Roger Gould, creative director, Theme Parks, Pixar Animation Studios, says Bruce is one of many characters that will star in interactive experiences in the Animator's Palate onboard the Disney Dream.
D23 goes behind the scenes of the magic — and technology — of the new Disney Dream ship.
When you receive an invitation to visit Walt Disney Imagineering, you don’t turn it down. And when that invitation is to get a first look at some of the dazzling technology that will be on display for guests on the new Disney Dream, well, you really don’t turn it down. Last week, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) and Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) held a small gathering to proudly present their latest creative innovations, and D23 had a front row seat for the festivities. Now we’re taking you with us for the journey we experienced.
Entering the hallowed halls of WDI in Glendale, California, there’s an immediate sense of excitement. Monitors brightly beam behind-the-scenes footage of the latest attractions under development. Oversized attraction posters adorn the hallways. The air crackles with creative energy.
First we were led to a small conference room where DCL Publicity Director Jason Lasecki and Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Show Producer Bob Zalk explain the basics of the Disney Dream, the new ship which will sail its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida, on January 26, 2011. The super-sized ship will hold nearly twice as many guests as its sister ships, the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder (4,000 vs. 2,700). Many of its attributes — including its three signature restaurants, expanded youth activity areas, enhanced adult spaces and the eagerly anticipated AquaDuck water coaster — were detailed in the Winter 2009 issue of Disney twenty-three. It was stressed that everything we would be seeing today was still a work in progress. Names, themes and design elements all might change before the Dream takes to the waters.
Unlike park attractions, Bob said, Disney cruise ships provide “a great challenge for us, because guests are living with us for a number of days.” But there is something they have in common. “It’s all about storytelling,” he said before leading us into one of WDI’s concept labs where the storytelling truly began.
VIRTUAL SEA-ALITY
While DCL strives to make sure there are as many exterior-facing rooms on board their ships as possible, the Dream will have about 150 interior rooms. On virtually every cruise ship, guests just have a nice wall to look at — perhaps a cheerful piece of art. Imagineers decided that just because a room is windowless, that doesn’t mean there can’t be a view.
In every interior stateroom on the Dream, a Virtual Porthole (also dubbed “Magical Porthole”) will be installed. When turned on (yes, they turn off), interior-facing guests will actually enjoy an ocean view. And with the help of high-def cameras, guests in these rooms see the sea in real time, essentially the same view as their across-the-hall neighbors in ocean-facing staterooms, Bob explained as he led us to a Porthole — a large LCD screen framed with a circular piece of plywood — being used for testing.
In every interior stateroom on the Dream, a Virtual Porthole (also dubbed “Magical Porthole”) will be installed, says Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Show Producer Bob Zalk (seen here). When turned on, interior-facing guests will actually enjoy an ocean view — not a simulated one — courtesy of multiple high-definition cameras installed all around the ship.
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The fantastical twist is that when looking through your Virtual Porthole, you may enjoy a visit from some familiar Disney faces. Peach from Finding Nemo was shown in tests last year against a computer-generated ocean. Today, we’re treated to actual ocean footage, which Imagineers used to see how well Disney animated characters shine against a live-action background. The answer? Incredibly well. As amazing as the Virtual Porthole looks in online footage, there’s something truly breathtaking about watching it in action. Not only did we get to see a giant wave toss Peach onto the porthole, we got a glimpse of Carl Fredricksen’s Up house float by and Dumbo even swooped in to pay a visit. Rotoscoping — a process where pieces of animation are removed from their backgrounds — is used to gather some of the animated footage, which is then painstakingly placed against the ocean backdrop.
Next to the mock-up porthole was a large bulletin board with pictures of more than a dozen familiar Disney and Disney·Pixar characters framed by a porthole and set over the sea. Jiminy Cricket, Flik and Heimlich, Mickey and Minnie in Plane Crazy, Owl and Winnie the Pooh, Aladdin and Jasmine, Kaa, Orville the albatross, Tinker Bell, Peter Pan & the Darling children, Goofy, Stitch, Buzz Lightyear flying holding Woody, and Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are just a few of the characters, Bob told us, under consideration for guest-pleasing roles.
While the characters themselves won’t speak (they are on the outside of the ship and you’re inside, after all), Bob says there will likely be a little “pixie dust announcement” to alert occupants that a character is about to pop in. “We don’t want to make it too subtle,” he explains with a laugh. And thanks to the incredible technology, each stateroom will see different characters at different times.
GAMES THAT PLAY WITH YOU
Following our peek at the Porthole, we were brought to a spacious demonstration room, bursting with some of the new, interactive elements that will be incorporated into the Dream. “It’s storytelling with technology,” explained WDI Principal Concept Designer Greg Butkus. “It gives you a deeper level of immersion.”
Enjoying samples of the ship’s Enchanted Art — pictures that look like static images, which — thanks to high-tech LCD screens — will leap to colorful life for passengers from decks one through 13.
