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ImagiNations Contest 2009

terp79

Member
Original Poster
Okay kids, everyone has been asking about it and I just check the ImagiNations home page and they have already updated for 2009

Here are some following guidelines and how to entry and who can enter and what you can design for your submission:

ImagiNations 2009
Show us your creativity by using your technical, artistic, or writing skills to design a ride, attraction, hotel, or a land within an existing Disney theme park or resort. Or create an entirely new experience, a theme park, themed restaurant or unique dream of your own. Original ideas may be presented in many ways, such as:
Artwork/Illustrations/Visuals
Storyboards
Models
Building Design (floor plans or elevations)
Developed Story Treatment- Model
Video/Multi-Media
Schematics/CAD Drawings
Computer Graphics

Your concept should demonstrate fun, originality and innovation. Keep in mind that Disney is the leader in family entertainment, and that Imagineering tells stories through immersive experiences; therefore, your entry should tell a compelling and engaging story. You may create your own characters or use our existing characters for your entry.



Who Can Enter
1. You must enter the competition only as a team of at least two participants with no more than four
participants total.

2. To qualify, each team participant must be (1) a college student with Junior, Senior standing, or full time graduate student standing. (2) A recent graduate (within 1 year of graduation), and majoring in one of these disciplines:

Architecture
Digital Art / Animation
Interior Design
Theater Design
Construction Management
Engineering
Project Management
Creative Writing
Fine Art
Media Production / Interactive
Or a current member of an Association whose focus includes at least one of the disciplines listed above. Or a current member for both Association and a 501 (c)(3) creative arts organization.

3. For valid entry, Entry Form must be signed by one of the following: a University Department advisor (if entrant is a student majoring in one of the disciplines listed); an Association representative; a 501(c)(3) creative arts organization representative.

4. Previous finalists in the ImagiNations Design Competition who have presented a submission at Walt Disney Imagineering are not eligible to participate.

5. Current or former employees of the Walt Disney Company and their immediate family are not eligible for this competition.

Submit your entry to the following address:

Walt Disney Imagineering
Global Strategies for Diversity & Inclusion
1401 Flower Street MC 9030
Glendale, CA 91221-5020



Entry Deadline
Completed entry forms must be received from January 1, 2009 through January 30, 2009.

Qualified participants will be notified to begin the submission process which will be open through February 28, 2009.



Finalist Notification
Finalists will be notified by April 17, 2009 and will be invited at a later date to present their ideas at Walt Disney Imagineering.

For valid entry, your entry form must be signed by one of the following:

A University Department advisor (if majoring in one of the disciplines listed in guidelines)

An Association representative

A 501 (c)3 Creative Arts Organization representative

Additionally, 501 (c)3 organizations must submit a copy of their organization certification as a 501 (c)3 organization along with the application.
 

michael92

New Member
THANK YOU VERY MUCH! If i was majoring in any of these careers, i would probably plan to make a project with people from this website. But im still in high school :(!!
 

terp79

Member
Original Poster
I'm seeing a reoccurring theme/trend here....

It seems that most of you are in High School at the moment and no where being close to actually entering the contest.

It's always good to get a head start but some advice:

You have all this time plus the two years in college before you can even enter....

Ideas change and trust me, you'll rethink your idea every which way til sunday when it comes closer to the year you can enter.

I actually started working on my entry for the contest 1 year early and I almost scrapped the entire idea and started over from scratch. I had spent so much time already that i took a week off from working on it and refocused.

My main point here is don't get a head of yourself and please don't hold the contest as a turning point in your career plans.

I know too many finalists who thought that by making finals and being out there that they would have a future within the Disney Corporation. I was one of them. It's depressing when you have to come up with contingency plans on the fly for your career after Disney doesn't offer you anything.

It's good to go into college with a game plan, thinking about your future. But have other plans just in case making finals, getting an internship, and then being asked to stay on full time isn't offered or in the cards.

I'm not trying to discourage you, have a plan, stay focused and be humble. And as many Imagineers will say "Good Luck"
 

Exprcoofto

New Member
Thanks for the information! It sounds very interesting. Since I am also still in High School I got some time to think of things and my future. I already have a pavilion idea in mind for EPCOT.

I have one question - Is there any way to get involved in Imagineering besides these "ImagiNations" competitions? I'm not a huge fan of competitions.

Thanks :wave:
 

michael92

New Member
I think I've decided not to choose a career in order to get into imagineering, but to study what I want and maybe see if there are chances to apply in WDI
 

terp79

Member
Original Poster
ahhh but you see you're all not looking at the silver lining as they say.

You can enter the contest even if you're not studying/majoring in one of the specified areas.

How? Read the site over again, there's a loop hole.

You can become a student member of one of the organizations they list on the site.

I know a finalist who did just that. She was studying something in college that didn't apply so she decided to support one of the organizations WDI listed on the ImagiNations webpage and became a member.

Look into the professional society's and organizations listed on the page. There could be one that might interest you. Become a member then have the representative sign off on your entry form. You'll support a good cause and be able to enter the contest.
 

wedenterprises

Well-Known Member
I encourage everyone to enter as well. Terp is right, start planning early. I went through 4-6 different ideas over the span of 3 years. I entered, made semi-finals then the following year made finals with one of my other 4-6 ideas!! In fact, the final idea was a combination of 2 ideas. These things need time to percolate.

Read up on WDI, Walt and the parks as much as you can. Learn the legends by name and study what makes the classics so good. Study new technologies and come up with an interesting and FUN concept.

In the end, make it fun because it's a LOT of work. I wish I could go back and do it again :)

Good Luck!!
 

Woozle

New Member
I'm actually a junior in college studying computer engineering. I've had a few ideas swimming in my head for an Imaginations project, but I think I am going to wait till the 2010 entry. I would definitely check these forums for team members to work with though.
 

kingslyZISSOU

New Member
I'm actually a junior in college studying computer engineering. I've had a few ideas swimming in my head for an Imaginations project, but I think I am going to wait till the 2010 entry. I would definitely check these forums for team members to work with though.

It seems to me that finding team mates is going to be a difficult task.
 

bjunderwood

Member
Hey all,

A buddy of mine and I are participating in this year's ImagiNations competition. I guess "technically" we have moved onto the second round (we apparently filled out our form correctly. Yay for us, I guess). I was just curious if any of you knew roughly how many teams compete each year and how many of those teams become finalists.

Thanks!

Brian
 

terp79

Member
Original Poster
Congrats on making it to the second round....not sure really how many teams you'll be going up against.

Seems like the contest format changes each year.

When i entered the contest they still had the individual category, in which i entered under. This was back in 2005. From what we where told while in glendale, there where about 150 total entries that year (both individual and team combined). They took 3 students from the individual category and 4 teams (composed of 2 - 4 students) from the group category that year.

Since then they have done away with individual category and now it's all teams, wedenterprises would know more about the groups but I'm thinking it's about 4-5 groups of 2 or more students from what my friends at WDI told me about last years contest.

I would love to hear more about what u and ur team did for the contest and how u guys might present ur idea if you make it to glendale.
 

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