Unit 3 - Introduction to professional practice
Context
From Monday the 12th of November to Thursday the 15th of November we went on a trip to Disneyland Paris to learn about the ways in which Disney uses technical aspects to create an unforgettable experience for their guests. We looked at different parts of Disneyland and how they used lighting and sound in different ways. Some examples are; rides, parades, shows and general park lighting and background sounds.
Research
Lighting And Sound On Attractions
During the trip we went to observe multiple rides to see how Disney uses multiple types of lights and sound to make the experience more immersive.
Disneyland Park:
The first attraction that we explored was Hyperspace Mountain. This recently updated rollercoaster goes at 44 mph and lasts for 2 minutes and 5 seconds. It is newly themed after Star Wars which reflects during the ride. The lights in the ride consist of LED strips, regular LED's and projections. Another part of the immersion is the Star Wars soundtrack which is blasted whilst you are on the rollercoaster.
The second Star Wars themed attraction that we went on was Star Tours: The adventure continues. This attraction uses 3D glasses together with a 4K laser system to get the ultimate immersion into the story. The best part about the ride is that it's different every time. There are over 60 possible journeys with different characters popping up. The ride is fully controlled by a computer which makes every journey truly different every time.
Another rollercoaster that has been recently been updated is Big Thunder Mountain. The Walt Disney company added projections on the 'cave walls' to make the attraction more interesting whilst you are going up just before the big drop. It also ties into the story that was created for this particular attraction which is about a small mining town that finds gold in the mountains.
The first 'dark ride' that we went on was Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast. It is a combination of a dark ride and a shooting gallery. The attraction uses sensors and targets to monitor the score of the player. The targets light up as soon as the sensor is hit. All of the overhead lights in the ride are UV lights to make the target lights more visible.
We then went on to go on It's A Small World. This is another dark ride but you go around in a boat instead of a cart. Most of the old stage lighting has recently been replaced with UV lights and the soundtrack has been remastered. However during our time in the parks the soundtrack had been mixed with Christmas songs and some of the dolls were dressed up in Christmas themed outfits.
Another 'attraction' that we went on was La Galerie La Belle Au Bois Dormant. This is the inside balcony of the Sleeping Beauty Castle and features multiple stained glass windows and tapestries telling the story of sleeping beauty. Surrounding the balcony are structures that resemble trees which have multiple tiny LED lights inside them which flicker slowly. In this area the Sleeping Beauty soundtrack is played.
Walt Disney Studios Park:
The first attraction that we went on in the Walt Disney Studios Park was the Studio Tram Tour: Behind The Magic. During this attraction you get to see part of sets and props as well as a technical based scene called Catastrophe Canyon in which fire and water elements play a huge part. You also see how they reset the scene.
After that we went on Ratatouille: The Adventure. This is a fairly recent attraction that involves a lot of technical aspects. The attraction uses LPS-trackless ride technology which makes the rat-shaped vehicles move on their own without a track. Disneyland uses WiFi and RFID-based local positioning systems. Together with the trackless carts the attraction uses 3D glasses together with domed screens to make people immerse into the story and make it look like the characters are actually in front of you. The ride also uses wind and heating to make it feel like you are actually underneath the 'oven' or running fast.
The rollercoaster that we went on in the Walt Disney Studios park was Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. This attraction features songs from the band Aerosmith that are played through the on-board speakers. There are 5 different soundtrackers (trains) each with their own light show. Each train has has 120 speakers, seven speakers per seat including one underneath the actual seat and six in the headrest.
The last attraction that we did in the park was The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror. This is a dark drop ride inspired by the tv show The Twilight Zone. During this ride guests go onto an elevator ride that drops 130 feet. Whilst you are queuing 1930's music is played to set the mood for the time in which the story takes place. The light in queuing areas also go from light to dark to make the atmosphere more mysterious and adds to the suspense of the guest. During the first part of the ride the lift moves forwards into a different shaft which is referred to as the drop shaft. A big technical difference between the one in Florida and the one Paris is that the one in Paris does not have a randomized drop sequence. Because of this multiple vehicles can operate at the same time in the same shaft.
