Getting to the finals of the Walt Disney Imaginations Design Competition was a pinnacle for three University of Nevada, Reno engineering students, who spent a week in an intensive competition with five other finalist universities.
The student team comprised Gabbi Bachand, a chemical engineering and art major; Andrew McNeilly, a mechanical engineering major; and Nolan Nicholson, a chemical engineering major. They spent the week of Jan. 26-30 at the Walt Disney Imagineering headquarters in Glendale, Calif. In addition to presenting projects to Imagineering executives, they networked with Imagineers and interviewed for paid internships.
“I wondered if going backstage was going to ruin the magic,” team member Bachand said. “Was it going to change how I felt about the company? Was I going to see something I wish I hadn’t? And the answer to all of these was a resounding ‘no.’ Disney is as magical backstage as it is in the parks, and I hold even more respect and admiration for the company knowing how effectively they operate.
The team said it was proud of their presentation, even though they didn’t place in the top three of the finals.
“We definitely wish we could’ve worked more to improve our presentation, especially after seeing the other teams’ absolutely stunning work, but we’re happy with what we delivered,” Nicholson said. “It’s amazing to sit down and chat with such brilliant and creative minds. The judges were tough in their questioning, but they were remarkably kind as well.”
For this year’s Imaginations design competition, students were given the challenge to take what Disney does best today and apply it to transportation within a major city. The Nevada team created a hypothetical Disney transportation experience based in Chicago’s subway system. The project, titled Line 55, is an entertainment underground transportation system featuring four distinct, adventure-filled routes to various themed locations throughout the city. Guests would be able to “travel” into classic literature plots including a sci-fi space mission, a far-away jungle expedition, a deep ocean dive and a historic Chicago adventure with corresponding themed destinations within the downtown area.
The team members may perhaps follow in the amusement park footsteps of another University of Nevada, Reno Department of Engineering student, Ron Toomer, who graduated with a mechanical engineering degree in 1961 and was inducted into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame in the year 2000. He designed 93 roller coaster rides and had assorted other notable accomplishments. One of his first projects was his contributions to solving water issues on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland.
Toomer, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 81, was reportedly most proud of his contribution to the development of the first practical upside-down coaster elements (The Corkscrew).
SOURCE: UNR.
