The Tomorrow Society Podcast

I’m fascinated to learn more about the development of Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the 1990s. Joe Rohde and his team built concepts that would ultimately lead to Walt Disney World’s fourth theme park. This year represents the park’s 25th anniversary, and it’s the perfect time to speak with Imagineers from that group.… Read more... The post 193. Tom Sze on Developing the Concepts for Disney’s Animal Kingdom appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

There’s so much potential in themed entertainment to change minds and influence our world. A perfect example is Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which encourages conservation while also providing great entertainment. The art of Morgan Lee Richardson takes a similar approach and gives a positive view of wildlife and the natural environment.… Read more... The post 192. Morgan Lee Richardson on Avengers Campus and the Power of Conservation Art appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

If you’ve enjoyed nighttime entertainment at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, there’s a good chance that Don Dorsey helped create it. During more than 45 years working with Disney and other companies, he has played a key role in shaping parades and fireworks shows at theme parks and beyond.… Read more... The post 191. Don Dorsey on the Main Street Electrical Parade, Fantasmic!, and Illuminations: Reflections of Earth appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

It’s an exciting and surprising time in the world of theme parks, which typically starts the new year at a slow pace. Instead, both Universal and Disney just keep announcing major changes. Disney has been consistently making updates ever since Bob Iger returned as CEO.… Read more... The post 190. Tim Grassey on EPCOT’s Transformation and a Crazy Week of Theme Park News appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Few theme parks existed in West Germany when Alexander Bresinsky grew up during the ’80s. An interest in technology and engineering led him to an industry that was just getting started. He formed his first company Lichtwerk in 1986 for laser show technology, and that was just the beginning.… Read more... The post 189. Alexander Bresinsky on Building a Themed Entertainment Career in Germany appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Rick Barongi was one of the key figures in bringing Disney’s Animal Kingdom to life in the 1990s. As the top animal executive for the creative development, planning, and construction of the park, Rick played an important part in making it successful.… Read more... The post 188. Rick Barongi on the Development of Disney’s Animal Kingdom appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

It’s hard to predict when Disneyland will connect with you. Some of us became fans early on as kids, while others got the bug as adults. Matt Mason visited the park when he was young but wasn’t a diehard fan. More recently, he found himself becoming obsessed with Disneyland.… Read more... The post 187. Matt Mason on At the Corner of Fantasy and Main: Disneyland, Midlife, and Churros appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

It’s a surprisingly busy time for Disney as we approach the end of 2022. Several weeks ago, they made the shocking decision to replace CEO Bob Chapek with former leader Bob Iger. This decision has raised questions about the next steps for Disney in every medium.… Read more... The post 186. Carlye Wisel on the D23 Expo, Galactic Starcruiser, and the Return of Bob Iger appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Many of us have dreamed about working for Walt Disney Imagineering, especially during the massive expansions of the parks in the ’80s and ’90s. This goal actually happened for Ryan Harmon while he was still in college in 1987. He joined Disney as a 20-year-old and worked on projects like the Disney/MGM Studios during his five-year stint.… Read more... The post 185. Ryan Harmon on Carving a New Path After Walt Disney Imagineering appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Everyone just loves Disneyland; even Santa wants to visit! He has a lot of stops to make for Christmas, and he still has time to swing by the Happiest Place on Earth. That’s the premise of Santa Stops at Disneyland, the new Little Golden Book written by Ethan Reed.… Read more... The post 184. Ethan Reed on Santa Stops at Disneyland appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

It’s an interesting time in the world of theme parks, especially for Disney. Their parks are still drawing large crowds, but not everything is going so well. Following the announcements at the recent D23 Expo, I had a lot of questions about Disney’s future.… Read more... The post 183. Len Testa on the Future of Disney’s Theme Parks and Universal’s Epic Universe appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

When people think of Disney, the first thought isn’t usually inventive architecture. However, there was a period of time where the company’s buildings showcased cool, original designs. Renowned post-modern architects like Michael Graves and Robert A.M. Stern designed striking places for Disney.… Read more... The post 182. Drew Taylor on Post-Modernist Architecture and Disney’s New Aesthetics appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

When creating theme park attractions, you can have amazing ideas. That’s only part of equation, however. There’s still the matter of making that vision a reality. The teams of talented Imagineers that work in the field deserve more attention. During his 25 years at Walt Disney Imagineering, Mark Gilbert was responsible for producing Show Elements for countless major projects.… Read more... The post 181. Imagineer Mark Gilbert on Working on the Ground to Create Disney’s Theme Parks appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Mark Page never planned to work for Walt Disney Imagineering; he nearly missed his interview and was focused on film projects. That first meeting ultimately led to more than 15 years at WDI. Mark started drawing at five years old and enjoyed creating comic book and cartoon characters.… Read more... The post 180. Imagineer Mark Page on Art for Tokyo DisneySea, Star Wars, and Disney Cruise Line appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

EPCOT remains one of my favorite places despite changes during the past 40 years. I still remember my first visit to EPCOT Center in 1984 when I was only eight years old. The park left a big impression on a kid obsessed with Star Wars and Star Trek.… Read more... The post 179. 40 Years of EPCOT appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

When I think about sculpting figures for Disney’s theme parks, my mind goes to Blaine Gibson. The photo of him and Walt examining Abe Lincoln’s head remains ingrained in my memory. His incredible work on attractions set the stage for everything that followed.… Read more... The post 178. Imagineer Jaime McGough on Digital Sculpting for Theme Parks appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Yesterday, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro took the stage to present a vision for “A Boundless Future”. The presentation include surprises and exciting news along with strange detours and confusing moments. I’m here to talk about all of the D23 Expo announcements on this episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast.… Read more... The post 177. My Reactions to Disney’s Announcements at the 2022 D23 Expo appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

I’m always curious to learn how others experience the parks, especially as Walt Disney World trips keep getting more complicated. Disney Genie Plus adds extra layers to the mix, and it’s had regular tweaks in the past year. New attractions have also opened, with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind arriving in May.… Read more... The post 176. Lauren Staniszewski on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

I’ve spent most of the episodes focusing on theme parks like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and other major destinations. Regional spots like Six Flags Great America, Silver Dollar City, and more have also received the spotlight. What I’ve barely touched is how themed entertainment has played a role in the world of VR gaming.… Read more... The post 175. Don Carson on Walkabout Mini Golf and the Potential for VR appeared first on Tomorrow Society.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has received major changes in the past five years including the addition of two new lands. Crowds have increased at the park, and the attractions at Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge are popular. Even so, we’ve also seen the limits of just adding headliners to the park.… Read more... The post 174. Improving Disney’s Hollywood Studios appeared first on Tomorrow Society.