Disneyland Park:
The first attraction that we explored was Hyperspace Mountain. This recently updated rollercoaster goes at 44 mph and lasts for 2 minutes and 5 seconds. It is newly themed after Star Wars which reflects during the ride. The lights in the ride consist of LED strips, regular LED's and projections. Another part of the immersion is the Star Wars soundtrack which is blasted whilst you are on the rollercoaster.
The second Star Wars themed attraction that we went on was Star Tours: The adventure continues. This attraction uses 3D glasses together with a 4K laser system to get the ultimate immersion into the story. The best part about the ride is that it's different every time. There are over 60 possible journeys with different characters popping up. The ride is fully controlled by a computer which makes every journey truly different every time.
Another rollercoaster that has been recently been updated is Big Thunder Mountain. The Walt Disney company added projections on the 'cave walls' to make the attraction more interesting whilst you are going up just before the big drop. It also ties into the story that was created for this particular attraction which is about a small mining town that finds gold in the mountains.
The first 'dark ride' that we went on was Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast. It is a combination of a dark ride and a shooting gallery. The attraction uses sensors and targets to monitor the score of the player. The targets light up as soon as the sensor is hit. All of the overhead lights in the ride are UV lights to make the target lights more visible.We then went on to go on It's A Small World. This is another dark ride but you go around in a boat instead of a cart. Most of the old stage lighting has recently been replaced with UV lights and the soundtrack has been remastered. However during our time in the parks the soundtrack had been mixed with Christmas songs and some of the dolls were dressed up in Christmas themed outfits.
Another 'attraction' that we went on was La Galerie La Belle Au Bois Dormant. This is the inside balcony of the Sleeping Beauty Castle and features multiple stained glass windows and tapestries telling the story of sleeping beauty. Surrounding the balcony are structures that resemble trees which have multiple tiny LED lights inside them which flicker slowly. In this area the Sleeping Beauty soundtrack is played.
Walt Disney Studios Park:
The first attraction that we went on in the Walt Disney Studios Park was the Studio Tram Tour: Behind The Magic. During this attraction you get to see part of sets and props as well as a technical based scene called Catastrophe Canyon in which fire and water elements play a huge part. You also see how they reset the scene.
After that we went on Ratatouille: The Adventure. This is a fairly recent attraction that involves a lot of technical aspects. The attraction uses LPS-trackless ride technology which makes the rat-shaped vehicles move on their own without a track. Disneyland uses WiFi and RFID-based local positioning systems. Together with the trackless carts the attraction uses 3D glasses together with domed screens to make people immerse into the story and make it look like the characters are actually in front of you. The ride also uses wind and heating to make it feel like you are actually underneath the 'oven' or running fast.
The rollercoaster that we went on in the Walt Disney Studios park was Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. This attraction features songs from the band Aerosmith that are played through the on-board speakers. There are 5 different soundtrackers (trains) each with their own light show. Each train has has 120 speakers, seven speakers per seat including one underneath the actual seat and six in the headrest.
The last attraction that we did in the park was The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror. This is a dark drop ride inspired by the tv show The Twilight Zone. During this ride guests go onto an elevator ride that drops 130 feet. Whilst you are queuing 1930's music is played to set the mood for the time in which the story takes place. The light in queuing areas also go from light to dark to make the atmosphere more mysterious and adds to the suspense of the guest. During the first part of the ride the lift moves forwards into a different shaft which is referred to as the drop shaft. A big technical difference between the one in Florida and the one Paris is that the one in Paris does not have a randomized drop sequence. Because of this multiple vehicles can operate at the same time in the same shaft.
Technical Aspects Of Disney Parades
One of the major things that Disneyland is famous for are their parades. These are visionally stunning and quite technical in terms of lighting, sound and the floats. For Disneyland Paris' 25th anniversary they have created a new parade called Disney Stars On Parade. The parade consists of 8 units/floats, every unit having a theme and certain songs that tie into that theme and the films represented on that float.
