It seems retirement didnt suit the former head of Walt Disney Imagineering! One of our primary goals was It doesnt sound like a sales pitch. Everything around you is in a ship. There was a company statement posted on the official Imagineering Instagram page that recognized the scope of Weis contribution. Before the move, Weis spent more than 30 years at Disney. 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! You are impacting how the conflict is resolved or how the art piece is accomplished. During his tenure, Weis was instrumental in bringing. We began working around 2003 on ACTION! At 75 years old, with a full and fulfilling career behind him for one of the most creative companies on earth, the reasons must be very compelling. of being generous with our collaborators abroad. realize the things we create are around for decades and will provide joy and In recent years, he led the creative team for the development, design, and construction of Shanghai Disney Resort. For even more details about how attractions in Disney parks came to be, don't miss Behind The Attraction, also . We sat down with Bob to ask him about his decision to join Gensler from Disney, and to take a deeper dive into the idea of storytelling through immersive experiences and why the physical experience of our buildings and cities is more important now than ever before. We hired Ricardo Legarreta, a famous architect from Mexico, who was in his 70s at the time. I For me this is a very exciting next chapter, the post reads. It was a natural fit for Bob hes a producer on all media. For more information on our data collection and use practices, and managing your preferences, please read our privacy policy. The former President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis is joining Gensler as a Global Immersive Experience Design Leader, according to a statement released by the firm. And they want experiences in which they feel like they are impacting the story in some ways. And it did work out. This is why Gensler is so important in the development of immersive experiences. We never broke the fourth wall in Battle Stations 21. was my introduction to Bob, he says. Later, he would lead the team on the conceptual stages of Disneys America theme park near Washington D.C. Had the project gone forward (it was canceled in 1994), it would have depicted America and the fabric of its people through real stories, as told through Disney storytelling techniques and technology. The firm already has such an incredible commitment to the cultural vibrancy of cities and the places where we live, work, and play. Romans had continued his relationship with the Smithsonian, working with them and Weis on the development of Disneys America and creating an exhibit at EPCOT celebrating the Smithsonians 150th Anniversary. He joined Walt Disney Imagineering, then called WED Enterprises, in 1980, soon after graduating college, and within eight months had relocated to Japan as part of the WED team creating Tokyo Disneyland. When I was with Bob, he was always searching with me, How do we approach this idyllic structure? When in Washington, I told the team to wear ties to a meeting and Bob just laughed. CSI happened when Bob and I were in a cab from La Guardia to Top of the Rock. He cared about his people; people responded with devotion to him and the project as a result. He has written screenplays and books during a long career in the entertainment industry. 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. Not just Bobs ideas, because hes very respectful of others and their concepts. Genslerscommitment to leading the future of designis perfectly aligned with my passion for developing unique, immersive experiences with a diversity of creative voices., Gensler stated that Weis would take the firms design innovation to the next level,expanding its commitment to reclaiming human experiences in the spaces and places where we live, work, and play. He will collaborate with Genslers global leadership platform to envision and bring to life unique experiences for clients across a variety of industries where the firm is immersed from entertainment, lifestyle, hospitality, retail, sports, mixed use, and cultural institutions to wellness and workplace.. We want people to feel that these experiences are their story and that the story becomes about them. We opened the nighttime spectacular World of Color, so people had incentive to stay into the evening hours. Then they would board a missile destroyer. "We are thrilled that Bob is joining our global innovation design team," Gensler co-CEO Andy Choen said in a press release. Thats one of the big things that Marty was writing and speaking about: a sense of optimism. Bob invited me to be Associate Producer on a documentary on the Lewis and Clark expedition, says Tim Steinouer, who had previously worked with Weis on an unaired television show episode for another production company. Were tired of being at home in front of our computers. Its the next step. I went back to Shanghai after we opened and saw how quickly the Shanghai audiencerelatively inexperienced in theme parks or in Disneyadopted it and made it their own. That was another great family connection because to work alongside your sister who for your whole life is in such a completely different field than you, and learn about each others work, was bonding and great and a really wonderful way to get to know her.. Weis, who started his Disney Imagineering Journey back in 1980, is most notably responsible for ideas and innovations at Shanghai Disneyland as well as serving as President of . Disney over as-is. He was absolutely wonderful. D23: You were president at WDI during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. was greenlit. The company's vision is to "entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through . built with tradition, filled with things we want to preserve, so when you come Theres nothing more satisfying or more rewarding than that. Raised in San Diego on theme parks, zoos, and IMAX films, InPark's Senior Correspondent Joe Kleiman would expand his childhood loves into two decades as a projectionist and theater director within the giant screen industry. We started talking about CSI could the CSI cast host the exhibit? There are also a lot of artists and designers out there and theyve been doing this for years who are trying new things and pushing the envelope on what an experience is. NBA coach who spent 12 years as an assistant coach with the Seattle SuperSonics. Hes very fluid. Theres a hunger to try things, which is creating this beautiful point in time where people are trying things, but there arent a lot of rules or known best practices. How do you tell a story in [three-dimensional] space? He totally respected Ricardo and it helps that Bob came out of architecture [Weis received a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona in 1980]. 