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The first eye-popping pieces shown to us were samples of the ship’s Enchanted Art — pictures that look like static images, which — thanks to high-tech LCD screens — will leap to colorful life for passengers from decks one through 13.
Associate Interactive Show Producer Estafania Pickens guided us through the three pieces they are currently working with (there will be 23 in total): Minnie Lisa (Minnie looking like the Mona Lisa), a photograph of Walt during his 1941 goodwill tour of South America and a “cel” from the Mickey Mouse short Boat Builders. All of the art is currently placed in plywood frames — “We use a lot of plywood,” Bob notes.
First up was a photograph of Walt with artist Frank Thomas and another animator on the beach in Rio de Janeiro. It was this trip that inspired Walt’s Latin-American delights Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, so it’s only appropriate that after standing in front of the photo, in swoop José Carioca and Panchito on a flying carpet to say hola! The animation for the piece — which is slated to hang in the adults only Cove Café — is a mix of pre-existing animation and customized art.
Next, when a guest stands in front of the Minnie Lisa, Minnie bats her eyes, birds sail across the horizon behind her and romantic hearts bubble up as music plays.
And finally, when the Boat Builders image comes to life, Mickey, Goofy and Donald set their minds to, well, building a boat. But, Estefania reveals, “within the same image there are multiple animations.” A fact illustrated best when we watch Mickey and pals first construct the S.S. Minnie. Then the the S.S. Goofy. Then the S.S. Donald — all in hilarious new animations.
Other art planned includes a picture of a pirate ship and a fort that do battle with each other across a room; Andy’s crayon drawings from Toy Story that will jump to life; as well as pieces showcasing Bambi, Ursula (utilizing creations from World of Color contributing artist Megan Brain), Fantasia and another with Walt in which his Alice comedies play an integral role — the Imagineering team is truly utilizing Disney’s rich legacy to great effect.
The Magic Play-floor features 28 large screen panels (boasting a whopping 14 million pixels!) fitted together to create an oversized video game monitor. Sixteen touch/weigh-sensitive pads outline the floor, and players stand on them to “control” the action in this exhilarating innovation to gaming technology.
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Other pieces of Enchanted Art will be even more interactive. Ever dreamed of steering Captain Hook’s pirate ship through Never Land’s lagoon? Just walk up to the stunning “painting” of the ship. In front, you’ll notice a steering wheel and a lever, which put you in the driver’s seat. As you steer through the waters, visual icons (tiki torches on the beach, for example) will beckon you, and as you reach each icon, new effects will appear (like a shimmering rainbow). And just in case there are lengthy lines to play captain (although the “game” will automatically time out to give others a chance), all the Enchanted Art will be available to interact with 24 hours a day.
But several pieces of art actually play a duel role, Estefania said, as she guided us to the Hyperion Detective Agency (the name is a working title) — a new game guests will be able to play all over the entire ship. Like the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure guests can experience at Epcot, passengers will check in at a desk and select which mystery they want to solve. For the launch, “The Case of the Missing Puppies” and “The Cast of the Stolen Artwork” are slated to be the choices. Players will be given a simple card with a checkered pattern (which takes the places of the Kimmunicator device) and a map of the ship identifying several Enchanted Art “hot spots” which will activate when the card is held up to the artwork. The map also has a list of several suspicious characters — the queen from Snow White, Jafar, Maleficent, Yzma, Dr. Facilier, and Captain Hook — who may have done the deed, and by unlocking each clue, guests solve the mystery.
Thanks to technological advances, the game — which WDI tested on the Magic to great success — can change each time you play it with a different villain having done the deed. “You can come back and have a completely different experience,” Estefania notes. The games are self-guided and play-at-your-own-pace, so passengers can play over an afternoon or the entire length of their cruise, if they choose. And the playing card can be kept as a souvenir at the end of your trip!
A design for the Oceaneer’s Lab onboard the Dream.
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Then it was time to hit the Magic Play-floor. Placed in the center of the interactive room was the incredibly large play-floor, 28 large screen panels (boasting a whopping 14 million pixels!) fitted together to create an oversized video game monitor. Sixteen touch/weigh-sensitive pads outline the floor, and players stand on them to “control” the action in this exhilarating innovation to gaming technology.
“It’s like bringing the playground inside,” Bob noted, explaining that there will be play-floors in both the Oceaneer’s Lab and the Oceaneer’s Club, the youth-centric spaces on the ship. We played several games, including Tron’s Virus Attack and one where, running from side to side on the floor to shift our collective weight, we helped “tilt” the floor to get Bolt‘s Rhino in his hamster ball through a maze. Lest anyone think this is couch potato heaven, I broke into a sweat after a few minutes of jumping over a laser beam in another game. There will also be less strenuous activities like a puzzle game, and all the activities — always supervised by a counselor — are meant to inspire cooperative play between kids.
