Honors for Innovative Design of Enchanted Storybook Castle at Shanghai Disneyland

As many of you know, Disney’s theme parks and resorts exemplify not only storytelling and creativity, but also innovation. We are constantly defining and redefining themed entertainment, and we do that not just in the technology behind our attractions, but also in the way we design them.

With that in mind, we are pleased to share that Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) has recently received a prestigious professional honor for the innovative design and technology practices that have been used in the development of Enchanted Storybook Castle, currently under construction at Shanghai Disneyland. The American Institute of Architects presented its Technology in Architectural Practice Award to WDI for its successful implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM). While traditional building design uses 2D drawings and elevations of a planned building, BIM adds three dimensions (height, width and depth) and is a virtual representation of the actual building to be built. Embedded with data, this digital model can be linked to schedules so that designers can see the construction of a building over a period of time. The image below represents a snapshot of the BIM model.

“Our commitment to collaboration, teamwork, and mutual success enables us to create those magical, innovative experiences in a way that only Disney can do,” said David Van Wyk, WDI project management and integration executive. “When the whole organization is thinking about reinforcing each other’s efforts, it allows individuals the ability to focus on what they need to do to accomplish our shared goals. By using BIM processes and technology on this and other projects to be built around the world allow us to work smarter and more efficiently as a team.”

Congratulations to Walt Disney Imagineering on this award and all of the people over in Shanghai working hard to turn these innovative designs into a reality!