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Disney Gives Us a Rare Look Inside Walt Disney Imagineering Headquarters

While the theme parks are closed, the famous company is looking for ways to entertain fans at home.

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Disney’s theme parks were one of the many major attractions that had to shut down indefinitely as the world battles with the spread of coronavirus. But they still wanted to find a way to bring the parks into people’s homes. That’s why the magical company launched a virtual tour series inside their Imagineering headquarters, a space that’s rarely seen by the public.

“Walt Disney Imagineering is known for making the impossible possible,” Kevin Rafferty, Jr., Communications, WDI, wrote on the Disney Parks Blog. “That’s why—despite our offices being closed—we are opening up our headquarters virtually for a tour on the Disney Parks Blog.”

He added, “Tours of Walt Disney Imagineering are rare. So rare, in fact, we are excited to bring you this video series to show you some of the unique spaces where innovation and storytelling combine to bring Disney stories, characters, and worlds to life. A creative force, a historical treasure, a dream factory, and a hub of science and technology, Walt Disney Imagineering is a place of legend and the only think tank created by Walt Disney himself. Ann Myers is ready to welcome you—let’s go!”

In the nearly three-minute video, the first in the series, a narrator explains how the Imagineering studio first came to be in 1952 with a team of artists, architects, engineers, project managers, and show producers. They were dubbed “Imagineers.” It goes on to tease what’s to come of the series. “This is your chance to meet the people who make the magic,” it said in the clip. “And take a peek at how they make dreams come true.”

You then get to see the monorail hallway that looks like the theme parks’ famous monorails with different screens playing videos from the hundreds of projects happening around the world.

While it’s unclear how often these videos will be posted, the company does mention the option of taking the Imagineering in a Box program. The free online resource features interactive lessons in theme park design and engineering and also gives a behind-the-scenes look into Imagineering’s development process.

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