The first unit: Discover the Magic/The Opening Unit. The float features Mickey and friends and the songs that can be heard whilst watching this float go by are "A Whole New World" and "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.''
The second unit: Discover Friendship/Toy Story Unit. The characters featured on and around this float are Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and more toys. The song that is played with this unit is "You've A Friend In Me"
The third unit: Discover Adventure/Jungle Unit. This float features Simba and Nala from The Lion King and Baloo and Mowgli from The Jungle Book. The float is the original float form Tokyo Disney's Jubilation! parade. Songs that play with this float are "I Just Can't Wait To Be King", "The Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You."
The fourth unit: Discover Imagination/Peter Pan Unit. On this float you can find characters such as Peter Pan and Captain Hook. This float also is originally from Tokyo Disney's Jubilation! parade. The songs that go with this float are "You Can Fly", "Following The Leader", "The Second Star To The Right" and "A Pirates Life."
The fifth unit: Discover A New World/Finding Nemo Unit. The characters on this float are Nemo, Marlin and Dory. The song that is played whilst you watch the float is "Beyond The Sea."
The sixth unit: Discover Enchantment/Sleeping Beauty Unit. The character that are featured on and around this float are Prince Philip, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather and Maleficent in her dragon form. The songs paired with this float are "Battle With The Forces Of Evil" and "Hail To The Princess Aurora."
The seventh unit: Discover Romance/Princess Unit. These small floats/carriages feature Rapunzel, Cinderella and Snow White together with their Prince Charmings. The carriages are originally from the Disney Magic on Parade which came before Disney Stars on Parade. The songs that are played with this unit are "Someday My Prince Will Come", "I See The Light" and "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes."
The eighth unit: Discover Wonder/Frozen unit. On this float you can find characters like Elsa, Anna and some of their friends. The songs that play with this float are: "For The First Time In Forever" and "Let It Go."
All of the music cues are operated through the parade control computer. This piece of equipment was designed by Dorsey in 1980. This system removed the need of a stopwatch as it automatically managed and executed the audio for up to 50 parade floats. This invention created the ability for Disney to go from 5 to 23 zones so different music could play at nearly five times the number of points along the route at the same time. In 1994 Dorsey designed a second generation parade control which increased the number of zones to 34 and allowed it to track floats along the entire route. The third generation parade controls hundreds of show zones along the parade route. This system is still used now at the majority of the parks including Disneyland Paris.
Shows In Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris has multiple shows a day in both of the parks including the two firework shows that close the parks. The shows vary from live performances by actors, singers and dancers to a car stunt show, projections and fireworks.
Firework displays:
Disneyland Paris has three different firework displays in three different area's. One in the main park called Illuminations, one in The Walt Disney Studios called Goofy's Incredible Christmas which can only be seen during the Holiday season and one in the Disney Village called Disney's Fireworks and Magical Bonfire which could only be seen on November 7th, 9th and 12th 2018.
Disney Illuminations is projected on the castle in the main park. The projections are synced with music, water jets, lasers and fireworks. The show is around 20 minutes long and follows the adventures of multiple Disney characters.
Goofy's Incredible Christmas is a combination between a live performance with actors on stage and a projection on the Hollywood Tower of Terror with fireworks as well. The projections are placed on two sides of the building. All of the lights, music and fireworks are synced together.
Disney's Fireworks and Magical Bonfire is a show without projections. The fireworks and music are synced together to create a coherent show.
Live performances:
During our trip we saw one live show called Surprise Mickey. This show was specially created for Mickey's 90th anniversary and revolves around Minnie Mouse and her friends who are planning a surprise birthday part for Mickey Mouse. During the show multiple actors, singers and dancers are on the stage interacting with each other, the audience and the screen. The show ends with streamers being fired into the audience. This show happens multiple times a day.
