Blue Sky??

MattyFresh

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
forgive me if I am ignorant, and I am sure I will probably get some kind of heat as to not knowing what I should about Disney, but what is meant when you guys talk about blue sky?? I gather that it is a part of the planning or designing aspect for an attraction, but other then that I am lost.
 

ImaYoyo

Active Member
Blue sky is basically dreaming. Throwing ideas out there on the table. Not thinking money, not thinking logistics, just throwing it out there. One of those "what-if" round tables or discussions. Because we all know, "if you can dream it, you can do it"... :)
 

Tim G

Well-Known Member
forgive me if I am ignorant, and I am sure I will probably get some kind of heat as to not knowing what I should about Disney, but what is meant when you guys talk about blue sky?? I gather that it is a part of the planning or designing aspect for an attraction, but other then that I am lost.

Blue Sky = When a project gets rejected/canceled for some reason, when it doesn't get the green light (read permission) Most of the time it means when it doesn't get's off the drawing table... or ends up on a shelf...

Don't forget... Only about 1 in 50 projects actually gets built.
 

ChrisFL

Premium Member
Blue Sky = When a project gets rejected/canceled for some reason, when it doesn't get the green light (read permission) Most of the time it means when it doesn't get's off the drawing table... or ends up on a shelf...

I don't think that's what it means, that's after blue sky mode. Blue sky is the first brainstorming sessions when anything is possible, before engineering and economics limitations get involved. Imagineers come up with their boldest ideas, then they go through the next process to see how such an idea might become feasible. Just because blue sky doesn't always turn out exactly like the eventual ride does not mean it's rejected or cancelled.
 

Tim G

Well-Known Member
I don't think that's what it means, that's after blue sky mode. Blue sky is the first brainstorming sessions when anything is possible, before engineering and economics limitations get involved. Imagineers come up with their boldest ideas, then they go through the next process to see how such an idea might become feasible. Just because blue sky doesn't always turn out exactly like the eventual ride does not mean it's rejected or cancelled.
???????

In fact, the whole "Blue Sky" phrase isn't even used by the imagineers at all...

The public made this up...

But who am I... I'm a nitwit... :lookaroun
 

Master__Gracey

Well-Known Member
Thanks for asking, I was wondering the same thing. Today I was looking at listings for internships and a couple said ability to blue sky and I didn't know what that meant.
 

Texas84

Well-Known Member
Blue Sky = Brainstorming without limits. "Let's blue-sky this project." You come up with ideas then attach reality later.
 

coilback

Active Member
???????

In fact, the whole "Blue Sky" phrase isn't even used by the imagineers at all...

The public made this up...

But who am I... I'm a nitwit... :lookaroun

Actually the Imagineers use it quite a bit. I've watched several documentaries where Imagineers are talking about rides and development and mention their "Blue Sky Meetings." Also, if you buy any of the books written BY the Imagineers (some of the ones I've read lately are the "Imagineering Field Guides to...") they use the term. In the field guides they even have a glossary of "Imagineering Lingo," for people who don't know the terms (keep in mind this is a book WRITTEN by the Imagineers and is credited as such), they define Blue Sky as:

Blue Sky - The early stages in the idea-generation process when anything is possible. There are not yet any considerations taken into account that might rein in the creative process. At this point, the sky's the limit.

They also have a definition for Brainstorm which goes into the process of how they go about it. Here's their "Brainstorming rules."

Rule 1 - There is no such thing as a bad idea. We never know how one idea (however far-fetched) might lead into another one that is exactly right

Rule 2 - We don't talk yet about why not. There will be plenty of time for realities later, so we don't want them to get in the way of the good ideas now.

Rule 3 - Nothing should stifle the flow of ideas. No buts, or can'ts or other "stopping" words. We want to hear words such as "and," "or," and "what if ?"

Rule 4 - There is no such thing as a bad idea. (We take that one very seriously.)

All this is quoted from the book.
 

darthjohnny

Active Member
Yeah. I've think I've seen imagineers use it in TV documentaries too.

It refers to how the "sky's the limit" and anything's possible at that points. They don't worry about how it can be done or if it can be done. They only focue on getting new ideas out.
 

brkgnews

Well-Known Member
F'rinstance... anybody remember reading about how one of the early blue sky ideas for Blizzard Beach was to model the entire park like it was inside a gigundo snowglobe? Obviously no way it would happen, but did lead to neat ideas on what might be inside the park, based on that.
 

Thiger

New Member
<rant>
i wonder what the original ideas were for 'Sounds Dangerous'?
it's possibly the most uncreative/low budget attraction ever made.
</rant>

I love blue skying. we do it at my multi media company. I truly think its the only way we can really come up with things that are truly original.

The snowglobe idea is really cool and it turned into an amazing park theme. I would love to one day say 'my blue sky turned into a disney ride/park'. That would be a total dream come true.
 

Montyboy

New Member
Actually the Imagineers use it quite a bit. I've watched several documentaries where Imagineers are talking about rides and development and mention their "Blue Sky Meetings." Also, if you buy any of the books written BY the Imagineers (some of the ones I've read lately are the "Imagineering Field Guides to...") they use the term. In the field guides they even have a glossary of "Imagineering Lingo," for people who don't know the terms (keep in mind this is a book WRITTEN by the Imagineers and is credited as such), they define Blue Sky as:

Blue Sky - The early stages in the idea-generation process when anything is possible. There are not yet any considerations taken into account that might rein in the creative process. At this point, the sky's the limit.

They also have a definition for Brainstorm which goes into the process of how they go about it. Here's their "Brainstorming rules."

Rule 1 - There is no such thing as a bad idea. We never know how one idea (however far-fetched) might lead into another one that is exactly right

Rule 2 - We don't talk yet about why not. There will be plenty of time for realities later, so we don't want them to get in the way of the good ideas now.

Rule 3 - Nothing should stifle the flow of ideas. No buts, or can'ts or other "stopping" words. We want to hear words such as "and," "or," and "what if ?"

Rule 4 - There is no such thing as a bad idea. (We take that one very seriously.)

All this is quoted from the book.

This is correct, but there is nothing unique about these rules... all engineers use them when developing new ideas. "Blue sky" does sound cool, but sometimes they are simply called development or innovation meetings.
 

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