For kids who can’t run and jump, there are detachable light pad controllers so they can get in on the fun, and game difficulty can be increased depending on the age and levels of the players.
A TEMPTING PALATE
Our group then boarded a small bus to shuttle from WDI’s Glendale campus to their Tajunga facility near the Burbank Airport for the final stop of the day. Upon entering an enormous, nondescript hangar, we were guided into DCL’s beloved restaurant, Animator’s Palate. Not the real restaurant, of course, but a mockup of what the Dream‘s version of the dining room will look like.
On the Magic and the Wonder, the color scheme of the restaurant is black and white, and (as anyone who has sailed on a Disney cruise ship knows), during your meal, the entire place — from the walls to the artwork to the waitstaff’s attire — transforms into vibrant color.
The Animator’s Palate on board the Disney Dream.
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The Dream‘s version is a new take on the original idea. Guests will walk into what looks to be an old-fashioned animation studio with hardwood floors, animator’s reference books and maquettes, all drenched in warm sepia tones. One hundred twenty-nine LCD monitors are thoughtfully placed throughout the room’s nine “show zones,” which are almost alcove-like and provide a more intimate dining experience in a restaurant that will be serving about 700 guests simultaneously.
We were shown a short video which demonstrated how Imagineers, after crafting a large model of what the restaurant would look like, “built” the room in a computer so they could see exactly how everything would appear. They are even able to use the program to “sit” in every seat in the restaurant to see what the view looks like!
Since we were in a restaurant, it was only appropriate that we had some lunch, while taking in the detailed surroundings. (Does this mean we were among the first to eat in the new Animator’s Palate?) While much of the décor was just images printed out on oversized pieces of paper, the effect was dazzling. Maquettes of some of the seven dwarfs lined a top shelf while dozens of books filled the row below. The monitors featured static images of concept art from Finding Nemo (culled from Pixar’s archives) and brightly hued still pictures of Nemo‘s coral reef.
“Is everyone enjoying their cruise?” joked WDI show writing director Steven Spiegel who walked to the front of the room — along with Roger Gould, creative director, Theme Parks, Pixar Animation Studios — to share some more surprises. They explained that in taking Animator’s Palate to the next level, they were curious if enhanced show elements would add or detract from passengers’ meals. So they brought a magician onto one of the Disney ships to see how it would play out. “People loved it!” Steve says.
They found the perfect time to start these interactive experiences was about 20 minutes into the meal. And at that moment — as if we’d been sitting for just 20 minutes — bubbles began to drift through all the pictures, the lights dimmed and changed to a watery effect, and the monitor images all transformed into a vibrant undersea world.
“Enchanted Art” planned for the Dream.
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Moments later, fan favorite Crush the sea turtle swam onto one of the central screens in the room. “150 years and still young!” he announced. After a few moments of chatting with us (including a light chastising for enjoying the fish at lunch — “Fish are friends. Not food,” Crush chided), Steven and Roger explained how the Turtle Talk attraction had given them the idea to take that interactivity to the next level. “We saw how powerful it was with guests,” Roger stated. Multiple monitors allowed Crush to swim back and forth across our room chatting up several guests.
For one hour Crush will talk with diners throughout the restaurant. Because each of the zones will have its own monitors, Crush won’t be the only fish in the sea, so to speak. Nemo, Marlin, Dori, Bruce, Anchor, Chum, Mr. Ray, the moonfish and the gang from the tank will all be making the rounds, many of them also capable of talking with guests — and playing games, too. The moonfish will engage guests in round of charades (a pirate ship! A seahorse!), and Bubbles played volleyball with Bloat around the monitors much to our amusement. To say the experience was astounding would be an understatement.
A Disney Dream smokestack is fitted onto the ship’s hull in the Meyer Werft shipbuilding yard in Papenburg, Germany.
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Crush (along with Stitch) will appear daily in Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, where they’ll catch up with kids. And Crush will be paying attention. So don’t be surprised if one day your little one tells Crush he is going to go snorkeling on Castaway Cay and that night at dinner Crush asks what he saw.
Roger and Steven also revealed that the Palate would utilize over 50 minutes of new, original animation. And the grand finale of the night will definitely get people on their feet. That’s because Crush will teach the entire dining room how to surf. “We’re going to turn the entire restaurant into the EAC,” Roger reveals.
The space is also unique because the show — “Undersea Magic” — is reprogrammable, allowing Imagineers to craft a new experience down the line (perhaps a trip into space with Stitch?) for diners to enjoy. “We wanted to create a space that had flexibility,” Steven says.
But now it was time to head back to the WDI Glendale campus, our cars and real life. But come next January, you can bet I’ll be ready to immerse myself into the magic of the Dream.
By D23′s Jeffrey Epstein.
To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a cruise vacation onboard the Disney Dream, visit disneycruise.com.
