Study Tour | Disney Behind the Glitter: Making Dreamland Run

Join our hosts as the team from Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of Tokyo DisneySea.

Participants will enjoy a private early morning tour of the resort before the day's official opening. As the resort receives its first visitors for the day, the group will return to Walt Disney Animation Japan via a back of house (BOH) route, where the group will see BOH operations in progress. Our hosts will share an in-depth presentation of the history and relationship between Disney and Oriental Land Company (OLC), an introduction to WDI, and a glimpse into the Imagineering process.

Bus transportation will be provided between Tokyo Midtown and Disney.

Graduate from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, with a bachelor's degree in Architecture and a master's in Business Administration. Peter started his career with Walt Disney Imagineering in 1989 as Principal Project Planner for Mickey's Toontown and Indiana Jones at Disneyland in Anaheim. After WDI, Peter joined Universal Studios as Project Director for Universal Lands of Adventure in Orlando and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Leaving the theme park world for eleven years, he joined the management teams who led mega-resort projects in Las Vegas, museums for the Smithsonian Institute and the DHS campus in Washington D.C. as well as foreign assignments like the Hilton Waterfront project in Tripoli, Libya. He rejoined WDI as a Project Executive to help deliver Shanghai Disneyland Resort. Peter currently resides in Tokyo, completing the Fantasy Springs project as Project Management Executive.

 

As Managing Director for Gensler’s Tokyo office, I lead local and global teams and clients through delivering solutions that meet both the aesthetic and business requirements for clients around the world. With three years of leading the firm’s 300 person Chicago office, My strengths stem from analyzing strategic business goals through leading teams in creating world-class programming, space planning, conceptual development and design development. As a project director, I have spent two decades taking projects from concept through execution with an exceptional ability to understand issues and provide custom, client-focused solutions. My background spans across a wide variety of industries and project types, which have proven to be successful for large and small projects alike. From new high-rise hospitals in the heart of a city’s bustling downtown, to familiar and intimate workplace design, My constant curiosity has led me to travel the world, seeing design from multiple viewpoints, and create distinctive and compelling solutions for clients around the globe.

 

Graduate from Cal Poly State University, Pomona, with a bachelor of science in Landscape Architecture. Andy joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 2011 to support the design and development of Adventure Isle and Treasure Cove for Shanghai Disneyland. After SHDL, Andy joined the Tokyo team to support a number of projects primarily focused on early development. In 2013, the project now known as Fantasy Springs began its Blue-Sky phase. Andy worked closely with both WDI and OLC over the next ten years, leading the Area Development design team and ultimately relocating to Japan to oversee construction. Andy currently lives in Tokyo with his wife and daughter, completing the Fantasy Springs project as Principal Landscape Architect. 

 

For the past three years, Mark has been based in Japan and leads the Imagineering creative, in-field team as part of the largest expansion at the Tokyo Disney Resort - Fantasy Springs. It becomes the 8th Themed Port at Tokyo DisneySea and is set to grand open on June 6, 2024. Previously, Mark held the position of Creative Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering Asia where he was based in Hong Kong. He was involved as part of the leadership team for Walt Disney Imagineering-Asia supporting growth and development in the region as as the three Disney resorts in Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong. In addition, he continued the Imagineering tradition of a creative outreach to the region's design/creative community and served 3 years as a Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) Board member. Mark was also positioned as the Director of Design Development for the Tokyo Disney Resort and based at the Resort in Maihama, Japan. His responsibilities included oversight of the existing property and collaborating with Park partners, including the Oriental Land Company to expand growth opportunities for the Resort. Prior to his role in Tokyo, Mark was Executive Creative Director of Mystic Point, the third chapter of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort's expansion projects. In his role, Mark oversaw the creative direction of the entire themed land, including the innovative Mystic Manor attraction. Mark has 35 years of experience at Walt Disney Imagineering. He began his Disney career as an intern at Walt Disney World in Orlando, before becoming a full-time Imagineer. Since that time, he has worked at every Disney resort, collaborating with various creative and project teams on a wide range of projects from concept to installation. Prior to joining Disney, Mark worked for two landscape architecture/planning firms in the United States, Peridian Group in southern California and Brickman Industries in Philadelphia, PA. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture degree from the Ohio State University.