Stunt show:
In the Walt Disney Studios park Disney provides a car stunt show to let guest take a look behind the scenes of multiple stunt sequences and how they are created. The show features multiple cars that are specially created to do stunt work as some of them have the frame of the car put on backwards or even have the driver sit on a platform on the side of the car. The show also has elements of fire in it to keep the audience in suspense.
Live performances:
During our trip we saw one live show called Surprise Mickey. This show was specially created for Mickey's 90th anniversary and revolves around Minnie Mouse and her friends who are planning a surprise birthday part for Mickey Mouse. During the show multiple actors, singers and dancers are on the stage interacting with each other, the audience and the screen. The show ends with streamers being fired into the audience. This show happens multiple times a day.
Stunt show:
In the Walt Disney Studios park Disney provides a car stunt show to let guest take a look behind the scenes of multiple stunt sequences and how they are created. The show features multiple cars that are specially created to do stunt work as some of them have the frame of the car put on backwards or even have the driver sit on a platform on the side of the car. The show also has elements of fire in it to keep the audience in suspense.
General Lighting And Music/Sounds In The Parks
Because Disney wants to fully immerse you into a world of wonder they have music playing all throughout the parks. The music and lighting are different in every area of the park that cohere with the theme. Throughout Main Street U.S.A. instrumental versions of Disney and Pixar movies as well as big band music. The music that is played in Fantasyland are instrumental versions of classic Disney songs, mostly from Disney Princess films. In Frontierland instrumental versions of western songs are played. The music played in Adventureland is a combination of instrumental hula-themed songs, African style songs and some instrumental versions of songs from Peter Pan. The songs featured in Discoveryland are mostly songs from the Star Wars soundtrack.
Every 'land' also has lanterns that go with the theme of the area which make them blend in so guests don't notice them. For example Adventureland has lanterns hanging from multiple high places in the area.
Planning
Presentation
As a part of this unit we had to give a short presentation about what we had learned about the technical aspects of Disneyland Paris. I decided to go with the subjects; Technical and Creative Roles In Disneyland Paris, Shows In Disneyland Paris, Parades In Disneyland Paris, Rides In Disneyland Paris and Health And Safety In Disneyland Paris. By choosing these subjects I thought I would cover a general area of the technical aspect of Disneyland. During the trip I already made notes and took pictures of the shows, rides and parades. Having this information before I even started on the presentation was very helpful as I knew what to focus on. After we got back I narrowed it down to certain aspects of rides and shows that I thought would be interesting to talk about and I started to research them. After that I put my bullet points into a Prezi and rehearsed my presentation a couple of times so I would be ready to it when it was time to actually present my research.
Link to my Prezi: https://prezi.com/p/hmicdoibnn5m/
Link to my presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRM5qBtdUvM&authuser=1
Problem Solving
Because the main part of this unit was to go on a trip and learn from this, I didn't run into many problems. The only thing that I was slightly struggling with was the fact that I didn't have as much photo's of the technical aspects of the rides/shows/parades as this is difficult and/or even illegal to do. I solved this by googling some pictures that were taken during the construction of the rides and parade floats so I could analyze them even better.Evaluation
During my presentation I got quite nervous which made my vocabulary very basic. I tend to rely on basic words although I had rehearsed my presentation at home. Unfortunately my nerves took over and I realized that I should have made cue cards and have rehearsed more and maybe even rehearse in front of an audience. Another thing that I would do differently next time is the part on Health and Safety. Unfortunately Disneyland doesn't give much information about their health and safety policy as a safety measure.
Websites I used:
- https://www.disneytouristblog.com/?s=disneyland+paris
- https://www.designingdisney.com/parks/disneyland-paris/disneyland-park
- https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/technology-bringing-innovation-to-disney-parks/
- https://www.t3.com/features/making-magic-how-disneyland-paris-most-famous-rides-are-designed-and-built
- https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-us/legal/theme-parks-rules/
- https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-us/legal/theme-parks-rules/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2018/05/26/the-secrets-behind-the-sparkle-of-disneys-parades/#78ab779a6792
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