Help with Ideas for my Theme Park class at MIT!

[RX-24]

Heyo,

I'm a student here at MIT and I'm gonna be giving an informal class about theme parks to a bunch of high school students this weekend. It's mainly gonna focus on technology and design in theme parks. Examples include design trickery, like forced perspective, cool engineering feats, like the Shaman animatronic, and failures from the past, like Mr. Yeti and the original vision of Progress City. I'm lookin for more cool things to talk about, mainly related to tech/design, but really anything that these kids would find cool/funny relating to the parks. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

[dolewhip&turkeyleg]

Look into the projection mapping Disney uses on the castle, Chinese theater and with other shows. The programming and design i think would be fascinating to high schoolers. Many of which probably already know how to program.

 

[SourcererMark79]

The utilidors are a smart solution to Walt's observation at DLR.

 

[Shouldigo12]

The smellinators, or whatever it is they call the device that pumps smells into the park. Not super high tech, but they're an interesting little trick.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It seems like you should first try to narrow down your focus. Design and technology are both very, very broad categories which include a number of specialized disciplines.

 

[RX-24]

It seems like you should first try to narrow down your focus. Design and technology are both very, very broad categories which include a number of specialized disciplines.

I’m trying to keep it more general and want to show as many different types of tech and design as possible to show the range.

 

[zurgandfriend]

You could explain how Disney Imagineers used “forced perspective” The building get smaller as you go down the street and it makes the castle look bigger.

 

[Goofy213]

I always thought Tower of Terror was one of the most technologically advanced ride system, that is up until Shanghai Pirates.

 

[Corgi]

You could get into some industrial engineering, and talk about how Disney handles lines, and how they control the crowd at peak hours.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We took the behind the scenes tour and at EP the tour guide explained the unique technology used in the American Adventure show to coordinate the changing scenes as the show progresses.

 

[Driver]

I’m trying to keep it more general and want to show as many different types of tech and design as possible to show the range.

Disney is based on an immersion experience. Walt was the originator of this concept for theme parks. A great example ( among so many) is at MK when you walk into town square which is themed for turn of the century there is no "visual contamination " from the outside world. If you look towards Tony's restaurant and the Theatre all you see is those buildings and trees. Yet if you walk down Main St. USA and turn into Tomorrow land you can see the Contemporary Hotel. It's ok to see it from Tomorrow Land but not from Town Square. This theme/ concept is what Disney is all about. You could talk all day about these designs , as well as the already mentioned forced perspectives. Such as the Castle and even the buildings on Main st. USA all forced perspective and part of the immersion experience. I could go on all night with details in that area alone!