Talking to Bob is like having an open conversation with an old college friend. For Seruto, her projects with Weis often evoked personal experience and personal history. Its an active role. We had Brian Edwards and Roberta Perry of ETI working with us. Imagineering Ambassador Bob Weis is retiring from Disney in January, wrapping a career that Bob Weis joined Disney Imagineering in 1980 during the transition from Donn Tatum to Ron W. Miller as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Its been gratifying to have that connection to D23 and to be able to show some pride about what we do and show a little bit behind the curtain. Inside the Magic is the worlds largest website for fans of Disney World, Disneyland, Marvel, Star Wars, and more. But also, as Marty [Sklar] said, our theme parks are not museums. When designing the Disney-MGM Studios park, Weis and his team consulted with cinema history and industry experts. recurring theme: there was an intangible something they got in our other Later, when back at Walt Disney Imagineering to oversee the Shanghai Disney Resort, Weis invited Seruto to join WDI and executive produce the Treasure Cove area of the park, including its benchmark attraction, the award-winning Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure. During the previous two years, Robert Chapek has sold products at the Walt Disney Company valued at an estimated $6.66 million. Bit by bit we made changes all across the park and by the time we were done, Disney California Adventure had really come into its own. Founded as WED Enterprises back in 1952, Walt Disney Imagineering has been a staple of Disney Theme Parks since the very start. That led us to come up with a park that would be linked by various ports of call around the world, which became the concept for Tokyo DisneySea. changing. It was a wonderful way to use theme park storytelling, technology, and immersive design in a completely different way. The project made sailors feel like they were at sea for twelve hours. knew the shows executive producer, Jerry Bruckheimer. was attending the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design when some Walt Disney Imagineering shared this on Instagram: Forty-two years after first joining Imagineering, Bob Weis has announced his retirement. He would be putting real people in real places with real actors playing characters that would interact with the guests. Their computers seamlessly edited the film that guests got to take home with them. Wiki Bio of Bob Weis net worth is updated in 2023. [weve been able to] lift the veil a little bit and not be so secretive. EPCOT was by far the bigger priority it had a large team at our headquarters in Glendale, Calif., and the entire company was putting various resources behind it. Bob had to have massive oversight of the art direction, media, coordinating. 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. Kurt Haunfelner had this to say: Ive known Bob as a friend and respected colleague for many years. 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? Interview by Judith Rubin. This was an opportunity for him for all of us to help our country. We began working around 2003 on ACTION! I know Bob skipped a number of calls just to stop, buy me a drink and to reassure me that it would work out. At the time, I was working freelance TV and film in Orlando. They worked beautifully together. D23: You were indeed one of the kids once, since you once sold popcorn and ice cream at Disneyland. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Inside the Magic. 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. When I joined Disney, work was ramping up on two major projects: EPCOT in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland. it very quickly became a national landmark. Even Lewis and Clarks expedition which would have been the theme of a raft ride at the unbuilt park, and did become the subject of his film In Their Footsteps was a US Army operation. In each set, a little scene was recorded. This year, Weis took on the Global Imagineering Ambassador role which was once held by a mentor of his, Disney Legend and former Imagineering president Marty Sklar. This is different from what were used to, which is watching things on a screen or seeing a piece of sculpture or painting in a museum. In this medium of immersive experiences, we want to break out of the screen and really envelop all the senses sight, smell, emotion, the feel all the things that can tell the story in physical ways that you will never forget. Bob Weis had garnered a reputation for leading the design of Disney theme parks that, according to former Disney Imagineer and longtime Weis collaborator Van Romans, "mixed real stuff with Disney storytelling." Weis spearheaded the team that designed the Disney-MGM Studios, opened in 1989 and renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008. was greenlit. I felt like my Dad was with me and this project ended up being a way to honor my father, she said. But we shouldnt give all the credit to the pandemic. Weis also posted a missive on his Instagram page with details about his plans going forward. We opened the nighttime spectacular World of Color, so people had incentive to stay into the evening hours. After a decade and a half at scenic fabricator Lexington, which she left as Vice President of Design & Production in 2000, Seruto established her own boutique studio specializing in the