'Imagineers' describe creative process at Disney

It takes a little more than "wishing upon a star" to make Disney's dreams of theme parks and ride attractions come true. That's what two Disney "Imagineers" -- members of Disney's creative team who design and develop its entertainment attractions -- told more than 125 students who packed a large Steinberg-Dietrich Hall classroom Friday morning. In a lecture sponsored by the Wharton Undergraduate Association, Imagineers Joe DiNunzio and Brad Geagley explained the creative process behind the development of Disney's theme park attractions. The pair also hyped up the new "high-tech, indoor and interactive" DisneyQuest theme park, set to open at 8th and Market streets by the summer of 2000. The DisneyQuest facility is a key component of Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell's plans to revitalize the downtown area and is touted as a potential jumpstart to the city's tourism industry. DiNunzio, who is Disney's senior vice president of new product development, explained that Imagineer teams start the creative process with brainstorming sessions, where groups of script writers, engineers, managers and Disney Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner suggest ideas. After generating a simplistic "concept statement" and "rubberhead" Disney character mascot for inspiration, the group joins other members of Disney's staff -- including artists, computer engineers, ride designers and real estate investors -- to further develop the idea behind a theme park attraction. Geagley said Imagineers also work with marketing consultants, psychologists and educators who evaluate rides for content. "While the idea is king, the ultimate focus has to be product," said DiNunzio. Imagineers also conduct extensive research to find real estate, budget the project, determine park tickets, make the rides safe and limit the amount of time park-goers spend waiting in line. And even after the park is constructed and the Disney marketing blitz has occurred, the Imagineers must find ways to maintain the experience. "We have millions of visitors, and we have to get it right every time," DiNunzio said. In the afternoon, the two Imagineers also ran a closed-door, interactive brainstorming session for Wharton MBA students in Management Professor Gabriel Szulanski's section. Szulanski -- who frequently invites consultants and executives to share their experiences with his class -- said that the Imagineers were a natural choice to demonstrate the "disciplined imagination" process he teaches. "They are a great example. The name 'Imagineer' is a hybrid of the term that combines imagination with engineer," he explained. The new indoor DisneyQuest theme park in Philadelphia -- one of 30 of its kind in the nation -- will contain four high-tech zones that house several attractions including a virtual dinosaur rafting safari, a "Mighty Ducks" pinball game that allows visitors to control the action by serving as human joysticks and a roller-coaster simulator that allows guests to create their own rides.

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