner event and is open to the public. Tickets/more information: www.teaconnect.org.

17th Annual Thea Award Recipients

The Buzz Price Award – Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements
(formerly the Thea Lifetime Achievement Award)
Kim Irvine, Art Director, Disneyland

Thea Classic Award
The Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA

Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement

Along the River During the Qingming Festival, China Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 (Expo Pavilion Exhibit)

The National Infantry Museum, Columbus, Georgia USA (Museum)

The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, USA (Museum)

Science Storms, Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago USA

(Museum/Science Center Exhibit)

Beyond All Boundaries, Solomon Victory Theater, National World War II Museum, New Orleans USA (Museum Attraction)

Glasnevin Museum, Dublin, Ireland (Museum)

World of Color, Disney California Adventure, Anaheim USA (Nighttime Spectacular)

ICT Mobile Device, Information and Communications Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 (Integration of Technology and Storytelling)

“Flynn Lives,” ComiCon 2010 San Diego, Calif. USA (Promotional Event)

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Resort Orlando, USA (New Theme Park Land)

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Resort Orlando, USA (Thematic Integration of Retail, Food & Beverage Experiences)

“Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey,” Universal Resort Orlando, USA (Feature Attraction)

“Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey,” Universal Resort Orlando, USA (Technical Achievement)

The Buzz Price Award – Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements

(formerly the Thea Lifetime Achievement Award)

Kim Irvine, Art Director, Disneyland
Kim Irvine began her career at Walt Disney Imagineering in 1970. Working alongside her mother Leota Toombs (recent Disney Legend for her Imagineering contributions) Kim was able to learn her skills under such greats as Mary Blair, John Hench, Mark Davis, and Claude Coats. John Hench would become Kim’s mentor, as he relied on her more and more for her color expertise, a skill for which John was the undisputed master. This skill would serve Kim well over the ensuing decades that she would lead the art direction at Disneyland, always finding new pallets of color and emotion to keep the Park appealing to the ever evolving demographic. Kim contributed to many of the early attractions at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Epcot including: Small World, interiors for the Contemporary Resort, The Land, Universe of Energy, Germany and Mexico pavilions. In 1980, Kim joined the Disneyland Design Studio and pioneered the development and evolution of that team as a model for the branches that exist in Disney’s resort locations around the world.

In her long held role as Art Director for Disneyland, Kim has been responsible for such projects as the Disneyland 50th celebration, most notably Sleeping Beauty Castle itself, and color schemes and symbolic designs representing each of Disneyland’s five decades. Kim was entrusted with the redesign of John Hench’s classic Plaza Inn Restaurant, the creation of Rancho Del Zocalo Restaurant in Frontierland and most recently, the complete concept for the magical Disneyland Dream Suite in New Orleans Square. While Disneyland has kept Kim busy, she can always squeeze in time for projects elsewhere when her expertise is keenly needed. As an example, the Disneyland Paris Castle interior and its Carrousel benefited from the loan of Kim’s talent. During the last year, Kim led the effort to reimagine “it’s a small world,” bringing new life to the 45-year-old classic, design of the new Disney Gallery and interiors for the new Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln exhibit on Main Street U.S.A., along with a variety of highly themed merchandise experiences.

Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (Museum)
The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, Calif. USA

Celebrating its first anniversary on October 1, this museum was built, owned and operated by Walt Disney’s own family, with no direct connection to The Walt Disney Company. It is located in a series of historical buildings at The Presidio of San Francisco, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area of the National Park Service. The Museum is easily a half-day experience even for casual visitors, because it houses so much original material -- drawings, artifacts, models, photos, three dimensional objects, etc. – created by Disney staff under Walt’s direction for films, television and the Disney theme parks for over 40 years. There are one-of-a-kind presentations (i.e., a model of Disneyland, supervised by Tony Baxter, that includes ideas Walt imagined but never built in the Anaheim park), audio and video recordings on over 200 video monitors exploring the Disney creative process during the Walt years, inclusion of many Disney creators that make clear Walt did not do it alone, and a balanced explanation of Walt’s darkest time: the Studio strike in 1941. There are artifacts unique to the Museum; for example, a brand new Multi-plane Camera rig, two stories tall, built for the Museum by Thea Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Don Iwerks. Also on display are the 32 Academy Awards presented to Walt Disney. The Walt Disney Family Foundation regularly presents special programs including screenings of films made during Walt’s time and has embarked on an ambitious program to engage school children in weekend creative activities.

Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (Nighttime Spectacular)
World of Color, Disney California Adventure, Anaheim USA
This nighttime fountain spectacular is a visual and technical marvel, and an important focal point in the reimagining of Disney California Adventure theme park. World of Color comes in the form of nearly 1,200 fountains, some shooting higher than 200 feet. Mist screens that can become 380 feet wide; as wide as the 15 million gallon Paradise Bay Lagoon itself, are the background palette of the show. A wide range of other elements includes Disney and Pixar animated film scene projections, lighting, lasers, fog, fire and music - adding up to some 18,000 points of show control. Five years in the making, the 26-minute show takes its name from the 1960s television series “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.” A sense of the size and scope of this attraction can be further conveyed through a short list of the eight types of fountain attachments used: Four butterfly fountains, six dancer nozzles with intertwining dual nozzles, ten 200-foot geysers and 12 flower spouts, 76 water whips with heads that can turn in any direction, 400 chasers and 600 grid fountains at eight foot intervals complete the list.

Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (Promotional Event)
“Flynn Lives,” ComiCon 2010, San Diego, Calif. USA

“Flynn Lives” was the title of Disney’s TRON ARG (Alternate Reality Game) that combined elements of promotion, puzzles, game play, scavenger hunting and location-based entertainment into a completely new kind of guest experience. To promote the upcoming TRON LEGACY (a sequel/reboot of the groundbreaking original TRON film), this ARG created an experiential groundswell of interest in the film over nearly two years, leveraging social media and online connectivity to tell a compelling, immersive story that feels inherently part of the digital world of the film, filled with labyrinthine computer networks and competitive video games.

Starting with influential online bloggers and fans, the game created a “resistance movement” themed to the film’s mysterious digital-world storyline, told through numerous interconnected websites and real-world puzzles. This created a parallel story to the film, both online and within the real world - the characters from the movies would affect the player’s real lives with media, events, and rewards. All of the game’s events encouraged global collaboration - many puzzles could not be solved by a single player, and were played by people all over the world. Each step of the game would result in a real-world event; players were often rewarded with game “swag” mailed to them from the resistance movement, keeping them engaged. Certain puzzles led to secret real-world “drops” or phone calls with clandestine clues. Each step of the ARG progressed in scope and scale to include more and more of the real world. In particular, major real-world events like ComicCon included giant location-based attractions as part of the ARG, such as a full-size arcade recreated from the film at ComicCon 2009, and the futuristic “End Of Line” nightclub at ComicCon 2010 - a themed environment with wrap-around HD projection to create the feeling of flying inside the computer world.

Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (New Theme Park Land)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Thematic Integration of Retail, Food & Beverage Experiences)
“Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” (Feature Attraction)
“Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” (Technical Achievement)
Universal Resort Orlando, USA

The challenge was to deliver a real world version of a magical place imagined in the vivid pages of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter stories. The phenomenally successful book series evoked images that would difficult to create in the world of film, let alone theme parks. With film, the magical world was extended to infinity through digital effects and by restricting the views of the camera. Designers from the Harry Potter film world would later say that it wasn’t until Orlando that they first saw Hogwarts Castle and its magical world all together in one place. In creating the New Theme Park Land for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, everyone from J K Rowling on down was intent to deliver a world that could hold up to intense scrutiny of rabid Potter fans. From the minute detail of windows displaying chocolate frogs - pulled from Rowling’s writings, to larger spaces detailing the likes of the Hog’s Head Pub, Ollivanders Wand Shop, or the Owl Post. At the other extreme is the jaw dropping grand overview of Hogsmeade Village and the imposing edifice of Hogwarts Castle draped in a mantle of winter white. Somehow, it has all been magically transported to steamy Central Florida. These environments on their own have achieved a level of believability that moves fans emotionally. It is not so much replicative architecture as it is the storytelling of magical places, times and feelings, made real by “inhabitants” sharing their magical trappings, habits and foods. Suspension of disbelief in the film version requires massive doses of celluloid trickery to complete the illusion. Come to Orlando and inhabit for a time, a real magical world, just an exit removed from Interstate 4.