design and production of traveling exhibitions and events. Weis gave the following exclusive interview just before sharing the news of his departure with his colleagues. It turns out that one of the studio liaisons on ACTION! Not just Bobs ideas, because hes very respectful of others and their concepts. Subsequent assignments included creative leadership on Disneys Hollywood Studios (at the time, Disney-MGM Studios), Tokyo DisneySea, and the reimagining of Disney California Adventure. And today, with the recent additions of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxys Edge, Disneys Hollywood Studios is truly a peer to the other parks at Walt Disney World. was an early, important example of blurring the line between attraction and exhibit. A computer program would cut this together. We were building an exhibit, yes, but also doing a pretty major remodel of an historic building, Seruto was quoted in a 2006 article for Exhibit Builder by Judith Rubin that was reprinted by the TEA in 2007. 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. Gensler has appointed Bob Weis as global immersive experience design leader. Read the whole interview with Weis on Gensler.com. There were a number of videos produced to make it look like live TV. Everything around you is in a ship. For me this is a very exciting next chapter, the post reads. DETAILS BELOW Bob Weiss (born May 7, 1942) is famous for being basketball coach. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters, Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. Bob Weis (BW): Well, thats quite a timespan. Remember to sign in or join D23 today to enjoy endless Disney magic! Its an incredible privilege to have this living lab that you can go to and see how people react. And the last element that is key to an immersive experience and this is maybe the hardest to accomplish is that we are giving people agency in the story itself. Within eight months he had relocated to Japan as part of the team creating Tokyo Disneyland. Grateful Dead's style was influenced by the music of The Beatles. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. We want people to feel that these experiences are their story and that the story becomes about them. Bob Weis has been part of Walt Disney Imagineering executive leadership since 2008 and is now transitioning from the role of President to that of Global Ambassador, a role originated by the late Marty Sklar.His successor as president of Imagineering is Barbara Bouza. Almost 20 years ago, Bob visited my newly formed Seruto & Company office which was super small and unimpressive, Seruto recalls. Bob Weis Reflects on Prolific Career at Walt Disney Imagineering. Its been great to have the confidence of the company behind us, Weis says. Thats one of the big things that Marty was writing and speaking about: a sense of optimism. If we can create experiences in places, it will imprint on people a sense of connection that can be very powerful. The trick for Imagineering throughout our history is finding that The closest we got to civilization was a rental car that a crew member drove out to camp each night, full of replacement batteries for the equipment and a satellite phone. maybe Disney should just outsource that too, itll be cheaper? studying for a degree in architecture with a minor in theater design, and I If you walked around the back, youd see canvas and plywood. Think of going to the theater, but instead of watching the play from your seat, you are part of the play. I was brought onboard to produce the media for the show. Kurt and I had worked on several projects together, and he suggested Bob talk to me. Weis grew up in Southern California and fondly recalls his familys annual visits to Disneyland on his birthday every year. Bob had a talent for pulling the best people on to his team. The headquarters in Glendale, California, was a playground to Walt, and he visited there often, not necessarily to check in, but to play, enjoy, and see what new things the Imagineers had been able to come up with. Now they just form a minor obstruction that feels like part of the works you observe when looking up., On working with Weis, Seruto notes that some of my favorite memories involve traveling together for work. And D23 fans who attended the Expo [in September] had a chance to see so many more that we have well under way. There was a company statement posted on the official Imagineering Instagram page that recognized the scope of Weis contribution. One of his greatest attributes is his strategic mindset. Contact us: email I was And then we got access to a massive library of classic film stories and characters, which really expanded the possibilities. Bob Weis had garnered a reputation for leading the design of Disney theme parks that, according to former Disney Imagineer and longtime Weis collaborator Van Romans, mixed real stuff with Disney storytelling. Weis spearheaded the team that designed the Disney-MGM Studios, opened in 1989 and renamed Disneys Hollywood Studios in 2008. We are thrilled that Bob is joining our global innovation design team, Gensler co-CEO Andy Choen said in a press release. Its as if youre a character in your own movie and youre drawn through it. Were tired of being at home in front of our computers. Please enable JavaScript to experience the full functionality of www.gensler.com, Bob Weis, Former President of Walt Disney Imagineering, on Immersive Experiences and the