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. Where is Anglica Mara today? The park was initially conceived and built as a half-day experience something guests could visit the afternoon they flew into Orlando, for example. This idea for a theme park was very different from his movies. He can be contacted at [emailprotected] and followed on twitter @ThemedReality. It all comes back to the three things I talked about earlier. If you walked around the back, youd see canvas and plywood. A deep love for Imagineering and tremendous respect for the people who built it, but also such enthusiasm for the new and future talent that inhabit those hallowed halls. When designing the Disney-MGM Studios park, Weis and his team consulted with cinema history and industry experts. D23: In your farewell email, you wrote that Imagineering still reflects [Walt Disneys] creative energy, his storytelling, his belief in talent and collaboration, and his passion for always moving forward. Can you talk a bit more about how Imagineering remains driven by the spirit and imagination that Walt Disney established? When we reached one of our last stops, the Today Show was there to greet us., Steinouer continued, When we were packing the horses at the start of the trip, Bob nonchalantly mentioned a movie exhibition that was being considered in Chicago. If you want to see Weis in action, along with other Imagineers, be sure to watch The Imagineering Story on Disney+! But fans inspire you. Eventually, we added a small gallery at The American Adventure. Bob Weis is a storyteller. Designing immersive experiences feels like a logical next step in that design process. Its exciting to think that we can create great stories that people can experience together in new ways and do them in the spaces Gensler already creates. Former President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis is joining Gensler as Global Immersive Experience Design Leader! Disney theme park projects around the globe over the span of five decades. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. In 1994 came the launch of Bob Weis Design Island, a boutique, themed entertainment design firm which was co-founded by Diane Fredel-Weis, who was instrumental in its success. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. Now he would bring theme park storytelling to the museum. Rita's Italian Ice Giving Walt Disney World Cast Members Free Ice to Celebrate Bob Chapek's Departur months after announcing his retirement from The Walt Disney Company, Blizzard Beach Closing Due to Low Temperatures This Weekend, Signage Goes Up for EPCOT International Festival of the Arts 2023 Presented by AT&T. We take your privacy seriously. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joe Kleiman is News Editor for InPark Magazine. I began on Tokyo Disneyland, so Id say the biggest shift for me is we went from two theme parks in the United States to 12 around the world. In 2016, Weis was named president of Walt Disney Imagineering. Russell recalls that about the time the whole Fort Worth concept was done, I got a call from Bob. But we get to work side by side with some of the most Within eight months he had relocated to Japan as part of the team creating Tokyo Disneyland. Fort Worth Museum of Science and History exhibits: We decided to rebuild the museum from the ground up, Romans recalled. Thats the way you think about space from a story point of view. An Adventure in Movie Making exhibit. is a vibrant place with a dynamic culture, and we knew we couldnt just bring When you take away the ceiling on an old elevator, you have machinery, cables, I-beams, obstructions. And For Seruto, her projects with Weis often evoked personal experience and personal history. Hes skilled at bringing in and organizing all the right people together. My whole business was in there, and I was freaking out about it as we got to the airport. Included on his long list of Imagineering accomplishments are Disney Park Tokyo Disneyland, the recent remodel of Disneys California Adventure, and the design of Shanghai Disney Resort! managing the process of translating our design intentions for our collaborator, Created in 2005, what started as a tiny central Florida-based website and short weekly podcast that allowed our audience to visit Walt Disney World virtually has grown into the publishing company it is today. was my first big museum project with Bob, says Jen Bressler of Hunt Design, another long-term collaborator of Weiss. If you go to an airport, its not just to get on a plane. Documenting the adventure were Weis, Associate Producer Steinouer, Editor Greg Jones, and Director of Photography Cameron Roberts. How do you make Disneyland simple to navigate, so that you dont really have to think about where youre going? He currently resides in Pennsylvania, United States. Bob Weis, former president of Walt Disney Imagineering, has accepted a position with Gensler, a California-based architecture and design firm. Imagineers have such an incredible Its an active role. of how the company worked and how the different groups supported each other. You have a real authentic impact on the experience. 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. After decades of outstanding work, including becoming president of Walt Disney Imagineering, as well as Global Imagineering Ambassador, Weis announced his retirement in October of last year, and it didnt come as much of a surprise. Learn more about his new role and his viewpoint on immersive experiences and why they are more important now than ever before. View Videos. Im glad I didnt know more about him his stature, his tremendous accomplishments. color theory to the appropriate use of language. We are thrilled that Bob is joining our global innovation design team, Gensler co-CEO Andy Choen said in a press release. changing. On one harried trip, I had left my briefcase on the curb next to the cab driver who was loading the trunk, only he took off without my briefcase. Early in my career I was also able to do projects in Tokyo, China, Europe, and other places, and that made me realize that culturally theres a lot of shared interest in what we expect of our spaces. BW: One of the most gratifying things for me over the years has been [the emergence of] D23 and seeing the union of all those people who love Disney, who love parks and love Imagineering. I got to learn pretty much everything how to In recent years, he led the creative team for the development, design, and construction of Shanghai Disney Resort. Bob had this idea that he would edit everything shot at the end of the day on-site, so one of our crew on horseback was the editor, says Steinouer. Stream The Imagineering Story, streaming on Disney+ on Disney+, Bob Weis to Retire from Imagineering After 42 Years. authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese which led us to diversify our Weis retired as global ambassador for Imagineering at . By providing my email address I'd like to receive updates, special offers, and other information via electronic messages and postal mail from Disney Destinations, LLC and other members of The Walt Disney Family of Companies. late Imagineering leader Marty Sklar used to say that Disneyland is a place with local vendors and craftspeople. I wrote the script for this, shares Russell. Having joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 1980, Weis became president of the studio in 2016. the press release of the Gensler vision and Weis new responsibilities literally sounds like what a modern day WDI division and its President would be striving to do for the 21st century Disney fan. Bob Weis, former president of Walt Disney Imagineering, has accepted a position with Gensler, a California-based architecture and design firm. Weis brought Seruto on board to manage production on Top of the Rock, a reimagining of the observation decks at Rockefeller Center in downtown Manhattan. And so, I elected to go on the Tokyo team. 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