And that hasnt changedthat life-affirming, aspirational way of thinking and having a day together where you can celebrate that. Bob Weis was created on November 14, 1947 in Germany. For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today onTwitter,Facebook, andInstagram. build steam trains, how to paint ride vehicles and signs, and even figuring out In much the same vein, the Disneys America team engaged historians and Smithsonian experts, with the plan to include iconic American artifacts from the Smithsonian and other museums as part of the attraction experiences. Instead of the traditional Adventureland we created Adventure Isle, plus an entire land themed to pirates. I will always be proud to have led Imagineering from 2016-2021, and to be your Global Ambassador in 2022, Weis wrote in an email sent today to colleagues. The firm already has such an incredible commitment to the cultural vibrancy of cities and the places where we live, work, and play. Along with Design Island, they also co-founded the film production company Fertile Films. Two years later, the entire museum building, with the exception of the museums IMAX theater, was razed to be replaced by a new multi-million dollar building with new exhibits. Forty-two years after first joining Disney Imagineering Bob Weis, the current Global Imagineering Ambassador and former President of Walt Disney . When I joined Disney, work was ramping up on two major projects: EPCOT in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland. On opening day, you saw the culmination of the efforts of those who made it go from muddy fields to a fully realized, magical place. Eventually, we added a small gallery at The American Adventure. Disney over as-is. BW: I did, in college. This is probably the only themed entertainment project that is 100% immersive. Now, I get to take my passion, expand it, and inject experiences into projects all over the world that will reach people in their everyday lives.. is a vibrant place with a dynamic culture, and we knew we couldnt just bring thought these skills would be a great fit for the roles they needed to fill. Ill continue writing my book for Disney Publishing on the Marty Sklar Archives, and I am developing a screenplay for Walt Disney Studios.. We converted the entry sequence into Buena Vista Street, which is reminiscent of the Los Angeles Walt would have known in the 1920s and 30s. I Weis was named by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) to receive its prestigious Buzz Price Thea Award Honoring a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements as part of the 27th annual TEA Thea Awards. In addition to his work in commercial and museum operations, Joe has volunteered his time to animal husbandry at leading facilities in California and Texas and has played a leading management role for a number of performing arts companies. He recently So, theres this balance: How do you how do you keep the classic things that people remember but at the same time be constantly upping your game, making things better? December 17, 2021 by . Bob Weis (BW): Well, thats quite a timespan. There is such little time just to talk in our busy work lives, so I treasured these moments. View Videos. Please enable JavaScript to experience the full functionality of www.gensler.com, Bob Weis, Former President of Walt Disney Imagineering, on Immersive Experiences and the Story of Our Cities and Spaces, Foundations, Associations & Organizations. He has 25+ years management experience: in tourism, museums and attractions, in the giant screen industries and as a zookeeper. Herman and Bob would sit on a log with the editor while he edited, then theyd give that days footage to the driver, who would sit on the roof of the car trying to get a signal with the satellite phone so he could transmit it to the Smithsonian for use in that days classroom presentations. By using tools that had heretofore been traditionally limited to filmmaking and themed entertainment design, ACTION! I got my degree in architecture, but at least half my time in school was also in the theater department. Were really letting it be your experience. Weir and a fellow teenaged friend were wandering the back alleys of Palo Alto. When Bob came down to Fort Worth, we were in the middle of working on this forensics exhibit, says Romans. We used real props from the studios, but more modern props for the time that our younger guests would relate to. We learned so much at WDI. strongly that our parks are not museums. And it had a huge impact. Weis is the former president of Walt Disney Imagineering. While we have a long history of building Disneyland-style parks, we wanted to make this one unique and tailored to the local population. ITVS CEO Sally Jo Fifer To Step Away From Documentary Nonprofit After More Than Two Decades At The Helm, Robbie Knievel Dies: Daredevil Motorcycle Showman & Son Of Evel Knievel Was 60, Universal Planning Permanent Horror Experience In Las Vegas Based On Its Parks Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Building New Theme Park For Families & Young Children In Frisco, Texas, George MacKay, Fan Bingbing, Joan Baez Movies Added, Sony Shopping Craig Ferguson-Hosted Syndicated Late-Night Talker For Fall, Fantasy Novel Momo Getting English-Language Film From Leading German Duo, HBO Max EMEA Programs Boss Antony Root To Retire. quote, were just getting started., Start planning your dream Disney Vacation We began working around 2003 on ACTION! At Disney, Van Romans had assembled the various national galleries at EPCOT and, because of his hard work, had created a bridge between the museum world and the Disney organization. We made the whole soundstage look like a dock. maybe Disney should just outsource that too, itll be cheaper? Serving most recently