Story of Our Cities and Spaces, Foundations, Associations & Organizations. late Imagineering leader Marty Sklar used to say that Disneyland is a place It was a natural fit for Bob hes a producer on all media. Bob is very adroit at looking at how things are developing, motivating and exciting the team. In addition to his theme park work, Weis has led influential projects in museums, science centers . An Adventure in Movie Making; Top of the Rock; Battle Stations 21; The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History; and CSI: The Experience. He lives in Sacramento, California with his fianc and two dogs. He was absolutely wonderful. includes serving as president of Imagineering for nearly six years. And it did work out. We held focus groups with locals and talked with both stakeholders and experts as part of the creative process.. Joes blog, Themes, Schemes, and Dreams can be found at themesrenewed.home.blog. We were asked to redesign the look and feel of a hospital ward for children with cancer. asked to lead the creative aspects of an expansive reimagination plan. If you want to see Weis in action, along with other Imagineers, be sure to watch The Imagineering Story on Disney+! Fort Worth Museum of Science and History exhibits: We decided to rebuild the museum from the ground up, Romans recalled. October 20, 2022 2:02pm. Braden has been a Disney fan from the word go, and if not in the parks with his wife and family, can often be found doing things to incorporate Disney in the day to day, whether that be painting, trying out park recipes at home, or collecting the odd Disney antique! People want to be inspired and moved in some way and feel some kind of connection to a space, so I think we all benefit from using storytelling as a critical part of any space. One of our primary goals was We used the walls in the rooms, the furnishings, the trays on the hospital bed, the nurses uniform all the things we would have to create anyway for a hospital and we made them colorful, uplifting, and positive. 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. Its always great working with Bob. PRIVACY POLICY. The Whats unique about working with Bob is even then, in that point in time, he had a habit of being a leader, but allowing everyone who works with him to have equal standing. Battle Stations 21 was one of the first major applications of themed entertainment design to training simulation, leading the way for other companies to provide similar training services for first responders, the military, and municipal infrastructure. We decided not to do Frontierland because we didnt think it had relevance over there, but we made Tomorrowland on a larger scale. the architectural ornamentation of the castle. infusing the park with that elusive thing called Disney magic.. We want people to feel that these experiences are their story and that the story becomes about them. Were really thankful to the fans because of the way that they love [the parks], but also because of the way we are able to learn from them by watching how they react to things. We converted the entry sequence into Buena Vista Street, which is reminiscent of the Los Angeles Walt would have known in the 1920s and 30s. Weis, a history buff and cinephile, always built upon what he learned from project to project. Herman and Bob would sit on a log with the editor while he edited, then theyd give that days footage to the driver, who would sit on the roof of the car trying to get a signal with the satellite phone so he could transmit it to the Smithsonian for use in that days classroom presentations. We specialize in creating custom-crafted content designed to appeal to the industrys top designers, creators, developers, owners and operators. 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. I got to learn pretty much everything how to Steinouer would up joining Weis at Design Island (now Steinouer Creative), eventually taking its reins in 2007, after Disney recruited Weis back into the fold to lead the reboot of the Disney California Adventure park. Its good timing for me to think about wrapping up my assignment as well. A few months after announcing his retirement from The Walt Disney Company, former Imagineer Bob Weis has joined design and architecture firm Gensler as their Global Immersive Experience Design leader. Theres a familiarity with being relaxed, having faith in your team, giving leeway. Crossing over into a very different field, Weis had the opportunity to utilize his skills as an attraction and exhibit designer in the creation of Battle Stations 21: a realistic, virtual training experience for the US Navy Training Center near Chicago. Theres nothing more satisfying or more rewarding than that. 2023 Gensler, All Rights Reserved The firm does business in hundreds of cities all over the world and across 29 different practice areas. In 2016, he was appointed to the ultimate team leadership position President of Walt Disney Imagineering. We used real props from the studios, but more modern props for the time that our younger guests would relate to. Did you find what you were looking for? but now its been outsourced to a completely different company, so where are we getting the next generation of creativity from for the Disney parks? However, he also has a significant body of influential work in the museum and attractions fields and even military training simulation pioneering projects that established new models, blurring