How Disney created the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction

TL;DR

Disney Imagineers use VR technology integrated with physical free-roaming vehicles to test and enhance the design and experience of their rides.

Transcript

• [Interviewer] Rides is, really, it's a combination of obviously a bunch of development testing, like all rides are, but in this particular experience, you have a lot of overlapping systems, you have humans obviously being carried through the space, and we can see here that you have multiple ride vehicles all in place. Dawson, I'd love to talk a l... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥶 Disney Imagineers have developed a pipeline that combines physical free-roaming vehicles and virtual reality to test and enhance ride designs.
• 👰‍♀️ Integrating VR technology into moving platforms provides a more accurate representation of the ride experience.
• 😒 The use of VR allows designers to iterate rapidly and gain valuable insights into the thrills and comfort of the ride.
• 🚙 The combination of physical vehicles and VR creates an immersive and character-driven experience for guests.
• 👻 VR testing eliminates the need for extensive simulation and allows designers to experience real wind movement.
• 🎨 The VR testing pipeline has become a valuable tool in the design process of Disney attractions.
• 👰‍♀️ The integration of VR technology in ride testing highlights Disney's commitment to innovation in the entertainment industry.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Disney integrate VR technology into their ride testing process?

Disney Imagineers incorporate VR into physical free-roaming vehicles, allowing designers to experience the ride's visuals and motion in real time, ensuring a more immersive and character-driven experience.

Q: What is the advantage of using VR for testing rides?

VR provides a one-to-one motion simulation, allowing designers to feel the thrill and comfort of the ride, ensuring every moment feels right and maximizing fun for guests.

Q: How does the integration of VR and physical vehicles benefit the design process?

By combining VR and physical vehicles, designers can test and iterate rapidly, from basic 3D models to actual ride experiences, gaining valuable insights and enhancing the design before construction begins.

Q: How early in the design process does Disney start using the VR testing pipeline?

Disney has started using the VR testing pipeline as early as two weeks into the ideation phase, allowing designers to ride and experience the attraction's concept in a short amount of time.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Disney Imagineers have developed a pipeline that combines physical free-roaming vehicles and virtual reality to accelerate the design process of attractions like "Rise of The Resistance".

• Previously, VR had been used for static configurations, but now it is integrated into moving platforms to provide designers with a better understanding of sight lines and the overall experience.

• The use of VR in testing allows for one-to-one motion simulation and helps designers create rides that are not only thrilling but also make guests feel like they are being driven by the characters.