The Feature Attraction of the Wizarding World is called “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.” The scope of this adventure is massive. This state of the art attraction resides beneath the most imposing structure in the Wizarding World, Hogwarts Castle. The “Journey” begins with a queue that winds guests through the most memorable story settings in the Castle. Exhibiting extraordinary detail, this preshow includes a look into Dumbledore’s Office, and the Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom, where convincing images of key film characters set up the ride premise. In the Portrait Gallery, paintings come to life with an unmatched level of reality; while an animatronic Sorting Hat gives guests their final instructions for the journey. The level of showmanship to this point has surpassed what would typically be found in a major attraction, but it merely creates anticipation for what lies ahead---a ride like no other ride ever experienced.

The “enchanted bench” ride vehicle behaves in a way that defies every show/ride system in operation to this point in time. Its movement through Harry’s daring world of adventure can only be described as magical. No track, no hint of where you are going, just complete immersion in the story scenes, and so the “Journey” unfolds.

With the aid of Hermione’s magic, the bench lifts up and behaves as though it had come to life, hurling guests from one adventure scene to the next, first out front, then on your back and over to your side and then down below. After joining Harry for a short round of Quidditch with Draco Malfoy, we quickly get sidetracked into a darker world of Hungarian Horntail Dragons, Acromantula Giant Spiders, the Whomping Willow Tree and of course the dreaded Dementors. Harry is able to rescue the guests by summoning his “Patronus” to drive the Dementors away allowing us to fly back to the safety of Hogwarts to celebrate winning the Quidditch Match. It will take several rides to drink in all that the brain has to process in what is a totally new way of experiencing a story. The Technical Achievement of this ride system introduces a robotic arm (with a seating bench where the hand should be) into a dimensional environment where sets, film and animated effects are traveled in around and through, in a seamless series of events. A major technical achievement is the computer controlled interface that allows these free ranging/massive machines to perform in harmony with loading belts, walking guests, and an ADA spur track that can cycle additional vehicles into the orderly running system. Once all these operational issues are engaged, the show systems sync with the 40 + moving vehicles, co-coordinating animation and filmed sequences to each “bench” full of guests—each dispatched at an astounding seven seconds. The unique aspects of the robotic arm allow it to place guests in the center of a scene; for example, a giant astrolabe where you are surrounded by massive metal rings… with no apparent break for ride track visible above or below. Three times during the “flying” journey the vehicle syncs with revolving dome screens that allow for extended time in thrill/story sequences with the lead characters. The transfer from practical sets to filmed simulator environment is virtually seamless. This system and its software allow “Forbidden Journey” to safely deliver a new kind of experience in a magical way, raising the bar on the art and science of themed entertainment.

Usually, a major creative accomplishment ends here. The operating group steps in to take care of the needs and desires for food, merchandise, etc., and the seamless themed environment so carefully crafted is jarred by real world drink and merchandise brands, churro and beer carts, etc. But the Wizarding World is not usual. An amazing Thematic Integration of Retail, Food & Beverage Experiences has been created at a level where guests willingly wait an hour to go into a Wand Shop, when the same product is readily available from carts. The interaction between “guests and wizard” in that shop is not to be missed, and under different circumstances could stand alone as a show. What transpires show wise in this encounter turns into a merchandise feeding frenzy as the guests move on deeper into the retail area. Brilliant idea! Magic is plentiful everywhere in the stores. There are carnivorous books, jousting statues of knights, skeletons with birds attacking their marble-like eyeballs, US Postage Stamps with iconic scenes that can be “posted” via owl, and authentic school robes and gowns that add 10 degrees to the already roasting Orlando summer.

There are Chocolate Frogs and nasty tasting “Every Flavored” jellybeans, but the signature concoctions are the scratch blended beverages, Pumpkin Juice and Butter Beer. (It is rumored that Rowling had buy-off on the taste!) If the beer is purchased from the Hog’s Head Pub, there is a show to accompany the dispensing of the drink featuring, what else, the Hog’s head. This all could be an eye opener for operators that are buried by the usual trinkets and fast food on exhibit at IAAPA. It is amazing to enter a park environment and not find cola, churros or branded water.