the line between attraction and exhibit, bringing museum techniques to the theme park world and vice versa. Learn how your comment data is processed. By Bruce Steele. After a 42-year-long career, with plenty to be proud of, he had earned a well-deserved restor so it seemed! He is best known for his Disney projects most recently his leadership roles on the Disney California Adventure and Shanghai Disneyland parks. What is more surprising is Weiss decision to come out of retirement for the job. With a career that spans 30 years at Disney (most recently as the president of Walt Disney Imagineering), Bob has created, designed, and developed physical stories and immersive experiences for some of Disneys most iconic projects around the globe. He puts team first, self second.. One of the highlights of Weiss Top of the Rock was the ascent from a history gallery to the observation floors themselves. Oriental Land Company (OLC). Profiled are: In Their Footsteps: Lewis and Clark; ACTION! bob weis disney net worth. During his time as president, more than 200 distinct projects were delivered, despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic. Instead of the traditional Adventureland we created Adventure Isle, plus an entire land themed to pirates. Former President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis is joining Gensler as Global Immersive Experience Design Leader! take the firms design innovation to the next level. A lover of history and cinema, whether overseeing a Disney theme park or a traveling museum exhibit, he was, as one of his team members called him, never a micro-manager, but always a collaborator., Its kind of a life story arc, colleague and former fellow Imagineer Rick Rothschild said of Weis. Weir and a fellow teenaged friend were wandering the back alleys of Palo Alto. But in its first year it got almost double the attendance we had planned for, so to increase capacity we quickly added things like Muppet*Vision 3D and more stage shows, then later Sunset Boulevard and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Think of going to the theater, but instead of watching the play from your seat, you are part of the play. Were tired of being at home in front of our computers. Im also passionate about doing things that are closer to peoples everyday lives, and theres no other place I can realize that passion than at Gensler. As exhausted as I would be People want experiences they can do with other people. 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. Serving most recently as Global Imagineering Ambassador and before that as president of the organization, Bob cemented his legacy as a leader and creative force helping to bring to fruition countless attractions, lands, resort hotels, cruise ships, and theme parks around the globe., A post shared by Walt Disney Imagineering (@waltdisneyimagineering). You can withdraw your consent for these messages at any time. Ill continue writing my book for Disney Publishing on the Marty Sklar Archives, and I am developing a screenplay for Walt Disney Studios.. To understand more about Bob Weis as a themed entertainment professional and his lifetime of distinguished achievements, InPark editor Joe Kleiman explored a series of projects completed between 2002 and 2009. A creative design force, his leadership and expertise in entertainment design will enhance the ways people interact with and thrive in the spaces and experiences we create around the world. Battle Stations 21 was the final test to see if Naval recruits could stand up to rigors and real conditions at sea., We were at sea on a destroyer to film for a week Bob, myself, and six crew members, continues Steinouer. 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. BW: We marched boldly forward. For more information on our data collection and use practices, please read our Privacy Policy. Bob and I share classic film knowledge, he says. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joe Kleiman is News Editor for InPark Magazine. The firm already has such an incredible commitment to the cultural vibrancy of cities and the place where we live, work, and play. D23: You were president at WDI during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I love the idea of place and how you bring a place into a total story. Weir met fellow Grateful Dead founding member Jerry Garcia in a moment of happenstance on New Year's Eve 1963. Its an active role. was my first big museum project with Bob, says Jen Bressler of Hunt Design, another long-term collaborator of Weiss. Human stories unfold in place. Hes very fluid. People around the world have an expectation that cities and places are going to inspire us in some way and that theyre going to communicate to us in some way. Disney Imagineering President Bob Weis steps down ahead of Lake Nona move Bob Weis stepped down as president of Walt Disney Imagineering this week as his department moves to Lake Nona from. Today, I think were seeing the evolution of this idea, and there is a tremendous amount of invention and innovation going on in the space. Documenting the adventure were Weis, Associate Producer Steinouer, Editor Greg Jones, and Director of Photography Cameron Roberts. Gensler, who has worked with Disney before, will offer Weis the opportunity to bring his expertise in design, storytelling, and immersive world-building to a broader audience.

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