as Global Imagineering Ambassador and before that as president of the organization, Bob cemented his legacy as a leader and creative force - helping to bring to fruition countless attractions, lands, resort hotels, cruise ships, and . "We are thrilled that Bob is joining our global innovation design team," Gensler co-CEO Andy Choen said in a press release. Grateful Dead's style was influenced by the music of The Beatles. To me, that is the magic of Disneylandthat people take their kids and want them to have the same experiences [that they had as children]. realize the things we create are around for decades and will provide joy and You would come up with something unique, and then be encouraged to do more. The second element is that we are immersing people into the space, meaning we are surrounding them with the theme, the story, and the idea. Bob is so familiar with movies and studios that he made sure we made it look and feel like a real soundstage. This is why Gensler is so important in the development of immersive experiences. Bob Weis, former president of Walt Disney Imagineering, has accepted a position with Gensler, a California-based architecture and design firm. You can revoke permission to mail your email address at any time using the unsubscribe link, found at the bottom of every email. During his time as president, more than 200 distinct projects were delivered, despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic. Bob is very adroit at looking at how things are developing, motivating and exciting the team. We added Cars Land and a Little Mermaid attraction to immerse guests in more Disney storytelling. They had a huge impact on the park and guided us on everything from We take your privacy seriously. Airports are the beginning or middle or end of some important story for people, so what do we do that signifies that for people? Editors note: We took a tribute approach to this story, interviewing Bob Weiss creative collaborators to learn and share their experiences of working with him. Former President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis is joining Gensler as Global Immersive Experience Design Leader! Kleiman served as part of the executive management team that opened the Thea Award honoree National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia and has provided consultation services to a number of museum projects. Theres a familiarity with being relaxed, having faith in your team, giving leeway. He recently sat down with the Disney Parks Blog to discuss highlights from his work on Disney theme park projects around the globe over the span of five decades. It really was a great way to learn from Disneyland. Whats exciting for me is bringing immersive experiences and stories into everyday normal life so that we can make peoples lives better. So, this is a nice time for me, where a lot of these major projects are wrapping up in these next few months. For even more details about how attractions in Disney parks came to be, don't miss Behind The Attraction, also . Bob Weis, Global Imagineering Ambassador and former President of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI), announced today that he will retire at the end of the year. And the last element that is key to an immersive experience and this is maybe the hardest to accomplish is that we are giving people agency in the story itself. Gensler, who has worked with Disney before, will offer Weis the opportunity to bring his expertise in design, storytelling, and immersive world-building to a broader audience. Weis was with Walt Disney Imagineering for 42 years, serving as president of WDI for a time and then Global Imagineering Ambassador. Bob Weis, former president of Walt Disney Imagineering, has accepted a position with Gensler, a California-based architecture and design firm. According to an interview on Genslers website, Weis cited the opportunity to apply his experience at Disney to the world at large: Genslers commitment to leading the future of design is perfectly aligned with my passion for developing unique, immersive experiences with a diversity of creative voices. A day or two later, we were told to make a pitch. Someone turned in the briefcase phew!. And They must have, too, because they hired me shortly after I graduated! Way back when, Jacques Cousteau used to say that in order for people to care about a thing or a place, they have to love it. There was a portion on cattle raising and a part on the oil and gas business. For me, architecture and storytelling have always been melded together. BW: Seeing the parks with people in them and seeing the way that people love the parkswhether its their first visit, their 10th visit, or their 100th visitis so inspiring to me and to all people who work or have worked in Imagineering. I had to write a twelve-hour script, shares Chick Russell, It was a twelve-hour script, but twelve different scenarios happen every hour, and all at the same time. There could be firefighting at one spot, flooding or watch or navigation in another. A creative design force, his leadership and expertise in entertainment design will enhance the ways people interact with and thrive in the spaces and experiences we create around the world. We hired Ricardo Legarreta, a famous architect from Mexico, who was in his 70s at the time. And it did work out. There was a company statement posted on the official Imagineering Instagram page that recognized the scope of Weis contribution. There was an intro film that Bob shot in Morocco on the set of Kingdom of Heaven. It featured Ridley Scott, Orlando Bloom, even the costume designer., ACTION! And we took what people think of as the hub to the next level, making it its own land with attractions and magic. 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